Save Sen. Craig

Republican Sen. Larry Craig has been thrown to the wolves by his own party because he tried to solicit a stranger (who turned out to be a police officer) in a men's restroom.

Don't let the statements fool you. They're doing this because it appears shameful for a member of the GOP to be engaged in any same-sex activity, given the party base's strict no-gay stance.

He isn't being forced to resign because he pled guilty to a crime (if he were in a bar fight and busted a guy's nose, Craig wouldn't be able to fit his Senatorial supporters into his office). And it isn't because he was committing adultery. (if he were caught cheating with another woman, people would say they were disappointed but to leave it alone because it's part of his personal life.) This is simply because of the event's tie to homosexuality.

Yes, Craig has proven indiscreet in his personal life, and, just judging from this lone incident, he might not be a great husband. But that's not nearly enough to effectively exile him from Congress, not when folks who likely committed real crimes against the public interest (Democratic Rep. William Jefferson, to name one) remain in the Capitol.

Voters should have the chance to accept or reject Sen. Craig based on his record, his public decision-making and his integrity in office. Unfortunately, his colleagues have decided that that isn't as important as publicly shaming a man who's been associated with homosexuality in one lone instance.

Now that is truly shameful.