Forget The Fly: It's Time For A Sex Scandal
Nevada Sen. John Ensign, a Republican rumored to harbor presidential aspirations, has admitted he had an extramarital affair with a former campaign aide. Yes, I know, you've read this story before. But just think: Ensign could be the first Senator to admit his secret sexual dalliances on Twitter. Don't hold your breath.
Politico has more, with suggestions of possible blackmail:
Political insiders in the Senate and in Nevada told POLITICO that Ensign began an affair with a staffer several months after he separated from his wife. When Ensign reconciled with his wife, the sources said, he gave the aide a severance package and parted ways.
Sometime later, a Nevada source said, Ensign met with the husband of the woman involved and had what this source described as a positive encounter. Sources said that the man subsequently asked Ensign for a substantial sum of money – at which point Ensign decided to make the affair public.
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He voted to impeach Clinton, and defended the sanctity of marriage on the Senate floor.
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He is almost as bad as President Gingrich. -
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Michael-What are the good senator's thoughts on Gay marriage? I know he doesn't opposed it and has never made any statements suggesting that we should hold marriage between one man and one woman. He is never made statement like:
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Marriage recognizes the ideal of a father and mother living together to raise their children. Marriage is the cornerstone on which our society was founded. For those who say that the Constitution is so sacred that we cannot or should not adopt the Federal Marriage Amendment, I would simply point out that marriage, and the sanctity of that institution, predates the American Constitution and the founding of our nation. Marriage, as a social institution, predates every other institution on which ordered society in America has relied -
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Aspiration (n): The entry of secretions or foreign material into the trachea and lungs
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^ Clinton's impeachment wasn't over whether he had an affair. It was over whether he committed perjury and obstruction of justice. The notion that Clinton was impeached for having an affair I suspect was and is repeated to deflect the seriousness of the ACTUAL criminal charges.
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If the only thing was him having an affair while he was separated (I always thought during separation it was implied that that was okay), then to me that would be fine. However, having an affair with a married woman? That's bad. Very, very bad. -
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Sorry, when I was typing only Trifecta had responded, that's what the "^" was for.
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"It was over whether he committed perjury and obstruction of justice."
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Is that the rule of law thing I have heard so much about? Wonder if that the reason why Bush officials did everything they could not to be swear in when they testified about anything. -
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John Ensign:
"The effort to pass a constitutional amendment reaffirming marriage as being between a man and a woman only is being undertaken strictly as a defense of marriage against the attempt to redefine it and, in the process, weaken it...Marriage is an extremely important institution in this country and protecting it is, in my mind, worth the extraordinary step of amending our constitution."
And:
"There's too many people that paint with a broad brush that we're all corrupt, we're all amoral. … And having these kinds of things happen, whether it's a Republican or Democratic senator — we certainly have had plenty of Democratic scandals in the past — we need people who are in office who will hold themselves to a little higher standard." -
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apollyon: Um... Ensign was actually talking about Clinton's affair, not his lying about it, to wit:
"Ensign repeated his call for President Clinton's resignation in light of his admitted affair with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky. Reid called the affair immoral but said he would "keep an open mind" and let the process proceed before deciding whether to impeach Clinton.'
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/1998/sep/28/sparks-fly-at-reid-ensign-debate/
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@ gysgt213: Are you serious? So it would be alright if Clinton did in fact commit those crimes (not saying whether he did or didn't...that didn't go to trial) as long as Bush officials, who had nothing to do with Clinton, did something illegal? Really now?
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Oh bs Apollyon. Clinton was impeached because they were out to get him. They tried with Whitewater, failed, and did whatever they could. Bush broke the law continually. The GOP didn't mind. I am reminded of Trent Lott, who was not alone in voting against articles of impeachment against Nixon, but for convicting Clinton.
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Yeah, it was all about lying in a civil deposition being the worst thing ever to happen in this country.
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Only rubes believe that it was about upholding the law. Lying about a hummer in a civil hearing is not a high crime and misdemeanor. Sorry. -
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@ incandenzah: I didn't refer to Ensign talking about his affair. I referred to Ensign voting to impeach Clinton. I also said the affair Ensign had was "very very bad", since even though he was separated, it was with a married woman.
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Oh right it was the "vast, right-wing conspiracy". And aren't perjury and obstruction of justice felonies? Tell me, if an ordinary citizen committed two felonies, wouldn't they likely face jail time? AGAIN, not saying he did, because that was never determined since it never went to trial.
