The Ensign affair vs. the Conyers case
Ugh. What a wretched dog. GOP Sen. John Ensign of Nevada cheated on his beautiful wife — the mother of his three children — with a campaign aide who was married to one of his Senate staffers. He rode his high horse as a guardian of marriage and Promise Keepers. And then he only admitted publicly that he broke those marital vows when the husband of his ex-mistress reportedly asked for money. It’s galling that Ensign was even considering a 2012 presidential bid given the hell he put his family through.
I know, I know. “At least he didn’t lie about it like John Edwards did.” That’s what I’m hearing from some readers, but I’m not playing that. Seems to me Ensign would have kept up the same kind of happy face appearances the Edwards family did had it not been for the purported blackmail threat. He’s a dog.
Rule of the Beltway: Never trust a man in politics whose hair is prettier than his wife’s.
***
Wed. afternoon update: Ensign resigns GOP leadership post.
***
Now, let’s talk about a far more scandalous scandal that the MSM won’t spill one-tenth the ink it’s spilling on the Ensign affair: the Conyers corruption case. I noted the federal bribery case against Democrat House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers’ wife, Monica, and other dirty Detroit Dem politicians back in January.
The clock is ticking. Mrs. Conyers is now under threat of indictment:
Detroit City Councilwoman Monica Conyers has yet to accept a plea deal offered by the federal government in connection with a corruption investigation at City Hall, increasing the odds that she could soon face federal indictment.
The federal authorities told Conyers they wanted an answer by the end of the day Tuesday, but there had been no movement by 5 p.m., a person familiar with the investigation said.
The bribery-related charge that Conyers could plead to carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, though she probably would receive less time.
Two sources who have spoken with Conyers said she is reluctant because she doesn’t want to serve time in jail.
Conyers mostly ignored reporters when she left City Hall in an unmarked car after 3 p.m. en route to her weekly television show “Ask the Councilwoman With Monica Conyers.” But when asked if she would accept a plea, she murmured that The Detroit News was “full of (it).”
This goes beyond moral hypocrisy. It’s a massive betrayal of the public trust. One of the pay-to-play contracts probed by the FBI involved an agreement to pay a company called Synagro nearly $50 million a year to haul and treat the city’s sewage sludge. The federal probe involves whether Mrs. Conyers took bribes to switch her vote on a $1.2 billion contract with Synagro.
Corruption runs in the Conyers family. Remember? Flashback January 2007:
Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) has been licking his chops at the thought of the mischief he can undertake as chairman of the House Judiciary Committee – starting today, when his party assumes control of Congress.
Indeed, he once was speaking openly of an impeachment drive against President Bush – until incoming Speaker Nancy Pelosi put the kibosh on it.
But Conyers’ credibility as the Democrats’ moral watchdog was shredded by the dubious deal he just struck with the House Ethics Committee – which was made public late last Friday in a holiday-weekend bid to avoid publicity.
After a probe lasting more than three years, the committee declared that Conyers has “accepted responsibility” for a series of House rules violations involving the use – and abuse – of his staffers.
According to published reports, Conyers used several staffers as his personal servants – requiring them to babysit and tutor his children, chauffeur him to personal events, help his wife with her law-school classes, work on his campaigns and pay restaurant and motel bills.
One staffer was even ordered to move into Conyers’ home for six weeks and serve as a live-in nanny to his kids.
Your tax dollars at work. But since there’s no sex or opportunity for GOP-bashing, the Conyers corruption cases won’t get on the front page.
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Trackbacks
- Riehl World View
- Michigan Taxes Too Much » If you missed this.. It gets better.
- Michelle Malkin » Ensign resigns GOP leadership post
- The Left’s Definition of Victims & Role Models: Sonja Schmidt, on Elizabeth Edwards, Mark Levin, and Sarah Palin (video) « Frugal Café Blog Zone
- Ensign coverage: A roundup :: Various Things & Stuff :: Las Vegas CityLife Blogs
- The LLama Butchers
- Did Hannity really call on Ensign to quit? :: Various Things & Stuff :: Las Vegas CityLife Blogs
- Michelle Malkin » Ensign continues to drag GOP down
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Just another Dem with his hand caught in the cookie jar. Nothing to see here. Move along. Move along.
