News Roundup for 6/17/09

Ensign considers his options...

-Headline of the day-
"Nevada Sen. John Ensign Acknowledges Extramarital Affair."

Republican moralizer in a sex scandal -- the only real surprise here is that it doesn't involve hookers, meth, gay bathroom sex, underage pages, text messages, or any combination of the above. John Ensign is a good ol' fashioned man who's gotten caught up in a good ol' fashioned sex scandal -- the run-of-the-mill, chase-her-around-the-desk, office affair. Nothing fancy for Mr. Vanilla, thank you very much.

Turns out Ensign -- frequently mentioned as a possible presidential candidate in '12 -- was having an affair with a co-worker and sources say he came out and admitted it to foil a blackmailer. If that last part's true, good on him -- the only other way to defang a blackmailer involves trash bags and a shallow grave out in the desert. Given the options, I think we can all agree he made the right choice.

Of course, none of this is remarkable enough to make the roundup. That's where these quotes come in:


The effort to pass a constitutional amendment reaffirming marriage as being between a man and a woman only is being undertaken strictly as a defense of marriage against the attempt to redefine it and, in the process, weaken it. Marriage is an extremely important institution in this country and protecting it is, in my mind, worth the extraordinary step of amending our constitution.
-Ensign on a constitutional amendment to "protect" marriage from the Homosexual Menace.

I came to that conclusion recently [that he should resign], and frankly it's because of what he put his whole Cabinet through and what he has put the country through. He has no credibility left.
-Ensign in 1998 on what an awful person Bill Clinton was for having an affair with Monica Lewinski.


That's right, hypocrisy! So unusual in a Republican... (Washington Post)


-Turns out "work" means you've got to do stuff-
Opposite-marriage advocate and last line of defense against the Homosexual Menace Carrie Prejean was spotted near an LA offramp with a cardboard sign that read, "Will spokesmodel for food." It seems she's having problems holding down a job. After first being fired as Miss California, she's now been fired as a spokesmodel for clothing brand Sledge USA.

"She did not keep her appointments at all. She refused to confirm a time and date, even though we were on a very tight schedule," brand manager Vered Nisim told E! online. Turns out a big part of having a job is that part about getting out of bed in the morning. How unfair.

I think this means the terr'ists have won. (E! Online)


-Travel alert-
Swine flu? Pffft! Libya has the bubonic plague.

So don't go visiting Mohammar Qaddafi. (Agence France-Presse)


-Thank you!-
Steve Benen on GOP criticism over Obama's response to unrest in Iran: "For all the far-right hand-wringing about whether President Obama is doing 'enough' to intervene in Iran, I still don't know what, exactly, conservatives think will happen if the administration takes a harder line."

I wondered the same thing. Twice. Never did get an answer.

I don't think they know. Maybe the ghost of Reagan will visit Amadinejad with the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future and get him to change his mind. Seriously, I've got no idea what they think will happen.

But I don't think it's likely, whatever it is. (Political Animal)