Why Won't Larry Craig Leave the Senate?

This post, written by Phoenix Woman, originally appeared on FireDogLake

Hey, it's October 2nd -- and guess who's still in the Senate?

C'mon, guess.

That's right -- Larry "Wide Stance" Craig, enemy of salmon and uncloseted gay people.

Remember how, just a few weeks ago, Craig's June arrest finally hit the news? And how his buddies in the GOP fell all over themselves to knife him in order to placate their religious-right base (and because, unlike fellow horndoggy Senator Diaper Dave Vitter, the governor who'd be picking his replacement is a Republican)? They'd got him to commit to leaving the Senate by now, no matter what.

Now that he hasn't, there is (aside from hints of a planned open Senate ethics hearing that is very likely to backfire on the GOP, assuming it happens at all) this eerie silence from their ranks. Why is that?

Why, after the hue and cry they made trumpeting their eagerness to send one of their own to political oblivion (never mentioning of course that by dumping Craig now and getting another Republican appointed to serve out his term, the GOP stands a much better chance of keeping his seat next year), are they suddenly silent?

Do they want Larry Craig to serve out his term -- and make it that much easier for a Democrat to take his seat next year? What could frighten them so much that they'd be willing to risk burning a Senate seat?

Simply put: A subpoena.