Morning Digest: Why 'prominent social conservative' and 'affair with a lobbyist' don't mix

_{The Morning Digest is compiled by David Nir, Jeff Singer, and Stephen Wolf, with additional contributions from the Daily Kos Elections team.}

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Leading Off

● SC-03: South Carolina's Faith and Freedom BBQ will need a new host following the Wednesday retirement announcement of Rep. Jeff Duncan, a seven-term Republican whose wife accused him of infidelity just months ago.

Before Duncan's messy divorce, he was a power player in this early presidential primary state. Duncan won a competitive primary runoff to represent northwestern South Carolina in 2010 with the support of the hardline Club for Growth, and his tight grip on his safely red seat made him an appealing host for White House hopefuls.

But the congressman's standing took a huge hit in September when his wife of 35 years filed divorce papers alleging that the man who presented himself as a "dedicated, dutiful husband" left his latest barbecue to go "directly to the home of his paramour."

Read more from Jeff Singer about the rise and ugly fall of this prominent social conservative.