Another GOP Senator Philanders

Something's stinkin' in the party of Lincoln. The Republican Party, long the rhetorical home of family values, suffered another moral (and morale) setback this week. These shenanigans involve Senator John Ensign from Nevada and a bit of hanky-panky.

John Ensign, in his eighth year in the Senate, had an affair with Cynthia Hampton. The fooling around ended 10 months ago (roughly August 2008). Mrs. Hampton and her husband, Douglas Hampton, worked on Ensign's staff as a treasurer and senior aide, respectively.

The Washington Post (always on the job) is investigating whether or not the admission of the affair has anything to do with blackmail on the part of the Hampton crew as both Cynthia and Douglas Hampton (and their son) benefited financially during her affair with the Senator from Nevada. Read: Why Powerful Men Cheat

John Ensign was quoted as saying, "I violated the vows of our marriage. It is absolutely the worst thing I have ever done in my life." Interestingly, Ensign was fairly critical of the stonewalling from Bill Clinton during the investigation into the former president's extra-curricular activities, going as far as calling for Clinton's resignation. He was also vocal about the "shame" that Larry Craig's bathroom behavior brought the Republican Party.

While almost all politicians (and adults) are hypocrites to some degree, it's incredible how the GOP has managed to shoot themselves in the foot every opportunity that they get. As the Legislative Democrats dithered, the Republicans have been wracked with infighting, identity issues and moral guffaws. Then again, infidelity is not a partisan affair. Adding Ensign to the GOP's list of Larry Craig, David Vitter and Mark Foley sort of evens out the John Edwards, Eliot Spitzer and Bill Clinton miscues. Read: Secret Love Lives of US Presidents

The Huffington Post (the HuffPo to today's youth) jokes that the wayward pol is going to do 200 hours of community service (as a traffic cone) to atone for his wick dipping. It also has some choice "quotes" from the senator regarding the inverse relationship between his ability to reason and the amount of time he spends tanning. I get it, he's tan. I'm a little bummed that no one mentioned how much he resembles Mayor Randall Winston (Barry Bostwick from Spin City). (Note: PJ O'Rourke best watch his back with sly political satire like that hitting the web.)

It's probably fair to say that you're lucky if a politician from Nevada is only involved in extra-marital affairs and not a former lawyer for the mob or the owner of land near the prospective locale for a federally-funded bridge to Arizona.