GOP Senate Leaders Force Craig From Committee Posts
Senate Republican leaders forced embattled Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) from senior posts on three committees and subcommittees today, taking a dramatic step to distance themselves from the lawmaker in the wake of his guilty plea for disorderly conduct in an airport men’s bathroom earlier this month.
Despite Craig’s assertion that he would continue to serve in the Senate, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and GOP leaders removed Craig as the top Republican, known as the ranking member, on one committee and two subcommittees that make up the bulk of the lawmaker’s congressional duties.
“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,” McConnell and four other Republican leaders said in a joint statement. Yesterday, they released a statement calling for the Ethics Committee to conduct a full investigation into Craig’s June arrest in a police sting at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport conducted after complaints of lewd conduct in the men’s restroom.
Also yesterday, two Republican senators and one GOP House member called on the 62-year-old Craig to resign. The White House expressed disappointment in the Idaho lawmaker.
The Senate GOP leaders signaled in a statement yesterday that they were considering whether to force Craig from his senior posts. By removing his ranking member status a day after Craig publicly defended himself at a news conference–where he asserted that he is “not gay” and was the victim of a “witch hunt” by an Idaho newspaper–demonstrated how emphatically Republicans were trying to separate themselves from Craig.
Craig had served as the ranking member on the Veterans Affairs Committee, as well as the top Republican on the Appropriations Committee’s Interior subcommittee and a public lands subcommittee of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Western lands issues are critical to his state, and Craig has made them the hallmark of his career.
The leadership indicated that Craig would continue to serve as a rank-and-file member of those committees.
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August 29th, 2007 at 7:38 pm
Finally, some semi-good news.
August 29th, 2007 at 8:18 pm
I think the GOP wants the same backlash they got from Foley. It is good news that they are moving in the right direction.
August 29th, 2007 at 9:29 pm
How many more GOP hypocrite perverts are in this administration and Congress?
August 30th, 2007 at 5:16 am
Craig will be gone by the end of September.
August 30th, 2007 at 5:37 am
Hopefully he hasn’t squandered his money at dirty bookstores.
August 30th, 2007 at 6:57 am
Suzie-Q
I’m sure there are many left to be exposed. Where is Larry Flynt?
August 30th, 2007 at 6:58 am
<p>Christopher:<br />
Too bad, I was hoping his denial and arrogance kept him there to announce he was running again.</p>
August 30th, 2007 at 6:59 am
Phil:
I’m sure Craig will have an anti-gay reason for his books.