Here's the story: http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/10/05/craig.staying/index.html
After the scandal, Sen. Craig said he would step down from his office as of Sept. 30. It's now Oct. 7 and he's still in office and now he says he's not resigning. Most Senate Republicans are pretty pissed (pardon my French) that he hasn't resigned.
So why are so many Republicans upset that the three-term Senator has yet to resign? Is it because he solicited gay sex from an undercover cop in a public airport bathroom? No. Is it because he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor disorderly conduct charge nearly a month after being charged and then tried to change his guilty plea only to have it denied by a judge? No. Is it because he may be gay (although he won't admit it) yet votes and speaks out against gay issues? Maybe. Why then, you may be asking yourself...It's because it hurts Republicans chances of regaining the Senate in 2008.
The Senator has already announced that he has no plans to run again in 2008, when his term is up. If he were to stay in the Senate until the end of his term that poses a couple problems for the Republican candidate running in his place. For one, they have to run with the Senator's story still around. If he were to resign, the 2008 candidate would be appointed to the Senate and have a year in office to bolster support and get their name and record established before the election. With the Senator still in office, all they can do is declare their candidacy and run when the time comes.
Another problem this means for the Republican candidate is that they have to completely distance themselves from the Senator, which is easier said than done. Not only will they be running in the election in the Senator's shadow, but you've got to believe their fund-raising abilities will be hampered as well.
Idaho is a conservative-leaning state. Both senators are Republicans and their governor is a Republican. When the Senator runs on very conservative principles and then gets caught for 'supposedly' trying to illicit sex in a public bathroom from a male police officer, it could be seen by some as hypocrisy. That in turn brings a cloud over the next election, dictating the debate and making it difficult, if you are the Republican candidate, to get your message out there. It also might discourage some voters from voting in the next election out of anger.
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actually, Republicans are upset that Sen. Craig isn't going to resign because they believe that when you do something wrong you should be punished.
The fact that a Republican Senator was accused of soliciting sex hurts Republicans even if the Senator were to resign, so we're not mad that he chose to stay because it hurts our chances of regaining Senate seats.
And it most definitely isn't because he may be gay. Have you ever heard of "log cabin republicans"?
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