Posted on 06/24/2010 3:15:22 PM PDT by afraidfortherepublic
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- The governor who became the butt of late-night jokes for "hiking the Appalachian Trail" may be having the last laugh.
A year after South Carolina's Mark Sanford tearfully confessed an extramarital affair, the Republican has won a major state budget victory and seen his hand-chosen candidate nominated to succeed him. He's even won standing ovations from Republicans who months ago called for his resignation.
"There are any number of different levels of ironies," Sanford allowed earlier this week at a Republican breakfast to recognize the party's slate of candidates in November.
Most experts do not foresee Sanford's political career rising from the wreckage of last year's scandal, but he's making the most of his final months in office.
(Excerpt) Read more at hosted.ap.org ...
On Thursday, he said the only certainty is that he plans to return to the Charleston area. "I'm looking at where four boys happen to live right now," he said, standing in the Charleston Maritime Center and looking across the water to the area where his sons live with his ex-wife.
And (also FTA) The governor's trip to South Florida to vacation with Chapur last month was first revealed on websites. He later explained they were working to rekindle their relationship... doesn't sound promising.
He looks like the kind of man who is going to regret abandoning his boys for a fling with the Argentinian Hot Tamale.
I am a citizen of South Carolina. I can tell you, Mark Sanford can in no way be said to be “thriving.” I know FEW people who respect Mark Sanford, either personally or politically.
Mark Sanford only remains in office because it served the purposes of the Good Ole Boys in the Legislature to have a weak and discredited governor in office rather than to replace him with a Lt. Governor that is far more cutthroat and wreckless than Sanford is. Sanford SHOULD have been impeached and removed from office for misuse of public property and government funds. He should have had the dignity and respect for the people to resign — but FEW in South Carolina State Government have demonstrated that kind of respect for our State’s citizens...
Sanford would do well, when his tenure in office finally ends, to just FADE AWAY. A small bungalow somewhere in, say, Argentina would be good. Or perhaps a cabin in the mountains, along the Appalachian Trail....
I spend a good deal of time in the Palmetto State, and it’s funny how things have a way of working out. A year ago, your cutthroat Lt Gov, Andre Bauer, was trying to run Sanford out of Columbia on a rail. Instead, Sanford decided to hang in there, forcing Bauer to actually run for the job, and win the voters approval.
We know what happened. Bauer finished fourth in the GOP primary, and last I heard, he was standing on a street corner, waving to motorists and thanking them for their “support.” I have little regard for Sanford, given the humiliation he brought to his family and his state. But I also believe that one reason he decided not to resign was the thought of Andre Bauer becoming governor.
A year later, Bauer is poised to join Sanford in the political unemployment line, and the SC GOP has a vastly superior candidate for governor in Nikki Haley. If Bauer had spent the last 12 months in the governor’s chair, he would have been much more difficult to defeat.
I agree....The guy could hardly be said to be thriving.....Also I don’t think he “hand picked” his replacement...The Voters picked Nikki Haley despite what the Good Ole’ Boys dirty tricks....
Stop the disgusting Hypocrisy.
If this idiot were just another stupid Democrat, the Republicans would be calling for his head on stick while dumping on him.
He's no different than than any other corrupt, out for himself, leftist politician.
Yes, he is. He was a pretty damned good governor. A lot of us outside SC were considering him presidential material. It won't happen now, of course, but his personal life doesn't turn him into a leftist.
I too am a citizen of South Carolina and I still respect him. Don’t project how you “feel” to all of us. He was a good governor for our state. He had his hearings and the results did not prove all the accusations thrown at him. Did you even read the final results of the investigation?
I hope Mark Sanford does well and I wish him no ill.
Thanks. Well said. The holier than thou crowd will attack him but politically, he was good for us.
Sure it does...If he has no ethics or principles, then he's no different than leftist or Hollywood types that lie and practice this type deviate of behavior. They clearly can't be trusted, regardless of what they say.
See door #12 and educate yourself.
A year later, Bauer is poised to join Sanford in the political unemployment line, and the SC GOP has a vastly superior candidate for governor in Nikki Haley. If Bauer had spent the last 12 months in the governor’s chair, he would have been much more difficult to defeat.
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XNXS — That line of reasoning is hard to argue with. Point taken. I will concede THAT much thanks to the otherwise discredited Governor Sanford. :-)
I don’t think he “hand picked” his replacement...The Voters picked Nikki Haley despite what the Good Ole’ Boys dirty tricks....
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If the voters had thought Nikki was Mark Sanford’s hand-picked candidate, SHE would have finished in 4th place — where (THANKFULLY) Andre Bauer did. :-) She was a favorite of the Tea Party and 9/12 movements, and when she got Sarah Palin’s highly publicized endorsement AND the South Carolina “Good Ole Boy” Machine (aka Bauer/Jake Knotts) AND the Washington Republican Establishment in the form of Gresham Barrett’s candidacy) came after her with all the dirt and mud and lies and accusations of affairs etc., the people of SC had SEEN and HEARD enough. They knew where the CRAP was being slung from. I agree with you — Nikki was the peoples choice.
I hope Mark Sanford does well and I wish him no ill.
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I did read the final results. He didn’t do “all” he was accused of. But he DID misuse state vehicles and airplanes on several occasions. He also misappropriated state funds for personal use in travel on several occasions — which he did pay back. But the issue was TRUST in the first place. The honorable thing to do was to resign. The RIGHT thing for the legislature to do in the absence of his resignation was impeachment and removal from office. Neither he nor they acted honorably.
Some perhaps DO respect Sanford as he leaves office. I certainly wish him no ill. I feel a great deal of sympahty for the man. But respect is not a term I could apply. I did not intend to “project” my views on anyone — I just know from talking with more than a few friends and associates in South Carolina that “respect” is not a term they would use in how they viewed Sanford either.
NO, I wish Sanford no ill will, but I don’t want him to return to the public eye, nor to public service either. I hope he gets his personal, family and religious life straightened out and lives a full life from this point on.
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