thomascwaters.com

The linked article discusses Nevada’s John Ensign and his attempt to fix his image and return to active political duty. Much has been written about the former “Family Values” hero of the GOP. What I find so amazing from this story however is the ease at which the republican electorate is willing to just accept his apology and move on. How deep do their “family values” run? Not to deep.

“We had a distraction go on for the last six or seven weeks in my life. I think it would be inappropriate to start any other way than to say I’m sorry,” Ensign said.

That was good enough for Peggy Gray, president of the Fernley Republican Women. “There are a lot more important things going on in Congress than that,” Gray said. “At least he didn’t go to the Mustang Ranch,” said Jane Lewis, editor of the local political group’s newsletter, referring to one of Nevada’s legal brothels.

So morals and family values don’t matter when there are “more important things going on in Congress? This ease at which morals, honesty, and family values either matter or can be easily discarded is alarming to say the least, but it seems to be the basis on which the republican base operates. I’d love to understand how cheating on your wife with an employee whose husband is also your employee, and whose son you got a job for, with all of this happening at a time when you are busy speaking out for family values is less bad that using a legal business to cheat on his wife. I guess in the case of the Mustang Ranch, only one family (Ensign’s own family) would have been damaged and that would have been worse than the damage caused to Ensign’s family, the Hampton family and the entire Republican party.

Where are all the Bible thumpers citing their Bible verses who are so opposed to Marriage Equality. Allowing a same-sex couple to form a legal relationship seems to be a much greater threat to the Family than adultery. Personally, I’d give up on pushing for Gay Rights Equality if these Bible Thumpers had just one public stoning of an adulterer as the Bible demands.

Why this is so important:

It would be easy to see Ensign bashing as just politics as usual. A politician messed up and so he becomes the target for attacks and the other party can score some political points, but there is so much more going on here. From my perspective, it is the attitude of his loyal supporters in addition to his actions and justifications that are symptoms of the threat to democracy out there. It would be one thing if Republicans actually stood for something like Family Values. If this was a real agenda for them, then they would be outraged at Ensign’s actions and he would be history. The party would throw him out for being a dog and a liar. But the party keeps him, and his supporters ignore his indiscretions.

Where are all the Bible thumpers citing their Bible verses who are so opposed to Marriage Equality. Allowing a same-sex couple to form a legal relationship seems to be a much greater threat to the Family than adultery. Personally, I’d give up on pushing for Gay Rights Equality if these Bible Thumpers had just one public stoning of an adulterer as the Bible demands.

But the reality is the Republican Party is not interested in Biblical Morality. They are only interested in maintaining special rights for straight white people. They care more about winning than for any position or platform of belief. The sooner the rest of America recognizes this, the quicker we can begin to heal the wounds in our democracy and rebuild our country based on notions of freedom, equality, honesty and integrity.

Ensign trying to move past affair, but comparison to Clinton makes it difficult