Posts published in August 2007

Larry Craig

Aconsensus seems to have set in on Idaho Senator Larry Craig, three days after his arrest and guilty plea in Minneapolis went public. There's a pretty broad view now: Craig should resign, soon, and the idea of actually running for term - a prospect Craig himself maintained at his Tuesday press conference - should be completely off the table.

This isn't just the four Idaho newspapers that have (so far) called for his resignation, or the three (thus far) Republican members of Congress or the conservative activists who have done likewise. It's also public measurement, the 55% of Idahoans in a Survey USA who turned thumbs down, and the overwhelming majorities in online (self-selected, but now days-old) polls at the Spokane and Lewiston newspaper sites, calling for immediate resignation. And (to be clear), we do think it likely that the senator will resign before long. We also think the cases laid out in each of the newspaper editorials are solidly argued.

Does that mean Craig's options are foreclosed, that he cannot do other than resign and leave politics - or that there's no argument in favor of doing otherwise?

No. Maybe only as an exercise in contrarianism, but also in recognition that the actions of any single person aren't entirely predictable, let's consider the alternative options, and the case for them.

We start by noting this: The choice is his.

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In talking with several Idaho people today, journalists and others, there was a sense that the Washington crowd is landing harder on Idaho Senator Larry Craig than are his fellow Idahoans.

Maybe - but mainly as a matter of courtesy; you tend not to be cold and mean to someone you've known a long time. That's not the same thing as approval.

Tomorrow, the Idaho Statesman becomes the third Idaho newspaper (after the Idaho Falls Post Register and the Coeur d'Alene Press) to explicitly call for Craig's resignation. (At least three others, the Spokane Spokesman-Review, the Twin Falls Times-News and the Lewiston Tribune, appear to be on a hair trigger to do likewise.)

From the Statesman: "Two days ago, we urged Idahoans not to rush to judgment, and give Craig a chance to explain himself. Unfortunately, we have seen and heard enough. Judging from his performance Tuesday, when he read a brief public statement, Craig seems more interested in hunkering down, operating from a defensive state of denial. This is his prerogative. But he should not compromise Idaho interests in the process."

MAKE THAT FOUR The Pocatello Idaho State Journal calls for resignation as well. "Regardless of hat the ethics committee may recommend Craig should recognize that his standing and influence in Congress have been hopelessly eroded. He could salvage at least vestige of respect by resigning. Step down, senator."

MAKE THAT FIVE Add the Ketchum Idaho Mountain Express, which opined, "Instead of persisting in his foolhardy, quixotic quest to reverse his guilty plea in that unseemly Minneapolis bathroom incident, Idaho's Sen. Larry Craig should instead be submitting his resignation as a U.S. senator."

And is this thing ever not over yet. We'd anticipate that Idaho Senator Larry Craig will be spending a few days in quietude, evaluating and processing and doubtless talking with selected people about what, exactly, needs to happen next, now that he's had his public say (as he did yesterday afternoon, at Boise - see the post below). For the rest of us, yes, there remain some more things to say. More still may emerge later.

This is a massive national story, and it will not end soon. In just the last two hours, we fielded calls from Associated Press radio (Washington), the Washington Post and the Boston Phoenix. Check out the Idaho Statesman's page containing links to its recent material on Craig; it's a very long list.

We have a Recommended Read: Today's take by Bryan Fischer of the Idaho Values Alliance, whose views on this may stand as a helpful bellwether on this for a substantial portion of Idahoans. Fischer long has been a supporter of Craig, and he obviously takes no joy from what has been happening; he also seemed willing (notably in his post before this one) to give Craig the benefit of any reasonable doubt. He writes here that he watched Craig's statement Tuesday and watched it closely, but he could not find it exculpatory - it was "unconvincing and unpersuasive." Craig, he said, has lost the ability to lead (especially on those issues of top concern to Fischer), and "the appropriate and right thing for the senator to do at this point is to step down." Fischer does not sound bitter or angry; he does sound deeply saddened.

He also notes this: "One significant feature of yesterday’s press conference is that there were virtually no Republican Party leaders in attendance, and, further, party leaders seem to have draped a blanket of silence over the entire party apparatus. Virtually no highly placed Idaho Republican has gone on record in support – wholehearted or otherwise - of the senator. The best that party leaders have been able to say so far is that they take the senator at his word and hope the public will not rush to judgment. This tepid support may be an indication that the senator’s GOP colleagues believe there is substance to the charges, and are finding it difficult to publicly affirm the senator or defend his behavior."

