John Ensign

U.S. Sen. John Ensign at the Republican National Convention: Getty Images PhotoBelow is a transcript of remarks made by U.S. Sen. John Ensign (R-Las Vegas) at the Republican National Convention Thursday evening, as prepared for delivery.

U.S. Sen. John Ensign (R-Las Vegas) is scheduled to address the Republican National Convention in St. Paul this evening between 4 and 5 p.m.

Republican presidential nominee U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) will speak between 7 and 8 p.m.

Molly Ball of the Review-Journal is at the Republican National Convention and captured an awkward moment with U.S. Sen. John Ensign (R-Las Vegas). 

Ensign made comments a decade ago about how unwed women who have children should be "somewhat stigmatized." Ensign quickly retreated from a comparison to the situation with Bristol Palin, the pregnant unwed teen daughter of the GOP Veep nominee.

U,S, Sen John Ensign (R-Las Vegas), the chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, is out with a statement praising Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

"Senator McCain has again proven that he has the experience and judgment this country needs in choosing Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his Vice Presidential candidate. Governor Palin's conservative reform credentials are rock solid and makes clear what we can expect from a McCain administration. I commend Sen. McCain for his choice."

We see a lot of blue on the Winners list this week with the bump from the Democratic National Convention. Scathing criticism of the Nevada GOP by their own party did not help in an already tough week. | CLICK HERE

The Republican National Convention announced a series of additional speakers for next week's events in St. Paul, and it includes U.S. Sen. John Ensign (R-Las Vegas).

Ensign, the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, is scheduled to address the convention on Monday.

WASHINGTON -- National Republican Senatorial Committee chair John Ensign’s public lashing of his fellow Republicans for failing to fill the organization’s coffers hit the nation’s capitol like a thunderbolt.

“It’s the kind of rhetoric you would expect to see behind the scenes but not in a statement from a committee chairman,” remarked Nathan Gonzales, an analyst for the Rothenberg Political Report.

But what does Ensign’s move say about the committee’s fundraising efforts and the Senate playing field heading into the fall?

Jenniffer Duffy, an analyst for the Cook Political Report, said that while the statement was jolting it didn’t come as a complete surprise. Less than a month ago, Duffy noted, Ensign put out a similar public statement aimed to pressure his Republican colleagues.

U.S. Sen. John Ensign (R-Las Vegas) has thrown down the gauntlet to his counterparts, announcing 73 days before the election that if they don't find the cash, the GOP is toast in the Senate.

WASHINGTON -- National Republican Senatorial Committee chair John Ensign (R-Las Vegas) apparently believes his best strategy for goading money out of his Senate colleagues is by taking them to the woodshed – publicly.

In a scalding Friday morning statement, Ensign said the NRSC’s budget for airing of independent expenditure-paid advertisements for the fall’s elections would have to be reduced because of the committee’s lack of funding from Republican Members.

"I recently challenged my colleagues to step up to the plate and help me provide the resources our candidates need to compete in races across the country -- to match the DSCC expenditures in targeted races,” Ensign said. “It has become clear that my call has gone largely unanswered. I have no control over the timing or content of IE ads, but I have had no choice but to decrease the total budget of our IE Unit. It is still my hope that my Republican colleagues will engage in this election and help match what the Democrats are doing. If they do, I will adjust our budget accordingly."