Sen. John Ensign, who just a week ago was an up and coming Republican star, Tuesday apologized to his GOP Senate colleagues for an affair with a campaign colleague.

Ensign stepped down as chairman of the Senate's Republican Policy Committee after his admission last week of an eight-month affair. He spoke to a closed-door meeting of GOP senators Tuesday for about two minutes, colleagues said.

He "apologized and indicated he was going to do his job," said Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. Colleagues said they welcomed Ensign's remarks, and applauded his comments.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada had warm words for the Ensign family.

"I know you have a lot of questions," he told reporters, "but I'm not going to answer them," except to say, "I have known the Ensign family for many, many years."

Reid added that he was friendly with Ensign's father_"a wonderful man. He's done a great job of coming from nowhere to become a very, very wealthy man. and he's done it through hard work, ingenuity." Mike Ensign ran the Mandalay Resort Group.

As for Sen. Ensign, Reid said, "I hope he works his way through this."