Craig should still resign
Oh the times they do change-for Idaho Republican Senator Larry Craig, they apparently change overnight. Craig had announced that he would resign after the resulting firestorm from having plead guilty to propositioning an undercover police officer for gay sex in a Minneapolis restroom. Craig has maintained his innocence since the story broke, saying he only pled guilty because he believed that a guilty plea would "make it go away."Since the man is a United States Senator, I am having a great deal of difficulty understanding how a guilty plea is going to make an allegation like this go away. Logic would dictate that a guilty plea would result in the kind of controversy that we are now seeing unfold around him.
Larry Craig has now decided that he may not resign after all because apparently Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania has decided that Craig has been railroaded. Arlen Specter is hardly the poster child for upholding morality in the Senate, and he is more likely than most Republicans to simply ignore any standard of morality that he might have. Even if Specter has a point about the press and the public prejudging Senator Craig in this case (and he very well may), how much with Senator Craig's personal fight for vindication cost the people of Idaho?
As Adam Graham points out, if Senator Craig really isn't guilty of any wrongdoing he could move to have his guilty plea set aside, but should do it on his own time. Not only is Idaho-along with its Senator and people-the butt of the late-night joke machine, but Senator Craig's personal fight for vindication could very easily get in the way of his ability to effectively serve his constituents for the next year-and-a-half.
Let him do it on his own time.
Labels: Federal politics
posted by Deacon David Oatney @ 8:22 AM
5 Comments:
Why should Craig resign?
Ted Kennedy is able to serve in the United State Senate, and he's responsible for the death of Mary Jo Kopechne. Makes me wonder about the morals and values of those who support and vote for Ted Kennedy.
I'd say that's far worse than soliciting sex in an airport bathroom.
So what Larry Craig if may swing both ways or is homosexual? Who cares?
It's not a problem that Craig may be homosexual or bi. If he is, more power to him. We don't know, and we shouldn't need to know.
The problems are that Craig plead guilty to committing a crime and that he has been at the forefront of the "family values" drive.
As far as the crime goes, that speaks for itself. Republicans should not be satisfied with this. Regarding the family values thing, claiming hypocrisy here is valid. While nobody is perfect and everyone should be allowed a mistake, I do not believe that people should be trying to vouch for a standard of life that they cannot personally live up to.
As David said...if Senator Craig wants to fight this, that's fine. He should just do it on his own time. He cannot be a servant of the public if he's concentrating on this.
He should also fight personal accusations lobbed his way that aren't based on substantive proof. But again, he should do it on his own time.
If he later feels like he is vindicated and wants to seek office again, more power to him. But for now, he should resign.
Matt;
But look at the Republican candidates for President...how many of them actually exude the "family values" you speak of?
You've got Giuliani dressing like a woman, married like 3 times, and estranged from his children. Several of the other candidates are divorced.
I think using "family values" as a core platform issue is a joke. What gives any of you the right to question what a family is?
If this is going to be the litmus test for candidates, then it's a pretty poor one. No one I've seen thus far, except one candidate truly fits the ideal. That's Mitt Romney, and I wouldn't vote for him anyway because he's too slick for my taste.
Guys it is not about "Family Values" it is about a code of conduct we the people should expect from our elected officials. Craig should still step down for the good of Idaho more so than the good of the party.
As far as a party goes republicans tend to clean out their own closets more so than the dems. That is why the majority of Americans see conservatives as the way to go.
Fabian;
Then why do Republicans give Democrats such a pass on such matters?
If Republicans are so good at cleaning out their closets so to speak - then why do they not become more vocal when Democrats exude the same behavior?
Even politicians are fallible. No one is perfect. Craig will have to answer to God when he dies, why should it be up to people like yourself to determine if Craig's behavior is appropriate or fits a certain "code of conduct"?
Post a Comment
<< Home