Ensign Comes Out Swinging
Ensign was the topic of conversation every where I went this weekend. It’s been my thinking since his initial refusal to resign that:
- Ensign won’t resign. To resign would be admitting wrong doing and he can’t afford to do that now. Ensign would rather weather a Senate Ethics Committee investigation than resign and go away looking guilty. The Ethics Committee isn’t exactly known for being all that tough so his odds are good of getting off with a slap on the hands from his colleagues.
- Ensign had to take the offensive soon. The Hamptons aren’t exactly innocent victims here and there’s a chance for Ensign to paint them as equal players in this sordid affair of extra-marital sex, political favors, and perhaps payoffs using taxpayer monies. What Ensign is hoping for now is an investigation to show that he did nothing illegal–not to be mistaken for doing something or many things that are improper and unseemly.
And so it begins.
Politico reports that the Hampton’s lawyer made “exorbitant demands for cash and other financial benefits on behalf of his client,” meanwhile, an Ensign aid stated that Fox News did not tip off Ensign’s office to the Hampton’s threat to go public with the affair but stopped short of revealing how Ensign found out the Hamptons sent the email to Fox News. Understandably, Ensign’s approval rating has plummeted. The good news for Ensign right now is that 62 percent of respondents said Ensign should not resign. The bad news for Ensign is that 59 percent said they would either vote for someone else or consider voting for someone else in 2012. And Shelly Berkley would be happy to run for Ensign’s seat in 2012.
And of course, this is death blow to the state Republican party–Ensign, Gibbons, Kroliki……
Ensign’s Cozy Relationship With The Hampton Family
So now the nation knows that Ensign had an affair with Cynthia Hampton, wife of Douglas Hampton–both former employees of Ensign at some point during the already infamous affair. But Brandon Hampton, the son of Douglas and Cynthia Brandon, was also employed by the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which is headed up by Senator Ensign. Things are getting a little bit complicated. Politico reported on the details of the salaries paid to the Hampton’s by Ensign:
“Douglas Hampton was paid about $101,000 in 2008 and $144,000 in 2007 as Ensign’s administrative assistant. But a financial disclosure form he filed in 2007 and 2008 – required for senior congressional staffers - showed only checking and savings account worth a maximum $30,000 combined.
A review of public records shows that the Hamptons in 2006 took out a $1.2 million mortgage on their Las Vegas home, at an interest rate of 8 percent.”
Based on the salary information published by Politico, there are a few things that merit scrutiny according to Paul Blumenthal at the Sunlight Foundation:
“Now, you might immediately think that $144,000 for an administrative assistant is an absurd amount, but administrative assistant is often synonymous with chief of staff on the Hill. However, if you look to the reporting period of 4/1/2008 to 5/1/08:
Hampton was paid approximately $20,000 over this one month period. At the same time, Ensign hired a chief of staff, John Lopez, ostensibly to replace Hampton. If we are to assume that Hampton’s annual salary is around $144,000 — the cap on staffer salaries is around $160,000 — then the $20,000 for one month ($240,000 in a year) would be far higher than his normal rate of pay. Over the four months of 2008 Hampton received $101,000, far more than his rate of pay for all of 2007.
There are a few points to be made here:
1) Staff salary reporting is often not aligned with the dates shown. If you look at Legistorm, you will see dates aligned with amounts. This is often not accurate, or includes bonuses with attribution.
2) Hampton could have collected his vacation pay, sick leave and a bonus at his termination, which would make his salary appear inflated.
3) Hampton could have stayed on to train Lopez in his new job. This would explain the overlap of two employees holding the same job.”
However, it just doesn’t look or seem right does it? It’s not public knowledge that Cynthia Hampton saw her salary double in a very short time. And the employment of Brandon Hampton by the National Republican Senatorial Committee looks really bad in light of what we’ve learned about Ensign’s relationship with the Hampton family. It’s too cozy by half and could point to a misuse of public funds. I’m afraid Ensign is in for a bumpy ride–this scandal is not going away fast–especially now that the Hamptons have “lawyered up” as the Gleaner says.
