Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) acknowledged Tuesday that he had "violated the vows" of marriage by having an affair with a campaign staffer.
The admission -- made in a televised appearance in Las Vegas -- shocked Ensign's Senate colleagues and delivered a serious blow to any hopes he might have had of seeking the GOP presidential nomination in 2012.
Political insiders in the Senate and in Nevada told POLITICO that Ensign began the affair with the staffer several months after he separated from his wife, Darlene. When Ensign reconciled with his wife, the sources said, he gave the aide a severance package, and the two parted ways.
Continued on Page 47
#3
More rot at the top in the same-old same-old boys club for the GOP Senate leadership. FYI, Ensign was running the NRSC during the recent debacles, including backing Benedict Arlen Specter instead of staying neutral in a primary.
#7
At the very least, when he got caught (literally) with his pants down, he 'fessed up and gracefully resigned from his leadership position. The Dems *never* do that. They seethe, whine, stonewall, threaten, sue...and get promoted.
A private Venezuelan TV broadcaster threatened with closure for criticizing the government has called for talks with President Hugo Chavez. The offer came after the socialist leader extensively criticized the 24-hour news television channel Globovision on Thursday, saying it had become a problem for "people's mental health."
The Venezuelan president said that the Caracas-based media outlet was engaged in conspiracies, coup-plotting and terror that threaten public health. "This network poisons people's minds everyday and almost all the time. This is their goal: scaring people, sowing hatred, and fueling violence in the spirit of people," he said.
The president said the government would be ready to appreciate a change in attitude by the company's board of directors. "Otherwise," he said, "I guarantee that this network will not remain on the airwaves much longer."
Chavez said his warning against the channel "has nothing to do with the freedom to be critical or with freedom of expression."
Naming private TV networks Televen and Venevision as examples of responsible media, Chavez said they criticized freely. Televen has "morning (opinion) shows. I watch them sometimes," the president said, adding: "They (Globovision) will see. They have to take responsibility. Ă‚... We actually need criticism and denouncement."
The Venezuelan leader's attack against Globovision came after authorities fined the TV network and raided the property of a top executive.
The TV station responded Saturday by urging dialogue, saying it was willing to "sit down and talk (with the president), like they do in civilized countries."
"The president should know that if he wants to talk, we're willing," Globovision Director Alberto Federico Ravell said.
Globovision is known for its tough anti-government stance.
Chavez has threatened the TV station before. After the president demanded that it be punished for alleged violations of broadcast regulations, the tax office fined the network $2.3 million for alleged unpaid taxes, while a fraud probe was launched as well as an investigation into allegations that the channel is linked to an anti-government conspiracy.
Chavez has warned that a group of civilians and retired military officers is trying to recruit troops and is spreading rumors. Last Thursday during a swearing-in ceremony of six Venezuelan ambassadors he told them to fight the smear campaigns that "extreme right movements" are waging against the Venezuelan people.
The Venezuelan ruler, who has been criticized for stifling press freedom before, said he didn't care if the international community criticized him if the station is eventually shut down.
But Globovision says it is being harassed for its editorial line and that it has broken no law.
Meanwhile, media regulators are investigating the station for inciting "panic and anxiety" after a director criticized state television for being slow to inform its viewers about a minor earthquake last month. Media rights groups have spoken out against the investigation, warning of "unwarranted accusations against the (Venezuelan) press."
Continued on Page 47
(CNN) -- Brushing off suggestions Tuesday the media is not critical enough of his administration, President Obama couldn't help but take aim at one cable news channel in particular.
"It's very hard for me to swallow that one," Obama told CNBC when asked whether he thinks the media is too easy on him. "First of all, I've got one television station entirely devoted to attacking my administration."
The interviewer quickly assumed Obama was referring to Fox News, a suggestion the president didn't disagree with.
"Well, that's a pretty big megaphone," he said. "And you'd be hard-pressed, if you watched the entire day, to find a positive story about me on that front."
"We welcome people who are asking us some, you know, tough questions," he continued. "And I think that I've been probably as accessible as any president in the first six months--press conferences, taking questions from reporters, being held accountable, being transparent about what it is that we're trying to do. I think that, actually, the reason that people have been generally positive about what we've tried to do is they feel as if I'm available and willing to answer questions, and we haven't been trying to hide them all. "
Obama struck a similar tone on the matter last month in his appearance before the White House Correspondents Dinner, during which he joked to the crowd, "Most of you covered me; all of you voted for me, apologies to the Fox table." *NPD Narcissistic personality disorder as indicated by five (or more) of the following:
1. has a grandiose sense of self-importance
2. is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love
3. believes that he or she is "special" and can only be understood by, or should associate with, people (or institutions) who are also "special" or of high status.
4. requires excessive admiration
5. has a sense of entitlement
6. is interpersonally exploitative
7. lacks empathy
8. is often envious of others or believes others are envious of him or her
9. shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes Continued on Page 47
You nailed that. I was surprised by the photo though. I would have expected a middle finger.
Posted by: Jack is Back! ||
06/17/2009 10:52 Comments ||
Top||
#3
*NPD Narcissistic personality disorder as indicated by five (or more) of the following:
1. has a grandiose sense of self-importance
2. is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love
3. believes that he or she is "special" and can only be understood by, or should associate with, people (or institutions) who are also "special" or of high status.
4. requires excessive admiration
5. has a sense of entitlement
6. is interpersonally exploitative
7. lacks empathy
8. is often envious of others or believes others are envious of him or her
9. shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes
Anyone running for President, let along getting elected President, has to have one hell of an ego and sense of self-worth. They also shouldn't bruise easily. Otherwise they simply don't survive the process from thought to initial organization to begging for money (daily!) to primaries to general election.
Bambi might be a narcissist, I don't know, I'm not a psychiatrist, and I don't like tossing psychiatric terms and diagnostic codes around without knowing.
Personally I'd prefer to focus on what the man says and does, and what he intends to do. That's enough right there for me.
Posted by: Steve White ||
06/17/2009 13:10 Comments ||
Top||
#5
What he has said - and failed to say (Iran for an example), and what he has done, well.. that's damning enough.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
(CNN) -- Brushing off suggestions Tuesday the media is not critical enough of his administration, President Obama couldn't help but take aim at one cable news channel in particular.
