Opinion: BREAKING NEWS: Idaho’s Sen. Craig resigns over scandal

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Idaho’s Republican Sen. Larry Craig bowed to the inevitable pressure of his political party today and officially announced his retirement from the U.S. Senate effective Sept. 30.

The decision, according to Republican political sources, came after countless telephone conversations throughout recent days in which party leaders and members made it bluntly clear privately and somewhat less so publicly that Craig’s resignation was necessary.

In an emotional and somber news conference in Boise, in stark contrast to the defiant posture he took Tuesday, Craig stood with his wife Suzanne and two of their three children and numerous political supporters. The 62-year-old Craig, who was arrested on suspicion of lewd behavior in a Minneapolis airport men’s room in June and pled guilty to disorderly conduct later, apologized to his family, staff, Senate colleagues and fellow Idahoans.

His statement was met by a smattering of jeers and applause from the crowd of 200 gathered in a parking lot on a sunny summer Saturday overlooking downtown Boise. A supporter yelled, ‘We love you, Larry.’ Craig thanked the numerous officials and supporters who were standing around him and apologized to the people of Idaho for being unable to complete his term, which ends in January 2009. Until this week he was a presumed shoo-in for reelection next November.

But Craig said the distraction of pursuing his legal options as senator would prevent him from giving full time to his duties. ‘I have little control over what people choose to believe,’ he said. ‘But to pursue my legal options would be an unwarranted and unfair distraction. These are serious times for our nation.’

‘It is with sadness and deep regret,’ he added, ‘that I announce my intent to resign from the Senate Sept. 30. I hope to allow a smooth transition.’

As he had previously, Craig has continued to deny any wrongdoing. But his repeated denial of being gay elicited little support in his conservative home state, where he had delivered much favorable legislation over his three Senate terms and a spell in the House. As a staunch opponent of gay rights, he was easily open to hypocrisy charges.

Already facing an uphill political struggle next year against an unpopular war and president and forced to defend 24 Senate seats to the Democrats’ 12, fellow Republicans immediately distanced themselves from Craig and began urging his resignation to allow a replacement enough time to hold office and prepare for next year’s election in what has been a reliably Republican state; in 2004, Idahoans gave President Bush 68% of their vote.

Craig’s denial of improper conduct and a police audio tape released Thursday, with its detailed discussion of tapping foot signals, hand waves and wide stances over toilets, immediately became the subject of countless water cooler conversations and fodder for bathroom jokes on late-night talk shows.

Why Craig is waiting until the end of September to leave office is not comlpletely clear. He said it was to allow a smooth transition for his staff and successor. But colleagues had hoped he would end the embarrassment and constant publicity as quickly as possible. It will also provide more time for the governor to consider a replacement.

This is not the first time Craig’s sexual conduct has come under question. Last fall when a gay website announced that Craig was gay, the senator’s office denounced the statement as ‘ridiculous.’ On Tuesday he uttered the now famous line: ‘I am not gay. I never have been gay.’

Idaho’s Republican Gov. C.L. ‘Butch’ Otter is expected to name Lt. Gov. Jim Risch as Craig’s replacement. But as a longtime Craig friend, he has publicly refused to discuss that until the seat was actually vacant and Risch says there have been no discussions.

Another possibilty could be Idaho Rep. Mike Simpson or even Dirk Kempthorne, who already has been a senator from Idaho, then was elected governor and last year appointed Secretary of the Interior by President Bush. His term in the Cabinet would, of course, end with the president’s in January 2009.

There was no word on the timing of the replacement announcement. But as he left the news conference site a CNN reporter asked Craig if he still maintained his innocence. Craig replied, ‘Absolutely.’ He was also asked if he intended to continue the legal battle he promised on Tuesday. ‘We’ll be fighting this like hell,’ Craig said, adding that his attorney would have a statement possibly later today.

Overturning a guilty plea is technically possible under Minnesota law, but extremely difficult, especially since entering the guilty plea requires signing a document admitting that you are, in fact, guilty. Also, eliminating the disorderly conduct charge could cause reinstatement of the more serious waived charge of lewd behavior.

The Times story by Richard Simon is available here on this website and in Sunday’s print editions.

--Andrew Malcolm