ABSTRACT
When Bill Clinton’s affair with Monica Lewinksy was exposed in public, John Ensign, the Nevada Republican, a possible contender for the next presidential race, declared it “an embarrassing moment for the country”. Much is being made of Ensign’s hypocrisy. John Ensign is a member of an evangelical church promoting fidelity and he has spoken out about the illicit sexual behaviour of other politicians. He represents the conservative right of the Republican Party that upholds the values of the family and heterosexuality as central to its political platform. Ensign’s confession of his sexual affair may be necessary not only to restore his own personal credibility but also to reinforce a belief in the authority and invincibility of American power. Particularly at a time when the country is in a much more vulnerable position in relation to the world than perhaps it has been since the Revolution.