Update
TMPMuckraker has more on the very lucrative connection the Hamptons had with Ensign.
“But it’s Ensign’s ties to Cynthia’s husband Doug that may be more interesting. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Ensign and Hampton are old friends. When the senator gave Hampton a top staff position in 2006, “it was as if Ensign had put his brother on staff,” a former Ensign staffer told the paper. “[Hampton] had a lot of sway with the senator.” Hampton’s formal title was “administrative assistant,” the former staffer described the job as a sort of “co-chief of staff.” Hampton’s financial disclosure form shows that he made around $101,000 in 2008 and $144,000 in 2007.”
Should Senator Ensign Resign over Extra-marital Affair?
You might not believe this, but I don’t think we should stop automatically be calling for Senator Ensign to resign. Our knee jerk reaction to politicians caught with their hand in the adultery cookie jar should not be to call for their resignation. But for conservatives who find themselves defending Senator Ensign’s right to keep his Senate seat, you have to remember something–the incredible power hypocrisy yields. And remember President Bill Clinton.
I know, I can sense your automatic protest: “Clinton lied under oath!” But how about being honest for a change? Clinton’s lie provided convenient cover after the fact for all the sex talk the nation could possibly imagine and more. The Starr investigation and the Clinton impeachment trial was the closest thing to a live pornography show this nation will ever see–the public discourse was literally consumed by media coverage of blow jobs. It was SO about the sex.
But as we have discovered over the years through the hypocrisy of Newt Gingrich, Henry Hyde, Larry Craig, Rudy Giuliani–the list goes on and on. Did Gingrich and Hyde try and hide their own affairs by persecuting Clinton? A short read about Freudian Projection should take care of any doubts in that regard Can you say “classic?” It’s not that Democrats don’t ever cheat, it’s that, for the most part, they don’t believe we should be all up in each other’s business and they don’t believe in legislation morality.
What Senator Ensign needs to think about are his own sanctimonious words and actions he willingly directed towards others. He called for and voted for Clinton’s impeachment. He pushed Larry Craig to resign (but not David Vitter?). He is the one is in favor of banning gay marriage in order to “protect marriage.” But who will protect marriage from Ensign?
Here’s what I think (most realists think this way too). Married people have been having extra-marital affairs since time began and politicians are only different in that they cheat more. Power breeds hubris and sycophants–a heady mix for anyone with a pulse. It’s time for all of us to stop being so sanctimonious about “family values” and “the protection of marriage” and just admit that we’re all human. We all want to be loved and we all make mistakes. If conservatives would stop holding themselves up as paragons of virtue, liberals might stop laughing about them.
And also, as a Nevadan, this is just becoming too embarrassing. I’m not convinced this kills Ensign’s career but I’m sure a few of our lovable state Republicans are sensing an opening in the upcoming election. Unfortunately, this probably makes it impossible for Ensign to run for president so maybe he’ll do something crazy like run for governor.
At least Ensign did not make his wife stand beside him.
Nevada Senator Ensign to Acknowledge Extra-marital Affair
The Fix (Washington Post political blog) is reporting that Nevada Senator John Ensign is about to acknowledge an extra-marital affair in a press conference later today–a sure bet that he’s trying to clear the air for a presidential run or that someone else was about to go public with the news:
Ensign, a member of the Senate GOP leadership, flew back to his native Las Vegas today in anticipation of the public announcement, sources said, missing a vote considered key to the Nevada tourist industry.
Two senior GOP political strategists, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter, said the announcement was imminent. They declined to say with whom Ensign had the affair.
In February 2002, Ensign took an unexplained two week leave of absence from the Senate citing “personal reasons.”
When he returned from that respite, Ensign told the Las Vegas Sun that he was “not making any comments one way or the other. I’m just asking people to respect my privacy.”
Apparently Ensign had an affair with a campaign staffer who was also employed by Ensign’s Senate office. From LasVegasNow:
Update
An aide in Ensign’s office said the affair took place between December 2007 and August 2008, with a campaign staffer who was married to an employee in Ensign’s Senate office. Neither have worked for the senator since May 2008. The aide spoke on condition of anonymity.
Of course the irony in all of this is that Ensign is a stalwart defender of the Defense of Marriage Act and emphatically voted to impeach President Clinton for having an extra-marital affair. Ensign’s statement from the Senate floor:
Marriage recognizes the ideal of a father and mother living together to raise their children. Marriage is the cornerstone on which our society was founded. For those who say that the Constitution is so sacred that we cannot or should not adopt the Federal Marriage Amendment, I would simply point out that marriage, and the sanctity of that institution, predates the American Constitution and the founding of our nation. Marriage, as a social institution, predates every other institution on which ordered society in America has relied.
Thom Hartmann at Washoe Democrats’ Jefferson Jackson Brunch
If you haven’t already, buy your tickets to the Washoe Democrats’ Jefferson Jackson Brunch because radio show host and author Thom Hartmann is the special guest. The event is on Sunday, June 28th at 11:00am at the Reno Ballroom on Fourth Street.
I don’t know if you listen to the Thom Hartmann show on KJFK, but you should. Hartmann talks intelligently about American history, The Constitution, foreign policy, tax policy, etc. Honestly, I know some smart people, but most of them can’t speak about so many topics on the same intellectual level as Hartmann. Really, what a treat!
Most importantly, we need to continue to support our local Democratic Party. I know it seems like there’s no way anyone could screw up their future for the next ten years like the Republicans are now, but 1994 was not that long ago. If you don’t remember what happened in 1994, under the leadership of President Clinton, the Democratic House lost it’s decades long majority that resulted in a huge power shift that lasted until 2006. From The Atlantic:
It’s hard to overstate the impact on the Democrats of losing control of the House. Through all the bad times—the Nixon years, the Reagan years—the House had remained the foundation of the Democratic empire. Then, suddenly, in 1994 it was gone. The Democrats took some comfort from their party’s 1998 midterm gains and the subsequent fall of Newt Gingrich. But the barbarians retained control of the temple. For the Democrats to win back the House had to have been one of Clinton’s highest priorities in last year’s election. But the Republicans held on.
Democrats reach 50-year low in the U.S. Senate. From 1997 to 2000 the Democrats held forty-five Senate seats. Not since 1948 have they been so weak in the Senate. When Clinton was first elected, his party had a solid majority of fifty-seven Senate seats. In the 1994 catastrophe the number dropped to forty-seven.
And even more importantly now, we need to make sure that we elect more local Democrats into city, county, state, and federal offices. The best revenge against ridiculous parrot politicians like Ty Cobb and Jim Gibbons is to elect their Democratic challengers. And the best way to make sure that our senators vote for consumer rights rather than the rights of banks and credit card companies is to elect more Democrats.
So here’s a preview of what you’ll see at the Washoe Democrats’ Jefferson Jackson Brunch on June 28th if you’re lucky enough to snag a ticket. The video gets really good about 3 minutes in….
SB372 Nevada Clean Air Act Hearing Wednesday
If you voted for the Nevada Clean Air Act in 2006, you need to call your assemblyman on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday and tell them that you expect your original vote to count.
The act that took effect in 2007, banned smoking in any indoor space where minors may be present and where food is served. Your state senators already voted to gut the bill YOU PASSED two years ago and now it’s scheduled for a hearing in the Assembly’s Judiciary Committee hearing on Wednesday. Bernie Anderson does intend to bring it up for hearing.
In local districts, the original act passed by wide margins:
Washoe Senate 2: 14 points
Assembly 26 (Cobb!): 26 points
Assembly 32 (Gustavson): 18 points
Assembly 40 (Parnell): 10 points
Please call all of them starting tomorrow and tell them that you want your original vote on the Nevada Clean Air Act to stand. Our state legislators should not get away with going over our heads and behind their backs.
Go here to see Judiciary Committee members and contact information.
Sage Donnelly Kayaker
I case you missed it, the RGJ recently wrote a story on my niece, 8 year old kayaker Sage Donnelly, as a lead up to the 2009 Reno River Festival this weekend. She didn’t place, but, as the only girl and youngest contestant competing in the cadet division, she still kicked ass (if I do say so myself). Boatercross, here she comes! Check out her website and keep an eye out for her Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation fund raising efforts this fall.
