Sanctimonious Lawmakers Admits Affair

 MORE SANCTIMONIOUS RELIGION ON THE HILL: KEY RELIGIOUS
      RIGHT LAWMAKER ADMITS TO AFFAIR  WITH EX-STAFFER
            Sen John Ensign Is Latest Hypocrite: Do As I Say...

He is a key religious right operative on Capitol Hill, a lawmaker
with possible presidential ambitions, and a deceitful hypocrite.

Meet Sen. John Ensign, a Republican senator from Nevada, and a
sanctimonious blowhard with a staunch "family values" voting record
who opposes abortion rights, wants to re-instate teacher-led prayer
in public schools, and steps up to the nearest podium to denounce
other public officials who engage in private sexual misconduct.
He is also active in the Promise Keepers movement, and according to
one news report, "resists temptaation" by not being alone in a room
with a woman other than his wife. Now, the spotlight is on Ensign
who admitted Tuesday that he engaged in an extra-marital affair
with a woman who had served on his campaign. staff.  According to a
spokesperson, Ensign and the unidentified staffer carried on their
tryst between December 2007 and August 2008. Her husband worked in
Ensign's Capitol Hill office at the time.

"Last year I had an affair," declared Sen. Ensign in a statement to
news media.  "I violated the vows of my marriage.  It is the worst
thing I have ever done in my life. If there was ever anything in
my life I could take back, this would be it."

Ensign's wife, Darlene, dutifully released her own spin-control
statement, saying that she and her husband had "come to a
reconciliation."  The couple have three children.

It is not clear why the Senator, who has been mentioned as a
possible candidate for the 2012 GOP presidential race, admitted
to the wrong-doing, although there are unconfirmed reports of a
blackmail threat.  What makes this latest revelation of misconduct
by a leading public official noteworthy, though, is Ensign's staunch
social conservatism and penchants for denouncing others who have
committed similar peccadilloes.  In the midst of the imbroglio over
Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky, for instance, the Nevada Republican
loudly denounced the president's actions and describe the affair as
"an embarrassing moment for the country," adding "I think we have
to feel very sad for the American people and Hillary and Chelsea."
Ensign demanded that Mr. Clinton resign from office and said "I came
to that conclusion recently and frankly it's because of what he put
the whole Cabinet through and what he has put the country through..."

At the time, Ensign was in a hotly-contested race with incumbent
Harry Reid.  The brash challenger said that the Clinton affair
"could have a dramatic effect on Democrats like (President Nixon's
resignation following the Watergate break-in) had on Republicans
in 1974."  During the campaign, Ensign hammered away at the Clinton
scandal, and accused Mr. Reid of weakness when it came to denouncing
libertine politicians and sexual hanky-pank.

Despite losing to Reid, Ensign later won a seat in the U.S. Senate
where he quickly established credentials as a water-bearer for
religious right groups.  The Christian Coalition "voter guide"
gave him a 100% favorable rating; and at the congressional well,
Ensign was quick to denounce any hint of sexual misconduct, even when
it involved fellow Republicans.  He towed the line on hot-button
political issues, voting against abortion rights for women,
opposing same-sex domestic partnership benefits, and coming out
strongly in defense of teacher-led unison prayer in public schools.
Sen. Ensign also emerged as a supporter of Sam Alito and John
Roberts for confirmation to the Supreme Court of the United States.
When it came to legislation having to do with the Establishment
Clause separation of government and religion, Ensign earned a zero
percent rating from the state-church watchdog group Americans United.

John Ensign is also a key member of a shadowy, Washington, DC
religious cult that over the years has operated under a battery
of names and disguises.  They include, according to a March 2003
expose by Harper's Magazine reporter Jeffrey Sharlett, National
Committee for Christian Leadership, the International Foundation,
the Fellowship Foundation, and Fellowship House.  To members
and informed outsiders, the group is simply "the Family," and
maintains a sprawling house/retreat in a quiet Arlington, Virginia
neighborhood. There is much praying, and much talk about what
amounts to theocratic government. The group's $10 million annual
budget comes from a handful of wealthy donors, and its only public
activity is the National Prayer Breakfast.  The group also conducts
"prayer warrior" meetings in the Pentagon.  The Harper's expose
lives at http://www.harpers.org/archive/2003/03/0079525 .

This certainly is not the first time that a leading politician
--especially one with impeccable religious-right credentials -- has
engaged in hypocritical conduct that speaks less to their public
religious sensibilities that it does to the slogan, "Do as I say,
not as I do."  Mr. Ensign joins the ranks of Rep. Mark Foley; "Larry
"wide stance" Craig; "Crusader Eliot Spitzer, the former New York
Governor who made his political career as a foe of corruption in
high place; and, of course, a retinue of philandering preachers
including Jim Bakker, Jimmy Swaggart and Rev. Tim Haggard along
with an undisclosed number of pedophile clergy.

No doubt Sen. Ensign, who loudly demanded the resignation of Bill
Clinton, will now engage in a media rain-dance that we have come
to expect whenever public figures -- celebrities, politicians,
super-star athletes -- stumble in their careers.  He will "seek
counseling," give lipserve to apologies, engage the assistance
of a "spiritual advisor" and then once again step up to the
pulpit or podium taking about "the healing process."  Indeed, the
American people are a forgiving folk. We insist on this ritual of
self-humiliation, asking for that very forgiveness, and then smile
when the former wrong-doer basks in the bright light of redemption.
The only problem is that no one mentions the hypocrisy.  Sen. Ensign
is full of prescriptions, prohibitions and rules that others must
follow lest they slip into the clutches of sin. In his case, though,
this is just another example of being a hypocrite, and living by
a credo that declares: "Do as I say, not as I do."

Links pertinent to this article:

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0609/23813.html
"Admission clouds Se. John Ensign's future" (developing story.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0609/23832.html
History of political affairs ... we've been here before!

http://www.harpers.org/archive/2003/03/0079525Harpers Magazine expose on "The Family."

http://infobot.com/youtube/watch?v=vblJPjA85_M&feature=fvw
Jimmy Swaggart, "I have sinned."

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