Unlike the Democrats, Republican Leader Boehner didn't waste any time showing Souder the door after learning of the affair. It took Pelosi and her leadership months to oust the Democrat Massa who kept making gay advances towards aides and others but they looked the other way.
Souder never should have run this time with all the rumors swirling that have now been confirmed. Democrats were lying in wait to spring this out in the open during the general but their plans are dashed as a aide outed Souder. Having Marlin Stutzman as the nominee will make this seat an unlikely pickup for the Democrats. In fact we would put their chances at less than 5% if that to pick up the seat if Stutzman is chosen. We also expect the Stutzman choice to keep Democrat Congressional Committee money out of the race.
Washington Post -- Indiana Rep. Mark Souder resigns after admitting affair
The Christian faith is predicated on an understanding of man’s imperfection. But still so many Christians brag about their own virtue.
By modern standards, Souder’s scandal is Squaresville. He carried on an affair with a consenting adult woman who was a booster in his northwest Indiana district and a part-time staffer. But because Souder was such a holy roller, crusading against sex and drugs (I assume he had some reservations about rock ‘n roll), his moral blowout provides a rich vein of hypocrisy to be mined.
By talking so often of morality in his 16-year career in Congress, Souder made it almost inevitable that he would eventually do damage to the cause he went to Washington to serve. Pride goeth and all that.
It took House Minority Leader John Boehner took about 30 seconds to tell Souder to get out. A staffer got wise to Souder, confronted the congressman and then went to Boehner. Unlike Republicans who tried to stall on the creepy antics of Rep. Mark Foley in 2006 and the willful ignorance of Democrats about tickle-fan Eric Massa this year, Boehner didn’t dawdle.
Souder is so strange-looking that he might be commended under different circumstances for finding not one but two women who would have constituent relations with him. But as it is, he will quit Congress on Friday, setting up a scramble in his staunchly Republican district. Gov. Mitch Daniels can’t call a special election in less than two months, and might be inclined to just push the special until November to be held concurrently with the vote for the next full term.
GOP leaders will pick Souder’s replacement on the ballot and Democrats have even less hope that nominee Tom Hayhurst can win with Souder, a posterboy for incumbency disease even before his affair was exposed, will be able to win.
Writers Carol Leonning and Mary Ann Akers explain:
“One possible replacement is state Sen. Marlin Stutzman of Howe, who finished second to former senator Dan Coats in this month's GOP primary for the U.S. Senate.
Stutzman has a connection to Jackson's husband: Brad Jackson is a friend and pilot who sometimes flew Stutzman around the state for his Senate campaign.”
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