# Now Sen. Craig says he may not resign after all. Can he do that? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 5, 2007, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-sen-craig-says-he-may-not-resign-after-all-can-he-do-that/418080 "2007-09-05T03:01:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-sen-craig-says-he-may-not-resign-after-all-can-he-do-that/418080/1 "2007-09-05T03:01:41Z")
> **[Sen. Craig may reconsider resignation, spokesman says - CNN.com](http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/09/04/craig.reconsideration/index.html)** > > Sen. Larry Craig of Idaho may reconsider his resignation if he is cleared of a disorderly conduct charge to which he pleaded guilty last month, his spokesman told CNN on Tuesday. His resignation was to take effect on Sept. 30. Can he now say, “Never mind, I’m staying,” and make it stick? By whom, if anyone, does the resignation have to be accepted in order to be final - the Vice President, as president of the Senate? The president pro tem of the Senate? The governor of Idaho, who’d appoint his (presumably also Republican) successor? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-sen-craig-says-he-may-not-resign-after-all-can-he-do-that/418080/2 "2007-09-05T03:17:19Z")
[QUOTE=Elendil’s Heir] **Now Sen. Craig says he may not resign after all. Can he do that?** [/QUOTE] Suuuure he can. Just like he can say he’s not gay after all. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-sen-craig-says-he-may-not-resign-after-all-can-he-do-that/418080/3 "2007-09-05T03:29:46Z")
Flip-flopper! Has anyone seen anything explaining why he wouldn’t? Does he actually think he can convince someone it was all a mistake? Or maybe he decided to stay the course. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-sen-craig-says-he-may-not-resign-after-all-can-he-do-that/418080/4 "2007-09-05T04:06:33Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] Suuuure he can. [/QUOTE] But if he does, the GOP leadership will have to take him out to the woodshed: [GOP Touts Swift Action on Craig](http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gRJGSs-yFrEfcgYg59711FM0EdpQ) ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-sen-craig-says-he-may-not-resign-after-all-can-he-do-that/418080/5 "2007-09-05T06:07:53Z")
[QUOTE=Elendil’s Heir] His resignation was to take effect on Sept. 30. Can he now say, “Never mind, I’m staying,” and make it stick? [/QUOTE] Yes. He has not actually written out and signed a letter of resignation yet, just announced that he intends to. So presumably he could change his mind. ---
**Author:** ![brazil84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@brazil84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brazil84)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-sen-craig-says-he-may-not-resign-after-all-can-he-do-that/418080/6 "2007-09-05T06:29:30Z")
It’s an interesting question. My first guess would have been that the resignation is effective once it’s entered into the official record of the Senate. However, the Constitution says that senators are appointed by their state’s legistlature. So I guess you would need to look at Idaho law. ---
**Author:** ![ambushed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3bc359/32.png) [@ambushed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ambushed)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-sen-craig-says-he-may-not-resign-after-all-can-he-do-that/418080/7 "2007-09-05T08:40:39Z")
Gawd, I sure as hell hope Craig will try to worm out of it. Who wouldn’t want to watch such a ludicrous, hilarious spectacle? (besides Republicans, that is…) But the idea is impossible. Craig’s mouthpiece (if that’s the word) has said that Craig is still taking all the actions necessary to leave by Sep 30. His suggestion is that Craig will try to get his guilty plea retracted, his criminal case won, _ **-and-** _ be cleared by the investigating comittee before then, which is flat-out impossible. What is he _thinking?_ Oh, that’s right. He’s not… ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-sen-craig-says-he-may-not-resign-after-all-can-he-do-that/418080/8 "2007-09-05T09:32:14Z")
Them GOP don’t do no cut’n’run. ---
**Author:** ![zagloba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/977dab/32.png) [@zagloba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zagloba)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-sen-craig-says-he-may-not-resign-after-all-can-he-do-that/418080/9 "2007-09-05T09:40:39Z")
[QUOTE=brazil84] However, the Constitution says that senators are appointed by their state’s legistlature. [/QUOTE] Not anymore. The 17th amendment, ratified in 1913 provides for direct election of senators. ---
**Author:** ![brazil84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@brazil84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brazil84)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-sen-craig-says-he-may-not-resign-after-all-can-he-do-that/418080/10 "2007-09-05T11:51:30Z")
[QUOTE=zagloba] Not anymore. The 17th amendment, ratified in 1913 provides for direct election of senators. [/QUOTE] Thank you for that. In that case, I will go back to my original guess that his resignation becomes effective once it is entered into the official record of the Senate. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-sen-craig-says-he-may-not-resign-after-all-can-he-do-that/418080/11 "2007-09-05T13:33:59Z")
