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twitterTHE SENATOR’S SCANDAL:
Outwardly, John Ensign is taking extra ethics scrutiny in stride
Harry Hamburg / Associated press
Sen. John Ensign is seen on Capitol Hill on Tuesday before attending a weekly policy luncheon held by the Republicans. Ensign’s extramarital affair resurfaced in national news this week with a New York Times story detailing possible ethics violations.
Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2009 | 2 a.m.
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Sun coverage
Washington — Behind the closed doors of the Republicans’ exclusive weekly luncheon Tuesday, Sen. John Ensign inserted himself into the policy debate with force, without any of the expected inhibitions of a lawmaker fighting for his political life.
Ensign spoke up on health care reform, mixing it up with colleagues as if it were another day at the office — rather than the first full day back at work after becoming the subject of a Senate Ethics Committee investigation and possible Justice Department inquiry.
Ensign’s stunning and ongoing display of self-confidence appears to be equal parts hubris and survival strategy — as if acting like nothing is amiss makes it so.
Whether Washington can look past the cloud of suspicion hanging over Ensign remains to be seen.
“We are very disappointed,” fellow Republican Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina, a housemate of Ensign’s at the C Street Christian home they share with other lawmakers on Capitol Hill, said about the developments. “Obviously, it’s not good.”
The New York Times last week raised new ethical questions about Ensign’s affair with a woman who was on his staff and his actions in its aftermath. At issue is the work Ensign helped to secure for the woman’s husband, Doug Hampton, who also worked for the senator, in possible violation of the one-year ban on Senate staff members lobbying their former bosses.
Legal experts say the new allegations are likely to trigger an investigation. Ethics violations can be criminal offenses and the penalties include jail time.
The return of the Ensign affair is unwelcome for Republicans in Washington and Nevada who hoped the issue had run its course.
The party does not need a drawn-out ethics scandal as it tries to hammer on Democrats’ ethics transgressions. Nor do party leaders want to spend their time answering questions about Ensign’s affair when they could be pressing their case on health care reform, the war in Afghanistan or other issues.
Ensign had all but turned the page on the scandal before last week’s story broke, playing an aggressive role fighting health care reform in the past few weeks as a member of the Senate Finance Committee.
In fact, Ensign was seated in a committee hearing when the Times story sent BlackBerrys buzzing last Thursday. He abruptly left the committee debate, only to return later in the evening and reinsert himself into the discussion as if nothing had happened.
Ensign appeared upbeat Tuesday, saying he felt good but declining most questions.
“I’m fully planning on working, staying in office,” Ensign told the Sun and a few other reporters as he ducked into the luncheon.
Ensign’s office has said he would comply with any official inquiry and has followed all laws.
He received a mixed reaction throughout the day. He was ignored on the Senate floor as colleagues brushed past without so much as a nod, but was chatting in the cloistered Senate cloakroom with other Republicans as the votes dragged into the evening.
Ensign appeared intent on behaving as if nothing had happened, but his ability to carry on with business as usual — let alone lobby his colleagues to join his side in policy matters — remains in question.
He and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, his fellow Nevadan, sent out a joint news release Tuesday morning on the future of the Nevada Test Site. But it remains to be seen whether senators who don’t have state issues in common would attach their names to a senator involved in a scandal.
The silence from Republican leaders and colleagues has spoken volumes, as they have again failed to come to his side, much the way they distanced themselves from Ensign when he first disclosed the affair this summer.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky sidestepped questions last week, declining to comment about the fresh allegations of potential wrongdoing.
When asked whether Ensign should remain in office, Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas deferred Tuesday to the Senate Ethics Committee to “make a recommendation.”
The newest member of the Republican leadership team, Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, who took Ensign’s No. 4 position after the Nevadan resigned the leadership post this summer after disclosing the affair, ducked into the lunch, avoiding the question with a short “I’m late.”
Republican Sen. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma said he looks “forward to a good ethics inquiry.” This after having said that he would not testify about the private conversations he had with Ensign and Hampton. Coburn had counseled both men, and the Times said he relayed Hampton’s request for $2 million payment to the senator.
Coburn declined to comment on Ensign’s political future.
Senate rules allow for expulsion with a felony conviction, as was the case when former Republican Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska was asked to resign after being convicted in a corruption case last year. He lost reelection several weeks later and the guilty verdict was eventually thrown out.
As the Ensign investigation unfolds in the Senate Ethics Committee, sources with knowledge of Senate operations say, there is little leadership could do, other than make the workday uncomfortable, to pressure a colleague to quit.
Leaders have been unable to force out other senators, including Idaho Republican Sen. Larry Craig, who was snared in a men’s restroom sex scandal. Ensign at the time called for Craig’s resignation, but Craig ignored the pleas and simply declined to seek reelection. On the Democratic side of the aisle, Sen. Roland Burris of Illinois continues to serve despite questions surrounding his appointment by former Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
Having the chutzpah to remain in office while under investigation is one thing. Seeking reelection is another.
When Ensign first disclosed his affair this summer, he vowed to stay in office and seek a third term in 2012.
When asked about his reelection plans Tuesday as he ducked into the lunch, Ensign let the door close behind him in silence.
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I'm not a Democrat.
I've never been a Democrat - and never will be.
BUT!!
The enemy of my enemy is my friend!
John Ensign has proven himself to be the enemy of what I believe in.
I don't care what his carefully manufactured facade portrays. His parents and their handlers invested over 30 years and hundreds of thousands of dollars into this modern day "Manchurian Candidate".
Yes, Clinton was wrong - and, Yes, I think he should still be prosecuted for his illegal activities - But, John Ensign shouldn't get a "pass" just because Clinton did.
