“Sen. Craig resigns; apologizes & vows to clear his name”
Source: USA Today – 9/1/2007
Thoughts: There were many key resignation announcements this week, so I want to quickly go through them all. The first one is with Senator Larry Craig, who was receiving most of the news coverage this week following the discovery that he pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct following what is considered to be lewd conduct in a bathroom stall according to an undercover police officer. Not wanting to have another negative news story to plague the GOP, especially one that threatens their “family values” platform, the Republicans pressured Craig into doing the right thing for the party and to call it quits, which he did today. It appears that Idaho Lt. Governor Jim Risch will be tapped to replace Craig and to complete the remainder of his term. Jim Risch is a popular politician in Idaho, and will likely run for Senate on his own in 2008.
Article: “Sen. Craig resigns; apologizes & vows to clear his name”
By Mark Memmott and Jill Lawrence
Caught in a political firestorm over his arrest — and guilty plea to a disorderly conduct charge — during a June police sting aimed at curtailing lewd conduct in a Minnesota airport men’s restroom, Idaho Republican Sen. Larry Craig announced a short time ago that he will leave office Sept. 30.
“I apologize for what I have caused,” Craig said.
(Article continues.)
Instead, the 62-year-old Craig said that:
“I have little control over what people choose to believe, but clearing my name is important to me and my family.
“Having said that, to pursue my legal options as I continue to serve Idaho would be an unwanted and unfair distraction from my job and for my Senate colleagues.”
His full statement is here. There’s an Associated Press story on this here.
The Idaho Statesman’s report is here. It notes that Craig was “surrounded by his family, Gov. Butch Otter, State Schools Superintendent Tom Luna and (Republican Rep.) Bill Sali.”
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