Craig had been arrested on June 11, as Roll Call broke on August 27, under suspicion of soliciting "lewd acts" in a men's restroom at the Minneapolis airport. On August 8, he pled guilty to a disorderly conduct charge.

As the Idaho Statesman exhaustively recaps, allegations of Sen. Craig's liaisons with men, which he has repeatedly denied, date from his college years all the way to present day. Notably, blogACTIVE's Mike Rogers, in his 2006 exposé, documents Craig's preemptive denial of involvement in a 1982 Congressional page scandal. One page in particular estimated on camera that 15-20 Congressional staff were involved in activity involving sex with underage male pages, to whom drugs were also made available, and that there were at least two known gay Congressional representatives among the ranks.

Says Rogers, in his statement to Raw Story: "This experience, culminating in the tragic end of Larry Craig's political career, provides an important opportunity in American politics for those who use anti-gay sentiments for political purposes to reexamine their divisive tactics. Politicians like Larry Craig have helped to create a society that drives many men and women into the closet. This, especially from men who engage in activities like Larry Craig did, is simply unacceptable to the American people.

Larry Craig's arrest, when coupled with the hypocrisy of seeking sexual encounters from the very men he actively legislates against, becomes merely the catalyst to expose the dishonesty and secrecy of anti-gay politicians who expect a community to harbor its own enemies within."

Craig, a veteran, is former chairman and outgoing ranking member of the Senate's Committee on Veterans' Affairs. He has been a vocal proponent of the United States military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy, which prohibits gay servicemembers from serving openly, and has also openly supported the Federal Marriage Amendment, which would thoroughly strip same-sex couples of marriage rights on a federal level. In addition, he has applauded the passage of HJR 2, which denies all legal recognition for same-sex couples in his home state.

Continues Rogers: "Today, Larry Craig apologized today to everyone except the people he has most harmed by his actions -- gay Americans. His legacy will include his career-long work in opposing basic civil rights for gay and lesbian Americans, creating an atmosphere where it is unsafe for many to come out of the closet."

Sen. Craig's resignation speech, broadcast on CNN's Newsroom today, is available for viewing below: