What was the deal? Two weeks after victory in the Republican primary, U.S. Representative Mark Souder of Indiana's third congressional district stunned the Hoosier state by announcing his resignation from Congress and withdrawal from his re-election campaign. Rumors had been circulating in political circles for months about Souder's involvement with part time staffer Tracy Jackson. The scandal finally came to light in May 2010 when Souder's chief of staff confronted him about the rumors, leading the staunch conservative to admit his infidelity. Six days later, Souder went public.
What did he say? A transcript of Souder's brief public statement, delivered three years ago today, can be found here. In the video of the speech above, the congressman does go off script a few times, most notably when he explains why his wife is not standing with him at the announcement.
How did he do? For a short speech, there's a lot here to deal with. First, Souder describes the affair as a "mutual relationship"? Huh? He really could use some help from one of our regulars Mark Sanford when it comes to waxing poetic about one's illicit passion so that it doesn't sound like a contract clause.
On a more substantive level, well, it's still not that great. Granted, it's a resignation speech, so no vigorous or creative self-defense is expected. Still, even a resignation speech should try to present the speaker in the best light possible under the circumstances. The address likely will remain the public's dominant memory of the accused and should not undermine a possible comeback down the road. In his public statement, Souder attempts two reasonable strategies: mortification strategy (apologize, seeking forgiveness, and accepting responsibility) and identification strategy (emphasizing similarities between the accused and the audience). Regarding the former, the congressman confesses: "I have sinned against God, my wife, and my family," "The error is mine and I should bear the responsibility," and "I am so ashamed to have hurt those I love and I am so sorry to have let so many friends down." He also identifies with the audience throughout the short speech, reminding the people of the third district of the bond he shares with them (his family had lived in the area for 160 years, he had been elected by the district's voters eight times, etc.). Near the speech's end, Souder returns to this theme: "I love this area. This is my home. It has been such an honor to serve you for sixteen years. My family and I have given our all for this area." If Souder planned to maintain his career and community in northeastern Indiana (and it sounded as though he did), it makes sense to hit these notes and try to win back those closest to him. Although one could also argue that pursuing an identification strategy when you're fresh off admitting immoral behavior may fall flat.
Of more concern is that Souder didn't stop there. He trots out a dubious and hypocritical provocation strategy: "It has been all consuming for me to do this job well, especially in a district with costly competitive elections every two years. I do not have any sort of 'normal' life--for family, for friends, for church, for community." The implication that the rigors of his political position alienated him from his relationships and morals and somehow drove him into adultery is pretty absurd. One suggestion for better time management on the job? Stop having sex with your co-worker! Sheesh. So much for bearing the responsibility. Then he combines some bolstering with transcendence to argue that his resignation is to protect his family from the the "partisan" use of the scandal as a "political football" in the "poisonous environment of Washington, D.C." I'm sorry, but a conservative, family values evangelical pol should know going in that his marital infidelity will make for an easy target. One suggestion for protecting your family from the poisonous environment of Washington, D.C.? Stop having sex with your co-worker! Hey, I'm starting to see a pattern. Bonus irony: Mark and Tracy had already worked together on this pro-abstinence YouTube video!
Final Call? Botched. Yes, he does show some genuine emotion and obviously feels bad about what he did. But in the end it's just another guy claiming to take responsibility while blaming others, playing the victim, and spouting hypocrisy. Not a graceful exit and Souder hasn't been heard from since.
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