Ensign could be re-elected — if all adulterers and hypocrites vote for him

The John Ensign Presidential Campaign Timeline:

• June 1: Ensign speaks in Iowa after weeks of being more visible on national television.

• June 16: Ensign's aspiration for a presidential bid in 2012 ends with his admission of a nine-month affair, one of the shortest presidential efforts in modern times.

Don't count me among those who believe Ensign's confession was a pre-emptive move to get the infidelity issue off the table so that he can run for president.

Count me among those who wonder why this Republican ever thought he could float his name for higher office without this affair coming out. Is he as delusional as Democrat John Edwards obviously was? Did he not learn from Edwards' mistakes? These dirty little secrets seldom remain secret in today's world.

If Ensign hadn't been trotting off to Iowa to float himself as a candidate for higher office, perhaps his affair with campaign treasurer Cindy Hampton wouldn't have become a national story.

By playing in the high-stakes presidential game, Ensign was just asking to be unveiled as an adulterer ... and hypocrite.

Since his political career began in 1994, Ensign had presented himself as the good social and fiscal conservative. He is an evangelical Christian and participated in mass rallies conducted by the Promise Keepers, a male Christian group. He had a 100 percent voter approval record from the Christian Coalition.

Let's assume that in 1996, when he advocated the Defense of Marriage Act, Ensign was faithful to his wife, Darlene.

Let's assume that in 1998, when he was a congressman and voted to impeach President Bill Clinton and called for his resignation, that Ensign was a faithful husband.

Let's even assume that when he took that never-explained two-week hiatus from the Senate in February 2002 for "personal reasons," it had nothing to do with adultery.

And let's assume that in September 2007, when Ensign called on U.S. Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, to resign because he was a "disgrace" for that toe-tapping incident in an airport men's room, Ensign was still true to the mother of his three children.

But now we know that a few months later, in December 2007, Ensign lost the right to criticize anyone for infidelity or sexual peccadilloes. That's when he began an affair with Cindy Hampton, who was married to his administrative assistant in his Senate office, Doug Hampton. Ensign described the couple as "close friends."

For nine months, Ensign betrayed his wife, his Christian beliefs, his close friend and neighbor, and voters who believed he stood for family values. That's a lot of betraying of those closest to him.

It was stupid and arrogant, and it is the public's business because he exposed himself to blackmail.

The senator can no longer weigh in with any credibility on moral issues that come before him in the U.S. Senate.

When the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy about gays is up for analysis, it's no longer a serious discussion by Ensign; it's just a punch line for a bad joke. Straights who stray can't tell gays how to live their lives.

Ensign looked genuinely pained as he read his statement and refused to answer questions such as: Why did you reveal it now? If it was fear of blackmail, have you gone to law enforcement authorities? Was this your only affair?

Darlene Ensign thought her marriage was strong enough and she could stay in Las Vegas and raise their children while her husband tasted power in Washington. He lived there with other senators with similar Christian beliefs to avoid temptations and came home on weekends.

Nationally, he's dead meat.

Locally, he might survive.

Some of his supporters will forgive him; some will not. But grass-roots workers who thought Ensign stood for values are dismayed. Will they vote for him again? Maybe. Will they work for him? Doubtful.

I doubt he runs again in 2012, but if he does, he might win without a serious challenger.

Get used to hearing the following three words in discussions of Ensign's re-election probability: "Everybody does it."

If all the adulterers in Nevada vote for Ensign, Democrats and Republicans, then add the hypocrites in both parties, and John Ensign is a shoo-in for re-election. My fellow Nevadans, how pathetic is that?

Jane Ann Morrison's column appears Monday, Thursday and Saturday. E-mail her at Jane@reviewjournal.com or call (702) 383-0275. She also blogs at lvrj.com/blogs/morrison/.