Also, the only reason Ensign came forward with the "confession" is because the Republicans (and everyone else) learned from watching Clinton's continued denials and the resultant public opinion. In hindsight, politicians learned to recognize an indefensible position -- and how to "take control of a situation that can quickly get out of hand.
The only remorse in Ensign is the result of paying the penalties of getting exposed.
i was watching this "non-story" yesterday on CNN; it was funny seeing enswine talking out of both sides of his mouth. the mans toast,put a fork in him, he's done.
If he was Bkack like me, he would have already been tarred-featherd and politically lynched. For crying out loud, Ensign, his mammy, his pappy, and US Sen. Coburn all CONSPIRED, to hide the BALCKMAIL. Not reporting being BLACKMAILED and holding a sensitive military security clearance, is a felony offense. They even paid the hoochie-mama $90K. Obama has ovaries.
The MT suits and dresses, gutless wonders, Judases, and Benedict Arnolds, that comprise the NABJ (print-video), NAACP, and Cong. Black Caucus-CBC-comical blacks in congress, along with O'BUMBLER and Holder, are Ensign's best friends.
This is the same corps of cowards that hid under their desks, while the GOP impeached former Black federal judge Alcee Hastings, and "fear-smeared-SWIFTIZED" former congresswoman Cynthia "Pugmeister" McKinney and former congressman Jefferson (NOLA) too. Pro-Israelites caused McKinney to lose her re-election bid because she spoke out against the Mid East Plantation, where Israelis are treating Palestiinians (COLOREDS) like old American slaves.
Like McKinney, I'm appalled we are giving the Israelis (Nazis and pimps of oppression) funds and weapons in ther apartheid program. Hastings and Jefferson ($400K) took bribes, and so did John "old chicken-arms" McCain ($112K). Keating gave this drunk $112K, who is also a war-whoremonger, and guilty of perjury and voter-fraud. When McShame was asked the following question (elecetion-security clearance applications): "have you ever been CONVICTED of felony offense, or committed a FELONY offense", he took the Scooter Libby Rd. VIVA! McKinney!
Why aren't you Nevadains protesting this guy louder and more?
Ensign's record speaks volumes for himself:
he's anti-tax and anti-spend, perfect for a Nevada senator, unlike his "pinko" Demo counterpart, "Marxist" Reid.
johnnie boy ensign is a snot nosed spoiled punk...
johnnie boy ensign is a fraud...
a total and complete fraud...
this little maggot was granted every single advantage in life...
rode mommy and daddy's coat tails all the way to the us senate...
but that wasn't enough for this snot nosed punk...
he had to have his best friend's wife too...
and when he got caught he fired both of them...
just ruined their lives...
then this little maggot went running to mommy and daddy to fix his boo boo...
all while a member of "the family" cult...
and a "promise keeper" to boot...
what a sad clown ensign is...
bring on the ethics investigation!!!
A pig is a pig.
Pig`s really don`t understand being criticized for being a pig.
He is what he is and it will not change.
He and Gibbon`s we are blessed with a wealth of pork.
afveteran, what are you smoking?
John Ensign is anything BUT anti-spending. He gave George W. Bush a blank check while he was in the majority in the Senate.
"Total federal outlays will rise 29 percent between fiscal years 2001 and 2005 according to the president's fiscal year 2005 budget released in February. Real discretionary spending increases in fiscal years 2002, 2003, and 2004 are three of the five biggest annual increases in the last 40 years. Large spending increases have been the principal cause of the government's return to massive budget deficits."
"Although defense spending has increased in response to the war on terrorism, President Bush has made little attempt to restrain nondefense spending to offset the higher Pentagon budget. Nondefense discretionary outlays will increase about 36 percent during President Bush's first term in office. Congress has failed to contain the administration's overspending and has added new spending of its own. Republicans have clearly forfeited any claim of being the fiscally responsible party in Washington."
You should put down whatever illicit substance you are abusing and try to see reality.
I don't care who anybody has sex with but I despise the hypocrisy of this family-values anti-gay born-again liar.
He has said that he is defending traditional marriage against gays who are out to destroy it. The depth of his hypocrisy is appalling.
CanyonHigh, could you please tell the public what the illegal activities are for which Clinton should be prosecuted. After eight years of the war criminal George W., I would think you would be over Clinton by now.
may b he should have paid out the 2 mill
of course johnnie boy snot nosed spoiled punk ensign appears outwardly composed...
you see he is an accomplished liar and fraud...
he had an affiair with his best friend / senior staffer's wife...
hello...
just imagine the practice he got telling lies regarding that little fling...
lied to his staff...
lied to his wife...
lied to his family...
lied to "the family" cult...
lied to promise keepers...
lies, lies, and more lies...
hell maybe he should be nominated for an oscar...
the best frauds are great actors...
and make no mistake boys and girls...
johnnie boy snot nosed spoiled punk ensign is a fruad...
a total and complete fraud!!!
I bet Ensign makes it through this crisis and becomes the next Senate Majority Leader after Harry and the Democrats loose their majority in the Senate.
hey larry...
those must be some powerful drugs you have...
hee hee hee...
hoo hoo hoo...
haa haa haa...
good stuff...
funny funny stuff!!!
Larry also said that Obama was going to announce the death of the public option last month.
That never happened, either. Larry's connection to the Psychic Friends Network must be on the fritz.
Time to clean house. Out with Gibbons, Reid x 2, Ensign, Krolicki, and Badman.
Larry also said that Obama was going to announce the death of the public option last month.
Public option is dead but not buried yet. Obama will leave it laying on the table until November when the smell will be so bad, nothing will pass.
Maybe Johnny has a new best friend to guide him!
Ensign is corrupt.
Congress and the Obama Administration are corrupt.
Republicans are ashamed of Ensign.
Resign Ensign you are worthless