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Ear to the Ground

So Long, Rep. Souder

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Posted on May 18, 2010
Souder
Wikimedia Commons / United States Government

Another day, another Capitol Hill sex scandal: On Tuesday, Congressman Mark Souder, a pro-life and pro-abstinence Republican from Indiana, announced that he was resigning after admitting he’d had an affair with a female staffer. The woman in question is Tracy Jackson, a “part-time member” of his staff, Souder said in a statement, who also appears with him in an abstinence-education-themed video that TPMMuckraker posted for our educational enrichment.  —KA

Los Angeles Times:

Souder, 59, said in a statement provided by his office that he has “sinned against God, my wife and my family by having a mutual relationship with a part-time member of my staff.”

He scheduled a news conference in Fort Wayne, Ind., on Tuesday to discuss his decision.

Souder won a bruising Republican primary on May 4 to be nominated for his ninth term representing northeastern Indiana. In his statement, he said would not be a candidate in the fall election.

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By samosamo, May 24, 2010 at 7:59 pm Link to this comment

****************

 

By Wendy in CA, May 24 at 8:55 pm
““unfortunately candidates do not have to hand us all a written
document stating “I am a moron and a flaming hypocrite””
****************

Yep, you’re so right there, as as matter of fact the msm has
cultivated the dumbstream of america so well, all the ‘wannabes’
or incumbent has to show is expensively coifed hair, teeth that
are whiter than a freshly painted white picket fence and the
latest in corporate upscale(keyword there) fashionable apparel,
oh, don’t forget those shiny shoes.

That way when the msm holds their ‘grilling’ debates these
facades can just smile, look pretty, and read the answers to the
audience, tv and the select studio crew,  with unwavering clairity
and passion just as miss america does in her Q & A session. And
from all this, the dumbstream will carefully make their choice
about who they want to ‘ram it home’ when elected.

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Wendy in CA's avatar

By Wendy in CA, May 24, 2010 at 4:55 pm Link to this comment

REA - Well unfortunately candidates do not have to hand us all a written document stating “I am a moron and a flaming hypocrite”. Too bad -it would make things so much easier that way!

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RAE's avatar

By RAE, May 24, 2010 at 3:08 pm Link to this comment

Well, Wendy, I concede you have a point.

There’s something especially repugnant about these holier-than-thou hypocrites. We need to devise some particularly odious legal consequences/punishments to deal with as*holes such as this jerk.

I would immediately demand restitution of EVERY CENT of public money he or she has ever used in pursuit of whatever their cause, including that portion of his/her salary & benefits (time) spent on said pursuit.

When I read a statement that “I have sinned against God…” I just about throw up. It’s bad enough to be a flaming hypocrite… but to publicly admit you take your marching orders from some imaginary deity is a far greater indiscretion, in my opinion, than any extra-marital affair could ever be.

How do morons like this get elected? Are voters really this gullible?

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Wendy in CA's avatar

By Wendy in CA, May 24, 2010 at 9:17 am Link to this comment

@RAE
I agree that most of the time another person’s intimate personal affairs are no one’s business but those directly affected…

Here’s where that changes. Souder made it HIS business to try and affect the intimate personal affairs of others by promoting abstinence. Who people choose to caress is none of Souder’s business!

He resigns his right to have his own sex life be “personal business” when he makes the sex lives of young adults HIS business - don’t you get it? If you don’t want your own sex life scrutinized, don’t mess with the sex lives of others.

Another example is George Rekers…

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By samosamo, May 19, 2010 at 11:11 am Link to this comment

****************


Pushing abstinence and yet a ‘part time’ staffer, takes the shaft
from this most ironically hypocritical employee of the people.
Except, these are 2 consenting adults even if she agreed to a
lump sum for the privilege of sex with a ‘powerbroker’ so why
abstain? Let his constituency sort that out if he decides not to
resign.

