Taegan Goddard's Political Wire

July 10, 2009

Pressure Grows on Ensign

Senate leaders generally refused comment on Sen. John Ensign's (R-NV) admission that he paid nearly $100,000 to the family of his mistress but the Las Vegas Sun says GOP support for the embattled senator was dwindling.

One Nevada GOP consultant told Roll Call that the math on the figures released "does not appear to add up and expressed concern that there were additional, still-undisclosed payments. "

Said the consultant: "Watching the money trail is going to be important... The sense is it's still not over."

As for whether Ensign will be forced to resign, "the key players to watch in Nevada Republican circles will be Gov. Jim Gibbons, Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki and Rep. Dean Heller. A resignation demand from any of those Silver State GOP leaders would indicate that Ensign's support back home is crumbling."

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Taegan D. Goddard is the creator of Political Wire, a political column updated around the clock with the most interesting news, buzz and commentary.

Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country, including the Washington Post, USA Today, Boston Globe, San Francisco Chronicle, Chicago Tribune, Philadelphia Inquirer and Christian Science Monitor.

This is a personal site and does not necessarily reflect the views of any company, political campaign or advocacy group.

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