SNEAK PEEK:
August 28, 2007— -- Amid Larry Craig's defiant "I'm not gay. I have never been gay" press conference, Mitt Romney strongly denounced the former chairman of his Idaho campaign while painting the incident in question as being part of a "parade of sexual misconduct in Washington" which includes the spouse of the Democratic frontrunner for president.
"Frankly, it's disgusting," Romney told CNBC's Kudlow & Company. "I think it reminds us of Mark Foley and Bill Clinton."
Romney stopped short of calling for Craig's resignation but he established himself as an important arbiter of Craig's future by promising to weigh in on that question in the future.
"I will review that, and we'll give you a call on that," said Romney. "I certainly felt that Bill Clinton shouldn't have stayed in office. But you know, with regards to this setting, why, we'll take a close look at it."
Craig, who is up for re-election in 2008, is also facing pressure from Senate Republican leaders who are recommending an ethics investigation into the allegations.
As for Wednesday's Hurricane Katrina anniversary . . .
President Bush, who declared shortly after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast region that he was not going to forget what he saw, returns to New Orleans on the second anniversary of the devastating storm.
The President will be joined by First Lady Laura Bush at an 8:45 am ET meeting with Louisiana education officials before participating in a moment on silence at 9:38 am ET.
Bush next attends a 12:15 pm ET briefing on Mississippi rebuilding efforts before making a 1:00 pm ET statement on Mississippi rebuilding efforts.
Rudy Giuliani has no public schedule. We learned Tuesday that the former New York mayor plans to read a passage from a text at the Ground Zero Anniversary ceremony on September 11.
Giuliani's successor – Mike Bloomberg – called for expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit and touted his initiative to pay poor New Yorkers for doing things like passing standardized tests and holding down full-time jobs in a Tuesday National Press Club speech hosted by Brookings.
Mitt Romney attends an 11:45 am ET luncheon fundraiser in Atlanta.
John McCain is in the Golden State filling his campaign coffers in Los Angeles. On Tuesday, McCain became the first '08er to be declared eligible by the FEC to receive federal matching funds for the primaries.
Mike Huckabee is in Iowa for a 9:30 am ET meeting in Pella, followed by an interview on the Jan Mickelson Show on WHO Radio.
As for the Democrats…
At 11:00 am ET, Chris Dodd picks up the coveted endorsement of the nation's firefighters union at the Washington's Capital Hilton. LINK
Hillary Clinton – who has not yet reacted to Romney's swipe at her husband -- spends her day in Chappaqua, N.Y., with no public campaign events.
John Edwards is in Georgia for a 12:00 pm ET speech and media availability at Georgia Southwestern State University. Edwards will be introduced by former President Jimmy Carter.
The AFL-CIO plans to use its 1:00 pm ET annual Labor Day briefing to unveil its plan for universal health coverage by 2009. LINK
Joe Biden is in Iowa for a 9:00 am ET breakfast with the Black Hawk County Democrats, and state Rep. Doris Kelley in Waterloo.
Barack Obama continues his vacation and Bill Richardson has no public schedule.
TiVo Alert! ABC News' Bob Woodruff profiles the road to recovery for Sen. Tim Johnson D-S.D. on Nightline. The South Dakota Democrat says that he plans to run for re-election. LINK
POLITICAL STORIES ON ABCNEWS.COM:
ABC News' Donna Hunter and Jan Simmonds Report: "Struggling Chris Dodd Wins Coveted Endorsement"LINK
ABC News' Rick Klein "Romney Can't Account for Craig's ActionsLINK
ABC News' Bob Woodruff "Johnson Will Run for Reelection"LINK
ABC News' Justin Rood "Abramoff Still Cooperating, Says Feds" LINK
POLITICAL VIDEO ON ABCNEWS.COM:
Sen. Craig: "I Am Not Gay"LINK
Romney Backs Away from Craig on Bloomberg TVLINK
Who Is Sen. Larry Craig?The Idaho senator has been fending off accusations for more than 25 years.LINK
Bush Unwavering on IraqLINK
Senator's Road to RecoveryLINK
Political Bombshells for RepublicansLINK
Republican Senator in Sex Scandal.LINK
Katrina: The Road HomeLINK