Yesterday’s announced resignation of Republican Rep. Mark Souder amid sex scandal seems to be your ho-hum garden-variety affair with a part-time staffer. Thus far, there has been nothing to suggest that adult diapers, wide stances or non-consensual tickling was involved.
If it wasn’t for the whole hypocrisy thing, it would be just a private matter between him and his “ill” wife, who he had said he had been caring for this week. But, as often is the case, Souder had touted himself as a conservative “family values” politician and tireless advocate for abstinence-only-until-holy-union-of-marriage public school education. This certainly raises the question that if an aging white-haired paunchy married grandfather can’t keep his pants zipped, why for God’s sake should we expect teenagers?
But an interesting side note to the story is that Souder is also an intelligent-design proponent and even had a bit part in the Ben Stein ID movie Expelled, in which he decried the scientific community for not being more tolerant to the concept of revamped creationism. In 2008, he said, “I personally believe that there is no issue more important to our society than intelligent design.” The blog Sensuous Curmudgeon gave Souder a congressional buffoon award for his fervent embrace of the issue.
So, Souder wasn’t just your typical “family values” horn-dog unable to practice what he preached. He’s also the kind of person who believes evolution destroys morality.
