Breaking: John Ensign to Resign

[Dalton]

POLITICO

Nevada Sen. John Ensign (R) plans to announce Friday he will resign his Senate seat, aides said Thursday.

Ensign has been under investigation by the Senate Ethics Committee over whether he violated Senate rules during his affair with Cindy Hampton, a former campaign aide. Hampton’s husband, Doug Hampton, was Ensign’s deputy chief of staff during most of the extramarital relationship.

[Pelranius]

If true, it should be interesting to who Nevada will replace him with.

[Flagg]

I think the NV governor gets to appoint a replacement until a special election is held. NV has a Republican governor IIRC, so it's not an auto-win for the Democrats.

[Knife]

As I understand it, the Governor will probably choose a Congress critter he's buddy buddy with. Which means his seat for the House will be open to run for.

[K. A. Pital]

Extramarital relationships can destroy a politician's career with far greater certainity than any crimes and evil deeds. O mores.

[UnderAGreySky]

Ah, time for Sharrrrrron Angllllllle!

No, seriously? Wouldn't she make the house of representatives this way? If a House Rep is pushed into the Senator's seat, is there an election for the now-vacated spot? Out here and back home they are called by-elections, I think

[Rahvin]

So, we have another Republican sex scandal. Has Fox News "Accidentally" switched the "R" for a "D" yet?

[Celador]

Ah, time for Sharrrrrron Angllllllle!

No, seriously? Wouldn't she make the house of representatives this way? If a House Rep is pushed into the Senator's seat, is there an election for the now-vacated spot? Out here and back home they are called by-elections, I think

Governor Sandoval will probably appoint Representative Heller, who launched his campaign to be elected as Ensign's replacement weeks ago, to the vacated seat. This will prompt a special election in the 2nd district; the Republican primary there already looked like it would be a circus (with Angle among a long list of interested contenders), and my guess is that a special election will probably be even crazier because of the increased attention.

What most interests me is whether this actually helps Heller's chances in 2012. Appointed incumbents aren't much better off than they'd be running for an open seat, but Heller will probably benefit from not being in the House where he'd have to vote on plenty of divisive legislation.

[nobody_really]

Ah, time for Sharrrrrron Angllllllle!

No, seriously? Wouldn't she make the house of representatives this way? If a House Rep is pushed into the Senator's seat, is there an election for the now-vacated spot? Out here and back home they are called by-elections, I think

Governor Sandoval will probably appoint Representative Heller, who launched his campaign to be elected as Ensign's replacement weeks ago, to the vacated seat. This will prompt a special election in the 2nd district; the Republican primary there already looked like it would be a circus (with Angle among a long list of interested contenders), and my guess is that a special election will probably be even crazier because of the increased attention.

What most interests me is whether this actually helps Heller's chances in 2012. Appointed incumbents aren't much better off than they'd be running for an open seat, but Heller will probably benefit from not being in the House where he'd have to vote on plenty of divisive legislation.

Mostly good points, considering that Heller is going to have to step out of his safe seat in the House (basically everything outside of Clark County) and run in a statewide election for the Senate. Shelley Berkley is probably the favorite on the Democratic side for that seat. And yes, Sharron Angle has a fanatical base of support, but it isn't enough to win an election. She was probably the only serious Republican candidate who could lose to Reid in this state last November, and if I were conspiratorially minded, I would think that Reid's people provided a lot of her support in the Republican primaries.

As far as having to vote on plenty of divisive legislation, Heller has already done that, and I doubt it's lowered his chances much at all. Remember, it is in the state constitution that gays cannot get married in Nevada. It is illegal to smoke in bars that serve prepared food (anything more complicated than a bowl of peanuts) unless they are part of a larger casino or brothel. Although there is medical marijuana legally available, even watered down bills to decriminalize small amounts of MJ fail badly. The Mormon and Catholic churches are quite strong in this state, and I would be quite surprised if something along the lines of California's Prop 8 failed here.

[Broomstick]

Extramarital relationships can destroy a politician's career with far greater certainity than any crimes and evil deeds. O mores.

Can, but not always - Clinton getting head from Monica in the Oval Office seems to have had little effect on his political career.

Seems to be more toxic for Republicans than Democrats.

[erik_t]

Ask John Edwards about that.

[Dalton]

Ask John Edwards about that.

Not to mention that Bill Clinton almost got impeached over it (or rather something tangentially related).

It is somewhat interesting to note that some of the more recent high-profile sex scandals among Republicans have involved homosexual liaisons.

[Broomstick]

Ask John Edwards about that.

Not to mention that Bill Clinton almost got impeached over it (or rather something tangentially related).

No almost about it - Clinton was impeached. But he remained President, did he not? It did not end his career.

[nobody_really]

Extramarital relationships can destroy a politician's career with far greater certainity than any crimes and evil deeds. O mores.

Can, but not always - Clinton getting head from Monica in the Oval Office seems to have had little effect on his political career.

Seems to be more toxic for Republicans than Democrats.

That may have something to do with Republicans campaigning much more as sanctimonious jerks than Democrats--more often going for the "family values" votes. Hypocrisy is not exactly electoral gold for a politician. Some can get over it--c.f. Newt "I traded in my first two wives for younger models the first chance I got, but I'm a Christian now so I'm forgiven" Gingrich being considered one of the more senior and serious political analysts by the mainstream media, with possible Presidential ambitions.

[Dalton]

Ask John Edwards about that.

Not to mention that Bill Clinton almost got impeached over it (or rather something tangentially related).

No almost about it - Clinton was impeached. But he remained President, did he not? It did not end his career.

Well, impeached but not convicted. He wasn't removed because the impeachment vote failed.

[SirNitram]

Extramarital relationships can destroy a politician's career with far greater certainity than any crimes and evil deeds. O mores.

Sadly, it never struck the Watergate prostitution ring good ol' boys. (In case you wonder, Link)