Thank you for this original and interesting twist in "family values" Republican sex scandals, Rep. Souder, as we actually get to see a discussion on abstinence between Mark Souder and his mistress and part time staffer, Tracy Jackson:

No word on whether or not sex tapes will be rolling out soon...

Seriously. Is it terrorism yet?

The Christian militia group, the one that a Tea Party site claimed as their own, that was the big story of the weekend because of reported raids by a small army of various policing forces in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois were plotting to attack the police:

Alleged militia members indicted for plotting attack on police

6 Michiganders, 3 others face weapons of mass destruction charges

The indictment unsealed in U.S. District Court today claims that the Hutaree planned to kill an unidentified member of local law enforcement and then attack the law enforcement officers who gather in Michigan for the funeral. According to the plan, the Hutaree would attack law enforcement vehicles during the funeral procession with improvised explosive devices rigged with projectiles, which constitute weapons of mass destruction, according to the announcement by U.S. Attorney Barbara L. McQuade.

H/T clammyc and just so you know: One of these right wing terrorists is still on the loose.

[update] According to reports this may be Christian Militia and this may be Tea Party related. Below the fold...

Here is a video report from ABC's Action News in Detroit:

At this point in time it is unclear how and IF the raids are connected to Militia activity:

The FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and the Joint Terrorism Task Force are all involved in raids around Adrian that may be connected to a militia group.

The FBI conducted multiple raids throughout Saturday and into Sunday, with one of them centered on a property where known members of a militia live.

...snip...

Members of a number of militia groups say that the raids are connected to raids in Indiana and Ohio. However, the FBI has not confirmed that.

Must be something big for a small army of FBI, Homeland Security and the JTTF agents to be moving on them but according to an MSNBC report the raids are not terror related:

Inadiana's Senator Evan Bayh is expected to announce his retirement today:

Mr. Bayh will announce his decision in a press conference at 2 p.m.
on Monday, an aide confirmed. The decision was closely held by Mr.
Bayh, a party official in Indiana said, and came as a surprise to
Democrats in his state who had already started working on his campaign.

“After all these years, my passion for service to my fellow citizens
is undiminished, but my desire to do so in Congress has waned,” Mr.
Bayh plans to say in his remarks. “My decision was not motivated by
political concern. Even in the current challenging environment, I am
confident in my prospects for re-election.”

A former two-term governor and son of a former senator, Mr. Bayh has
been a popular political figure in Indiana, winning both his Senate
terms with more than 60 percent of the vote.

But in what looks like a difficult political year for Democrats,
Republicans have thought the moderate Mr. Bayh could be vulnerable this
November. Earlier this month, former
Senator Daniel R. Coats, a conservative who served in the Senate for
ten years, began making moves toward making a run for the seat. Several other Republicans have indicated interest in the race as well.

One needs only look at his unpopular stance in healthcare reform - and his wife's job where "Over the last six years, Susan Bayh has received at least $2 million in
compensation from WellPoint alone for serving on its board" - pitting Senator Bayh against the very Popular Option to see what is really driving him out of Indidana politics. It isn't that complicated: Go against your voters own wishes and get run out of town.

Bumped and Promoted. Originally posted 2008-11-05 19:12:05 -0500. -- GH

Its a little eerie looking at the electoral map today. Not simply because Indiana is strangely blue. I can't help but notice that the Midwestern demarcation of the Mason-Dixon line is back. Indiana has rejoined the Union. Once Indiana farm boys proudly fought alongside Ohioans, men from Illinois, Pennsylvania, New York and Michigan. We fought against slavery. The Underground Railroad ran right up through this state.

Probably more slaves crossed the Ohio river in front of Louisville than any place else from the mouth of the Wabash to Cincinnati. The black settlements at Jeffersonville, Clarksville and New Albany were the reason for this. The crossing at these places were all conveyed to Wayne county, Indiana, and on to the Lake. Wayne county had a large community of Quakers and the belief among fugitives was, that if they made it to Wayne County, the prospect of finding them was very remote. It was said that the old house built by Levi Coffin at Fountain City, Indiana had sheltered ten thousand runaway slaves.

When I was little and first learned about the Civil War, I was dumbfounded to learn that Indiana was once at war... with Kentucky! We share so much; common landscape, accents and family connections. In this century both states have been conservative 'red states,' solidly Republican. But it wasn't always that way. Once we were on different sides of a violent, ideological divide.

Originally posted on 2008-10-20 09:35:50 -0500. Bumped by Carol. I think that we are seeing the fracturing of the Republican Party and none to soon. Colin Powell's endorsement should help the process along even further.

If Indiana turns blue at last, it won't be simply because of overwhelming turnout in Lake County or the Democratic cities like Indianapolis and Bloomington. If Indiana turns blue, it will be because Indiana Hoosiers are disgusted with the Bush Administration... and because Obama has run a terrific ground offensive in this state. He has done what many (including myself) might have thought impossible: he is making serious headway in the wealthy Republican suburbs that ring Indianapolis: