Ensign Postpones Fundraising Dinner After Acknowledging Affair
Sen. John Ensign is experiencing the first apparent fallout from his admitted affair. In the wake of confessing a relationship with a campaign staffer, the Nevada Republican postponed a fundraising dinner he had planned for Friday evening.
The Republican Renewal Project, which was hosting the dinner, sent an email out at 6:48 P.M. Tuesday evening announcing that the event at the Badlands Golf Club in Las Vegas was being pushed back to a future date. Reports had surfaced earlier in the week that the dinner, which cost $75-per-person to attend and $1,000 to co-host, was being pushed off, though no reasons were offered as to why.
On its website the RRP put a giant, red "Postponed" stamp in place over the invitation page.
"Due to a scheduling conflict the June 19th event has been postponed," the site reads. "We will resend an invite once we have a new date."
This could be where the real damage of Ensign's affair is seen. The Senator's marital failings have not yet elicited the type of media obsession or political intrigue that are customary with high-profile affairs. The Nevada Republican's hypocrisy on the matter -- he was a harsh critique of Bill Clinton during the Lewinsky scandal and has denounced adultery and championed traditional marriage -- has garnered some attention, but not much.
So the main consequence for Ensign will likely be the extent to which he is forced to scale back his work on behalf of the Republican Party and his role within it. Already, it is believed that his potential 2012 presidential bid is effectively over. But the Senator may also have to take a reprieve from the GOP fundraising circuit, cut down on his appearances with fellow Republicans, and generally avoid television interviews that could quickly become forums for discussing his personal life. And for a party desperately in need of leading figures, Ensign's departure from these ranks (however brief) could have a tangible impact.
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First Posted: 07/18/09 06:12 AM ET Updated: 05/25/11 02:30 PM ET