Posted on 05/13/2013 7:27:02 AM PDT by Kaslin
Put me down as happy to see former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford coming back to Washington. He handily defeated Elizabeth Colbert Busch in Tuesday's special election for a House seat he himself once held.
I hope he brings his piglets with him.
Once as governor, Sanford showed up at the statehouse in Columbia with two piglets -- one named "pork" and one named "barrel" -- to protest the Legislature's quick move to reject his proposed budget that included large spending cuts.
It's this kind of flair that has characterized Sanford's political career, both his six years in Congress and eight as governor.
He has always been a consistent, principled and courageous conservative. And he has always done it with showmanship and clarity that gets the points across to voters.
He displayed this showmanship in this campaign of redemption, in which he was combatting not just his opponent, but also his deeply tarnished image as result of serious ethical transgressions during his second term as governor.
The story is well known. While governor, Sanford conducted an adulterous affair, disappeared to visit the woman in Argentina, lied about his whereabouts and misused state funds in making the trip.
Sinful stuff.
He survived to serve out his second term as governor, but departed as what seemed to be permanently damaged political goods.
But in the campaign against Colbert Busch, Sanford propped up and debated a life-size poster of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and reminded voters that this was about the left-wing Democratic establishment that has taken control of Washington and changed the course of the nation.
Sanford appealed to voters to look past his personal transgressions, about which he has been upfront and apologetic, and to look to his impeccable conservative credentials and his political experience to do battle in Washington.
Those personal transgressions have, of course, been raw meat for those on the left.
According to Alixandria Lapp, executive director the House Majority PAC, which poured some $450,000 into ads and mail against Sanford, "The House Republican caucus has added yet another ethically challenged embarrassment who will be an albatross around the neck of every Republican forced to answer for Sanford's embarrassing and reckless behavior."
The irony does not drip but pours forth like a tsunami when liberals start talking about morality and ethics.
A few weeks ago, Washington Wizards basketball player Jason Collins announced that he is gay. This was an event of such apparent import that he received a congratulatory phone call from the leader of the Democrat Party, President Barack Obama, and an official tweet from first lady Michelle. Both expressed their pride and joy about Collins' courageous coming out.
The plight of Carolyn Moos, the woman with whom Collins was living for eight years and to whom he once was engaged, was apparently of no interest to the Obamas, despite the president's supposed great concern for women's affairs, nor was the deceptive life that Collins lived with her.
Moos, 34, expressed distress at eight wasted prime years with Collins. She said that she never had a hint that Collins was gay and living a double life, and that she actually believed marriage and children were in the cards for them.
Perhaps if Sanford's adultery was a gay affair, liberals would be more understanding.
When the National Republican Congressional Committee pulled its support from Sanford's race following the news that he trespassed in the home of his former wife (to watch the Super Bowl with his son), support came in from both FreedomWorks PAC and the National Right to Life PAC.
Sanford's persona pulled in two streams of conservatives -- the economic conservatives and the social conservatives -- that many see at odds with each other.
A seasoned, principled and exciting conservative politician and leader is exactly what Republicans need today.
Welcome back to Washington, Mark Sanford.
“He has always been a consistent, principled and courageous conservative”
Well right after I hurled my breakfast bagel over the word principled I reminded myself that at least he’s our scumbag. Pretty sad when thats the highest emotion you can muster about a legislator from your own party. At least he’s not from GA. We have our own two RINO’s in the senate to shame us.
If he winds up on all the Congressional junkets to Argentina then we’ll know something’s up.
You make the destruction of a family sound like a romance novel.
Exactly. This isn’t, as Bill Clinton’s defenders put it, “just about sex.” Its not as if he had a fling at a local motel. Its about a sitting governor disappearing, lying to the public and misusing state funds. And then he publicly trashed innocent people. I’m glad he won to keep a liberal zealot out of Washington. And I hope the SC Republican voters boot him out in the primaries when he comes up again for election.
Part of Sanford’s rehabilitation has been appearing on FOX News and other outlets as a political observer. He came across—to me anyway—as articulate and astute. I was amazed because I could only remember the ridiculous Sanford trying to explain his bizarre behavior to the press.
yep.
If he had told the truth: "Yep. I did it. I screwed up and the wife is divorcing me this week." he'd have been fine.
As always, it's the coverup that gets people.
“......And I hope the SC Republican voters boot him out in the primaries when he comes up again for election.”
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That would be the GOPe’s dream...but “nevah happ’n GI”. You do know that he just won a Republican primary and then went on to win the general election IN A LANDSLIDE?
So he’s going to be successfully primaried after he spends the next year and a half being a credit to the Tea Party element of Republican? I guess that delusion knows no bounds.
His supporters are creepy—either naive fools or guys who are hoping that Mark shares his hooker with the hot pants.
The man is a mental case.
Um, the Democrats came up with this candidate. It was the one guy that Colbert thought she had a chance to beat. They made sure he primaried in. Then the GOP in SC found itself trapped in the same room with this kook...and kook he is, which you will soon find out, and I hope before the next election.
GOPe - Simply Brilliant !
You should deliver the news, Mamzelle. Or at least write it. I like your style.
The problem with Sanford isn’t that he had an extra-marital affair. The problem is with the fact that he’s a crook who embezzled state funds (i.e. money for official travel) to carry on his affair.
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