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February 12, 2012

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Jon Ralston:

What might happen should Jim Gibbons visit the C Street gang

Sunday, July 19, 2009 | 2:01 a.m.

Just another day at the C Street complex, where one of the residents, John Ensign, has brought a special guest to see The Family.

After pushing the secret code to enter the hallowed house, Sen. Ensign and his gray-haired friend stroll into the living room. A handful of Family members are huddled around a television, watching a DVD of “The Sopranos” and wearing “Christian Guys Have More Fun” T-shirts.

“I love this episode,” Ensign says as he walks in. “Tony Soprano knew about secrecy. He knew how to run a family.”

“Who’s your friend, John?” says Tom Coburn, the senator and OB/GYN from Oklahoma.

“This is Jim Gibbons, the governor of Nevada,” Ensign replies.

“May God be with you,” comes the couch chorus.

“I need a lot of help from the Lord — and from you,” Gibbons replies. “I told my staff to tell the media that I went to Afghanistan, but I really needed to come here.”

“Better than our old friend Mark Sanford’s story about the Appalachian Trail,” one member chuckles.

“It’s all right to lie to the press and your staff,” Ensign says, putting his arm around Gibbons. “We are answerable only to The Family and to God.”

“Amen,” the couch chorus says.

“Before we start, I need to do something,” Coburn says. “Jim, I understand you have been feeling sick in the morning and your ankles are swollen.”

“Well, uh ...” Gibbons begins, before Ensign jabs him.

“Why, yes, doctor,” Gibbons says quickly.

“Well, sounds like you might be pregnant, so I invoke doctor-patient confidentiality for everyone here,” Coburn says with a smile.

“See how easy that is?” Ensign says to Gibbons, then, turning to the group, says, “Shall we start with the usual prayer before Jim tells us why he has come?”

“You lead us, John,” Coburn says. “It’s only appropriate.”

“Let us pray,” Ensign says, dropping to his knees. “Let us pray that if any of us stray from our marriages, we don’t get caught. And if we do, let us pray the husband doesn’t do what Doug Hampton did. Amen.”

“King David had it right,” one member says. “Have an affair with the wife and then kill the husband. That way there is no tell-all interview.”

“Now, now,” another says. “Why have you come here, Governor?”

Ensign jumps in. “Jim came here seeking help, but I realized he can help us, too.”

Gibbons declares, “I need to know what to do about staying in office. I know you gentlemen understand this is a higher calling and we are accountable only to God. But the public doesn’t always get that. John does. Like me, he’ll do anything to keep his job. So what do I do? It cost John only 96 grand. It’s going to cost me a lot more than that with Dawn, and I don’t have any rich parents to pay off these women I’ve been seeing. What if they — or their husbands — start talking?”

“What religion are you, Governor?” one Family man says.

“I’m a Mormon who drinks wine and cavorts with women,” Gibbons replies.

“See,” Ensign says, “I told you he was our kind of guy.”

Another Family member chimes in. “Governor, do what we counseled John to do. Just talk about tax-and-spend liberals, keep your head down, and God will show you the way.”

Gibbons wonders, “To reelection?”

“Have faith,” another couch Christian says.

Ensign then motions to Gibbons and says, “Jim also has some tips for us.”

“Indeed I do,” Gibbons says. “You guys need to work on your explanations. For instance, some jerk actually photographed me with one of my lady friends in a parking lot. It looked like I was embracing her, but I just told the media she was in distress so I was comforting her. Made me look very Christian, I thought.”

“Genius!” the Christian couch chorus cries.

“Oh, there’s more,” Ensign says. “Tell them, Jim.”

Gibbons smiles and continues. “So I got texting one of my (here he does air quotes) ‘friends’ and it looked pretty bad. Hundreds of text messages. So I told them I was consulting her on my policies and about my dogs.”

“Genius!” the Christian couch chorus cries again.

“So I can join then?” Gibbons says.

“You have all the qualities we look for in a Family member,” Ensign says. “You are welcome anytime.”

“Great,” Gibbons gushes. “Can we celebrate at the bar? I’m sure John knows where the action is.”

“Now that’s a spirit that could move me,” one Family member says.

“I could get used to this kind of Christian life,” Gibbons says.

“Amen, Brother Gibbons,” comes the Family chorus.

Jon Ralston hosts the news discussion program “Face to Face With Jon Ralston” on Las Vegas ONE and publishes the daily e-mail newsletter “RalstonFlash.com.” His column for the Las Vegas Sun appears Sunday, Wednesday and Friday.

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