He almost certainly right. Consider the web headline from today's Statesman report: "Sen. Larry Craig asks forgiveness; GOP seeks ethics probe." The White House says it is “disappointed in the matter.” Presidential candidate and Senate colleague John McCain remarked "It's disgraceful," on Jay Leno's talk show, after Leno launched an extended round of gags on the incident. A least one Republican member of Congress has called for his resignation. Media talker Sean Hannity: “Senator Craig, if you have been engaged in this activity, resign.” Republican leadership has asked him to give up his committee assignments (the last step, ordinarily, before pushing for resignation - after all, what use is a senator without a role on committees?). Craig is getting no defense from his party; they're throwing him overboard.

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Larry Craig

We don't want to swamp the blog with Larry Craig posts, but a little finer point needs to be put here on just what the Idaho senior senator's current status is. Which is: More dire than Craig apparently is willing to accept.

Our initial thought (on hearing the news reports 24 hours ago) was that, since his arrest in a Minneapolis airport mens room had little to do with his work as a senator, he might be able to ride it out, at least through this term (though re-election seems a lot cause). We no longer think so: While Craig is very unlikely to be forced out, conditions are deteriorating so quickly that his staying may soon become impractical.

Craig happened to be in Idaho when the story broke, and this afternoon he delivered a statement at a press conference - no questions taken.

He reiterated that his actions in Minneapolis were misinterpreted and that he should not have pleaded guilty to the disorderly conduct misdemeanor. He said repeatedly, "I am not gay." He blasted the Idaho Statesman: "For eight months leading up to June, my family and I had been relentlessly and viciously harassed by the Idaho Statesman. If you’ve seen today’s paper, you know why." He apologized to his constituents because "I have brought a cloud over Idaho," though he said he did nothing wrong, apart from his handling of the incident. And of his political plans, he said, "Over the years, I have accomplished a lot for Idaho, and I hope Idahoans will allow me to continue to do that. There are still goals I would like to accomplish, and I believe I can still be an effective leader for Idaho. Next month, I will announce, as planned, whether or not I will seek reelection." Finally, said he has retained an attorney in the matter and he acknowledged (though this isn't on the Senate web site), "I'm sure this is an issue that is not yet over."

That last may be the most pertinent point. By reaching a quick settlement on the criminal charges, Craig hoped (as he said) to put the matter quickly behind him. That has backfired: This will not end at least until Craig leaves the Senate. In shorthand, that is because his version of events simply isn't being believed, because the circumstances and details unleashed fall into the category of information we'd rather not have known at all, and because of the reaction of his normal political supporters.

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So, what was just a couple of days ago rumor, innuendo and speculation, has become hard fact at least as far as politics are concerned: Idaho Senator Larry Craig's arrest and guilty plea in Minneapolis have begun to saturate both national and Idaho media. It has become inextricably attached to Craig, and that prompts the question: What now? Does this mean he he won't run for re-election next year? (He has said that such issues won't affect that decision; but such an assertion is easier to make in advance.) Might it even mean his resignation from the Senate, as it already has his resignation from a top position in the Mitt Romney presidential campaign?

Craig gave no immediate answers. But the speculation is well underway.

We've already suggested the reportage makes unlikely a run at re-election. Resignation seems iffier, but it's not out of the question, and talk about it has gained steam in recent hours. At the Daily Kos site, mcjoan (who hails from Idaho) writes that "My gut says he's going to resign; his being gay wasn't a problem for the Idaho GOP just as long as they didn't "really know" he was gay and didn't have to think about it. Now that it's been exposed, and it's all over the local news according to my sources in Idaho (well, ok, according to mcmom), the pressure is mostly certainly going to be on him."

Of course, that's from someone opposed to Craig. But conservative blogger Adam Graham, a philosophical ally of Craig, wrote this: "Senator Larry Craig’s guilty plea in June of this year to a charge of lewd conduct should lead to the end of his Senate career. The honorable thing for Larry Craig to do is to resign. . . . Senator Craig’s explanation that this was all a “misunderstanding” doesn’t wash. Nor does his explanation of his guilty plea as something he did to resolve the issue expeditiously jibe. No innocent man in his right mind would plead guilty to a loaded charge like “lewd conduct” much less a man with 27 years in Congress. If Senator Craig is lying, he has a serious problem, if he is telling the truth, then he lacks the basic good judgment to be in the United States Senator. Either way, it’s time for him to go." Graham's not the only conservative to say so, either.

If Craig did resign, Governor C.L. "Butch" Otter would appoint a replacement. An early-early thought on that: Don't look to the upper ranks of elected officials for his choice. But let's hang on a bit; Craig may pause to test the waters, check for reaction. What reaction he gets around Idaho may help determine his next moves.

ALSO Conservative writer Hugh Hewitt on Craig: "I don't believe him. Read the statement by the arresting officer. He must think the people of Idaho are idiots. But even if I did believe him, this would make his judgment too flawed to be in the United States Senate in a time of war. He has to go."