Editorial: Enough hypocrisy

Friday, Aug. 31, 2007 | 8:08 a.m.

There is a stink of hypocrisy over the scandal enveloping Sen. Larry Craig.

This month the Idaho Republican pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct. Police arrested him in a restroom at the Minneapolis -St. Paul airport, accusing him of trying to solicit sex.

The Senate Republican leadership called for an Ethics Committee investigation and several of his GOP colleagues called for him to resign. Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman called Craig's actions "conduct unbecoming a senator." Arizona Sen. John McCain said, "When you plead guilty to a crime, you shouldn't serve."

Craig should go, but he has refused to budge, saying his plea was a mistake and contending he did nothing wrong except not hire an attorney.

Republicans are trying to take the moral high ground, but they are being hypocritical when they talk about moral standards. They attack Craig, yet on matters of state of greater importance, they let other Republicans slide. They let former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld go unchecked as the war in Iraq worsened and it became obvious the Pentagon didn't properly plan for the invasion's aftermath. They let Attorney General Alberto Gonzales soldier on when it was clear that the Justice Department illegally played politics.

But now, as Craig and 20 other Republican senators are up for reelection next year, Craig's actions put a safe seat in serious doubt and add to the GOP's woes. Now they are all for accountability.

As for Craig, he faces his own issue of hypocrisy. He voted to impeach President Bill Clinton over the Monica Lewinsky matter, going so far as to call Clinton "a nasty, bad, naughty boy." On his own matter, Craig has offered only denials and weak explanations, adding to the disingenuous behavior of his party.