THIS, while disgusting, is surely just another symptom of people with too much power being corrupted by it:
Rep. Mark Souder (R-Ind.) is resigning from Congress after telling colleagues he had an affair with a female aide.
Souder said his resignation – which will take effect Friday — is “the best decision for my family, the people of northeast Indiana and our country.”
Sounder and his wife have three adult children.
Souder’s staff informed Minority Leader John Boehner’s staff of the affair on Sunday. Boehner and Souder spoke on Monday, and Boehner told the Indiana Republican he should resign, according to GOP sources.
“Boehner has been perfectly clear that he will hold our members to the highest ethical standards,” said Michael Steel, Boehner’s spokesman.
Souder was an aide to former Sen. Dan Coats (R-Ind.) before being elected to Congress. Coats is running this year to return to the Senate.
A hard-line conservative, Souder recently survived a tough GOP primary in the Hoosier State, edging two opponents who held him under 50 percent. Souder’s Republican rivals criticized Souder over his support for the Troubled Asset Relief Program and Cash for Clunkers programs.
Notice how Souder didn’t offer to resign until John Boehner told him to do it? I’m sorry, Rep Souder, but whose interests are you really looking out for here — yours or your constituents? After Republicans have been stung recently by Florida Governor Charlie Crist’s decision to bolt the party and run as an independent, I’m sure Boehner’s “talk” was brief, and to the point.
Now you might think that the Republicans in the Third District would seek to appoint one of the other candidates who lost to Souder to fill his seat – and you’d be wrong. For one thing, Indiana law only allows seats to the House to be filled by special elections. as Northwest Indiana Politics can explain to you here. The other problem is that the best man for the job may not have been running.
The best man for the job was, very likely, recently defeated Senatorial candidate Marvin Stutzman, a Tea Party favorite.
State Sen. Marlin Stutzman, who came up short in a Republican Senate primary this month, has told associates he will announce his candidacy for the seat Rep. Mark Souder (R-Ind.) resigned from Tuesday.
Stutzman, state Rep. Randy Borror, Fort Wayne City Councilwoman Liz Brown, and Fort Wayne attorney Phil Troyer, who came up short in his primary challenge to Souder earlier this month, have all begun to inform party leaders they will seek Souder’s seat, according to a local Indiana GOP official.
Other possible candidates for the seat include, state Senate President Pro Tempore David Long and Bob Thomas, a wealthy auto dealer who drew more than 30 percent of the vote in a self-funded primary challenge to Souder.
Indiana Republicans will begin a process within the next 30 days to choose a special election candidate for the House seat. The selection process will begin with a precinct caucus meeting. Since Indiana already held its primary elections earlier this month, local party leaders will convene again later in the year to choose a nominee for the regularly scheduled November election.
Somehow I don’t think the timing of Souder’s announcement was coincidental. Had he resigned earlier his seat could have been filled during the primaries. Rep. Boehner had to TELL him to resign; a sign he was unwilling to do so. And he resigned when all attention was diverted to the primaries being held in Ohio, Arkansas, and Kentucky.
And, I’m sorry, but a man who will cheat on his wife is a moral and ethical scumbag who will tell anyone anything; so we can’t trust a thing he says.
Big Honkin’ Hat Tip to Northwest Indiana Poltics’ Steve Dalton for the tip on this.
One down, another 400+ to go.
~Johnny~
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