Ensign Quits Senate GOP Leadership Post After Admitting Affair

WASHINGTON — Republican Sen. John Ensign of Nevada has stepped down from his leadership post one day after admitting he carried on a marital affair with a woman who was on his campaign staff.

Ensign conveyed his decision in a phone call with Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, who said he had accepted the resignation.

Ensign was chairman of the Republican Policy Committee, the fourth-ranking spot in the leadership.

He remained away from the Capitol during the day, and aides declined to answer additional questions about the affair.

A timeline issued Tuesday said Ensign was involved in a "consensual affair" from December, 2007 through August, 2008. There has been no indication of why the senator decided to announce his infidelity when he did.

Comments

[Gmoney1]

Can he be throwned out of office or impeached for hypocrisy -

[gladys46]

Ha. If he paid $$$ for silence, the senate ethics committee should be on it !!

There is this poster who just can't believe us "liberals" won't discuss John Edward's infidelity .... today, I enjoy LIBERALLY helping to smash yet another l ying reThug !!!

[Gmoney1]

hey there - how ya doing - did ya see Obama smash that fly -

[grey sells]

Promise Keeper? What promises? Hypocrite.

[notyouraveragebear]

He promises to never do it again.


Maybe.

[duncansdad]

He promised never to do it in the first place.

[wonketteRAWKS]

Another fraud!

[LiberalLee]

Why does this entire thing leave me yawning?
Hmmm...Let­'s see.
This is a Republican Senator who has admitted to an extramarital affair.
He is on the record as being vehemently disgusted by a similar ( although not as...er...­thorough) an encounter conducted by President Emeritus Clinton.
To which he and his fellow party members cried, " Impeach!"
He is also a member of the Promise Keepers Ministry.
( Methinks I'm catching a whiff of hypocrisy here---but never mind)

The right wing side of our nation's political aisle seems to have a certain myopia about moral issues.
After a few decades of proclaiming themselves the protectors of the Chris tian population's ethos and denouncing any behavior antithetical to Chri st's teachings, we have been discovering that their own goings-on leave much that the Savior they claim to revere would shudder to hear.

What happened to, " Turn the other cheek." Or, " Let him who is without sin cast the first stone."

I expect soon to hear that, as his wife and he have worked things out and (presumably) he is forgiven, that we too should rush to do likewise.
Sorry Mr. Senator.
To err my be human and to forgive may be divine... But I AM NOT A DIVINITY. Nor do I claim that any human should be held to such standards.
Don't expect forgiveness from me for your two-faced behavior. You ain't gettin' any.

[themodernleader]

When ideology is so compelling that it punishes promising, competent leaders of their nature to love and be loved, the ideology is in need of reconsideration. Leaders performance, not their personal business, must be the content of assessment by their colleagues and constitutents. Honesty, integrity, judgement, performance and fidelity are the ingredients of leadership that must be measured and evaluated. Let the morality purists suffer in their own aloneness and isolation. The distinctive individual experiences love in all its variety, pain and emotional glory---if he is lucky. I have been lucky.

[lazercat2008]

Unless the politician is a Democrat and then Impeach them.

[grey sells]

"...one day after admitting he carried on a marital affair with a woman who was on his campaign staff."

Actually, it was an extra-marital affair and adultery as the woman and the man were both married to someone else. - just for the record.

[mag68]

yea thank god there's no gay marriage to give marriage a bad name.....

[lazercat2008]

As long as there was no man on man stuff, it's not going to damage the sanctity of marriage. Perhaps a well intentioned, I have sinned is in order?

[SF13]

Ahhh another self righteous "family values" man who is the definition of hypocrisy.

He said Clinton should have quit his job, has this bozo resigned yet ? FROM THE SENATE !!!!!!!!

The Republican Party - The Hypocrisy Party.

[umen]

Yet another smug, righteous conservative who believes he can lecture us on morals, then gets caught committing the exact "sin" he joined the "Promise Keepers" to promise he would NOT commit. He should resign as a senator - after all, he said that Clinton should resign, he said that Larry Craig should resign, he said that he would resign if he were ever in that situation. The voters of Nevada should kick this A**H*LE out on his ear.

[lazercat2008]

I guess he will now join the promise breakers.

[tbone99]

LOL

[pangurban]

Cry me a river. Actually don't bother

[CurtT]

Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha!

[tomasedison]

All the republicans are suddenly playing their victim card.

No doubt Ensigns' wife doesn't understand him.

[johnmorgan]

He's almost as "moral" as Newt Gingrich (third wife).

[Bafun]

and McCain, and Giuliani..­..

[LooktotheLeft]

Sen Ensign will repent, show up on CNN a couple times grasping his wives hand as if he really gives a s*h*it about her (and as if she gives a s*h*it about him), head to church this Sunday in Vegas....i­nsuring some cameras are around to get it, will lay low on the Senate floor for a couple weeks hanging back with Roland Burris, David Vitter, and Larry Craig....a­nd redemption will be his in the eyes of his constituency. HALLELUJAH !!!...they­'ll scream, gawd has saved him. And in two weeks time, he'll slap on an extra heaping helping of hair gel on that do of his, and be back on the Sunday talk stump blasting Obama like never before. Only this time it'll be ok cause he done cleared himself w/ Gawd.

[myoungholt]

Amen and amen! And don't forgit to praise the Lawd!

[LooktotheLeft]

Lemme hear you say JEEESSSSUUUSSSS !!!

[glamorous1908]

LOL!!! love your post looktotheleft :)

***rolling eyes*** and will someone please tell me WHEN is/are the betrayed wife/s going to say f--k it, NOT stand by her man and leave??? I am so tired of the wife's playing nice and staying in these marriages or trying to make the marriage work when they've been cheated on and embarrassed in front of the world. Leave!

[sloreader]

This jerko does not practice what he preaches and is a bigger creep than Senator Craig.

[lazercat2008]

Now Senator Craig can call him a degenerate.

[JessWonderin]

Nevada is a gambling state . . . wanna bet Ol'Johnnie Two Times DOESN'T RESIGN, and continues to push "family vales" and the hate gays agenda???

So does the government ask for a refund on the salary paid for his boinkfest and the salary paid to her son to shut HIM up??? . . . or is that a GOP Recreational Fund Expense?????

[RedGinger]

Boinkfest, LOL, haven't herd that before.

[gladys46]

Pork.