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May 21, 2010

GOP Rep. Souder Formally Resigns over Extramarital Affair
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And this week, Republican Congress member Mark Souder of Indiana
resigned his House seat after acknowledging he had an affair with a
female staffer. Souder, who came in with the Republican Revolution of
1994, has long campaigned on a platform of family values. Earlier this
week, Souder announced his resignation in a tearful news conference,
admitting he had an extramarital affair with a staffer. Last year, he
appeared along with the staffer in a campaign video promoting
abstinence.

In 1998, Democracy Now! invited both Congress members Mark Souder and
Bill Mc Collum to discuss by phone a recent House vote on combating
drugs. Both were Republican members of Congress who were calling on
President Clinton to resign over the Monica Lewinsky scandal. Mc Collum
is now running for governor in Florida. In the spirit of the times, I
asked both men if they ever had extramarital affairs. Here’s what it
sounded like.

AMY GOODMAN: "Well, can I ask you, Congress member Mc Collum, in the
spirit of peep-hole politics that we all seem to be engaged in right
now, are you now, or have you ever been, involved in an extramarital
sexual affair?

REP. BILL Mc COLLUM: "No, ma’am. I am—I am not, and I’m not, at
this present time, involved in anything whatsoever, have not been, and
I’m not going to get involved in that kind of discussion. You know, I
think this is really crazy what they did with Henry Hyde yesterday. I
think that’s very unfortunate."

AMY GOODMAN: "Revealing that he had had a sexual affair."

REP. BILL Mc COLLUM: "Yes, ma’am."

AMY GOODMAN: "But isn’t this what we have come to?"

REP. BILL Mc COLLUM: "Well"—

AMY GOODMAN: "I mean, doesn’t this seem to be the question now that
everyone will ask every person who gets involved with public life, is
start off with this question?"

REP. BILL Mc COLLUM: "Unfortunately, that’s true, but that’s not what
this issue’s about. The issue in the case of President Clinton is not
about sex; it’s not about a sexual affair. It’s about lying under oath
in a court proceeding."

AMY GOODMAN: "Congress member Mc Collum, we’re 
also joined by Republican Congress member Mark Souder of Indiana. And
while we do want to go back to the issue of the Drug Act that was passed
yesterday, let me ask you if you think that that’s a fair question now
to ask each public official, is to start off by saying, are you now, or
have you ever been, involved in an extramarital sexual affair?"

REP. BILL Mc COLLUM: "Are you asking me that, or are you asking Souder
that?"

AMY GOODMAN: "I’m asking Congress member Souder that. Congress member
Souder?"

REP. MARK SOUDER: [silence]

AMY GOODMAN: "Are you there?"

REP. MARK SOUDER: [silence]

AMY GOODMAN: "I think he’s just dropped off the line."

REP. BILL Mc COLLUM: "Well, and I’m going to have to drop off the line.
Unfortunately, I have to go and be in a committee hearing which deals
with the very subject of the matter of the presidency that we’re talking
about. So, I’ve enjoyed being with you, but I’ve got to go do that."



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