Sen. Arlen Specter has gone against most conventional wisdom, insisting that Sen. Larry Craig should fight the charges he’s a bathroom bandit — and should not resign. 

“I don’t think [he] should have been asked to resign,” Specter told Chris Wallace on FOX News Sunday. ”I’d still like to see Senator Craig fight this case. He left himself some daylight, Chris, when he said that he intends to resign in 30 days. I’d like to see Larry Craig go back to court, seek to withdraw his guilty plea and fight the case.

“I’ve had some experience in these kinds of matters since my days as Philadelphia district attorney, and on the evidence Senator Craig wouldn’t be convicted of anything, and he’s got his life on the line and 27 years in the House and the Senate and I’d like to see him fight the case ’cause I think he could be vindicated,” Specter added.

Wallace then asked, rather incredulously, ”Are you suggesting that if he could fight the case, and could be vindicated that he should then rescind his resignation?”

Said Specter: “That, well he hasn’t resigned. Bear in mind Chris, if you look closely, listen closely to what Senator Craig said he said he intends to resign. Once you resign, you’re out. But when you have a statement of intent to resign, that intent can change. And if he could change the underlying sense of the case, feel of the case…. Listen, you can go to court and you withdraw a guilty plea.”