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Craig leaves door open to remain in Senate
Idaho Statesman ^ | Sept 5, 2007 | Erika Bolstad and Gregory Hahn

Posted on 09/05/2007 7:42:05 AM PDT by Jeff Head

Craig chose his words carefully during his resignation speech Saturday in Boise, according to a voice mail message he mistakenly left on a stranger's phone.

In that message obtained by the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call, Craig tells a man named "Billy" that his choice of language is deliberate because it leaves the door open for him to stay in office.

Craig made the call just minutes before his speech.

"We have reshaped my statement a little bit to say it is my intent to resign on Sept. 30," Craig said. "I think it is important for you to make as bold a statement as you are comfortable with this afternoon, and I would hope you could make it in front of the cameras. I think it would help drive the story that I'm willing to fight, that I've got quality people out there fighting in my defense, and that this thing could take a new turn or a new shape; it has that potential."

He said Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., had encouraged him to fight.

The recording was offered for sale to the Idaho Statesman, which turned it down because the newspaper's ethics policy precludes it from paying for information from sources. A Roll Call editor said that publication wouldn't pay either, but it managed to obtain the recording without charge.

The voice is indeed Craig's, spokesman Dan Whiting said. Whiting would not say who "Billy" is. On Saturday, Craig announced that he had hired high-profile criminal defense lawyer Billy Martin to help him unravel the guilty plea he filed last month.

(Excerpt) Read more at idahostatesman.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; News/Current Events; US: Idaho
KEYWORDS: larrycraig; senateresignation; sexscandal; uhohstalldooropen; ussentae; widestance
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To: California74
If he were gay, or a propositioner, don’t you think every gay guy he fooled around with would be coming up from under the woodwork by now?

FWIW, it's referred to as anonymous sex for a reason.

41 posted on 09/05/2007 8:16:31 AM PDT by mewzilla (Property must be secured or liberty cannot exist. John Adams)
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To: Jeff Head
"Craig accidently left voice mail about "leaveing the door open"..."

I'm guessing he was referring to the back door....

42 posted on 09/05/2007 8:16:34 AM PDT by Joe 6-pack (Que me amat, amet et canem meum)
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To: California74
"...The dems set him up and he fell for the trap..."

The dems forced him to seek out an out-of-the-way restroom known to be a homo hook-up spot?

Hardly.
43 posted on 09/05/2007 8:17:42 AM PDT by frankenMonkey (An Army Dad)
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To: Jeff Head

Homo alert ping

leave already you’ve been disgraced.


44 posted on 09/05/2007 8:19:01 AM PDT by neverendinghunt
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To: pgkdan
I cannot speak to the actuality of his sexuality. I had always discounted the rumors...now they do have more credibility.

But all of that aside, his judgement has been wholly tarnished, and this just adds more to that. He had already lost my support over the immigration issue, now he needs to step down and allow our conservative governor to appoint another conservative in his stead.

45 posted on 09/05/2007 8:19:12 AM PDT by Jeff Head
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To: Eric in the Ozarks

Pat Toomey should be in that Pennsylvania U.S. Senate seat instead of Arlen Specter!


46 posted on 09/05/2007 8:20:26 AM PDT by johnthebaptistmoore
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To: Jeff Head

Apparently you can’t believe Craig until he confirms his resignation via hand signals.


47 posted on 09/05/2007 8:22:04 AM PDT by PBRSTREETGANG
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To: jdm

“editorial comment”
After the proper headline, in parantheses or brackets. Take it from me, who got slapped around fror that particular transgression. :)


48 posted on 09/05/2007 8:23:23 AM PDT by dynachrome (Henry Bowman is right.)
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To: Eric in the Ozarks

Mythougts exactly....I’ll go further, Spector, with his
over-inflated ego, is an easy TARGET for the Dems to get
their message out.....coonsistently to the detriment of
his own party. The nitwit thinks he is helping the
party? are you nuts? The RNC even helped him win the
last election..close..and that still hurts us. It sure
as hell isn’t going to get better with Spectar in the
catbird seat......JK


49 posted on 09/05/2007 8:24:12 AM PDT by sanjacjake
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To: frankenMonkey
Larry Craig brought this on himself. He wasn't set up. There was no trap for him. The Mpls airport toilet was a known connection point for queers. Atlanta's ap has one identified by this "community".
He needs to go and now.
50 posted on 09/05/2007 8:24:47 AM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks (Go Hawks !)
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To: Jeff Head

I’m guessing that Craig may get to withdraw his plea. I just heard that the arresting officer may have violated the law by even detaining Craig on a misdemeanor if he was traveling to or from legislative sessions.


