Nevada’s Republican U.S. Sen. John Ensign—who voted to ban gay marriage and adoptions by same-sex couples—admitted yesterday to having an extramarital affair with a woman he employed; the woman’s husband also worked for Ensign. Diddling underlings? When Bill Clinton did it, Ensign called on Clinton to resign, saying he had “no credibility left.” Humiliating public sex scandal? When Larry Craig got swept up on in one, Sen. Ensign called on Craig to resign, saying the scandal was “embarrassing.” Ensign even lead the GOP’s unsuccessful effort to drive Craig from office before his term expired. So will Ensign be stepping down now? Of course not. His public statement yesterday on the affair ended with this:

“I am committed to my service in the United States Senate and my work on behalf of the people of Nevada.”

Resigning in the wake of an embarrassing sex scandal? That’s for Democrats and fags.

14 replies on “Sen. Ensign Takes A Hard Line On Sexual Misconduct By Public Officials (Who Aren’t Sen. Ensign)”

  4. @3 ensign would be a good nickname for the stereotypical previously repressed gay guy who comes out in flamboyant fashion in college. Or just young flamboyant gays in general. It works well with the military definitions:

    A signal displayed like a standard, to give notice.
    or
    A commissioned officer of the lowest grade in the navy (as in a new recruit)

  5. when a male boss has an affair with a female subordinate, that’s wrong — but is it also wrong to her husband? Or would that be like saying he “owns” her? Do we feel empathy or scorn for him, or just this studied neutrality where we don’t pay any attention to him, as in the above post.

    Was he a fool to believe the marriage vow? Should he realize any spouse at any time can cheat and you have to suck it up and not complain, or even feel bad?

    Is he a cuckold, to be mocked and despised? Is he sexist if he’s mad?

    Or do we just ignore him because we can’t figure out the right political stance?

    Discuss.

  6. If Nevadans can’t muster the tiny amount of brain matter it takes to see that this guy should be nowhere near a Burger King fry station, never mind the Senate, then fuck ’em.

  8. I remember Ensign from my days growing up in Vegas. Or, actually, I had forgotten all about him until this happened.

    He’s a Republican tool and will stick around unless voted out.

    And don’t count on that. Nevada is roughly 55-45 Republican, maybe even 60-40 (though obviously that can vary at the polls depending on who comes out), and the sort of heated liberalism you see here in Seattle is a distinct minority there, even in seemingly liberal Las Vegas.

  10. hmmmm…. well, the larry craig matter was a legal one, and those who were calling for clinton to resign either thought it was a moral outrage or were doing so for the whole lying under oath perjury part. he called craig a disgrace, but not vitter (who was not found guilty of breaking the law), so he’s been strangely consistent in that regard.

    so, sensationalism aside, i see nothing (yet) that would make him a hypocrite if he chooses not to resign. his stance on the defense of marriage, however, is flawed and hypocritical.

    it may be hypocritical that he wants to hold officials to a higher standard, and uses that language as an “issue”. of course, that quotation is from 2007, before the affair? and just because you break a diet doesn’t mean you are a hypocrite, it means you failed.

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