Indiana's Rep. Souder Resigns Over Affair

By Marcus Gilmer in News on May 18, 2010 9:30PM

Our neighbors to the east, Indiana, are dealing with a beefy political scandal today. Rep. Mark Souder, an eight-term Republican who just won a hotly contested primary two weeks ago, is resigning in the wake of the revelation he had an affair with a part-time staffer. Souder was the Representative for Indiana's Third Congressional district, which occupies the northeastern corner of the state; Fort Wayne is the largest city in Souder's district. Gov. Mitch Daniels said a special election will select a replacement for Souder, whose resignation takes effect on Friday, that will serve until his term is up at the end of January at which the seat will be taken over by whoever wins the November general election. Souder, who's been married to his wife Diane for 36 years, was an outspoken supporter of family values and abstinence education, saying after one 2008 hearing that teens should commit themselves to, "abstaining from sex until in a committed, faithful relationship." But after that, apparently, you can bang whoever you damn well please.