John Ensign should have resigned in disgrace back when his affair was made public. It isn’t that he cheated; it’s who he cheated with and what he tried to do to keep it a secret. We didn’t need an Ethics investigation to know that Ensign is a dirtbag unworthy of high public office. We will now get a demonstration on whether our system of justice is capable of treating the powerful with the same harshness it metes out to ordinary citizens. Fmr. Sen. John Ensign must be prosecuted. A jury can decide his guilt and his punishment (if any), but he must face a jury.
As for Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK), it appears that he has lied about his role both in the press and to the Senate Ethics Committee investigators. I remember way back when this all started to leak out that Sen. Coburn tried to invoke doctor/patient confidentiality to keep his conversations with Ensign secret. Tom Coburn is a gynecologist. Not to be crude, but John Ensign doesn’t have a vagina, uterus, ovaries, or fallopian tubes. I knew right then that Coburn had committed some kind of major ethical lapse.
To be fair, Coburn tried to be a good friend by making a strong effort to get Ensign to stop pursuing his staffer and close friend’s wife. Coburn tried to help the cuckolded husband, too, as was only fair under the circumstances. There was probably an element of basic decency and friendship that motivated Coburn’s actions. I recognize that. But, that doesn’t change the fact that he actively negotiated a hush-money package for Doug and Cynthia Hampton and then lied about it to investigators. He should be facing potential perjury changes, and possibly obstruction of justice charges, too. But, even if prosecutors want to cut him some slack, the good people of Oklahoma should be disgusted and hold Coburn accountable the next time he faces reelection. Of course, that won’t be until 2016, and Oklahoma is so conservative that they won’t lightly consider a Democratic alternative. It’s probable that Coburn will never face any consequences for his ethical lapses.
The citizens of this fair country are getting used to that kind of outcome. Petty drug-dealers face decades in prison. Corrupt senators get reelected. Wall Street banksters get a pass.
Cock-burned is a member of the current gang of six. One wondered why he was even part of the budget discussion, but now we can see the kind of leverage there is over the guy.
Coincidence? Budget deal = no prosecution? Hmm?
that would be highly unethical.
there are ethics in American politics?
That’s a good one. Ethics are for little people.
Unethical in the sense that an ethicist would say “that’s unethical” or unethical in the sense that the Senate Ethics Committee would be forced to take action?
The Senate Ethics Committee seems to be a much, much higher bar to cross. Like you have to actually be in the realm where they believe a jury will find you guilty before they do much.
Perhaps with Coburn, DOJ will find dots to connect. I wouldn’t want to be him or Ensign.
Ensign left no immorality untouched. And to those in his party who hold that religion is the true source of morality but chose to not just turn a blind eye to his immoraity but condone it enough that he was groomed to look at a presidential run, Ensign’s shame is their shame.
ICAM with you BooMan. Coburn should have his ass handed to him..
he’s a repellant man who clearly broke some kind of law…we just need to find it.
This guy is a turd. He has been accused, while practicing as a physician, of performing operations on poor women without consent. Specifically, tying their tubes. The guy is a repellent pile of shit.