GOP support for Ensign dwindles as new details of affair emerge

[RedEarth]

Source: Las Vegas Sun,

Sen. John Ensign appeared to be losing support among his Republican base Thursday as the lawmaker disclosed that his parents, who made millions in the casino industry, paid the family of his affair partner $96,000 around the time she and her husband stopped working for him.

Ensign’s parents made the gifts to Doug Hampton and his wife, Cynthia, “out of concern of the well-being of the longtime family friends during a difficult time,” said a statement issued by Ensign’s attorney. The gifts “are consistent with a pattern of generosity by the Ensign family to the Hamptons and others,” the statement said.

Cynthia Hampton, who worked on Ensign’s political committees, and Doug Hampton, Ensign’s former best friend and co-chief of staff, left their jobs in April 2008.

The disclosure concluded another two days of political damage for Ensign.

In Doug Hampton’s first public statements about the scandal, in a televised interview with Sun columnist Jon Ralston that aired Wednesday and Thursday, the former aide said Ensign had promised to end the affair with a heartfelt note of apology, only to resume it the following day.



Read more: http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/jul/10/gop-support-ensign-dwindles-new-affair-details-eme/

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Doug Hampton’s interviews also at the link.......

[saltpoint]

1. And darn it all, he only just last week put in the order for

several hundred thousand 'Ensign in 2012' buttons.

[SpiralHawk]

2. Even Republicons can smell their own Family Values FAIL

Republicon Homelanders will have to admit that they are, verily, the Latter Day Pharisees.

[yellowcanine]

3. Coburn is still hanging tough though - and "stepping in it" as a result.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3962878

[pattmarty]

4. What this motherfucker was "practicing" was legal prositution...............

He paid and his parents paid just like was in college when good ole dad bought Johnny a high priced hooker (which as it turns out, he did again).

[jasi2006]

5. Only the "public" support dwindles. In private, it's another story.

http://prairieweather.typepad.com/big_blue_stem/2009/07/terry-gross-since-the-republican-partys-defeat-last-november-the-party-has-been-struggling-to-redefine-itself-thats-become.html

[No Elephants]

6. "Gifts," aka possible tax fraud. Nice guy, getting his parents involved. Just what they

need at their age and stage of life.

[brooklynite]

7. The best part of the story so far...

Ensign being forced by his Christian cronies to write a "Dear Jane" letter to his Mistress, being escorted to the mailbox to send it, and then calling her to disregard the letter and hightailing it out of town to get together with her. That spells "Leadership"