51 posted on 09/05/2007 8:29:19 AM PDT by tobyhill (The media lies so much the truth is the exception)
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To: California74
I do not believe he was "set up". He chose that restroom. The officer was already in the stall. Craig chose to sit neext to him.

There was not set-up, there was just, at the absolute very best, unbelievable poor judgement and actions by the Senator.

To believe that he just "happned" to choose this restroom in Minneapolis, where such perverteed activity took place, when he had been questioned about participating in almost the exact same type of activity in DC only two or three weeks before (he was interviewed about it only two or three weeks before), just stretches the crdibility line too far.

IMHO he needs to resign and get on with his private life, hopefully, and prayerfully for him, getting past this with his wife, kids, and grandkids.

52 posted on 09/05/2007 8:31:13 AM PDT by Jeff Head
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To: tobyhill
Sorry, but if so, he is, in essence, going to get off on a technicality if that is so. \

But the constittuion does speak to "distrubing the peace" and he was charged with disorderly conduct.

It may make an intersting constitutional challenge...but it does not change the sordid facts about what happened and his reaction and judgement regarding it.

53 posted on 09/05/2007 8:33:30 AM PDT by Jeff Head
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To: Ditto
Read it closer:

They shall in all Cases, except Treason, Felony and Breach of the Peace, be privileged from Arrest during their Attendance at the Session of their respective Houses, and in going to and returning from the same; and for any Speech or Debate in either House, they shall not be questioned in any other Place.

54 posted on 09/05/2007 8:33:53 AM PDT by patton (Congress would lose money running a brothel.)
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How much are Hillary’s peeps paying him to bring it up again right after it finally died down?

Maybe a dumb statement, but it kind of makes me wonder....


55 posted on 09/05/2007 8:34:14 AM PDT by Califreak (Go Hunter!)
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To: dynachrome; jdm; Fawn

The mods changed the title to agree with the newspaper article. I am fine with that.


56 posted on 09/05/2007 8:35:02 AM PDT by Jeff Head
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To: patton
Breech of the Peace may be construed to be the same as Disorderly Conduct.

Like I said to another poster...IMHO, it may make for an interesting constitutional challenge, but it does not change the facts about what happened, his pleading guilty to it, or his judgement regarding it.

It may clear him technically on a legal basis, but it does not change the fact that it happened and his actions regarding it. That is the essence of why, IMHO, he should resign.

57 posted on 09/05/2007 8:37:50 AM PDT by Jeff Head
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To: Jeff Head

Looks to me that Larry Craig is just stalling(again)


58 posted on 09/05/2007 8:38:45 AM PDT by cwamember
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To: California74

Can’t figure out whether you’re being facetious or not. But an adult, particularly one as “smart” as a US Senator, does not confess to a crime he or she did not commit—”just to make it go away”. Oh, and what was the “it” Craig was trying to make go away? One more point, an Idaho newspaper has been dogging the man with accusations about his being gay for a year. Don’t ya think he would be on his very best behavior so as not to get caught in a compromising situation?
Sorry, his being set up doesn’t pass the common sense test. If he doesn’t resign he should be censored by his Republican colleagues and stripped of all responsibility. Then an Idaho court should accept his guilty plea, fine him and put him on probation. Personally I think the court ought to ask for a sanity check as well. This man is not well.


59 posted on 09/05/2007 8:39:52 AM PDT by dooltotheend (uir)
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To: Jeff Head

The main problem with a changed headline is that duplicates get posted because “search’ doesn’t turn up the altered headline. (or maybe the mods didn’t find dynachrome’s humor very funny!)


60 posted on 09/05/2007 8:41:10 AM PDT by dynachrome (Henry Bowman is right.)
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