As we all know by now, John Ensign has been raked over the coals in a report created by the people who are among the most reluctant in the world about criticizing each other's ethics. It takes monstrous and embarrassing violations to get criticized for ethical lapses while a sitting senator. I give you David Vitter (R--Diapers), whose behavior is not under any particular scrutiny.
The DOJ had declined to prosecute Mr.Ensign when his depravity and sexual predation were first revealed...by Ensign at a press conference. Apparently the Senate Ethics Committee investigators were able to find information about Mr. Ensign's criminal violations that the FBI was unable to locate on the front pages of a lot of newspapers.
But the rank ineptitude of the FBI and the DOJ in this case is now moot. We have a criminal case whether DOJ wanted one or not.
Criminal cases mean that people have to testify under oath about stuff, and Mr. Ensign had extremely relevant conversations with some juicy targets. Depositions will be ever so much fun for someone. Please send a liberal.
Either it goes to trial or it doesn't. There will be big pressure to avoid a trial, because if it goes to trial, both Santorum and Coburn will have to talk about their relationship under oath. The GOP would be dragged through the gutter for a long time, and there just might be enough tawdry sex to get the attention of the Washington Press.
Nah.
The (likely) alternative is that Ensign avoids a trial by pleading to something. He's looking at so many charges that he'll want to cop a plea, but prosecutors have a lot of leverage, should they care to use it. He won't get away with admitting to loitering. To plead down he'll have to sell out a few former friends. I'm sure he knows a lot about a lot.
His former friends will want him to take his fifty years and shut up, but they won't be sharing the cell. I'm betting that John gives his heart to Jesus in the next few months.
Now, watch this drive.