Craig protests dismissal by Romney; 'The View' of Clinton
Idaho Senator Larry E. Craig is lashing out at Mitt Romney, who unceremoniously dumped Craig from his presidential campaign after Craig's arrest in a Minneapolis airport bathroom sex sting.
"I'd worked hard for him here in the state," Craig told NBC's Matt Lauer in an interview to be aired today. "I was a cochair of his campaign on Capitol Hill. And he not only threw me under his campaign bus, he backed up and ran over me again."
The Romney campaign responded to Craig's remarks by issuing a statement that the senator resigned from his campaign positions "because he did not want to be a distraction."
"Governor Romney simply believes that a public office is a public trust," spokesman Kevin Madden said in the statement. "He believes when a public official enters a guilty plea, they have broken that public trust and should step aside for the sake of their constituents. Governor Romney believes that we need to have higher ethical standards in Washington with a very clear line that should not be crossed."
In February, Romney announced that Craig and Senator Robert Bennett of Utah would serve as his Senate liaisons and in May announced that Craig would be cochairman of the leadership team in Idaho.
But immediately after news of Craig's arrest broke in August, Romney severed his connections to Craig, called his conduct "disgraceful," and compared the scandal to those involving President Clinton and former congressman Mark Foley of Florida.
Craig announced that he would resign from the Senate after a guilty plea to disorderly conduct, but is continuing his effort to withdraw that plea and has announced plans to serve out his term.
MICHAEL LEVENSON
SEIU locals back Edwards
Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards scooped up the backing yesterday of 10 state affiliates of the Service Employees International Union, representing about half of the union's 1.9 million members.
The chapters endorsing him include the 656,000-member affiliate in California, and the 2,000-member chapter in Iowa, which holds the first caucus.
The endorsements cushion the blow Edwards received last week when the 1.9 million-member national organization decided not to endorse a candidate during the Democratic primaries. The Iowa support is key for Edwards, who is relying heavily on the caucuses to boost his campaign. The other state affiliates are also allowed to send help to Iowa.
Edwards now has support from unions totaling 3 million members. The former senator from North Carolina trails rivals Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama in the polls and fund-raising.
Meanwhile, Obama secured the backing of his home state Illinois SEIU chapter and the state affiliate in Indiana, which combined have about 170,000 members.
JENN ABELSON
Clinton takes in 'The View'
Kicking off a week focused on women's events, Hillary Clinton appeared on the television chat fest "The View" yesterday to field questions from Barbara Walters and Whoopi Goldberg.
Walters asked how it is different for Clinton to run for president as a woman. The former first lady criticized the focus on her appearance as a woman, while also jokingly feeding into it.
"Well, look how much longer it takes me to get ready!" she joked. But she went on: "The hair, the clothes, the laugh. . . . I do think there still is a tougher standard for women, especially running for president.
"We've all been through it in some way or another," she continued. "You go, you try to break a barrier, you do the best you can and people say, well, I don't like her hair or whatever. Well, I think we are getting beyond that."
MARCELLA BOMBARDIERI
Thompson raps Giuliani
WASHINGTON - Republican presidential contender Fred Thompson swiped at GOP rival Rudy Giuliani in a speech last night on the former New York mayor's home turf.
"Some think the way to beat the Democrats in November is to be more like them. I could not disagree more," the onetime Tennessee senator said in remarks prepared for delivery before the Conservative Party of New York.
"I believe that conservatives beat liberals only when we challenge their outdated positions, not embrace them," Thompson adds.
He does not mention Giuliani's name in excerpts made available to the Associated Press, but he is clearly trying to draw a contrast with the rival who is leading in national Republican polls.
Giuliani was once a Democrat and, unlike Thompson, backs abortion rights and gay rights.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