And his use of some cooked up data to refute what has been
determined ineffective policy for those kids that have just come
into puberty and are hot and ready to experiment with those
feelings, well… better to try and stop the rain from falling or
stopping the leaking oil pipe in the gulf of mexico.

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RAE's avatar

By RAE, May 19, 2010 at 8:58 am Link to this comment

Big B: “I do, however, get a perverse pleasure from seeing yet another bible thumping wacko go down in flames with his dick in his hand.”

Jealousy won’t get you very far, Mr. Big. And I don’t agree it necessarily has anything to do with ability to do a job. Also, if you think you can trust a politician who hasn’t yet been caught with his hand, or any other part, in some cookie’s “jar” then you’re dreaming!

And don’t you snicker, ITW. You’re just as green.

Wouldn’t it be funny if just keeping “it” in your hand (or on your finger tip - let not get sexist here) was also a venal sin (as many I assume still think?) The entire Congress would have to stand, cry, confess and leave the building! Ha. Ha. Ha.

Only anal retentive nut cases somehow consider someone else’s sexual proclivities/behavior something they have a right to judge. If anything should be a sin it’s sticking your hypocritical nose in someone else’s business (figuratively speaking, of course).

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By Inherit The Wind, May 19, 2010 at 8:42 am Link to this comment

Big B, May 19 at 8:50 am #

....
I do, however, get a perverse pleasure from seeing yet another bible thumping wacko go down in flames with his dick in his hand.

*********************************************

It’s the simple things that make life worth living!

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By Beltwaylaid, May 19, 2010 at 8:16 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

A man who has both feet planted firmly in the air can
be safely called a liberal as opposed to the
conservative, who has both feet firmly planted in his
mouth.
Jacques Barzun

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By Big B, May 19, 2010 at 4:50 am Link to this comment

RAE

Whoever a man is “boning” has everything to do with his ability to govern. My mom always said of slick Willy “if his wife can’t trust him, why should I”?

Keep in mind ail you people out in tv land, if a man (or woman) would screw over their own spouse, what makes you think that they wouldn’t do it to you?

I do, however, get a perverse pleasure from seeing yet another bible thumping wacko go down in flames with his dick in his hand.

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By Inherit The Wind, May 19, 2010 at 4:19 am Link to this comment

rfidler, May 18 at 6:47 pm #

He looks like such a nerd! Wonder what the chick’s like.

What is it about women chasing power?
**************************************

Download his Youtube video decrying Waxman’s questioning of the effectiveness of abstinence-only programs.  You can link to it at Huffpo or maybe from the LA Times art (I don’t know).  It’s hilarious.  The blond “interviewer” is the hypocrite he was boning.

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RAE's avatar

By RAE, May 18, 2010 at 4:43 pm Link to this comment

This man’s intimate personal affairs are NO ONE’S BUSINESS but those directly affected. That would be him, his family and his extra-marital partner(s).

I’m no bible-thumper but for those who choose to get their marcing orders from it, may I remind you that you of this: “LET HE WHO IS WITHOUT SIN CAST THE FIRST STONE.”

I feel ashamed and sorry for Souder - not because of his sexual daliances but because of the self-imposed guilt he feels that makes it necessary for him to call a press conference, confess, and resign. Who he is caressing when off duty has, or should have, NOTHING TO DO WITH HIS COMPETENCY IN HIS JOB.

He, along with millions of others, including Tiger Woods, have been brainwashed by religious nonsense. I feel sorry for them all.

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rico, suave's avatar

By rico, suave, May 18, 2010 at 2:47 pm Link to this comment

He looks like such a nerd! Wonder what the chick’s like.

What is it about women chasing power?

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By ralph, May 18, 2010 at 2:27 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

The bible condems hypocrites to eternal damnation, in quite a few places. Why do religious souls ignore the warning? Because they are hypocrites.

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skulz fontaine's avatar

By skulz fontaine, May 18, 2010 at 1:18 pm Link to this comment

“Moral values” would be lip service to abstinence? Bye bye Mr. Venal Hypocrite.

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