Spring Arrives with A Big Splash in Downtown Reno
This weekend is THE weekend to venture into downtown Reno. The 4rth annual Reno River Festival officially begins tomorrow with a kick-off party in my front yard–West Street Market. There will be live music by Del Mar, Harmonic Prophecy, and Sturdy Beggars and you can get food and beverages galore from the West Street Wine Bar, the Brickhouse Bakery, Earthly Delights, Nikos Greek Kitchen, Downtown Marker, and Se7en Tea House and Bar.
I spend a lot of time at the Market because it’s right across the street from my house, but seriously, it’s a cool place to hang out and tomorrow it’ll be all decked out for the River Festival opener, as well as the grand re-opening of the market on Saturday so you can grab some delicious grub while you’re watching the amateur and pro kayakers compete. I hear there will be belly dancers and and open grill thanks to Niko’s Greek Kitchen—gyros, yum!
I think there’s also a wine walk so downtown drivers should watch out for drunk pedestrians and kayak crossings.
From the Reno River Festival website;
Beyond the kayaking competitions and clinics, you’ll enjoy live music in Wingfield Park, great food, a beer garden and unlimited shopping for the latest in outdoor gear. And if you’re not participating in the Run Amuck competition yourself, it is a must-see. Take in some good, clean fun as competitors race through water gun snipers and crawl through a 60-foot mud pit in full costume. The momentum continues day-in and day-out as the festival offers an entire weekend of action-packed excitement in downtown Reno.
Here’s the Reno River Festival schedule for the kayaking events. Look for me sitting on my favorite rock–the one that gets shade after noon just below the 4th hole.
And don’t forget to cheer on Sage Donnelly, my 8 year old kayaker niece. She’s fairly awesome (I didnt pick the music):
Stop Fake Reform
See, I am an equal opportunity critic. Change Congress launched the Stop Fake Reform campaign today asking the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee to ban PAC and lobbyist contributions 365 days a year, not just when it’s convenient. They need 5,000 signatures so give them one. I did. I like this part the best:
This is actually the least you could do to take on special-interest influence.
Will the DSCC and DCCC reject donations from executives of bailout recipients such as AIG, the way you did for Enron? Will you require candidates you support to publicly endorse the real solution to special-interest influence: public funding of congressional elections?
The public is tired of political gamesmanship. Please recognize that your “one day of reform” is absurd on its face and, if left standing, an embarrassment to your organizations. We urge you to announce a 365-day ban of PAC and lobbyist contributions – at a minimum. (emphasis all mine)
So sign the petition–even The Gleaner signed it See, his name is above mine. I’m trying not to be mad about that.
Who Doesn’t Like the Nevada Clean Air Act? Your State Legislature.
Remember back in 2006 when the Nevada Clean Indoor Air Act (Question 5) passed in Washoe County by a solid margin? The act that took effect in 2007, banned smoking in any indoor space where minors may be present and where food is served.
Guess what your state senators have been up to? Gutting the Nevada Clean Air Act their constituents voted for. The bill to gut the smoking ordinance bill (SB372) passed the state senate last week 16-5 with support from the northern senators (except Bernice Matthews and Bill Raggio, could there be a problem with the fact that his lobbying firm is working hard to make sure the bill is gutted?). The new Nevada Clean Indoor Air Act would permit taverns that offer food to permit smoking if they bar people under 21 from entry. It sounds a lot like Nevada before Question 5 passed in 2006, doesn’t it? Basically, the Senate has gone above the voters’ heads to do as they please.
So, here’s what I’m thinking. Those of us who currently enjoy eating our dinner and drinking our drinks smoke free need to contact our assemblymen, especially members of the Judiciary Committee (Parnell, Anderson, Gustavson, Cobb–full list is here) and tell them that we expect the Nevada Clean Air Act to remain intact because that’s what we voted for in 2006. I’d have a freaking tea party if I thought it would help. Haven’t we voters had enough of this crap? Kill the bill in committee!
