Craig Reconsiders Resignation

By John Miller

September 5, 2007

Excerpts:
BOISE, Idaho (AP) – Sen. Larry Craig says he may still fight for his Senate seat, a spokesman says – if the lawmaker can clear his name with the Senate Ethics Committee and a Minnesota court where he pleaded guilty after his arrest in an airport men’s room sex sting.

Since announcing Saturday he intended to resign on Sept. 30, the Republican lawmaker who has represented Idaho for 27 years has hired a prominent lawyer to investigate the possibility of reversing his guilty plea.

On Aug. 1, Craig, 62, pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of misdemeanor disorderly conduct following his June 11 arrest at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.But Craig, who remained in Idaho on Tuesday as the Senate reconvened following its summer break, contended throughout last week he had done nothing wrong and said his only mistake was pleading guilty.

Link: http://www.washingtontimes.com/article/20070905/NATION/109050088&SearchID=73292462605946

This sordid little tale would be just another temporary blip on the radar screen if he were a Democrat.

Left-of-center Representatives and Senators, as well as the 1992-2000 Whitehouse occupant have gotten away with some pretty serious crimes, and not a peep out of their peers, or for that matter, their constituents.

Clinton refused to resign and served out his term despite of the multitude of felonies, including treason. During his regime, the DNC  took in millions of campaign dollars from foreign entities like China, (the classified technology swap for contributions) but the Federal Election Commission dropped charges against the Communist cohorts because many of them fled the country.

Ted Kennedy has been re-elected consistently though he committed negligent homicide after drunk-driving off a Chappaquiddick bridge and leaving Mary Jo Kopechne to die.

Rep. Gerry Studs had sex with underaged male pages but stayed in office with the blessing of his colleagues.

Barney Frank ran a male prostitution ring out of his home, with the help of public funds.  He’s now the chairman of the House Banking Committee.

Rep. Mel Reynolds was pardoned by Clinton after having sex with female pages.

William Jefferson kept $90,000 in cold cash (literally) in his freezer, which was dicovered by the FBI during a sting operation.  He’s still in office.

Jack Murtha was taped discussing a bribe during the 1980 ABSCAM scandal. He’s still in office.

Sandy Berger, former National Security Advisor and loyal Clintonista, tried to help his former boss before the 9/11 Commission hearings by pilfering classified documents from the National Archives that would have shown Clinton’s depraved indifference to the terrorist attacks on his watch and the deliberately blown chances to get Bin Laden.  He got his wrist slapped.

Republicans have had their fair share of scandals, but are always held to a higher standard and austere consequence.  The list of excused Democratic criminals is a sickening reminder of the lopsided double standards of punishment.

I despise any politician who uses their office as a means of misconduct and malfeasance.  When asked, the average American will invariably complain about the same thing, but they continue to elect the same type of politician and worse, tolerate the outcome.

Part of the problem is lack of public outrage–across the board.  The American public has become de-sensitized to the gratuitous, perfunctory bad behavior, and unrepentant corruption of many of our elected officials. 

I vote, write e-mails, sign petitions, visit the websites of politicians, and never hesitate to let the members of Congress and Senate know what I think.

If it’s true that ‘people get the government they deserve’ , then all things considered, I deserve better than the likes of hypocritical partisan officeholders who don’t hold themselves to the same accountability as others.