The “Breathtaking Hypocrisy” of John Ensign
What can one say about adulterer John Ensign, Republican senator from Nevada? Like my friend Steve Benen, and so many other liberal-minded adults, I really don’t care what Ensign does with his personal life, as long as it doesn’t involve animals or children — or, rather, I do care, insofar as people may have been hurt by his actions, but whatever he did really isn’t my, or our, business. He did what he did, and now it’s between him and his wife, and him and his conscience, and among those were involved, and those who are close to him, like his family.
But, oh, the “breathtaking hypocrisy,” as Steve puts it:
Of far greater interest is Ensign’s hypocrisy. When Bill Clinton’s adultery came to public light, Ensign not only voted to remove the president from office, but insisted the president should resign as a result of the personal scandal. When former Sen. Larry Craig was caught up in a sex scandal, Ensign not only called for Craig’s ouster, but led the charge against him.
Ensign has also been a fierce opponent of marriage equality, and supported a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. In 2004, the Nevada Republican lectured his colleagues, “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.”
And did I mention that Ensign is a longtime member of the Promise Keepers, a conservative evangelical group that promotes strong families and marriages?
Few really care about Ensign’s private life. The story is relevant only insofar as the Republican lawmaker has spent much of his career touting “families values” and using his office to promote his version of sexual morality — with standards he doesn’t apply to himself.
Oh, yes, what a grotesque hypocrite. (Like pretty much ever other conservative moralist who transgresses, and there are so many of them, he’ll apologize, seek forgiveness, be forgiven, and perhaps even blame liberals.) And, really, isn’t that just the Republican way?
(Cross-posted from The Reaction.)
17 Responses to “The “Breathtaking Hypocrisy” of John Ensign”
After reading Benen's judgmental article he seems to have joined Ensign in breathtaking hypocrisy.
In a rare moment of agreement, I too can’t stand moralists who promote an ideal that no one can live up to.
That said, I wish leftists would stop making up history as they go along.
Clinton was impeached because he committed and suborned perjury. That’s a crime. Larry Craig was soliciting sex in a men’s room, once again a crime. These are people who should be prosecuted and removed from office.
If you can’t make a cogent argument with the facts, move along to a different subject. If you need to distort and lie to make a point, perhaps you should rethink your point.
“Oh, yes, what a grotesque hypocrite. (Like pretty much ever other conservative moralist who transgresses, and there are so many of them, he’ll apologize, seek forgiveness, be forgiven, and perhaps even blame liberals.) And, really, isn’t that just the Republican way?”
What a convenient meme for liberals — they are allowed to criticize Republicans for everything they condone from liberals by claiming that they really only object to the “hypocrisy”.
Of course, since they have no concern about liberals own hypocrisy, the meme is revealed as just another sham.
Jwest makes a good point about comparing this to Clinton or Craig. Ensign's situation is more akin to John Edwards or Newt Gingrich, than Clinton or Craig.
I disagree with jwest only to the extent that he says Clinton should have been removed from office. He was impeached, a trial was held and he was not removed. We need to respect the system and its results. In the minds of many, perjury about personal sexual matters did not amount to the kind of high crime or misdemeanor envisioned in the Constitution.
Before I chose to visit this liberal site today, I asked myself, will it or won't it be once again “The Liberal Inquirer”? Would serious issues be addressed for a change, or would it be more all-too-frequent pathetic liberal gossip and obscession with trivial events (frequently misinterpreted by the many liberals on here)?
I actually see quite a few serious issues on here (though I wonder about the Iranian situation, subject to too much gushiness, youth obscession, and techno-hype among the susceptible fools on here). But I had suspected that someone would seize on the Ensign affair and wrongly stress politics over morality. And it was probably all but assured that someone as immature and silly a liberal as Mikey would do it.
“the meme is revealed as just another sham.”
Of course it is, as well as another greater liberal moral failure and all the rest of it. This was predictable.
“Breathtaking” is only true for breathless, excessively immature liberals.
Hypocrisy is never acknowledged for liberals.
The greatest hypocrisy is Obama sending his kids to a private school while canceling a program to allow poor kids to attend also.
Hypocrisy is Obama holding executives up to public ridicule for “excess” in private jets then flying off to New York for date night.
