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'Frankly, it's disgusting'
30/08/2007 07:18 - (SA)
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| Senator Larry Craig speaks to reporters, with his wife Suzanne, in Boise, Idaho. (Idaho Press-Tribune, Mike Vogt, AP) |
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Washington - US Republicans lashed out at disgraced Senator Larry Craig on Wednesday, after his guilty plea in a case brought by undercover police probing lewd incidents in an airport bathroom.
"He pled guilty and he had the opportunity to plead innocent. So I think he should resign," Republican Senator and 2008 presidential candidate John McCain said in an interview with CNN.
"When you plead guilty to a crime, then you shouldn't serve. I don't try to judge people. But in this case, it's clear that it was disgraceful."
Revelations about the Idaho senator, an opponent of gay marriage, spelt more bad news for a party which has paid a heavy price at the polls for the clouding of its moral message to social and Christian conservative voters.
Republican Senator Norm Coleman, who represents Minnesota, the state where Craig was snared in a police sting operation, also called on his colleague to quit.
"I am deeply disturbed about this, the conduct that has been alleged is really disgusting," Coleman told a North Dakota radio station.
In a written statement, Coleman added: "Senator Craig pled guilty to a crime involving conduct unbecoming a senator. He should resign."
In the best interest of the Senate
Craig, battling to save his career, has denied he is gay, said he did nothing wrong and insisted he only entered a plea deal after his arrest in June in a bid to cover up an embarrassing incident.
Republican Senate leaders said Craig, who represents Idaho, had agreed to temporarily relinquish his minority leadership roles on a number of Senate committees, pending a probe into his conduct.
"This is not a decision we take lightly but we believe this is in the best interest of the Senate until this situation is resolved by the Ethics Committee," a party statement said.
The White House also expressed dismay at Craig's arrest, details of which emerged on Monday.
"We are disappointed in the matter," spokesperson Scott Stanzel said. "We hope that it will be resolved quickly, as that would be in the best interests of the Senate and the people of Idaho."
Craig, 62, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanour misconduct charge this month, paid more than $500 in fines and fees, and had a 10-day jail sentence stayed over the affair.
Police documents quote a plain-clothes officer as saying Craig was seated in a stall in the bathroom, and had made gestures consistent with someone "wishing to engage in lewd contact".
55% of voters want Craig to quit
Craig allegedly tapped his foot, brushed his shoe against the officer's shoe and repeatedly waved his hand under the stall divider.
The affair rocked Republicans stung by the loss of both chambers of Congress last year, and facing a testing run-up to next year's elections tied to an unpopular president and a costly war.
Another Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, who had been endorsed by Craig, also denounced the senator, likening his conduct to former president Bill Clinton's sex scandal.
"We've seen disappointment in the White House, we've seen it in the Senate, we've seen it in Congress. And frankly, it's disgusting," Romney told CNBC on Tuesday.
Craig is sure to face pressure not to run again in 2008, as his seat is regarded as safe Republican territory.
A Survey USA poll found 55% of Idaho voters wanted Craig to quit, and a Christian conservative group in the state also turned against him.
"Unless the senator can provide a compelling and convincing explanation for his plea, we will need to regretfully accept that the fact of his behaviour has been established," said Bryan Fischer of the Idaho Values Alliance.
Craig's humiliation came weeks after fellow Republican conservative Senator David Vitter apologised after his name appeared on call lists of a Washington escort agency.
Last year, Republicans were anguished when representative Mark Foley resigned after a scandal over suggestive online messages sent to teenage male congressional aides.
Republicans were also rocked by the multi-million dollar patronage scandal surrounding Jack Abramoff, one of the top lobbyists in the heyday of the party's reign in Congress in the 1990s.
- AFP
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