It must be awkward to be a U.S. Senator who has been caught schtupping a staffer’s wife who also happened to be a paid employee. I mean, it must be awkward to go before thirty-nine other senators (almost all of whom ran for office on a family-values platform) and explain your behavior. What do you say? It seems like, “My Bad” is a bit inadequate to the task.
Does he promise not to pursue any one else’s wife? Does that apply to just his own staff, or should it be a more general promise? I don’t know where you begin a conversation like that. Maybe you just blame it on the alcohol and go to Betty Ford. Drunkenness is one of the few socially-acceptable excuses for socially unacceptable behavior. You just say, “Hell, I was on ten month bender, I didn’t have a clue what I was doing. But, I’m better now. I’m in recovery.” This works very well, but, unfortunately, it usually requires some actual time in rehab. Sen. Ensign might not have the time.
I actually don’t think Ensign is automatically vulnerable. Vitter did almost as bad, and he looks like a lock for reelection. And Vitter likes to dress up like a baby in diapers and lick giant lollipops, or something. At least Ensign isn’t providing that kind of visual to his colleagues. If Ensign lays off the sauce, he should be fine…regardless of what his tells his colleagues behind closed doors today.
