Despite Senator John Ensign's seemingly unprompted admission that he'd carried on an affair with a campaign staffer earlier in the week and his resignation from his Senate GOP leadership post, the scandal surrounding the Nevada Republican only seems to be getting hotter.
Doug Hampton- the husband of the woman with whom Ensign admitted to having had a sexual relationship for nine months in 2007 and 2008- sent a letter less than two weeks ago to Fox News urging the cable news channel to expose what he referred to as Ensign's "heinous...relentless pursuit" of his wife, former Ensign aide Cynthia Hampton.
But for his part, Ensign has returned a powerful salvo of his own, alleging that Hampton- with the help of his attorney- had demanded exorbitant sums of cash in exchange for his promise to keep quiet about the affair. Early reports indicated that Ensign's initial disclosure of his indiscretion may have been prompted by an attempt to blackmail the two-term Senator and former two-term member of the House.
The collision of Ensign's personal and professional lives has been met with mixed reaction on both sides of the aisle, with Republicans downplaying the scandal as an unfortunate personal matter, and Democrats seizing on the opportunity to question Ensign's fitness for leadership, with some going so far as to accuse the Senator of blatant and illegal sexual harassment.
Perhaps Ensign's biggest drawback has been his support of traditional values in light of his recent revelation. After President Bill Clinton admitted to having conducted a sexual relationship with his own aide, then-White House intern Monica Lewinsky, Ensign called for Clinton's resignation, saying that "he has no credibility left." He's criticized other Republicans for their own lack of moral scruples, partially crediting their scandals with the beating the GOP has taken in recent elections.
Perhaps more worrisome for Ensign, however, is the long-term effect this may have on his political career. Many had considered Ensign a rising star in the GOP and a potential candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012. But whether he'll be able to shake the scandal in time to run is questionable. In fact, Ensign may face bigger problems for the seat he currently holds. Already, Nevada Representative Shelly Berkeley- who said she has never considered running for the Senate against Ensign in 2012- said that Ensign's conduct may cause her to reevaluate the proposition.
