I was sent the link below which is an editorial which appeared in the NYT. It does not have the vituperative quality of a Maureen Dowd but it does a good job on this latest Senator Ensign affair and "C" Street aka "Prayer House" and its band of merry men in the naturally Republican party and their influence and the revenge of Ensign's number's husband Hampton.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/11/opinion/11collins.html

Excuse MY off the cuff writing. Not my usual thoughtful prose but it's early and I need to start my day and get somewhere so consequently ....

Click on Rachel Maddow show last night too. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/ ; "Washington's Secret Religious Power Sect".

She did a WHOLE thing on this "C" Street INSANITY. These loathsome religious wacko idiots who use that tax free apartment they call in tax evasion style "Prayer House" in Washington and live together, paying lower rates, INCLUDING the rancid senator from Nevada, Ensign. This fascist NUT BAG organization is clearly the worst of the worst I have ever heard of in American politics with the exception of PERHAPS the Klan in the 20's. It is THAT bad because they are worms in positions of power and influence in the US senate and Congress and tie religion to state. It is outrageous and I can ONLY hope this uber jerk Ensign who can't keep his organ in his pants as neither can Sanford, justifies doing it and Ensign makes payoffs to his little number because he was persuaded by this group that they are "chosen by God" to be a member of the wealthy elite so whatever they do is okay.

It makes your head explode as it surely does mine since I loath religion in politics so entirely. These nut jobs think Hitler and even Mao were leaders because they were chosen and unquestioned by the populous who owed them undying allegiance except these jerks put a particularly American Christian empire spin on it and apply it to themselves as long as they have the big bucks and of course because they do they are chosen by god to do whatever they want. They simply pay everyone off whom they take advantage of and criminally pay off everyone to keep their mouths shut and who knows what else. They also have bases outside the US to spread their version of Christianity which makes it a rather international crime and one could argue even treasonous. This involves a NUMBER of US senators and those affiliated with them. it is, in my opinion, sick. The Ensign affair gets curiouser and curiouser and more rancid by the minute.

They persuaded Ensign to have Ensign's parents pay 96 thousand bucks to the girl he shtoooped. (as Rachel said and used that word to explain the dynamics) oh yes because they felt SOOO sorry for her...SURE. I call it payoff and hush money big time. Rachel Maddow did a FANTASTIC job and had on the author of a book written by a guy who lived with these morons. The book is called "Family" because these guys thought of themselves as a kind of mafia family in their power holding. Nice...now we have mafia families living in the Senate! Great. Just what we need.