By JOHN MILLER, Associated Press Writers
September 1, 2007
BOISE, Idaho - In a subdued ending to a week of startling
political theater, Sen. Larry Craig announced his resignation
Saturday, bowing to pressure from fellow Republicans worried
about damage from his arrest and guilty plea in a gay sex sting.
"I apologize for what I have caused," Craig said,
his wife Suzanne and two of their three children at his side
with a historic Boise train station as backdrop. "I am
deeply sorry."
Craig, 62, said he would resign effective Sept. 30, ending
a career in Congress spanning a quarter-century.
Making no specific mention of the incident that triggered
his disgrace in his remarks, he spoke for under six minutes
and took no questions.
Among those attending was Republican Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter,
who will appoint a successor for the remaining 15 months of
Craig's term.
It was a relatively quick end to a drama that began Monday
with the stunning disclosure that Craig had pleaded guilty
to a reduced charge following his arrest June 11 in a Minneapolis
airport men's room.
Craig at first tried to hold on to his position, contending
in a public appearance on Tuesday that he had done nothing
inappropriate and that his only mistake was pleading guilty
Aug. 1 to the misdemeanor charge. But a growing chorus of leading
GOP leaders called for him to step down to spare the party
further embarrassment and possible harm in next year's elections.
Otter said Saturday he has not chosen a replacement, although
several Republicans familiar with internal deliberations said
he favored Republican Lt. Gov. Jim Risch.
Otter called speculation that he has made a choice "dead
wrong" and declined to say when he would fill the seat.
Craig said he would remain in the Senate until Sept. 30 in
hopes of providing a smooth transition for his staff and whoever
is chosen as his successor.
President Bush called Craig from the White House after the
senator's announcement and told him he knew it was a difficult
decision to make, said White House spokesman Scott Stanzel.
"Senator Craig made the right decision for himself, for
his family, his constituents and the United States Senate," Stanzel
said.
Craig was arrested June 11 in a police undercover vice operation.
The arresting officer, Sgt. Dave Karsnia, said in his report
that the restroom where he encountered Craig is a known location
for homosexual activity.
Craig has faced rumors about his sexuality since the 1980s.
He has called assertions that he has engaged in gay sex ridiculous.
"I am not gay. I never have been gay," Craig said
defiantly after a news conference Tuesday. He said he had kept
the incident from aides, friends and family and pleaded guilty "in
hopes of making it go away."
Other lawmakers embroiled in sex scandals also have resigned
from Congress, albeit usually at the end of scenarios that
took longer to play out than the one that claimed Craig.
Former Rep. Mark Foley, R-Fla., quit last fall over sexually
explicit Internet communications with male pages who had worked
on Capitol Hill.
Sen. Bob Packwood, R-Ore., resigned in 1995 amid allegations
he had made unwanted sexual advances to 17 female employees
and colleagues and altered his personal diaries to obstruct
an ethics investigation.
On Saturday, Craig said he would pursue legal options to clear
his name. He has retained Billy Martin, a Washington lawyer
who represented Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick in
his dogfighting case, to pursue his legal options. Washington
lawyer Stan Brand will represent Craig before the Senate ethics
committee, said spokesman Dan Whiting.
"The people of Idaho deserve a senator who can devote
100 percent of his time and effort to the critical issues of
our state and of our nation," Craig said. "I have
little control over what people choose to believe. But clearly
my name is important to me, and my family is so very important
also."
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Craig "made
a difficult decision, but the right one."
"It is my hope he will be remembered not for this, but
for his three decades of dedicated public service," McConnell
said. McConnell had been one of Craig's harshest critics, calling
his actions "unforgivable."
Some Idaho residents who attended Craig's public resignation
said it felt like a "political funeral."
Bayard Gregory, from Boise, said Craig should have been more
forthright after his arrest.
"It's a horribly embarrassing experience to go through," Gregory
said. "But if it were me, and I had done nothing wrong,
I wouldn't have pleaded guilty."
Craig spokesman Sidney Smith said he did not know whether
Craig would return to Washington on Tuesday, the start of the
post-Labor Day congressional session.
"We haven't decided that yet, whether he's going to return
or not," Smith said.
Craig represented Idaho in Congress for more than a quarter-century,
including 17 years in the Senate. He was up for re-election
next year.
Republicans, worried about the scandal's effect on next year's
election, suffered a further setback Friday when veteran Republican
Sen. John Warner of Virginia announced he will retire rather
than seek a sixth term. Democrats captured Virginia's other
Senate seat from the GOP in the 2006 election.
Craig opposes gay marriage and has a strong record against
gay rights. He was a leading voice in the Senate on gun issues
and Western lands. Craig chaired the Senate Veterans Affairs
Committee and was a senior member of the Appropriations Committee,
where he was adept at securing federal money for Idaho projects.
A fiscal and social conservative, Craig sometimes broke with
his party, notably on immigration, where he pushed changes
that many in his party said offered "amnesty" to
illegal immigrants. Much of the impetus behind Craig's push
to ease bureaucratic hurdles to immigrant farm workers stemmed
from his background as a rancher and the state's large rural,
farming community.
___
Associated Press writers Matthew Daly and Deb Riechmann in
Washington, D.C., and Todd Dvorak in Boise contributed to this
report.
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