To Doug, Your Friend & Brother in Christ.

… And Oh By The Way, I’m Screwing Your Wife.

Let’s say the columns, the Capitol and the flagpole actually don’t silently reinforce the virility of Senator Ensign. What they do amplify, however, is the power trip — the photo representing just-one-more-example-out-of-who-knows-how-many philandering elected representatives and card-carrying members of the Christian right either acting out from repression or just using Jesus as a front man.

And then, the God connection seems to have also pulled in his prayerful buddy Coburn, the cover up — at least, to the secular guys — always being bigger than the crime.

(image: unattributed via NYT. caption: Senator John Ensign, Republican of Nevada, left, hired Doug Hampton, an old friend, as an aide in 2006. Mr. Ensign has admitted having an affair with Mr. Hampton’s wife, Cindy, his campaign treasurer)