The John Ensign Affair and the Stench of GOP Hypocrisy

[NNN0LHI]

http://chattahbox.com/us/2009/06/18/the-john-ensign-affair-and-the-stench-of-gop-hypocrisy/

(ChattahBox)— Family values advocate and born again Christian, Sen. John Ensign, is yet another prime example of Republican hypocrisy. Ensign 51, publicly admitted this week to cheating on his wife, with former campaign staffer, Cindy Hampton, 46, from 2007 until late last year.

There are also reports coming out that this may not be the first time Ensign cheated on his wife. All these years of Ensign taking the sanctimonious moral high-ground has now come back to haunt him.

As scandals go this one at first blush, seemed relatively mild, but there are many unanswered questions, regarding payment of hush money to both his ex-mistress’ husband and son and unsubstantiated claims made by Ensign that he came forward, because of a blackmail demand made by Cindy Hampton’s husband, Doug.

An extortion claim that if true, was not reported to the FBI by Ensign. Now, his aides seem to be backtracking on the blackmail angle, saying instead, Doug Hampton threatened to go to a news outlet about the affair. Answers to these lingering questions about the details of his affair, are sure to trickle out in the days and weeks ahead. But what concerns this writer most about Ensign’s conduct is his rank hypocrisy.

Ensign is a member the Promise Keepers, an all male cult-like evangelical group that promotes marital fidelity and he has always made a point to condemn others for their personal failings.

Sen. Ensign was ruthless in his condemnation of former President Bill Clinton during the Lewinsky scandal, calling on Clinton to resign, saying Clinton “has no credibility left.” Ensign demanded the resignation of Larry Craig, calling him a “disgrace” when Craig was arrested in a men’s bathroom, allegedly for soliciting sex from a male undercover policeman.

[Buzz Clik]

1. Pretty well sums up what had already been summed up.

He's a hypocrite.

[indepat]

9. A sanctimonious reichous duplicitous hypocrite at that and those seem his most redeeming

attributes. :P

[Winterblues]

10. You mispelled Republican

:shrug:

[Fuzz]

2. I didn't know he was a Promise Keeper. That makes this even funnier.

[BOSSHOG]

7. He is(was) a promise keeper

purely for show, to make the base feel good about him. I doubt any conservative republican goes to church because they are religious, the photo ops are just too damned enticing.

[hedgehog]

3. See, I would never make it as a Republican, because I am

having trouble understanding what all the fuss is about.

[malaise]

4. Follow the money

Ensign has several questions to answer.

[hedgehog]

6. My feeling is that every Congress person should be given X dollars for

staff, and that's the end of it. If someone wants to hire illiterate 19 year olds in hot pants, that's his business and the business of his constituents. If someone wants his staff to clean out his horse barn, that's also his business. Harry Truman got a lot of heat for hiring Bess to work in his office. Rostenkowski was accused of using his staff for personal business. My feeling is that if the constituents are satisfied with the service by the Congress person and staff, that's fine, and if they aren't, they'll elect someone else.

[GoesTo11]

5. Real faithful spouses don't go around declaring their superiority

[KharmaTrain]

8. Here's What's REALLY Stupid...

Look at the time frame this thing went on...2007-2008...when Ensign was the head of the RSCC (and a pretty lousy leader consider he lost seats in the '08 election) and could have been exposed at any moment. He was a ticking Mark Foley had the lid on this thing been blown last year.

If there's a word I think of when I hear a politician is thinking with the wrong head...it's stupid. Considering how sex in general has become a third rail on the GOOP, you'd think he'd have kept his wicket dry. Oh well, not that he's any force to reckon with in the first place, but I must say, there always is a bit of schaudenfraude inside when one of these "paragon's of virtue" are brought back to planet earth.

Cheers...

:hi:

[DainBramaged]

11. Wag the penis..................

[Brewman_Jax]

12. Another round of humble pie for the repubs

When the platform, i.e., the GOoP, is built on the rock of morality, it is being constantly undermined by human frailty. This will be the result; it's not a matter of if, but when.