Sen. Larry Craig and Sen. Jim Jeffords were once bandmates

Idaho Sen. Larry Craig's name may be familiar to some Vermonters and not just because news of his arrest in June for lewd behavior in a men's room is all over the news.

For years, Craig was one of four Republican senators that made up the famous Singing Senators group, which also included now-retired Vermont Sen. Jim Jeffords. The two of them were joined by John Ashcroft and Majority Leader Trent Lott.

The group sort of disintegrated in 2001 after Ashcroft became President Bush's attorney general and Jeffords fled the Republican Party. Late in 2006, three members announced the intention to reform the group, this time as a trio and without the vocal assistance of Jeffords, who was not running for another term.

Interestingly, this new Singing Senators line up made its debut on June 12, 2007 for a brief concert in Washington, D.C. This was, of course, one day after Craig was arrested in a men's room airport for trying to have sexual relations with an undercover police officer.

A CD of the group's music, recorded during the happier times of the late 1990s, is available, but unfortunately I could not find an on line retail outlet that carries it.

-Dan Barlow