As a Dem, I salute Senator Craig for fighting to keep this issue on the front page and embarrass his party still further. 🙂 And [expect more outings of closeted Pubs very soon.](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/03/AR2007090301396.html) ---
**Author:** ![Burton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Burton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Burton)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-sen-craig-says-he-may-not-resign-after-all-can-he-do-that/418080/12 "2007-09-05T13:59:56Z")
Arlen Spector said he should consider fighting it and not resigning, at least on the basis of his charges. His career is shot regardless of the outcome of the charges. He’ll never be re-elected in Idaho. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-sen-craig-says-he-may-not-resign-after-all-can-he-do-that/418080/13 "2007-09-05T14:07:03Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] As a Dem, I salute Senator Craig for fighting to keep this issue on the front page and embarrass his party still further. 🙂 [/QUOTE] Yes: if he were a loyal Republican, he would have fallen on his sword as soon as this sordid business became public. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-sen-craig-says-he-may-not-resign-after-all-can-he-do-that/418080/14 "2007-09-05T14:07:19Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] [1] As a Dem, I salute Senator Craig for fighting to keep this issue on the front page and embarrass his party still further. 🙂 [2] And [expect more outings of closeted Pubs very soon.](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/03/AR2007090301396.html) [/QUOTE] 1. I absolutely agree. 2. That’s quite an article. That blogger is making a lot of powerful people fearful and angry; I wouldn’t be terribly surprised if he gets beaten up or killed sometime in the near future. Yikes. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-sen-craig-says-he-may-not-resign-after-all-can-he-do-that/418080/15 "2007-09-05T14:52:25Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] As a Dem, I salute Senator Craig for fighting to keep this issue on the front page and embarrass his party still further. [/QUOTE] It’s like Christmas every day! ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-sen-craig-says-he-may-not-resign-after-all-can-he-do-that/418080/16 "2007-09-05T15:01:26Z")
Since Sen. Craig hasn’t submitted any letter of resignation, but merely announced his intention of doing so, he’s done nothing official. And is of course free to change his intent. I look forward to his saying, “I’m here, I’m queer, and I’m staying in the Senate.” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-sen-craig-says-he-may-not-resign-after-all-can-he-do-that/418080/17 "2007-09-05T16:49:47Z")
Man, that guy changes his mind a lot. I can see him in the middle of a sordid bathroom stall tryst suddenly looking shocked and screaming “Oh my God! How did you get in here?” ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-sen-craig-says-he-may-not-resign-after-all-can-he-do-that/418080/18 "2007-09-05T16:53:52Z")
[QUOTE=Giles] Yes: if he were a loyal Republican, he would have fallen on his sword as soon as this sordid business became public. [/QUOTE] He might be in such denial, that he might actually think that staying on will quash this “rumor” and that resigning would confirm it. Or, he might be so pissed at his colleagues for abandoning him that he doesn’t care if he takes them down with him. In either case, I’m grateful to him for this encore. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2007, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-sen-craig-says-he-may-not-resign-after-all-can-he-do-that/418080/19 "2007-09-07T10:40:44Z")
[tinfoil hat on] I think that Bush asked him to stay on to take away the attention from his own administration. Prolly got some perks like his own oil well or big fat secret offshort account somewheres. [/removes shiny shiny hat] ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Dave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/46a35a/32.png) [@Great\_Dave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Dave)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2007, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-sen-craig-says-he-may-not-resign-after-all-can-he-do-that/418080/20 "2007-09-07T13:00:27Z")
[QUOTE=Voyager] He might be in such denial, that he might actually think that staying on will quash this “rumor” and that resigning would confirm it. Or, he might be so pissed at his colleagues for abandoning him that he doesn’t care if he takes them down with him. In either case, I’m grateful to him for this encore. [/QUOTE] Exactly. He’s seen who his friends are. Plus, he really likes to be a senator. What woulud he put on his business cards if he resigned? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-sen-craig-says-he-may-not-resign-after-all-can-he-do-that/418080.md?page=2)