What happens when a bunch of right-wing theocrats in Congress live together in one house on Capitol Hill? It's better than the "Real World" -- with more drama. And, embattled Senator John Ensign (R-NV) was right in the thick of it until he moved out:
As many six lawmakers — senators and congressmen — reside at the multistory town house just a few blocks from the Capitol. Group residences are common in Washington, where rents are high and elected officials typically support a residence in the capital and one in their home state.It's all just good clean spiritual fellowship at the C Street
A timely book, “The Family,” by religious writer Jeff Sharlet, described the organization that runs the house as a longtime, backroom power player in Washington, grooming lawmakers as spiritually chosen political leaders. Men often gather there for spiritual fellowship.
The C Street home became central to the Ensign saga when Cynthia Hampton’s husband, Doug, who was one of Ensign’s top aides at the time of the affair, arranged to confront Ensign there.
At that meeting in February 2008, one of the senator’s housemates and friends, Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., urged Ensign to end the affair. (Other lawmakers who live at the home were not present.) During that meeting Ensign penned a letter to Cynthia calling off the affair, but immediately afterward phoned her and told her to ignore his note. The eight-month affair ended in August 2008, the senator’s office has said.
