Ensign, Get Your Sorry Ass Out of the Senate

Ensign. It’s almost an anagram for resign. How appropriate.

John Ensign just crashed off our top 10 list for 2012 GOP presidential aspirants. Hell, in our view, he ought to crash his sorry ass out of the Senate.

Having an affair is bad. Having an affair with a campaign aide is really bad. Having an affair with an aide who is married to Senate staffer is crazy stupid.

Sanctity of the institution of marriage? Well John, you just soiled the sanctity of your own institution so what does that say about your deeply held convictions?

OK, so we know John Ensign has really poor judgment.

But, as usual in these kind of “affairs,” it’s the hypocrisy that really stinks up the joint that makes the misdemeanor a felony.

Here’s what Ensign said about his Republican colleague Sen. Larry Craig after he got tangled in sexual scandal on the issue of whether or not he should resign: "I wouldn't put myself hopefully in that kind of position, but if I was in a position like that, that's what I would do. He's going to have to answer that for himself."

OK, well despite his “hopefully,” Ensign did put himself in that kind of position. And since he was “in a position like that”, shouldn’t he resign?

Or, how about his comments about the Federal Marriage Amendment: “Marriage is the cornerstone on which our society was founded. For those who say that the Constitution is so sacred that we cannot or should not adopt the Federal Marriage Amendment, I would simply point out that marriage, and the sanctity of that institution, predates the American Constitution and the founding of our nation.”

Sanctity of the institution? Well John, you just soiled the sanctity of your own institution so what does that say about your deeply held convictions?

Ensign is also a born-again Christian and member of Promise Keepers, a male evangelical group that promotes fidelity. But, looks like he broke his promise to his own wife.

And during Bill Clinton’s impeachment hearings, Ensign called for his resignation.

So, isn’t there some moral equivalence here? And if so, shouldn’t John Ensign resign?

Of course, the dutiful wife is standing by her dog, um, man. And, you know, maybe the Ensigns' marriage is stronger as she claims. Then again, there’s nothing like seeing your political career going down the tubes to fire up your pheromones.

John you lasted exactly one week on our Top 10 list. We hardly knew you.

See ya.

Xtra Insight: The Daily Beast’s Max Blumenthal: The GOP's Sex Scandal Hypocrite

As vice chairman of Public Strategies and president of Maverick Media, Mark McKinnon has helped meet strategic challenges for candidates, causes, and individuals, including George W. Bush, John McCain, Governor Ann Richards, Charlie Wilson, Lance Armstrong, and Bono. McKinnon is co-chair of Arts & Labs, a collaboration between technology and creative communities that have embraced today’s rich Internet environment to deliver innovative and creative digital products to consumers.