When folks in public life make mistakes in their personal affairs (pun not intended), is there a requirement to bare all? Not defending his infidelity, mind you. Of course he’s a dog for cheating. But it seems you’re giving him a hit for keeping a personal issue private instead of flogging himself publicly as it happened.
Yes, I understand the hypocrisy angle. And I see the damage it causes for the party. Just curious about your phrasing above about timing and motive for coming clean. Or am I misreading your intent?
Perhaps this is where the whole term limits argument comes into play again.
And if Congressmen are required to remain for long periods of time in Washington (and taxpayers provide apartments to them), why not bring the family with them? A family to go home to may help avoid the problems of “idle time and hands.”
I figure that if John Ensign can’t even keep vows he made to those he supposedly loves the most, how can we trust him to keep his vow to uphold and protect the Constitution?
As for Monica Conyers, well, corrupt Detroit democrat is a triple redundancy.
I think if you got the mice to talk, there are fewer senators who haven’t cheated on their wives than have. Exposing the occasional idiot won’t change them much. Likewise, “honest Democrat” is a conflict in terms. Monica is just carrying on the family tradition.
Shame is truly a short commodity these days.
In D.C., the power goes to their head, boosting their egos, and they start believing they are Superman — indestructable. Probably never thought he would get caught.
I don’t condone any of this. Including when JFK was pranking around, and the press corps knew it. Can’t you keep SOME sort of composure about you for a few years?
Ensign should resign. I say that knowing that no Democrat would ever hold his corrupt pol to the same standard.
I agree with babiesgrandma and socky but…
democrat=it was only sex, what’s the big deal?
republican= SCATHING SCANDAL!!!!
Conyers is as dirty and the rest of them. Funny how they tried to place the moniker of “Culture of Corruption” on the Republicans when in fact they were speaking of themselves.
The liberals lie, cheat, steal elections, and sneak laws like the “Pedophile Protection Act” into elegislation by attaching them to innocent looking bills. They are contemptible and are dragging this country down to the level of many 3rd world dictatorships.
Ensign’s prez bid = out! Good, get rid of the weaker links now.
And thanks MM for continuing to expose corruption in the party that was supposed to rid US of the ‘culture of corruption’.
Conyers has a two-fer here. The (D) after her name and that protective coating of melanin.
Works like a charm.
http://www.nytimes.com/1992/04/28/opinion/the-democrats-should-adopt-perot.html
From the above link:
‘Course, Ross Perot was mocked and ridiculed by the msm for saying virtually exactly the same thing as tre says in his post above.
Of course a National figure will get more ink than a Local figure. A United States Senator versus a City Council Person.
I imagine there will be a great deal more ink in the Detroit Press on Conyers vice Ensign.
Moreover, one did something illegal, and the other had a personal failing. There is no comparison of their acts.
We stand before God and Family and promise to forsake all others. If that means nothing what does?
We are often given the example of John Kennedy and FDR as cheaters who where “Great Men”. I was never impressed. GOP Sen. John Ensign of Nevada can answer to God, his wife and children and the voters of Nevada-I want nothing to do with him. If the Democrats wish to associate with child molesters and cheaters let them-we can expect nothing more.
Funny, MM. Does this mean Mitt Romney will be the next to stray?
I’d love it if every politician took a counterintelligence and character polygraph. Of course, these would not constitute a “pass/fail” standard for taking office, but would solely be used as an additional tool for the American people to judge the worthiness of a political candidate.
That’s better. These people are there to do a job. It’s kind of a dirty job, so expecting some kind of fabulous moral leadership from them is ridiculous.
Stop letting them posture on morality and start demanding they do a better job!
disappointed in ensign for what he did and for what he has caused his family. the innocent always take the brunt of any scandal. no excuses senator ensign, you cheated on your wife and children and you have lost the respect of many who thought highly of you.
as for both conyers, better known as garbage, what can one expect from anyone who have been sewer dwellers their whole lives.
