Am I the only one having trouble with the Ensign story?

[madaboutharry]

After reading what Josh Marshall has posted on TPM and other news stories, I am really confused and not putting this all together. This is what has me: Why did Ensign talk? The Hamptons are saying they wanted to keep this private. Someone was onto this affair and was going to spill the beans. Why else would Ensign go public? I obviously am missing part of the story.

[babylonsister]

1. A certain website claims he was being blackmailed...

http://www.rgj.com/article/20090616/NEWS/90616059/1321/NEWS

Web site says Ensign was being blackmailed

Staff report • June 16, 2009


Citing a Nevada source, the Web site Politico reported today that Sen. John Ensign disclosed having an affair with a female campaign aide because he was being blackmailed by her husband, a member of his Senate staff.
Advertisement

Senate and Nevada sources said Ensign began the affair several months after he separated from his wife, Darlene. When they reconciled, Ensign met with the couple and gave the aide a severance package.

Some time later, the husband asked for a large sum of money, a Politico source said.

An Ensign aide said the couple has not worked for the senator since May 2008.

Ensign disclosed the affair in a Las Vegas press conference today and was supported by a statement from his wife.

[madaboutharry]

5. If he was being blackmailed, then why

wouldn't he have gone to law enforcement? There would have been an investigation and arrests if it were the case. I am suspicious of the blackmail claim.

[babylonsister]

6. Because they might have dug up all the other affairs he's had?

Rumor has it, two or three, at least.

This was his third?
http://a11news.com/2072/senator-ensign-cynthia-hampton-affair/


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=5870972&mesg_id=5870972

[ColbertWatcher]

2. Better question:

Why did Ensign violate his sacred vow and break the Baby Jesus' heart?

Marriage cannot survive teh gheys, but will survive Ensign's tiny infidelity because it was an isolated incident?

Jesus twittered that he was weeping.

[emilyg]

4. Probably for the same reason

Edwards did.

[ColbertWatcher]

7. Did Edwards also support DOMA?

I can't remember if Edwards was anti-Marriage Equality.

[emilyg]

8. From Lesbian News

Same-Sex Marriage:
Edwards opposes same-sex marriage, but he does not think the Constitution should be amended to define marriage as between a man and a woman. He supports civil unions.

On 2/24/04 Edwards said in response to President Bush's proposed Constitutional amendment, "I am against the president's constitutional amendment on gay marriage...I don't personally support gay marriage myself. My position has always been that it's for the states to decide."

Edwards supports the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act

Family Medical Leave:

[ColbertWatcher]

12. So, Edwards does not support DOMA.

I don't think it's the same reason for Edwards as it is for Ensign.

[kestrel91316]

18. BEST. ENSIGN. POST. EVER.

[ColbertWatcher]

30. THANK. YOU. n/t

[TheCowsCameHome]

3. When the mistresses' hubby has you by the nuts, you'll talk, sing, and tapdance

or whatever else he demands.

[Bucky]

9. That doesn't make sense. The blackmailer wanted him not to talk.

It could be that Ensign is just getting out in front of ball in order to 1) kill the blackmail scheme (this is known in the Philandering Husband League as "pulling an Alexander Hamilton") and possibly to 2) keep other infidelities (presumedly the ones that if he had his life to live over again, he would not take back) from getting into the public discussion. It's a pretty smart strategy, or it would be if he hadn't been such a hypocrite during both Clinton and Larry Craig's celebrated foibles.

[babylonsister]

10. "presumedly the ones that if he had his life to live over again, he would not take back"

:rofl:

Yep.

[malaise]

11. He gave the mistress a severance package

He had the RNC paying the couple's son
and more importantly, how can they afford that McMansion in this housing crisis?

Do you think the Rushicans would have made him resign if this story didn't have teeth. Keep following the money - he already paid hush money and he's scared shitless.

Now let's find the numbers for that severance package.

[rurallib]

15. something don't add up

I think he offered money and she was offended or he was. They refused and he wanted to get his story out and accuse them before she talked.
Since the lover appears to want to talk, this one may get very fun very fast.
I am guessing (if my assumptions are right) that Mr. Ensign will be appearing before a judge on some attempted bribery charges soon.

[malaise]

21. No no no

He gave her a severance package
He provided a job for her son during the affair
They took out a $1.2M mortgage for a McMansion. Hush money has already been paid. Now was hubby looking for more money - likely but there is a money trail already. We need to find out how much she received in that severance package - was there a little McMansion deposit money there? How big was that package?

[rurallib]

25. I gotta learn to pay attention.

Ensign must have committed some crimes along the way, I hope.
Hope he takes Vitter down also somehow.

[malaise]

28. Additionally the husband received a big increase

for his last pay check.

[SoCalDem]

17. We may be finding out more about this ... and soon

If he's accused them of extortion, that's a crime, whether he called the cops or NOT. They are not likely to take it lying down, and will undoubtedly give some counter-testimony. If they are part-owners of casinos, they CANNOT have a felony on their records. They (she?) may have been thinking about "talking", and Ensign may have used this ruse to punish them in advance, and "get ahead" of the story.

If BOTH of them were "on his payroll", and suddeny are "laid-off" (HER, more than the husband:evilgrin:.), a consolation-prize job to the son, in no way compensates them for the lost income.. Maybe they approached him to "help" them get jobs, and he panicked.

[malaise]

22. Good post

Now we're talking.

[newspeak]

13. I think there may be something else going on

I believe part of the Ensign family were part owners of a couple of casinos--I don't know if these Hamptons are related to the man who brought Enisgns in years ago in co-owning some casinos in Nevada--the Ensign family made lots of money. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

[madaboutharry]

14. This whole thing just sounds so weird.

It reminds me of a night time soap, like Dallas or something.

I read on another post that the Ensigns were promoters of the "Promise Keepers". I just find that hilarious.

[TheCowsCameHome]

16. I think he belonged to the "Promiscuous Freepers"

[malaise]

23. LOL

:rofl:

[kestrel91316]

19. Ensign's family (dad, etc) owns/owned all the casinos just a ways north

of where I-15 crosses into NV. Whiskey Pete's, Cactus Kate's. It's the place south of the prison a ways. After he had been a vet a few years he went back to work, inexplicably,as the money man at that casino complex.

Ensign's adoptive father, last I heard, owned that big Strip casino with the convention center that is just nextdoor to the Egyptian-themed pyramid place, on the south side. Damn. We had a vet conference there and I can't even remember the name, lol.

[newspeak]

20. it's the Hacienda, but

it use to be the Goldstrike Inn--I think the man's last name was Hampton who brought in Ensign's dad and another partner owning the Goldstrike Inn and another casino. This was years ago--in highschool I worked at the Goldstrike Inn. After a major fire, they rebuilt and called it the Hacienda.

[newspeak]

24. Do you mean the Luxor?

I wrote below, I thought you meant the casino by the Dam.

[kestrel91316]

26. Yeah, Luxor. I heard his dad owns the place just to the south of the Luxor.

Brain fart, still can't remember it.

Hah! Mandalay Bay, it is. I love Google.

[newspeak]

27. I believe his dad started by going into partnership with Goldstrike

and the man who brought him into the partnership (him and another man), I "think" had the last name of Hampton. This was over forty years ago.

[kestrel91316]

29. Uh oh, lol. Dad can't be happy about this. They probably don't want much

attention paid to these sort of relationships.

Maybe Dad will shut the spigot and tell John to go back to being a vet.

Thing is, if there are any crimes, his vet license is in jeopardy. For that matter, this affair and possible misuse of campaign funds could get him in hot water with the veterinary board, lol.