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In 1998, while running for the Nevada's senate seat against Harry Reid, Ensign called on President Clinton to resign in light of his admitted affair with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky:
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“I came to that conclusion recently, and frankly it's because of what he put his whole Cabinet through and what he has put the country through,” Ensign said Thursday, becoming the first member of the Nevada delegation to call for Clinton to quit. “He has no credibility left.” -
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For my money, I don't care so much about the affair he had as much as the potential felonies. Going to dinner, peace.
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Felony does not equal high crime and misdemeanor. Please. If you really believe that violating the 4th amendment like W did is less of a high crime and misdemeanor than lying in a civil case about a hummer, you must be "the base".
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Funny how Dodd's shenanigans don't make Swampland. Seems that Dodd got a lot more from his Irish investment than the percentage that he paid in.
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Hmmmmmm. Wonder what the income tax consequences of that transaction were. Wonder if Michael Scherer would have the balls to ask Dodd's Senate office. -
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Anyone can admit to having an affair on Twitter, but to actually have an affair on Twitter takes talent. I await Mr. Ensign's attempt.
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If you really believe that violating the 4th amendment like W did is less of a high crime and misdemeanor than lying in a civil case about a hummer, you must be "the base".
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Surely you realize, trifecta, that the Clinton Administration prosecuted people for lying about sex. -
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"@ gysgt213: Are you serious? So it would be alright if Clinton did in fact commit those crimes (not saying whether he did or didn't.."
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Those crimes? Now its multiple crimes? Listen apollyon this my point. You can't be for the rule of law when its some one you like and against the rule of law when it is someone you did. You can't skirt around the rule of law and then hold other people to a higher standard than you do yourself. But last thing here. Let's not confused breaking the law with punishment for breaking the law. Clinton was punished. He was impeached by the House and not by the Senate the rule of law worked. What punishment has Bush suffered? -
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I don't care about Ensign, you people can crucify him if you like. But, there is a difference, a vast difference, between what he did and what President Clinton did. Now, let me proclaim right here that I never thought Clinton should be impeached for what he had done. With that said, there is a difference between a Senator having a relationship while he is separated from his wife and the President of the United States cheating on his wife in the Oval Office. The lack of judgment by President Clinton, as the head of the nation, reflected poorly on the Unites States of America. Sen. Ensign does not speak for the nation, but for the state of Nevada. Now, again, neither Ensign nor Clinton should be punished for these transgressions, however, I see no hypocrisy in the actions of Ensign; he was separated and his offense was certainly not carried out while serving as the chief spokesperson for the nation. I contend that Clinton's affair directly had a much more significant and detrimental affect on the nation.
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Either way, Clinton got off, as he should have. Lets just leave Ensign alone. I'm sure the Nevada voters will hold him to whatever accountability they deem appropriate. -
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Chalk me up as someone who doesn't give a flying f@ck if a pol is diddling someone other than his/her spouse. Aside from would-be hypocrisy (which I think Flynt has covered) this is not news. I already miss the KT-only Swamp. Now, all we need is Amy's midnight jesus-kaleidoscope.
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Lets just leave Ensign alone.
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neorationalist86-I'm sorry but why not tell Ensign to leave gay people alone and let them get married if they want to? Finally, being separated from your wife does that mean you are no longer married? Having an affair with a married woman while you are married does not weaken the institution of marriage? This guy did this because he can, yet he gets to make decisions that impact others. BS leave him alone. -
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I see no invocation of the name of Kenneth Starr and his sleezy religious crusade yet. I don't care about Ensign's dog in heat prowlings, nor Clintons. I find it a little disgusting and demeaning, but hey, let them do their own sniffings and react like dogs and alley cats. In the end, it's all about religion and it's controlling "morals" and I have no interest in it. Want to know about that, ask his holiness Kenneth Starr.
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gunny, yeah, leave the queers alone. They are just doing what everybody is but reversed. Who tf cares. Married, queer, cohabitating, doin it in an alley, it's pretty much the same. Ensign maybe will give us an apology (no doubt) and tell us how pained he is.
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Fj-Gays have been getting a free ride for way too long in my opinion. I can't wait until they have to suffer like me and my ex-wife did (mainly my ex) its only fair on the law.
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