Reuters : Senator caught in scandal tries to keep his job

Senator caught in scandal tries to keep his job

By Thomas Ferraro | September 5, 2007

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Despite a surprise new bid by U.S. Sen. Larry Craig to keep his job, many fellow Republicans said on Wednesday they believe he's finished after being snared in an undercover gay-sex probe.

"Larry Craig seems to be the only person who doesn't understand he's done," a Senate Republican leadership aide said. "It may not be fair. But politics isn't fair."

The Idaho senator informed colleagues that he will drop his plans to resign if he can get his conviction on a disorderly conduct charge withdrawn and clear his name by the end of this month, said Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell.

But several Republicans voiced doubt that Craig could clear himself so quickly, given he had already pleaded guilty to the charge stemming from a police investigation into lewd conduct in an airport men's room.

"There's no way he can get that done in 25 calendar days," another Republican aide said. "It takes longer than that to get a speeding ticket handled in court."

McConnell said Craig had told him that he is trying to clear himself by September 30, the date that the three-term senator set last week to step down.

If Craig fails in court, McConnell said, he will proceed with previously announced plans to leave the Senate. But if Craig prevails, he will return to the Senate and face a possible ethics probe.

"He (Craig) called me to give me an update on where he is in order to dispel, as he put it, any confusion that might exist with regard to his intentions," McConnell told reporters after discussing the matter with other Senate Republicans in a closed-door meeting.

Craig has claimed he was "railroaded," and that his actions in the public toilet at a Minnesota airport were misread as a sexual advance by an undercover policeman in the adjoining stall.

Craig said he did nothing wrong but panicked and pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of disorderly misconduct. He said he now wants his day in court to win vindication.

Craig was arrested in June but his guilty plea did not become public until last week, triggering a political firestorm.

Democrats have remained out of the fray though some have accused Republicans of unfairly ganging up on Craig who had been a conservative stalwarts.

Under pressure from Republicans, who lost control of Congress last year in the wake of a string of scandals, Craig announced on Saturday his intention to resign, effective September 30.

But on Tuesday, with Republican Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania urging him to fight the matter in court, Craig's aides said he might change course.

McConnell said: "My view remains what I said last Saturday. I thought he made the correct decision -- the difficult but correct decision to resign. That would still be my view today."

"I was surprised and a little concerned," said Idaho Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter, who will appoint a replacement for Craig if the senator steps down.

Jon Hanian, a spokesman for Otter, said in a telephone interview that Craig came to the governor's office to discuss "the process. We are continuing to work under the assumption that there will be a transition at the end of this month."

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