Sept. 1 (Bloomberg) -- Idaho Republican Senator Larry Craig resigned from the U.S. Senate effective Sept. 30 amid a furor over his guilty plea to disorderly conduct in connection with an incident in an airport men's room.

``I apologize for what I have caused,'' Craig, 62, said at a press conference in Boise. ``I am deeply sorry.''

Craig resigned under pressure from his own party leaders five days after the Roll Call newspaper in Washington reported that he was arrested in June by a police officer investigating complaints of lewd conduct in a bathroom at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. On Aug. 8 Craig pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor and paid a fine.

Craig did not directly address his guilty plea today, saying, ``I have little control over what people choose to believe.'' He also said that it would be ``an unwanted and unfair'' distraction to pursue his legal options while remaining in the Senate.

Craig told Cable News Network he will be ``fighting this like hell.'' He was also defiant at an Aug. 28 Boise press conference, saying he isn't gay and denying any wrongdoing in the incident. He said he pleaded guilty in part because of ``stress'' from being ``harassed'' by a newspaper that was conducting a ``witch hunt'' about his alleged behavior.

The Republican leadership may be disappointed that Craig didn't resign immediately, Carl Tobias, a University of Richmond law professor, said in a telephone interview.

`Fresh Start'

``I think they would like a fresh start on Tuesday,'' Tobias said. ``It's hard to understand why he would want to submit himself to the kind of attention and scrutiny he would face with his Senate colleagues.''

Craig's decision to resign as of Sept. 30 is likely to ``be awkward for everyone.''

President George W. Bush called Craig after the senator's press conference today and told him that ``it was a difficult decision and he wished him well,'' White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said by telephone.

The Log Cabin Republicans, a group that supports gay rights, issued a statement saying Craig had made the right decision by stepping down. ``He lost his credibility to serve the people of Idaho and his actions damaged the credibility of the Republican Party,'' the e-mailed statement said.

Republican Criticism

Criticism came more from Republicans than Democrats. The day after his press conference, three Republicans in Congress, including Arizona Senator John McCain, said Craig should resign. Party leaders in the Senate forced him to relinquish his committee leadership posts.

His resignation is unlikely to change the political balance in the Senate, where Democrats have a 51-49 majority.

Idaho Governor Butch Otter, a Republican, will appoint a replacement to serve out the remainder of Craig's term, which ends in January 2009, following the November 2008 election. Otter was leaning toward selecting Lieutenant Governor James Risch, news organizations including CNN and the New York Times reported.

Idaho voters usually support Republicans: Bush received 68 percent of the vote there in 2004, and all four members of the congressional delegation are Republican.

Craig's troubles add to a list of Republican embarrassments, including Louisiana Senator David Vitter's public apology after his phone number was linked to a Washington escort service, and Alaska Senator Ted Stevens's acknowledgement that he is under an FBI corruption probe.

Tapping Foot

A police report said Craig was arrested after gazing into a stall occupied by a police investigator, then going into an adjacent stall and tapping his foot in what the officer said was a recognized signal and passing his hand under the divider.

A recording of the police officer's questioning of Craig after the incident on June 11 was released this week.

``Did our feet come together? Apparently they did bump,'' Craig told the officer on the recording, though he insisted he did nothing wrong. ``I don't seek activity in bathrooms,'' the senator said. ``You saw something that didn't happen.''

``I'm just disappointed in you, sir,'' the officer said to Craig on the recording.

Craig was detained for approximately 45 minutes, interviewed, photographed and fingerprinted before his release. He pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor, admitting he ``engaged in conduct which I knew or should have known tended to arouse alarm or resentment.''

Probation

He paid more than $500 in fines and fees and was sentenced to a year's probation. The Hennepin County District Court put a 10-day jail sentence on hold.

Presidential candidate Mitt Romney called the airport incident ``disgusting.'' McCain, who is also seeking the party's presidential nomination, called for Craig's resignation saying, ``When you plead guilty to a crime, you shouldn't serve.''

Republican Representative Pete Hoekstra of Michigan and Senator Norm Coleman of Minnesota also called for Craig's resignation.

Craig is married and the father of three. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1980 and won a Senate seat 10 years later. He is a former chairman of the Senate Republican Policy Committee, the No. 4 party leadership post.

He also sang in a barbershop quartet with Senator Trent Lott of Mississippi and former Senators James M. Jeffords of Vermont and John Ashcroft of Missouri, who left the group when he became attorney general.

To contact the reporter on this story: Christopher Stern in Washington at Cstern3@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: September 1, 2007 16:52 EDT