Posted on 06/17/2009 10:47:42 AM PDT by MaestroLC
The Republican senator who went public a day earlier about an extramarital affair has resigned his GOP leadership post on Wednesday.
Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., stepped down as chairman of the Republican Policy Committee, the fourth-ranking GOP position in the Senate, after holding a brief news conference Tuesday to come clean about his affair with a former aide. He is not expected to resign from the Senate.
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., confirmed the move Wednesday afternoon.
"He's accepted responsibility for his actions and apologized to his family and constituents. He offered, and I accepted, his resignation as chairman of the policy committee," the Kentucky senator said.
Several reasons contributed to Ensign's decision to step down from his post, according to a Senate GOP leadership aide. They included the likelihood of a persistent media firestorm stemming from his admission Tuesday; growing irritation within the conference regarding other distractions; and the possibility that more damaging information could emerge regarding the affair.
Sources told FOX News the admission was prompted by a blackmail threat. Two Senate Republican sources close to Ensign said a former employee had asked Ensign for money in what both sources described as a case of "extortion."
The employee, Doug Hampton, worked in Ensign's Senate office, and his wife, Cindy Hampton, worked for Ensign's re-election campaign. Both ceased working for the senator shortly after the affair ended, the sources said, with Cindy Hampton receiving a severance package. The circumstances of Doug Hampton's departure remain unclear.
Ensign expressed regret Tuesday for his actions.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
...With a married woman who worked for him.
Ted Kennedy and Chris Dodd had a threesome with a waitress once.
The husband also worked for him. And engaged in extortion.
We are all sinners. Some deny that their actions are sinful.
Who will replace Ensign as chair of the RPC? I vote for DeMint or Coburn.
So what?
Liberal voters aren't even consistent when it comes to holding Democrat politicians accountable when they are war profiteers.
Ensign isn’t up for reelection until 2012.
And he’s from Vegas.
I don’t think it would be a good idea for him to resign from the Senate.
His affair isn’t going to hurt Republicans.
For one thing, he voluntarily announced it himself.
It would be a bigger deal if he had been outed by the newsmedia. Or if he was nationally known.
He might want to consider on retiring when his term expires, though.
Wow, what a guy. Throw the book at him.
And a big "Thanks!" to the lot of them for giving credence to those who insist there's little difference between Ds and Rs.
dam keep ur zipper zipped!!!
Most likely 75% of all Senators have committed the same kind of infidelity. In fact, I suspect that one Senator stepping down when his term expires is doing so for exactly that reason: his wife found out about his playtime in DC and said, “take your pick, me or Washington”.
Who will replace Ensign as chair of the RPC? I vote for DeMint or Coburn.This is the question I was wondering too. And the answer I was thinking.
I’m having trouble getting all worked up because Ensign had a fling with an adult woman while he was separated from his wife. Let the liberals get in a hypocritical lather about it, I just don’t care. He shouldn’t resign from anything.
It is amazing to me, that so many married men (especially those in or seeking public office) would have affairs.
Maybe they are so FULL of themselves that they do not care what impact their actions have on their families, life and career? I love women, but I have been faithful for 26 years to my wife, and will be so “until death do us part.”
Of course, my father gave a stink what his extramarital actions had on his family.....
But their faux moral outrage is entertaining and hypocritical at the same time.
It was neither voluntary (on her part) or completed sexually - the two "Sin"-ators assaulted her in the restaurant - La Brasserie, IIRC. Got clean away with it, the weasels.
Then we have Democrat Rangel who has tax evasion and many other gray areas looming about his personal finances. He remains head of the Ways and Means Committee.
Where's the outrage? Why the double standard? And why aren't the pantie waisted GOP making an issue of Rangel in front of the news cameras each and every night?
I’m not excusing him having an affair with a married woman, but I understand he, himself, was separated from his wife at the time. Larry Craig was actually arrested for a crime and then tried to cover it up; there is a difference there, but more than that I am sick and tired of the GOP always stepping aside when one of our guys does wrong while the democrats just pretend it never happened and go on with business as usual.... IMHO more than the husband were attempting to blackmail Ensign and that is why he came forward on this.
The Republican senator who went public a day earlier about an extramarital affair has resigned his GOP leadership post on Wednesday.
Sen. John Ensign, R -Nev., stepped down as chairman of the Republican Policy Committee, the fourth-ranking GOP position in the Senate, after holding a brief news conference Tuesday to come clean about his affair with a former aide. He is not expected to resign from the Senate.
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Been collecting these for a while for when its a democrat:
No mention of political party in title, subtitle, first sentence, or first paragraph
No mention of political party in title, subtitle, first sentence, or first paragraph
No mention of political party in title, subtitle, first sentence, or first paragraph
No mention of political party in title, subtitle, first sentence, or first paragraph
No mention of political party in title, subtitle, first sentence, or first paragraph
I agree with you.
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