Ensign finds D.C. cold place

Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., got no love from Republican senators in Washington, D.C., after a Friday New York Times story detailing fresh allegations stemming from his affair with former employee Cindy Hampton.

The new allegations included evidence that suggested Ensign helped arrange lobbying work for Doug Hampton, Cindy Hampton's husband and also a former Ensign employee, which could have been in violation of revolving-door laws restricting former government workers' lobbying activity.

"John got trapped doing something really stupid and then made a lot of other mistakes afterward," Tom Coburn, R-Okla., told the Times in the story. "Judgment gets impaired by arrogance, and that's what's going on here."

Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., didn't throw any lifelines to Ensign either, telling reporters Friday, "Senator Ensign continues to serve" and saying he does not have "any observations to make about the Ensign matter."

Nevada-based Republicans have been a bit more lenient.

As recently as a Sept. 25 story in The Hill, Sue Lowden, who is running for the seat held by Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., said, "Senator Ensign is very popular here in Nevada, and he has an excellent voting record." She also said, "I hope that he becomes part and parcel of what's going to be a very vigorous campaign."

On Friday, after the New York Times reported new evidence suggesting Ensign might have helped Doug Hampton violate lobbying restrictions and that a payment from his parents to the Hamptons might have been an unreported campaign contribution, Lowden consultant Robert Uithoven said, "Senator Ensign does have an excellent voting record, which is likely why he has won so many elections in Nevada. Until or unless somebody proves otherwise, this appears to be a matter between Senator Ensign, his family, friends and colleagues."

In a Sept. 15 story in the Las Vegas Sun, Danny Tarkanian, another Republican seeking Reid's seat, said of Ensign, "I'm not going to shy away from him," and, "Senator Ensign is our senior Republican senator here. I don't see how he's not going to be part of a Republican trying to unseat the Democrat in the state he represents. I would welcome his support."

Friday, Tarkanian consultant Jamie Fisfis said that could change if allegations against Ensign are proved.

"If it is proven campaign finance laws were broken, we would certainly revisit our position," Fisfis said.

REID LOW KEY ON ENSIGN

Reid, the Senate majority leader, weighed in Friday on Ensign.

Spokesman Jon Summers responded to the new allegations in the Times report: "Senator Reid believes this is a personal matter between Senator Ensign and his family."

Melanie Sloan, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, which is pushing for more investigations of Ensign, was critical of Reid's response.

"That is laughable. It is not a matter between Senator Ensign and his family. This is a matter for the Senate, including the Senate leadership," Sloan said. "If Mr. Ensign's conduct doesn't merit condemnation, whose does?"

Sloan called the unwillingness of colleagues to condemn Ensign's behavior "the kind of thing that makes Americans cynical abut politicians."

REPLACEMENT FALLS TO GIBBONS

On a more speculative front, the Ensign saga has folks wondering who would step in should Ensign resign or be forced from office, though Ensign appears determined to remain in office.

If Ensign did step aside, Gov. Jim Gibbons would have the opportunity to appoint a replacement.

One interesting theory some Republican observers floated was that Gibbons could offer the appointment to Brian Sandoval, the former federal judge who is leading Gibbons in polls on the Republican gubernatorial primary.

If Ensign is able to stick it out until 2012, when his term ends, he could end up facing a Republican challenge from Rep. Dean Heller, R-Nev., who national Republicans wanted to challenge Reid in 2010.

Heller has called on Ensign to respond publicly to questions raised about his conduct.

On the Democratic side, Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., has said she would consider running for the seat.

ANTI-REID PAC EXPANDS SCOPE

A political action committee aimed at defeating Reid in 2010 could work also on behalf of a Republican candidate, as opposed to simply working against Reid.

The former Dump Reid PAC was formed by Nevada political consultant Chuck Muth on Aug. 17 to support or oppose just one candidate, according to Federal Election Commission filings.

The organizational paperwork was amended Aug. 28 to allow it to support or oppose more than one candidate.

"Clearly they are going to be working for a candidate on the other side," said Stacy Fisher, a University of Nevada, Reno professor with expertise in campaign finance issues.

The PAC's name was changed to Decidedly Unhappy Mainstream Patriots Rejecting Evil-mongering Incompetent Democrats: DUMP REID.

HECK MIGHT SHIFT RACES

Republican gubernatorial candidate Joe Heck says he will have an announcement to make this week. He hasn't stated it definitively, but Heck could be shifting his campaign from the gubernatorial race to a challenge for the congressional seat held by Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev.

The early leading challenger to Titus, John Guedry, dropped out last month leading to speculation that Heck might jump in.

LESS THAN IMPRESSED

Count John Chachas among the Republicans unimpressed with the field lining up to challenge Reid in 2010.

Chachas, an Eastern investment banker with roots in Ely, is considering a return to Nevada to challenge for the seat.

A source close to Chachas but unauthorized to speak on his behalf says Chachas would not be considering the move had Heller or former Rep. Jon Porter, R-Nev., run against Reid.

But they didn't, and Chachas is raising money for a possible run.

AGAIN, LESS THAN IMPRESSED

University of Nevada, Las Vegas political science professor David Damore says comparisons of Reid's Senate campaign to that of the failed campaign of Tom Daschle, D-S.D., in 2004 are flawed.

Reid opponents often say they want to "Daschle" Reid in 2010, a reference to then-Senate Democratic leader Daschle losing to former Rep. John Thune, R-S.D.

By 2004, Thune had been a fixture in statewide politics, serving three terms as South Dakota's only member of the House and narrowly losing to Sen. Tim Johnson, D-S.D., two years earlier.

Also, South Dakota was a Republican-leaning state, and Republican George W. Bush was campaigning successfully for a second term.

In Nevada, Democrats have a registration advantage of about 111,000, and the president is Democrat Barack Obama. Also, none of the candidates challenging Reid has won a statewide campaign.

"The guy (Daschle) was running against was a much better candidate than any of these candidates," Damore said. "Now, if this was Dean Heller, we were talking about, different story."

Contact reporter Benjamin Spillman at bspillman@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3861.