ID-Sen: Craig watch, with a twist

Magical September sputters to a close tomorrow, and the one thing that we know for sure as it ends is that you can't trust a Republican's word. Well, actually, we did already know that. So let's just say it's been definitely confirmed, and not just with the WINOs reneging on their promise to reconsider their president's war.

There's no bigger reneger that the GOP's own bete noire, Larry Craig. His promise to resign on September 30 was the first to go, when he decided he would attempt to withdraw his guilty plea. That deadline came off the table, pending the judge's decision. Then, in a Hardball interview a few days ago, Craig's attorney attorney suggested Craig might be rethinking that whole resignation idea.

Today, it gets even better. In a statement to the Lewiston Morning Tribune, (subscription required) Craig's D.C. press secretary has left the a tiny crack in the door for Craig trying to keep his seat in 2008.

"The only thing I can predict right now is that Larry Craig will not be running for the Senate seat in 2008," said Dan Whiting, the senator's spokesman in Washington, D.C.

Even though Whiting and Craig's Boise spokesman Sid Smith have told the press Craig will not seek a fourth term, the senator has not publicly made that declaration himself, Whiting noted....

As for whether there's any chance Craig will resign Sunday, Whiting offered little insight, saying, "If there's one thing I've learned, it's that I cannot predict the future."

Well, that's a new wrinkle. Particularly for the 29 people on the list of would-be Republican appointees to the seat in Idaho and the GOP Senate leadership who wants nothing more than for Craig to just go away. It couldn't happen to a nicer bunch, huh?

All of which continues to make prospects for Democrat Larry LaRocco look just a little bit better, as noted in the same article.

LaRocco is crisscrossing Idaho shaking hands and working day jobs ranging from garbage collection in Orofino to nursing in Pocatello.

Craig's troubles have given Idaho's Senate race more attention. Thus far, Republicans are defending 22 U.S. Senate seats in 2008 and Democrats are defending only 12.

Earlier this month Sen. Charles Schumer, D-New York, declared, "Democrats can win in Idaho, and we intend to run a competitive race."

And the national media is seeking LaRocco out, along with Idaho Republicans, who don't have much to say on the topic.

"I've had to teach Wolf Blitzer on CNN to learn to pronounce my name," LaRocco said.

His fundraising has had a boost. In the first quarter he raised $80,000 and he expects much more than that by October.

The longer Craig draws this out, the better for LaRocco. That, and a good showing in LaRocco's fundraising for the quarter (which ends tomorrow) could help the DSCC firm up it's commitment to making this race competitive.