SUMMARY: Sen. Larry Craig wants to shed his guilty plea because he doesn't like the political consequences, a prosecutor says in advance of Wednesday's hearing.
Sen. Larry Craig is only trying to get out of his guilty plea in an airport sex sting because he doesn't like the political consequences, a Minneapolis prosecutor wrote in court papers filed Monday.
Craig, R-Idaho, has asked to withdraw his guilty plea, saying he was panicked into admitting to a crime he did not commit. A judge is set to hear the matter Wednesday.
Craig pleaded guilty to misdemeanor disorderly conduct last month after an undercover officer at the Minneapolis airport alleged that Craig solicited him for sex. The senator has contended in recent weeks that he had done nothing wrong and said his only mistake was pleading guilty.
Airport prosecutor Christopher Renz wrote in court papers Monday that Craig had plenty of time between his June 11 arrest and Aug. 1, when he signed a plea petition, to think about the consequences of pleading guilty and whether he had actually committed a crime in the airport bathroom.
Craig's arrest and guilty plea weren't reported in the news media until Aug. 27. On Sept. 1, Craig announced plans to resign by Sept. 30. He later suggested he might stay in the Senate if he could successfully overturn his plea.
Denying Craig's motion "prevents further politicking and game playing on the part of the defendant in relation to his plea," Renz wrote.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/po/20070926/...aigpoliticking
and the irony here is....this is the same man that went after Barney Frank almost 20 years ago....funny how karma works .