It seems that Republicans are more in trouble than Democrats. According to a survey twice as many Republicans were involved in some types of scandals compared to Democrats.
What do you think about our Idaho senator Craig? I guess, he thought that he was above the law therefore he was just so stupid to get in this type of trouble:
By the way, Craig was very much involved in the Romney campaign. Is Craig the LDS member? I could not find the answer....Craig Faces Growing Republican Pressure to Resign www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aoHfwNefW6W0&refer=usAug. 30 (Bloomberg) -- Republican lawmakers and Christian groups are increasing pressure on Idaho Senator Larry Craig to resign, saying he can't resurrect his political career after pleading guilty to disorderly conduct in connection with a restroom incident.
``I would strongly urge him to step down,'' said Gary Bauer, the president of American Values, an Arlington, Virginia-based family advocacy group. ``I just cannot imagine under what circumstances he can clear this up.''
Three Republicans in Congress yesterday demanded Craig resign and party leaders in the Senate yesterday forced him to relinquish his committee leadership posts.
Craig, 62, was deciding whether to seek re-election before his arrest, and since has become the target of jokes, putting his immediate political future in doubt, said Whit Ayres, a Republican pollster and strategist. In defending himself, Craig denied being gay.
``His re-election is clearly out of the question, the only question is whether he can serve out the remainder of his term,'' Ayres said. ``It's never good to become a laughingstock if you're trying to hang on to political office.''
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney called the incident ``disgusting.'' Arizona Senator John McCain, who is also seeking the party's presidential nomination, said Craig's guilty plea should end his congressional career.
``When you plead guilty to a crime, you shouldn't serve,'' McCain said yesterday on CNN.
`Inappropriate' Conduct Republican Representative Pete Hoekstra of Michigan and Senator Norm Coleman of Minnesota also called for Craig's resignation.
``I believe his conduct throughout this matter has been inappropriate for a U.S. senator,'' Hoekstra said in a written statement. Coleman said Craig ``pled guilty to a crime involving conduct unbecoming a senator. He should resign.''
Coleman won't keep the $2,500 that Craig's political action committee donated to his re-election campaign in June and will likely give the money to charity, said Cullen Sheehan a spokesman for the Coleman Senate Campaign.
At the White House, spokeswoman Dana Perino today said, ``We want this to be resolved quickly. That would be in the best interests of the U.S. Senate and the people of Idaho.''
Perino, questioned by reporters, declined to say whether the president thinks Craig should resign. ``I'm going to leave it where I did,'' she said. ``This whole matter is one of disappointment.''
Republican State A SurveyUSA poll conducted Tuesday found 55 percent of Idaho adults think Craig should resign, and today Idaho's largest newspaper, the Idaho Statesman, called for the senator's resignation.
Should Craig resign, Idaho Governor Butch Otter would appoint someone to fill the seat until the 2008 election.
Craig's seat is unlikely to be taken by the Democrats in heavily Republican Idaho: President George W. Bush received 68 percent of the vote there in 2004 and all four members of the congressional delegation are Republican.
Still, Craig's troubles add to a list of Republican embarrassments, including Louisiana Senator David Vitter's public apology after his phone number was linked to a Washington escort service, and Alaska Senator Ted Stevens's acknowledgement that he is under an FBI corruption probe.
``David Vitter seems to have survived, but David Vitter also hasn't pled guilty to a misdemeanor either,'' said Ayres.
Family Values ``You have a Republican Party that wants to endorse family values, that wants to position itself in contrast to Democrats on values issues,'' said Robert Holsworth, director of the Center for Public Policy at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond. ``As long as Craig is there, the party worries that it remains vulnerable to a charge of hypocrisy.''
Craig's is one of 22 Republican-held Senate seats up for election next year, compared with 12 Democrat-held seats. Democrats now control the Senate 51-49.
Christian and Republican groups joined in the calls for resignation. ``The time has definitely come for him to resign,'' said Patrick Sammon, president of the Log Cabin Republicans, a gay advocacy group. ``I don't see how he can continue serving.''
Tom Minnery, senior vice president of Focus on the Family, a Colorado Springs, Colorado-based ministry, said Craig ``ought to listen seriously to those who are calling for him to step down.''
Democrats have remained silent and few Republican officials have come to his defense.
Craig was arrested in June by a police officer investigating complaints of lewd conduct in a bathroom at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. He pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor, and paid a fine.
`I am Not Gay' Craig, who is married and the father of three children, said at a press conference this week that he had done nothing wrong in the restroom incident and denied being homosexual.
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