Wrong Number Reveals New Turn of Events for Sen. Craig

Sept. 5, 2007 — -- Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, was a no-show when Congress came back into session this week, which was no surprise after he announced his resignation after his arrest in a restroom sex sting.

But in a seeming about-face, Craig's spokesperson said the resignation is not so cut and dry, and the senator may be having second thoughts.

Craig's statement Saturday seemed pretty unequivocal: "It is my intent to resign from the Senate effective September 30."

But apparently a lot of thought went into those 12 words. A half-hour before his speech, Craig spelled out his strategy in a voice mail presumably meant for his lawyer. But he left the message at a wrong number. Roll Call magazine obtained the recording.

In the message, Craig says, "Arlen Specter is now willing to come out in my defense, arguing that it appears by all that he knows that I have been railroaded and all of that. Having all of that, we've reshaped my statement a little bit to say, 'It is my intent to resign on September 30.'"

The next day on Fox News, Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Penn., did indeed come to Craig's defense.

"I'd like to see Larry Craig go back to court, seek to withdraw his guilty plea, and fight the case," Specter said.

Neither President Bush nor the Senate minority leader encouraged the change of heart. Both of them, in fact, urged Craig to resign.

Craig's message continued: "I think it would help drive the story that I am willing to fight, that I've got quality people out there fighting in my defense, and that this thing could take a new turn, or a new shape, has that potential."

Craig's strategy to fight the charges, though, might be a legal long shot.

Craig understood the charges against him. Lawyers say he might have had a decent case, before he pleaded guilty.

Now his situation is much tougher, but Craig's family is standing by him whatever the outcome.

As his son Michael Craig told "Good Morning America" this week, "We've known him our whole lives, he has been trustworthy to us, so honest to us that we believe him. We know him and we believe him."

The Craig saga may not be over, no matter how much the Republican leadership may want to put it behind them. One Senate GOP staffer was in disbelief at the recent turn of events, describing Craig as "a fish out of water...gasping for his last breath of political air."