Titus: Ensign’s call was discourteous

WASHINGTON — Rep. Dina Titus moved to get in the last word Friday after Sen. John Ensign recommended that thousands of Southern Nevada residents call on her to vote against health care reform.

“I thought it was inappropriate,” Titus said of the “telephone town hall” Wednesday that Ensign targeted to constituents in her congressional district.

On the hourlong call, the Republican senator outlined his opposition to the pending health care bill, and said listeners should make their views known to Titus, a Democrat who at the time had not declared a position.

Titus said it was “a pretty extreme move,” and violated a courtesy among members of the state’s congressional delegation.

Titus said she tries to be courteous to Ensign.

“We have been very careful not to say anything about his ethical problems or his legal problems,” Titus said. “We have totally stayed out of that as a courtesy to another member of the delegation.”

Ensign is the subject of criminal and ethics investigations growing from an extramarital affair he had with a campaign aide who was married to one of his top Senate assistants.