>> doug hanson, as you noted, the former aide to senator ensign and doug hanson's wife was having an affair for months with hanson. hanson came to us corroborated with us by separate interviews and documents, this was an active plan by senator ensign and hanson to move him off the senator's staff, first of all, set him up in a political consulting and lobbying job and get him business from donors of ensign's. and it went so far as to -- as to allow hanson to actively lobby ensign and ensign in turn to do the bidding of hanson's clients in calling, for instance, two different transportation secretaries in putting pressure on the interior department to release the environmental impact statement for $5 billion coal plant for a company that ensign represented and other instances as well. >> senator ensign spent much of the summer apologizing to constituents and drawing a contrast with senator clinton in the lewinsky scandal, subjecting that -- i'm sorry, president clinton, saying that president clinton had committed a crime by allegedly like under oath. now, doesn't this suggest that sena

but coburn saw himself as the senator's friend and doug hanson's friend. he explains it, at least, he was trying to achieve reconciliation between the parties and see a way that the hansons, who clearly have been harmed, could be made whole. and you know, but it -- >> with money? >> right. yeah. it was very odd and i'm sure that's going to be looked at as well. >> well, this was a long piece. you guys have clearly done a lot of great reporting. eric with "the new york times," thanks, we appreciate it. >> thank you. >>> all right. health care reform is now getting closer than ever before to the possibility of action on the senate floor. >> that's right. you know, the senate finance committee worked until 2:15 this morning to try to hash out what amendments would be included in its bill and the committee will hold a final vote next week, seems like they have been voting forever. of course -- >> you say that for the last amendment? >> exactly, 2:15 vote. they were working on it until 2:15, i should same after the congressional budget office figures out how mu

cindy and doug hanson -- ensen claims that this was just a gift from his parents to the hamptons and two of their three children. whether it was severance or a gift, it could be a criminal matter. ensign is not a staffer -- senators moms and dads. also still unexplored in john ensign's role in getting the son of his mistress a job on a campaign committee. this story has been given a lot of new life. one of the reporters that broke the news on this story, eric lipton, congratulations on the scoop, thank you for joining us. >> thank you for having me. >> first of all, i just said a lot about this case and about your reporting so i want to give you a chance to tell me if i have screwed anything up there in that introduction since you have looked into it in such detail. did i get anything wrong. >> just that the senator insists that his interaction with hampton was appropriate and that he never took action at hampton's request, all that actions were taken that were consistent with what hampton asked, the senator makes the distinction that his delivery of those requests were not as a resu