Conservatives Begin Calling For Craig To Resign Over ‘Lewd Conduct’ And Guilty Plea

[CatWoman]

Yesterday, Roll Call revealed that Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID) was arrested in June for “lewd conduct” in a public restroom at a Minnesota airport. On Aug. 8, he pleaded guilty to “misdemeanor disorderly conduct.”

While Craig says the police misconstrued his actions and that he “should not have pled guilty,” pressure for him to resign is already beginning to mount in conservative circles.

On NBC’s Today Show this morning, former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer called Craig’s police report “creepy,” adding that “I don’t think Larry Craig can survive this.”

Though Craig resigned yesterday from his position as Senate co-chairman of Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign, his spokesman, Sidney Smith, told the Associated Press yesterday that “it’s too early to talk” about his Senate future.

Smith’s comments have gone unheeded by prominent conservative bloggers, however, who have started shouting from their digital rooftops that Craig should resign immediately:

“Craig’s behavior is so reckless and repulsive that an immediate exit is required…He has to go.” - Hugh Hewitt

“I’m inclined to agree with Hugh Hewitt. The Senator did, after all, choose to plead guilty.” - Mark Steyn of National Review Online

“Hugh Hewitt calls for his resignation. At the least, he should confirm that he will not run again.” - Captain’s Quarters

“He’s a lying crapweasel. Should he resign? Well, yeah. If he cared about the dignity of his office, he would. But he obviously doesn’t, does he?” - Michelle Malkin

“He’s pled guilty. And we’re just finding out about it today. I can only say he must resign.” - Erick Erickson of Redstate

The GOP Senate leadership has refused to comment on Craig’s future thus far, only saying that they “just found out about this incident.”

“If they think this is going to be something that’s the same as (Rep.) Mark Foley — the sort of ‘drip, drip, drip, there’s more information that’s going to come out,’ Idaho-based political scientist Jasper LiCalzi told the AP. “They may try to push him out.”

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/08/28/conservatives-craig-ouster/

[JerseygirlCT]

1. Love it when they eat their own. nt

[BOSSHOG]

2. Its always a joy hearing michelle malkin weigh in on "dignity"

[Richardo]

3. Does she realize he's a Republican?

I thought she only reserved that bile for the Dems.

[BOSSHOG]

6. I think all of "them"

realize he's kind of an embarrassment to their "cause." I have no idea what the fuck their cause is, but in their true darkest hearts of hearts, his only real sin was getting caught.

[Cha]

9. Yeah, how stupid do

you have to be to get caught in a public place soliciting for sex?

[BOSSHOG]

14. I'm not familiar with the needs, wants and desires

BUT IN A FREAKING RESTROOM? IN AN AIRPORT? I do not conjure up images of seclusion in an airport restroom.

[BurtWorm]

4. From Hugh Hewitt's blog in Oct. 2006

The poster is Dean Barnett, not Hewitt, but the post is ironic, to put it mildly.

http://hughhewitt.townhall.com/blog/g/148d425d-94dd-497c-94b6-5404907ff35b

Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Overplaying Their Hand, Part III
Posted by: Dean Barnett at 9:08 AM

The thuggishness continues. Last night, gay rights crusader/political hatchet man Mike Rogers revealed that Idaho Senator Larry Craig is gay. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Unless you’re a Republican.

Craig was surprised by his outing, since he didn’t even know he was in. Craig, the father of three and the grandfather of nine, dismissed Rogers’ allegations as “laughable” through his office’s spokesman. Rogers meanwhile stands by his “reporting” and claims to have spoken to three men who have had trysts with Craig. Rogers will maintain the anonymity of these three men, presumably because they a) are not Republicans; and b) don’t exist.

Meanwhile, a benumbed nation can only look on in horror at what has become of the Democratic Party.

(For those wishing to sample liberal spin on this matter, the estimable Glenn Greenwald outdoes himself with even more intellectual incoherence than usual and hurls his typically hysterical metaphor-filled prose at the subject, e.g. “Bush followers are drowning in the most transparent and rancid hypocrisy.”)

[WI_DEM]

5. Why didn't they call for Vitter to resign? or is it ok to run after prostitutes in shitty diapers?

[Behind the Aegis]

11. I was going to ask something similar.

Personally, I think it has something to do with the fact he was doing something "gay."

[AlCzervik]

13. it teh gay silly!

[Cha]

7. That's right, today show..trot out ol'

ari fleischer for the go to guy on repuke misbehavior. I'm shocked he didn't defend him. Is the country tired of repuke family values yet?

[AlCzervik]

8. WTF is Hugh Hewitt now the pied piper of the rw crazies?

What would Hugh do?

[TwilightGardener]

10. GOP leadership = McConnell. Who is rumored to be gay himself.

My, what tricky currents for him.

[Squatch]

12. Please tell me you didn't compile all those comments yourself.

I couldn't bring myself to visit so many RW sites.

[CatWoman]

15. check the link

[BurtWorm]

16. Michelle Malkin's very different tune in October 2006

:eyes:

http://hotair.com/archives/2006/10/17/mike-rogers-outs-senator-larry-craig-as-gay/

Three kids, nine grandkids. Supposedly spending his leisure time in the men’s room at Union Station. Which Rogers claims he knows because he’s corroborated Craig’s “personal characteristics” with four of his alleged paramours.

The link goes to Patterico, by the way. You can follow his post to Rogers’s site if you’re curious.

It’s been said before but it bears repeating: the left always finds a way to shoot itself in the foot.

Patterico expects a backlash. So do I. In fact, I haven’t felt this motivated to vote in weeks.

[tridim]

17. Hey Malkin.. ALL Republicans are "lying crapweasels"

You can start with the entire White House.