Senate GOP Dying Slow Death Over Craig

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From the AP:

“Senator Craig gave us his word” that he would resign by Sept. 30 if he could not overturn the guilty plea, said Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., who chairs the GOP campaign committee overseeing next year’s Senate elections. “I wish he would stick to his word.”

“It’s embarrassing for the Senate, it’s embarrassing for his party,” Ensign said. Asked if Craig’s staying would be a distraction for the party, Ensign said: “It may be a personal distraction for me.”

Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., who faces a tough re-election campaign next year in a state where opposition to the Iraq war is strong, spoke with reporters Thursday before Craig announced his plans to stay and fight.

“I would hope that he would live up to what he said he would do _ not put the Senate through the wringer on this, respect the institution,” Coleman said. “Clearly, his ability to serve his people was severely compromised.”

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