Republican Senator Larry Craig's humiliation deepened Thursday, as US television networks played an audio tape of his police interrogation following his arrest in an airport bathroom.
Repeated airings of the embarrassing tape made the Idaho conservative's position increasingly tenuous, as he battled to keep his job after pleading guilty in a case brought by police probing lewd conduct incidents.
The tape featured an agitated Craig being questioned by a police officer following his arrest in a bathroom in Minneapolis-St Paul airport in June.
Craig denied he had been sending sexual signals to the undercover officer, when their feet allegedly touched under the partition of two bathroom stalls.
"I'm a respectful person ... I don't do these kinds of things," Craig is heard telling the police officer, who accused him of tapping his foot and putting his hand under the partition into the other stall.
"I don't seek activity in bathrooms," said Craig who has repeatedly insisted he is not gay.
On Wednesday, several senior Republicans called on Craig, whose shame threatens to deepen ethics slurs facing his party as 2008 elections loom.
"He pled guilty and he had the opportunity to plead innocent. So I think he should resign," Republican Senator and 2008 presidential candidate John McCain said in an interview with CNN.
"When you plead guilty to a crime, then you shouldn't serve. I don't try to judge people. But in this case, it's clear that it was disgraceful."
Strong words also came from Republican Senator Norm Coleman, who represents Minnesota, the state where Craig, an opponent of gay marriage, was snared.
"I am deeply disturbed about this, the conduct that has been alleged is really disgusting," Coleman told a North Dakota radio station.
Craig has said he did nothing wrong and insisted he only entered a plea deal in a bid to cover up an embarrassing incident.
Republican Senate leaders have already forced Craig to relinquish his minority leadership roles on a number of Senate committees, pending a probe into his conduct.
Craig, 62, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor misconduct charge this month, paid more than 500 dollars in fines and fees, and had a 10-day jail sentence stayed over the affair.
The affair rocked Republicans stung by the loss of both chambers of Congress last year, and facing a testing run-up to next year's elections tied to an unpopular president and a costly war.
Craig's humiliation also came weeks after fellow Republican conservative Senator David Vitter apologized after his name appeared on call lists of a Washington escort agency.
Last year, Republicans were anguished when representative Mark Foley resigned after a scandal over suggestive online messages sent to teenage male congressional aides.
