No, Yes, No, Yes, No…

What’s going on at the Craig camp these days? This story came out on KTVB at about 11:30 AM:

“The most likely scenario, by far, is that by October there will be a new senator from Idaho,” Craig spokesman Dan Whiting told The Associated Press.

The only circumstances in which Craig might try to complete his term, Whiting said, would require a prompt overturning of his conviction for disorderly conduct in a men’s room at the Minneapolis airport, as well as Senate GOP leaders’ agreement to restore Craig’s committee leaderships posts taken away this week.

Those scenarios are unlikely, Whiting said.

Craig, a three-term Republican, met Wednesday with Idaho Republican Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter to discuss a transition in which Otter would name his Senate replacement, Whiting said. Even if Craig were to complete his term, he said, the senator would not seek re-election in 2008.

But a few hours later, we get this:

Craig’s staff and his lawyers say the embattled senator is leaving his options open.

Part of the problem with the on-again off-again nature of this story is this: the senator’s decision on what to do is a bit like a Rubik’s Cube.

All day the national media trumpeted yet another breaking story about Larry Craig: This one that he is now certain to resign.

But one of Craig’s lawyers said the senator has not yet thrown in the towel.

“If the conviction goes away per force then the Senate Ethics Committee goes away and then he comes back,that would be my view of what would happen,” attorney Stanley Brand said.

The “what next” rumor mill got rolling when the senators press secretary told a reporter that resigning on September 30th remains Craig’s most likely scenario.

“No matter what happens with his legal case,” Whiting said, “he does not plan to run for reelection in 2008. If, for some reason, he is able to clear his name before September 30th, he will consider remaining in the Senate.”

Well, I’m glad that at least 2008 is decided (unless the Senator changes his mind and states it isn’t. What’s going on is an absolutely maddening mismanagement of a resignation. Resignations are generally very hard to botch. Like a pressure valve, they ease off on the public official and allow constituents to feel everything has been justly dealt with and can later allow the official to regain some stature after a resignation done with class. Even resignations that were overdue, such as Nixon’s 1974 job, allowed him to leave with some dignity.

Instead, we are painted an alarming picture of Senator Craig holding on until the very end.