Another Republican Screws Up

Great…just great.

Sen. John Ensign of Nevada resigned his Republican leadership post Wednesday, one day after confessing marital infidelity. Aides refused to answer questions about records showing that a woman on his political payroll received a promotion and a pay raise around the time he said the affair began in late 2007. Nor would Ensign or aides respond to reports of an earlier affair, in 2002.

Ensign, 51, has said he intends to remain in the Senate.

The Nevada lawmaker is a member of the Christian ministry Promise Keepers and has championed causes pushed by the GOP‘s conservative religious base while seeking to raise his political profile for a possible presidential campaign.

He offered to resign as head of the Republican Policy Committee in a phone call with Sen. Mitch McConnell, the party leader.

“He’s accepted responsibility for his actions and apologized to his family and constituents. He offered, and I accepted, his resignation as chairman of the Policy Committee,” said McConnell, R-Ky.

OK, everyone is human, we’re all fallible, blah blah blah. I understand all that. The problem is, once these guys get elected and they live within the Washington bubble for any amount of time, they start to believe they’re infallible. They think the rules apply to the people they govern, not themselves. And this isn’t just a Republican problem, obviously. It happens in both parties. I’m not just talking about infidelity. I’m talking about ethics, personal responsibility, the rule of law. Increasingly, our leaders in Washington are living in a parallel universe. They look upon their constituents as if they are gods, wielding power and implementing their superior will.

I’m sick of it.

So long Ensign. You deserve to be expelled and it’d be great if you could take a few more with you.

We desperately need a reset button for congress.