GOP Silence on Ensign's Affair

In typical hypocritical fashion, members of the self-styled "party of family values" have remained pretty much silent about the confession of one of their U.S. Senators - John Ensign pictured at left - who was doing one of his staff members for the better part of a year. What is particularly telling is that the latest GOP adulterer in the past condemned Bill Clinton for his dalliance with Monica Lewinsky. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. Ensign joins the ranks of family values frauds like David "I love Prostitutes" Vitter. Imagine the GOP (and Christianist) outcry if the adulterer had been a Democrat. Dana Milbank has a column in the Washington Post that looks at this typical GOP conduct. Here are some highlights:

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As newly confessed adulterer John Ensign went to ground in Las Vegas yesterday, his Senate Republican colleagues here in Washington reprised a familiar ritual: averting their gaze.

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"It would be intellectually dishonest for me to comment on it," declared Chuck Grassley of Iowa, pausing on his way to lunch with GOP colleagues. "I'm late," announced David Vitter of Louisiana, brushing past a knot of reporters. "I'm not going to say anything," vowed Jon Kyl of Arizona, the No. 2 Senate Republican, pausing briefly beneath a portrait of John C. Calhoun. "Byyye!" he called, waving back at his questioners as he walked into lunch.

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It was, as Sen. Pat Roberts of Kansas artfully put it, "a no-comment day." Members of the Senate GOP caucus are becoming quite expert at the procedure, having had practice tamping down previous indiscretions by Vitter (D.C. Madam), Ted Stevens (shiatsu massage lounger) and Larry Craig (Minneapolis airport). Ensign faces an additional hurdle: His moral politics (he led the push to drum Craig out of the chamber, calling his behavior "embarrassing for the Senate") left him open to charges of hypocrisy.

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Ensign's affair dealt a double blow to Republicans: He wouldn't be around to lead the party in the annual Congressional Baseball Game, scheduled for last night, and he wouldn't be able to serve as a member of Senate GOP leadership anymore. "He's already resigned from leadership," Jim Bunning of Kentucky growled as he walked into the lunch meeting. This turned out to be a scoop: An official announcement followed a few minutes later.