PrintAugust 31, 2007
Will Craig Resign Today?
Battered by continuing revelations from his sexcapades in a Minneapolis airport restroom and bruised by rising calls from party members for him to step down, Senator Larry Craig now faces the ultimate humilation of being asked to resign by the Republican National Committee itself unlesss he spares everyone the trouble and resigns himself:
A GOP source with knowledge of the situation told CNN's Dana Bash that the Republican National Committee was poised to take the extraordinary step of calling on Craig to resign.
However, that move was put on hold, the source said, because top party leaders have received indications that Craig himself is preparing to step down. Sources have confirmed that high-level meetings on the matter were being conducted in Idaho on Thursday.
Craig has been under pressure to quit since news surfaced this week that he was arrested in June at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and later pleaded guilty to a disorderly conduct charge.
The writing has been on the wall for days that Craig's time left in the Senate could be measured in hours rather than years. Stripped of his leadership positions on committees, dragging his wife before the cameras in what some analysts say was the strangest presser they ever attended, and now facing total rejection by his own party, there can only be one "out" for Craig; a quick and merciful resignation.
Just what he could be negotiating at this point, we can only speculate. He may wish the Ethics investigation dropped so that he won't lose his pension - an option open to the Committee if it chooses to take the matter before the full House. Or perhaps there is some other shred of respect he wishes to hang on to.
At this point, only his quick and merciful exit from the political scene will give the party and his constituents relief from this total embarrassment.
Just what he could be negotiating at this point, we can only speculate. He may wish the Ethics investigation dropped so that he won't lose his pension - an option open to the Committee if it chooses to take the matter before the full House. Or perhaps there is some other shred of respect he wishes to hang on to.
At this point, only his quick and merciful exit from the political scene will give the party and his constituents relief from this total embarrassment.
