As Ensign Scandal Heats Up, Media Coverage Cools Down. IOKIYAR?

[babylonsister]

I hope Benen is right and Dems start bringing this up, if for no other reason than the inconsistency of coverage between Rangel and Ensign. Ethics scandal vs. criminal investigation, and it's being ignored?


http://crooksandliars.com/susie-madrak/ensign-scandal-heats-media-coverage-c

As Ensign Scandal Heats Up, Media Coverage Cools Down. IOKIYAR?
By Susie Madrak Sunday Aug 01, 2010 1:00pm
Video at link~


As Steve Benen points out, why is Charlie Rangel's ethics scandals getting all this attention -- and not the FBI criminal investigation into John Ensign?

There may be some rule that I'm not aware of, prohibiting coverage of Republican scandals, but while a House Democrat's ethics problems intensify, a sitting Republican senator is still the subject of an ongoing criminal investigation, which is also getting more serious.

The Senate on Thursday night quietly approved a resolution that will allow Sen. John Ensign's aides to testify to a federal grand jury investigating the aftermath of the Nevada Republican's extramarital affair with a former campaign aide.

By voice vote, the Senate approved the resolution that would authorize employees of the Senate to give testimony to a grand jury in Washington.

Senate aides said that the resolution was necessary because Senate rules would prohibit employees from testifying outside of the halls of Congress.

Politico added that the move, which nearly every major outlet ignored, "is the latest sign that the investigation ... continues to move swiftly. "This development comes just a week after Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), a former Ensign housemate, announced that he'd agreed to cooperate with the federal criminal investigation surrounding the conservative Nevadan. Coburn turned over more than 1,200 pages of documents to the Justice Department, including emails from Ensign.

And that development came on the heels of news that Ensign's aides have told investigators that the senator knew he was violating ethics rules on lobbying restrictions, but did it anyway.

As a rule, when a high-profile U.S. senator is facing a criminal investigation, the media shows at least some interest. When that investigation involves sex, the media tends to show quite a bit of interest.

But for reasons I still can't explain the Republican Nevadan is getting a pass. Here we have John Ensign, a "family values" conservative Republican, who had an extra-marital sexual relationship with his friend's wife, while condemning others' moral failings. Ensign's parents offered to pay hush-money. He ignored ethics laws and tried to use his office to arrange lobbying jobs for his mistress' husband. The likelihood of Ensign being indicted seems fairly high.And yet, there's no media frenzy. No reporters staked out in front of Ensign's home. No op-eds speculating about the need for Ensign to resign in disgrace. Instead, the media's fascinated with Charlie Rangel.

Rangel is facing a probe from the House ethics committee, while Ensign is under scrutiny from the FBI.

[upi402]

1. Maxine Waters will be everywhere come Monday

I wont be watching

[The Magistrate]

2. The Difference Here, Ma'am, is Clear As Black And White....

[babylonsister]

3. Watching abc news, and not a peep about Ensign but lots

on Rangel. This stinks.

[laughingliberal]

4. Yes. Quite the double standard. Even here in NV, there is almost NO coverage of Ensign. nt

[spanone]

5. the media is showing it's ass, or purpose.