Sen. Larry Craig's insistence that he "panicked" in admitting to a crime he didn't commit doesn't jibe with the fact that he spoke to a Minnesota prosecutor three times in the six weeks between his arrest and plea, reports the Washington Post. Craig's motion "was sought only as a political reaction," writes the prosecutor in a counter-motion filed today.
Craig quietly entered his plea through the mail without seeking legal advice, apparently to keep his arrest from his family, friends and colleagues, the Post writes. To prove that a "manifest injustice" has occurred, Craig's attorneys argue that panic over a newspaper's investigation into his sexuality caused him to admit guilt just to avoid publicity. He's expected to resign from the Senate this week unless he can overturn his plea. (More Larry Craig stories.)