You couldn’t make this stuff up if you tried.
We seem to be getting farther afield, so let's get back to the article. jwest is dead on, that Clinton was impeached for misleading a grand jury. It fascinated me at the time that liberals kept claiming that it was all really about sex, but could point to little evidence of that – on the conservative side, that is. National Review, Weekly Standard, American Spectator, the House Republicans – all repeatedly stressed that this was a serious undermining of the legal system. It may have been all about sex to the Clinton defenders, however. As to “marriage equality” there is no contradiction between believing certain principles and not living up to them. They types of hypocrisy arguments have been repeatedly advanced, and repeatedly shot down logically. I therefore have to conclude that they recur because they just sorta kinda “feel” hypocritical to people preloaded for confirmation bias. Please call back when and adult is home.
Well I'm sorry if I seem to take joy in the downfall of another conservative schmuck eating his own words under full public scrutiny. For what its worth I enjoyed the same when Jesse Jackson his his issues. But with the GOP its extra special for me because they are the party that wants to legislate their religion and lifestyle to the rest of us. Conservatives just don't seem to be happy until everyone is living life just like them, and they have an actual body of lawmakers to make that happen. I may want to legalize pot, but I won't make you smoke it. I may want to legalize gay marriage, but I won't make you marry someone of the same sex. You will still have options if you are a conservative. All you have to do is change the channel, give people their space, and not have an abortion if you think its immoral. But I will never stop laughing when preachy moralists get caught with their pants down.
Yes, Samuel, I've heard those accusations about imposing my beliefs before. You might want to talk to environmental, anti-smoking, universal health care, antiglobalist, and gun-control advocates about similar issues. Religions don't always come with buildings.
Ah yes, the but Clinton lied under oath meme. Clinton should never have been put in a position to have to answer, under oath, questions about his private life like boning Monica. It was a sham and republicans are completely disingenuous with this garbage. I also don't buy that Ensign is different than Craig. Vitter admitted going to a whore, which is illegal (technically), but the authorities never charged him. Distinctions without a difference.
The bottom line is that conservatives should shut their pie holes about morality issues… they have proven to be liars, cheats, whore mongers, war mongers, serial adulterers and serial divorcers… just like everyone else. Conservatives only want to hold other people to these standards (and impeach dems) and pretend like their adultery is a “private matter”.
“Clinton should never have been put in a position to have to answer, under oath, questions about his private life like boning Monica
It is not his 'private life' when he is doing it in the Oval Office, while working, taking phone calls, etc. It was while he was supposed to be doing his public duties, during office hours, in an office provided by the taxpayers. Sorry, that excuse is just ridiculous.
And I have never gotten the 'breaking the law is OK if you are committing perjury about infidelity' meme of the Left at all. Is it OK to cheat on your taxes if it is to cover up an affair? Is it OK to steal government funds if it is to pay your mistress?
“Is it OK to steal government funds if it is to pay your mistress?”
Yes, if you're a Democrat. No, if you're a Republican. Obviously.
“Clinton should never have been put in a position to have to answer, under oath, questions about his private life like boning Monica”
He was asked in a civil lawsuit, or do you think that the Pres should be exempt from responsibility for actions before election? The questions were reasonable due to the nature of the lawsuit. So I'm uncertain how this position makes much sense other that you just liked Clinton and could care less about laws and facts.
Yes, Clinton lied under oath about a blowjob–and he was impeached for it and acquitted by the U.S. Senate.
Another president violated a much more sacred oath–his oath of office, when he took our country to war under false pretenses, trashed the Constituition, set himself above the law and violated numerous human and civil rights.
His day in court is still to come.
It's not hypocrisy if Pres. Obama is paying for his children to attend the private school and Pres. Obama did not ridicule executives for flying in private jets, Congress did.
It truly doesn't matter if you're a liberal or conservative. Hypocrisy is hypocrisy, and this guy was just full of bull.
Ensign was practically asking for outrage from liberals and and anger/embarrassment from conservatives.
To have such a strong stance on family morals, the impeachment of former Pres. Clinton,the ideals of the importance of marriage, and get caught doing that? It's makes me angry, frustrated, and annoyed, because so often politicians point fingers at others when they should chastising themselves for being such foolish, ignorant hypocrites.