Maybe Larry Craig is guilty.

The truth in his case is difficult to know.

But what is fascinating is the reaction of those in his party who would rather he just fall on his sword.

The Republican Party has a lot to worry about right now, and the fight of one senator to clear his name isn't worth their time. They haven't got much of that left. November, 2008 is closing in and the skies are darkening.

Mitch McConnell (R-Ky), the Senate Minority Leader, told the New York Times Wednesday that Craig was correct in indicating he would resign. Then he told the Press he wanted to talk about something else — anything else.

In McConnell's mind, there's not a whole lot to say, at least not officially. McConnell and other Republican leaders removed Craig from leadership on three Senate committees last week — a move aimed at shuttling the Idaho senator out of the spotlight and into the shadows. Damage control in fast-forward. Abandonment on speed dial.

Loyalty in Washington is an amorphous thing — a kind of vapor. When there's enough of it, one can seem to float in it like a thick fog. When it dissipates, one can be left standing alone in a place one wouldn't have expected.

But Craig's not all alone. Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa), last Sunday, appeared on Fox News telling the nation — and Craig, if he was watching (he was) — that this case was winnable. Disorderly conduct is not an impeachable offense in the U.S. Senate. And the stuff Craig is accused of doesn't meet the qualifications of lewd behavior. If anything, the man was first stupid, then arrogant. But neither are what would count for removal of a member of Congress. (If they were, we'd have an immense number of special elections coming up soon.)

Robert Novak, in the Chicago Sun-Times on Sunday, noted that Specter, ranking Republican member of the Judiciary Committee is a man who remembers a favor. Craig once pulled for him when the Senate leadership wanted Specter out of the running for Judiary Commitee chair.

Specter has been fairly silent this week about what Craig should do now — silence Novak says came after Republican leadership pulled him aside and reminded him who he worked for (and they didn't mean the people who elected him.)

Sen. Patrick Leahy, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, agreed with Specter.

Courage is a tough thing to find on Capitol Hill. Maybe what the country needs is to see a Republican get up off the mat and keep slugging rather than throw in the towel.