/touches nose
The MonCon – that’s what we call her here in Detroit – stuff is getting plenty of play here, but it is unlikely to go national because it really is an example of local shenanigans at the urban level and they wouldn’t want to sully the pristine reputation of Rep. John “9/11 was an inside job; Bushitler was a war criminal who lied us into war” Conyers.
Whenever I see this
I clean my .38
I hate to have to ReWrite™ your work, but I must…
Seriously, when will the GOP learn that it can’t be like the Party of the Rat when it comes to extra-marital affairs?
Now that DoJ is run by Holder with little or no regard to the law, if Conyers is in tight with Obama, hasn’t slighted The One in any way, Mrs. Conyers Federal trouble should disappear like the New Black Panther Party thugs with night-sticks problems disappeared.
BTW, ignore Jerry Studds actually sodomizing 16 year old boys, Bill Clintons many affairs with a possible rape and sexual assault or two thrown in for good measure, Barney’s Frank getting free sex from a male prostitute in exchange for letting his DC home be used as a brothel.
The Dems have no standards of morality, and therefore can never be accused of hypocrisy.
Debbie Stabenow’s husband visits prostitutes. I know that is wrong, violating the wedding vows, but I feel a little sympathy, since Senator Stabenow ran through the ugly forest and hit every tree.
Power corrupts. Term limits are the answer. Ensign has broken the most important vows in the most important relationship in his life. If he will betray those vows how do we expect him to keep other vows?
The last election was the first election where we essentially decided both character and qualifications don’t matter and look at the choice we had and the results. Frankly, it is time to raise the bar for politicians seeking higher office and not throw it out.
EdMahmoud said “ran through…every tree”.
Never heard that one, love it. I’m still laughing.
But, still no excuse for adultery.
Guys, come-on. “It was just sex!”
Adulterers are scum. Ensign should resign or be run out of office. The Republican party needs to do it to regain credibility.
I’m glad Conyers is finally facing what she deserves.
Guys, come-on. “It was just the abuse of the public’s trust!”
Sarc/BTW
Harry Truman once said, “If a man’s wife can’t trust him how can I?” ‘Nuff said.
If a person violates a sacred trust with a spouse, how can that person ever be trusted by the general public to be honest, and do the right thing?
Sex, greed, power…all birds of a feather. Is it any wonder that “faith” in representation is a rare commodity nowadays?
GHWB broke the “read my lips” pledge, angled into it by whily Democrats knowing it would be damaging to reach a budget deal that would shrink the deficit. He wasn’t perfect.
But to War Eagle #24, Clinton’s relative lack of experience, and obvious moral shortcomings were obvious then. Maybe not to Obamesque proportions, but he wasn’t qualified.
You should also get yourself a shotgun and rifle, while you still can.
No, not all are. Maybe Ensign is, I don’t know, but sometimes even very good, decent, God-fearing people stray. A good friend of mine with a big heart was in a marriage that was, for all intents and purposes, over. She met someone else during that time, and things happened. She got a divorce, and things didn’t work out with the other guy either, but scum she is not. She knows she hurt her husband, but she didn’t seek to do so.
Sorry, I’d love to just tear this guy to shreds, but good peaople make mistakes sometimes.
We need term limits people! What we don’t need is a ruling elite that can get away with almost anything due to their built in protections and political machines!! Term limits for the Senate and House NOW!
Well, at lease Ensign only committed adultery. He did not add on the sin of sodomy like Foley, Larry Craig, Lowlife NJ governor and that Haggard in Colarado.
One report I saw, repeated Ensign’s claim that he was legally separated at the time (true or false). He still had sex with another man’s wife, although if separated from his own I fail to see the betrayal of her, but the betrayal of his staff member by cuckolding him. And the likely weakening of their marriage unless it was one of the “open” marriage types (that I personally don’t believe in).
JammieWearingFool said:
“Conyers has a two-fer here. The (D) after her name and that protective coating of melanin.”
I could not have stated it better.