Today's NY Times wonders aloud what's next for the scandal-scarred GOP?. Characterizing Craig's press conference as "a bizarre spectacle," the Times points out that it is "only the latest in a string of accusations of sexual foibles and financial misdeeds that have landed Republicans in the political equivalent of purgatory, the realm of late-night comic television."

"The real question for Republicans in Washington is how low can you go, because we are approaching a level of ridiculousness," said [a Republican operative], sounding exasperated in an interview on Tuesday morning. "You can't make this stuff up. And the impact this is having on the grass-roots around the country is devastating. Republicans think the governing class in Washington are a bunch of buffoons who have total disregard for the principles of the party, the law of the land and the future of the country."

Then again, Washington does not have a monopoly on the latest trend among Republicans. Just ask Thomas Ravenel, the state treasurer of South Carolina, who had to step down as state chairman of Rudolph W. Giuliani's presidential campaign after he was indicted on cocaine charges in June.

Or Bob Allen, a state representative in Florida who was jettisoned from the John McCain campaign last month after he was arrested on charges of soliciting sex in a public restroom.

And Romney, of course, fired Craig from his campaign in nano-seconds of the toilet revelations coming out. Flip Flop Mitt didn't want to hear any of that "I did nothing wrong," crapola, not from someone who everyone in Washington knows is a frustrated closet queen who has been prowling public restrooms look for quickie sex for years.

In an interview Tuesday on Kudlow and Company on CNBC, Mr. Romney could not distance himself fast enough. "Once again, we've found people in Washington have not lived up to the level of respect and dignity that we would expect for somebody that gets elected to a position of high influence," Mr. Romney said. "Very disappointing. He's no longer associated with my campaign, as you can imagine."

The religionists aren't all that forgiving, not when it comes to homosexuals. Vitter in diapers chasing prostitutes for decades is one thing but a senator tapping his foot in a gay code in a public restroom is something else entirely. And, as the Times points out, this is hardly the beginning or the end of the Republican Party's addiction to high profile scandals. "...there is a sort of 'here we go again' sense among Republicans these days, especially since news of the Craig arrest broke on Monday afternoon. It is tough enough being in the minority, weighed down by the burden of the war in Iraq. Now Republicans have an even more pressing task: keeping their party from being portrayed not just as hypocritical and out of touch with the values of people they represent, but also as a laughingstock-- amid headlines like 'Senator's Bathroom Bust,' which ran all Tuesday afternoon on CNN. The story also ran at the top of all the network evening newscasts on Tuesday."

Perhaps Craig should redo that press conference, the way Lauren Caitlin Upton, Miss South Carolina, got to do hers on NBC. South Park has carefully choreographed a more suitable response for Larry Craig, although I think that Miss McConnell, Lindsey Graham, David Dreier, Jim McCrery, Patrick McHenry and the rest of the boys team should be-- at least-- in the chorus.