Larry Craig's Guilty Plea Stays Put and So Will He

Posted by Pam Spaulding at 1:00 PM on October 4, 2007.

This post, written by Pam Spaulding, originally appeared on Pam's House Blend

UPDATE: A statement released moments ago from Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID). Despite failing at his efforts to overturn his guilty plea, Craig says he will not resign from the Senate until his term ends in January 2009.

I'm not surprised at this ruling. The question is, will he actually step down or sit in front of the klieg lights at a Senate hearing.

A Minnesota judge on Thursday rejected Idaho Sen. Larry Craig's bid to withdraw his guilty plea in an airport sex sting, a major setback in Craig's effort to clear his name and hang on to his Senate seat.

"Because the defendant's plea was accurate, voluntary and intelligent, and because the conviction is supported by the evidence ... the defendant's motion to withdraw his guilty plea is denied," Hennepin County Judge Charles Porter wrote.

Craig, a Republican, can appeal Porter's ruling. But it wasn't immediately clear if he would. Telephone calls and e-mails seeking comment from Craig spokesmen Sid Smith in Boise and Dan Whiting in Washington, D.C. weren't immediately returned.

When the charges first surfaced, Craig said he would resign by Sept. 30. But then he decided to attempt to re-open his legal case, and said he would stay at least until he found out whether he could withdraw his plea to a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct.

Pam Spaulding blogs at Pam's House Blend.