Do As I Say

Today I am shedding "lyte" on hypocrisy.  Senator John Ensign (R) Nevada, admitted to having an affair last week.  He resigned his chairmanship on the Republican Policy Committee.  Then he took a leave from his Senate post.  A paid leave.  This also puts paid to his hopes for a Presidential run in 2012.

Ensign was forced to admit the affair because the cuckolded husband, Doug Hampton, had sent a letter to Faux News anchor, Megyn Kelly.  Kelly "misplaced" the letter and no follow-up was done on the story, other than to call Senator Ensign and let him know that the story was being shopped around.  Another outstanding example of investigative journalism at Faux News.

Senator Ensign, in a feeble attempt at distraction, claimed that Hampton was trying to extort money from him in exchange for keeping quiet.  Neither the FBI, nor Las Vegas police are investigating those accusations.  The Hampton family:  husband, wife and son,  all worked for the senator.  All were summarily fired when the affair ended.

So, yawn, another Republican caught in a sex scandal.  This one is pretty boring, after all, it doesn't involve airport bathrooms, underage pages, or diapers.  But what makes this scandal juicy is the fact that Ensign campaigned as a "Promisekeeper".  You know, those guys who find it necessary to reaffirm their marriage vows with 20,000 or so other guys in football stadiums.  Who make very public pledges of their undying love and fidelity to their wives and back that up with bumper stickers.  So he not only makes a mockery of his marriage vows, he makes a mockery of an organization that is already pretty easy to mock.

Ensign is born again.  He has used his piety as a campaign tool.  Now he is revealed as just a tool.  Not only was Cynthia Hampton on his staff, she was his wife's best friend.  Ouch!  I give Darlene Ensign serious kudos for not being by her husband's side when he revealed his infidelity.  I hope she kicks him to the curb, since I doubt this was his first affair.  He went underground in 2002 when rumors of an affair with, surprise!, another member of his staff surfaced.  

The senator has  been an outspoken opponent to gay marriage, citing the sanctity of marriage.  I guess that sanctity goes by the wayside when confronted with temptation.  When the Clinton/Lewinsky scandal broke, then Representative Ensign was quite vocal in his denigration of President Clinton's behavior.  He voted for impeachment.  Hmmm, how the sanctimonious have fallen.  Maybe Senator Ensign should spend less time thumping his Bible and more time following its teachings.