Congressman Mark Souder (R-IN) announced today that he will be resigning after it was revealed that he was having an affair with a female staffer.
Souder ran on and was elected on a platform of "moral and family values," which seems to be a prerequisite for congressman engaging in sex scandals. He has been an outspoken proponent of abstinence-only sex education and one of the fiercest drug warriors in Congress. In 1998 Souder authored the HEA Aid Elimination Penalty, the law that denies any student with a drug conviction financial aid for college. He's also done all he can to oppose medical marijuana and gay marriage efforts including voting in support of the Defense of Marriage Act.
The vacancy of his seat opens up a new and unexpected opportunity for democrats.
The kicker to this whole story is that Souder and the part-time staffer with whom he philandered (reportedly also married) created a video to highlight how righteous Souder is for supporting abstinence only sex education in Congress.