Ensign Is A No On Sotomayor
A source with knowledge of his intentions tells On Call that embattled Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) will announce today that he will oppose Sonia Sotomayor's SCOTUS nomination when the Senate votes later this week.
Ensign's statement, as reported by Jon Ralston of the Las Vegas Sun:
Judge Sotomayor's record and testimony provide uncertainty and doubt that she will rule with a fair and impartial adherence to the rule of law. I feel she has given no assurances that the Second Amendment is an individual, fundamental right -- a right I believe is central to the Constitution. I believe she has demonstrated a propensity to rule with purpose-driven results and has indicated a particular interest in international standards or laws to decide U.S. constitutional questions.
Under normal circumstances, that Ensign -- rated by National Journal as one of the most conservative senators in their '08 vote ratings -- would oppose Sotomayor is a non-story.
But Ensign has been battling scandals for the past couple of months, after he first admitted having an affair with the wife of a close aide, then admitted that his parents gave the aide's family $96K in gifts after the affair ended. E-mails revealed yesterday by the Las Vegas Sun that showed the extent to which officials at the NRSC knew about the affair are only making it more difficult for Ensign to put the scandal behind him.
Ensign has three-and-a-half years left on his Senate term, and should he seek re-election, he would do so in a state that went for Pres. Obama last fall by 12 points, with Hispanics making up 15% of the electorate.
In other news, retiring Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH) refused to divulge his vote to ABC News' "Top Line" webcast today. But when asked if he had seen anything that would cause him to reach a different conclusion than he did when he voted in favor of Sotomayor's circuit-court nomination in '98, Gregg answered, "Not so far."
(QUINN McCORD/STEVEN SHEPARD)
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