The powerful International Associates of Firefighters has picked their Democratic candidate: Senator Chris Dodd. That and other political news of the day in today’s Election Central Happy Hour Roundup.
Sen. Craig says he should not have pleaded guilty in the lewd conduct case. Apparently, he did not consult legal counsel.
Back in July, you’ll remember, we brought you the inside story on the GOP presidential proxy war over who could come up with the most campaign supporters “exposed in career-ending personal transgressions or major acts of criminal conduct, or both.” Until now, pretty much only McCain (Florida state Rep. Bob Allen) and Giuliani (Sen. David Vitter) were in the hunt.
But now Mitt Romney has roared into the lead with campaign supporter Larry Craig (R-ID).
But it seems the last is not lasting. According to The Politico, late this afternoon the Romney campaign yanked their video of Craig endorsing Romney.
If you have a copy of the video before it went down the memory hole, let us know.
The video the Romney campaign doesn’t want you to see …
The Romney campaign yanked the endorsement video from their site and from youtube late this afternoon.
Sen. Craig (R-ID) resigns as Mitt Romney’s campaign co-chairman.
“Senator Craig has stepped down from his role with the campaign. He did not want to be a distraction and we accept his decision.”
Back in 1982, then-Rep. Craig (R-ID) came forward early in the congressional page sex scandal to deny any role in the scandal.
Reported ABC News’ Carol Simpson at the time, “The names of congressman alleged to be involved in the scandal have remained secret. But Idaho Republican Congressman Larry Craig, concerned that his name had been implicated, issued a public denial.” …
After a blog purported to out Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID) last October, the leading newspaper in Craig’s home state did an exhaustive investigation of the rumors that Craig was a closeted gay man. “During its investigation, the Statesman interviewed 300 people, visited the ranch where Craig grew up, and made two trips to Washington, D.C.,” the paper reports today. The investigation culminated with a May interview of Craig, with his wife present, during which Craig denied the allegations.
In the end, the Statesman was unable to verify to its satisfaction the various rumors about Craig, including an alleged first-person account of sexual contact with Craig in a restroom in D.C.’s Union Station:
Until Monday, the Statesman had declined to run a story about Craig’s sex life, because the paper didn’t have enough corroborating evidence and because of the senator’s steadfast denial.
In the hourlong May 14 interview, Craig was accompanied by his wife, Suzanne. He specifically and generally denied ever engaging in any homosexual conduct.
During that interview, the Statesman played Craig an audiotape of the man claiming that he and Craig had sex in the Union Station restroom. Like the Minnesota airport restroom, the Union Station restroom is known as a place where men can find anonymous sex.
Craig denied the man’s account and said, “I am not gay and I have never been in a restroom in Union Station having sex with anybody.
“There’s a very clear bottom line here,” Craig said. “I don’t do that kind of thing. I am not gay, and I never have been.”
Craig was arrested in the Minneapolis airport incident less than a month after his interview with the Statesman.
Peeling back the layers of corruption in U.S. reconstruction efforts in Iraq.
Edwards announces that as President he would unveil “Brownie’s Law” — a very radical proposal that would stipulate that senior political appointees demonstrate beforehand that they are qualified for their government posts. That and other political news of the day in today’s Election Central Morning Roundup.