Hoekstra says Craig should resign

Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-Mich.), the first member of Congress to call on Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) to resign after news of his June arrest broke, said Friday that Craig should not remain in the Senate.

{mosads}The Idaho Republican reversed course on his political future Thursday, even after a Minnesota judge ruled that he could not withdraw his guilty plea that stemmed from his arrest at a public restroom in a Minneapolis airport.

While Craig had indicated last month that he would resign if the judge did not rule in his favor, he said Thursday that he would stay in the Senate until the end of his term and not seek reelection in 2008.

That is not good enough for Hoekstra.

“Serving in the United States Congress is one of highest honors in America,” he said. “It is a position of leadership with many demands upon the individual whom voters have elected to represent them, and one of the most important is to exhibit behavior that upholds the dignity of the office. Senator Craig has consistently fallen far short of that standard over the past two months.”

Hoekstra added that, “[to] maintain the integrity of the title of Senator from the state of Idaho in the United States Congress and of the Republican Party, Senator Craig should resign his position immediately.”

Craig argued that it would be better for his constituents if he remained in the Senate, pointing to his seniority and committee assignments.