Larry Craig Continues to Steal Petraeus' Press

Posted by Howie Klein at 6:46 AM on September 11, 2007.

This post, written by Howie Klein, originally appeared on Down With Tyranny!

While the Bush Regime and it's rubber stamp supporters were desperately trying to pass David Petraeus off as the end-word of all things Iraq, the Larry Craig Show continued to dominate the headlines. Craig managed to do what Code Pink couldn't. As Bush's latest hapless general lied his way through a propaganda offensive in Congress, Senator Craig dominated the traditional media with his sordid and pornographic autobiography. Craig, who was arrested in a public toilet a few weeks ago trying to make whoopy with a hottie police decoy in the kind of sting only right-wing Republicans support, wants to withdraw his guilty plea. In fact, his lawyers filed paperwork yesterday morning saying he "mistakenly pleaded guilty" because he was stressed out.

According to papers filed in Hennepin County, Minnesota, District Court, Craig was in a "state of intense anxiety" following his arrest and "felt compelled to grasp the lifeline offered to him by the police officer." The senator pleaded guilty in hopes the matter would not be made public, the court documents said.

...Patrick Hogan of the Metropolitan Airports Commission said the prosecutor will oppose Craig's motion, according to The Associated Press. The commission runs the airport and handled the prosecution of the case.

"We do feel we have a strong case, and he's already made his plea, and it's been accepted by the court," Hogan told the AP. "From our standpoint, this is already a done deal. Mr. Craig was arrested and signed a guilty plea, and from our standpoint, this case is already over."

...Craig was not "thinking clearly, and he waived his constitutional rights, and we're asking that to be reversed," Martin said.

Almost 70% of Americans think Craig should resign-- for real. He keeps changing his mind, vexing Republicans who want all news focused on the Bush Regime propaganda barrage about Iraq. An OpEd in yesterday's USAToday calling on Senator Craig to not resign is exactly what the GOP was hoping to avoid. It accuses McConnell and the rest of the Republican Senate caucus of degenerating into nothing more than "a Wild West mob... Republicans attacking Craig remind me of sharks during an eating frenzy."

A few days ago a story in the Salt Lake Tribune highlights how the Republican Party is being seriously damaged by the drawing out of the Larry Craig saga.

The GOP lost its majorities in both houses of Congress last year due, in part, to the public release of inappropriately suggestive e-mails sent to young male pages by Republican Rep. Mark Foley and the ho-hum response to that scandal by Foley's Republican comrades.

The Republicans already stand a good chance of losing more ground in the Senate, since 22 of the 34 seats in play next year currently are held by the GOP. One state that was impossible for the Republicans to lose was Idaho-- until now.

Here's a Utah example of how one office-holder's personal bad judgment created a tsunami for the other political party:

In 1976, the Utah Democratic Party was doing quite well. It held both congressional seats, one of the two Senate seats, controlled both houses of the state Legislature and was waving a fond farewell to popular Gov. Calvin L. Rampton, who was retiring after an unprecedented three terms.

Then one fateful night, Democratic Congressman Alan Howe was arrested for soliciting sex from two female decoy prostitutes in Salt Lake City's red-light district. Howe vigorously denied the allegations, fought the charges in court and rejected pleas from fellow Democrats to resign. He eventually was convicted of the misdemeanor charges, but the drama dominated headlines for months leading up to the November election.

Howe, whose re-election before the arrest had been a foregone conclusion, lost to little-known Republican Dan Marriott, who held the seat for the next eight years. But that wasn't all. Three-term Democratic Sen. Ted Moss, who had gained national acclaim for helping create national parks and for his consumer-protection legislation, also lost to a little-known politician named Orrin Hatch. Moss always blamed his defeat on Howe.

The Democrats' grip on power in Utah continued to crumble over the next few years, and while there were many other factors involved, one person's mistake undoubtedly helped speed the trend toward Republican domination.

Meanwhile Pam's House Blend was a regular laugh-along yesterday when it was noted that Larry Craig's whole dilemma was generated by... the media. I guess if no one ever told on him, it wouldn't have a dilemma-- but they did and he does and the GOP does. And it was their own hatred and bigotry that created it. I have to say a part of me-- a less than Christian part-- likes seeing them choking on it.

Tagged as: iraq war, petraeus, craig

Howie Klein is the creator of the blog Down With Tyranny!