Republican Congressional Caucus-- Hypocrisy Is Thy Name: Mark Souder, In A Huff, Announces Resignation

Oops! Souder removed the video from his account. The Washington Post captured it though:



It's just a matter of time before we find out if the lovely Tracy Jackson is the congressional staffer who abstinence fanatic-- and right-wing kook-- Mark Souder was caught boinking. The video is certainly worth watching whether this beautiful young woman was the victim of Souder's workplace assault or not. This is after all the heart of the Republican social agenda for America. It's important to remember that the "red" states where Republicans insist that the role of government is, in Souder's own words, "teaching morality," have far more divorces and far more teen pregnancies than in normal parts of America where people tend to be less hung up about this kind of crap. And, no, I'm not making this up. I listened to a fascinating show on the topic on NPR's Talk of the Nation a couple of days ago and I've been meaning to share it with you.

Many of our assumptions about the cultural divide between red and blue states may be wrong. New research shows that more liberal states, like Massachusetts, tend to have the lowest rates of divorce and teen childbirth. In other words the most stable families, the homes with two parents to nurture their kids, are found in the liberal strongholds along the East and West Coasts.

Conversely, the higher rates of teen childbirth and divorce occur in the red states that conservatives so often celebrate as the heartland of family values.

In a new book [Red Families v. Blue Families: Legal Polarization and the Creation of Culture], law profs Naomi Cahn and June Carbone argue this is not the paradox it might seem, that the answers lie in economics, politics and culture.

...CONAN: And it's important not to overlook that last one because some people have pointed out the teen pregnancy rate is just about the same in red states and blue states. It's the teen birthrate that's different, and there, you're talking about abortion.

Ms. CAHN: That's right, and there we are talking about abortion. But as soon as we start talking about abortion, one of the things that June and I argue is that we need to back up. We need to back up and look at contraception, and we need to look at access to contraception and making it as easy as possible for men and women, boys and girls, who are becoming sexually active to access contraception because although no contraception is fail-proof, having access to safe, long-acting contraception can help prevent the need for abortion.

The other thing that we emphasize is the importance of education. And if you look at the abortion rates nationally, college-educated women are much less likely than women the same age to be getting abortions. So education and contraception are what we think are of as cornerstones to the blue family lifestyle.

Souder, who announced his resignation today, was first elected to represent the northeast corner of Indiana (IN-03, the Fort Wayne district) in 1994. His voting record is really putrid overall, but take a look at his voting record on health-releated issues; tells you something about this fella. Since Obama has become president his overall ProgressivePunch score has sunk to a startling 1.23 (out of 100)! He'll leave Congress in disgrace as of Friday, after saying he had "sinned against God, my wife and my family by having a mutual relationship with a part-time member of my staff," as though "part-time" made this kind of sexual harassment in the workplace any less unethical-- or any less illegal.

"I wish I could have been a better example," he was to say. "In this poisonous environment of Washington, D.C., any personal failing is seized upon, often twisted, for political gain. I am resigning rather than to put my family through that painful, drawn-out process. ... We are a committed family but the error is mine and I should bear the responsibility. Not only am I thankful for a loving family but for a loving God."

Another right-wing scold gets hoist on his own petard. Keep in mind that Souder has been vehemently denying this affair for month, insisting it was nothing but trumped up politically-motivated charges with no substance. Finally, caught like a rat, he's resigning-- which is more than can be said about colleague rats Vitter and Ensign. Now he falls back on blaming the environment in DC and trying to say it isn't as bad as some of his GOP Class of '94 colleagues because, unlike them, he was drilling a woman, not an underage boy.

Souder was absent from Washington most of last week, missing multiple votes and only voting on Thursday. While the rumors had been flying, Souder claimed that he was at home tending to his ill wife.
In his statement, he added that be stepping down, his "mistake cannot be used as a political football" to undermine the causes he supports.

"As I leave public office, my plans are focused on repairing my marriage, earning back the trust of my family and my community and renewing my walk with my Lord," his statement reads. 

All the way through his election, Souder tried to knock down the affair story, calling it revenge politics at play. But the backroom chatter in Indiana and among the GOP on Capitol Hill became too much to survive. Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels was informed as late as Monday night that Souder would give up his post. 

Souder's resignation would make him the second lawmaker to step down in less than two months. In March, former Rep. Eric Massa, D-N.Y., resigned amid allegations that he sexually harassed male staffers. Massa's case is now before the House Ethics Committee.

Teabaggers will be delighted to know that aside from being a sexual predator, Souder was also one of the corrupt Wall Street shills who voted for Bush's bank bailout in October, 2008 and who could never find a law that was harsh enough towards people-- especially students-- who used drugs.


UPDATE: Will Boehner Resign Too?

Republican Minority Leader John Boehner has known for several weeks, if not months, that Souder was having sex with a staffer for several years.

After aides to Souder learned last week of the congressman's affair, they contacted Minority Leader John Boehner's office. A Souder aide met on Sunday with members of Boehner's leadership staff, and Boehner (Ohio) spoke by phone to Souder on Monday night, just hours before Souder announced that he would resign.

House members are prohibited from having sexual relationships with their aides.

House Republican leaders, who hammered Democrats over the sexual harassment scandal that toppled Rep. Eric Massa (N.Y.) in March, said little Tuesday about the Souder resignation. The minority leader "has been perfectly clear that he will hold our members to the highest ethical standards," a spokesman for Boehner said.

Boehner should do the right thing and step down. He protected Mark Foley when he was molesting underage boys and now he helped Souder coverup this inappropriate relationship with a taxpayer funded congressional staffer. Because of Boehner's perfidy Souder won a close primary against teabagger Bob Thomas.