Flashback: In 2007, Senate Republicans pressured Larry Craig to resign

[alp227]

Why was it so surprising to see Nancy Pelosi and the House Democratic leadership and even President Obama calling on Rep. Anthony Weiner to resign when in fact Senate Republican leadership pressured Sen. Larry Craig to resign after the bathroom incident? The New York Times reported on September 2, 2007: "Rising Pressure From G.O.P. Led Senator to Quit":

WASHINGTON, Sept. 1 — Within hours of the disclosure of Senator Larry E. Craig’s arrest and conviction after an undercover sex sting, Republican Senate leaders concluded that the exploding political scandal needed a fast resolution, one that necessitated the Idaho Republican’s prompt resignation.

With the corruption issue having weighed down some of their Congressional candidates in the disastrous 2006 elections, Senate Republicans saw Mr. Craig as inviting even heavier damage, especially on the heels of ethics cases involving two other Republican senators, David Vitter of Louisiana, who was the client of a dubious escort service, and Ted Stevens of Alaska, who faces a widening inquiry into whether he traded official favors.

So Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky on Wednesday sent a blunt message, a threat meant to have the effect achieved on Saturday afternoon, when Mr. Craig announced his resignation.

Mr. McConnell enlisted the junior Idaho senator, Michael D. Crapo, a fellow Republican who was close to Mr. Craig, to warn him that he would face excruciating public hearings into his conduct, similar to the threat raised by Democrats against former Senator Bob Packwood of Oregon, who was accused of sexual harassment.

President Bush’s weakened political status on Iraq, combined with the reality that 22 Republicans face re-election in 2008 (compared with only 12 Democrats) made the Republican caucus extremely reluctant to weather a protracted ethics investigation into Mr. Craig’s misconduct, which some senators viewed as far more shocking and distasteful than any of the other problems staining their party.

Four years later, the Weiner scandal comes in a struggling economy and the year after many Democrats were de-elected from the House and when Obama faces a sliding approval rating. Do you really think that the Democrats could survive an ethics investigation of Weiner or non-stop guilt-by-association ads if the leadership defended Weiner? I think not.

[denverbill]

1. Yes, but he ended up not resigning and finishing his term. Larry Craig that is. n/t

[librechik]

2. exactly--n/t

[dkf]

3. Bob Livingston resigned.

[RaleighNCDUer]

4. Only because he was trying to build an argument for Clinton's resignation.

He knew he was walking into a cushy lobbying job, and Gephart was actually covering his ass so he did not HAVE to resign, nor were any number of people calling for his resignation.

It was politically advantageous for him to take one for the team in the attempt to pull down Clinton.