Gov. Sanford Admits Affair and Explains Disappearance

NYT ^ | 6/24/09

[FromLori]

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Mark Sanford, the governor of South Carolina, apologized in a rambling news conference on Wednesday for having an extra-marital affair with a woman in Argentina, ending a mystery over his week-long disappearance that had infuriated lawmakers and seemed to put his rising political career in jeopardy.

Governor Sanford admitted he had been in Buenos Aires, Argentina, since Thursday, not hiking on the Appalachian Trail as he told his staff. In revealing an affair that had gone on for about a year — and which he had disclosed to his wife, Jenny, five months ago, he said: “This was selfishness on my part.”

Mr. Sanford announced on Wednesday that he was resigning his position as chairman of the Republican Governors Association.

In an interview with The State newspaper of Columbia, S.C., on Wednesday morning, Mr. Sanford said he had taken an unplanned trip to the South American country to recharge after a difficult legislative session in which he battled with lawmakers over accepting a portion of the federal stimulus funding.

He had considered hiking the trail, he said. “But I said ‘no’ I wanted to do something exotic,” Mr. Sanford told The State. “It’s a great city.”

Only at the news conference did he reveal why he traveled there.

The whispers about the missing governor started as early as Friday, when one lawmaker and outspoken rival of Mr. Sanford was quietly outraged that the governor had left the state without a plan for a transfer of power in the event of an emergency.

State Senator John M. Knotts, Jr., a Republican, said in a telephone interview that he got a tip from a caller — whom he would not identify —

[thesharkboy]

I once read that every single president except Nixon cheated on his wife while in office.

Well, we can say for sure that Buchanan didn't.

[thesharkboy]

I once read that every single president except Nixon cheated on his wife while in office.

Well, we can say for sure that Buchanan didn't.

[Antoninus]

How can someone so stupid get so far in politics? That’s what I want to know.

[ElayneJ]

“Didn’t he say in the news conference that his wife and him are separated?”

Is that true? If it is, I’m not as outraged as my first comment would suggest. :) It it’s true, then he just needs to say it’s no one else’s business - and be done with it. Like obama said, “I answered that.” Maybe it would be good for the GOP to have someone who won’t back down. It would certainly be a switch...but if he’s already resigned...It’s so hard being a conservative - the morals and the brain power are really on our side, but the players just won’t play.

[Squidpup]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2278567/posts?page=93#93

I called dibs on this new euphamism:
“Hiking the Appalachian Trail”...

(bummer situation though)

[murron]

I could be very wrong about this, but I would be very surprised if Bobby Jindal would be caught in a sex scandal. But I wouldn’t put any money on it.

[onedoug]

...You were saying?....

[golas1964]

Was he wearing a diaper on the plane? (like ex-astronaut Lisa Nowak)

[Maine Mariner]

I find it difficult to believe that story. Reagan? Ike? T. Roosevelt? I have my doubts. I certainly find it hard to believe it about Gerald Ford as well.

[DJ MacWoW]

This man has destroyed his family and political career and all you can say is “Nah Nah! I was right”. Isn’t being self centered what brought him down?

[mono]

SC is a very conservative state obviously. It is very possible that he could be impeached or forced to resign.

[jeltz25]

I know you posted that jokingly, but I was reading an article a few days ago from a woman who had voted for Obama and had become somewhat disillusioned. Anyway, the thrust of the article was that men are messing up the country. That they’ve always been in charge, and look where we are now.

Again, it was somewhat tongue in cheek but if things continue along the current path, I suspect she won’t be the only woman who feels that way, probably quite a few men as well.

Obama ran on change but if he doesn’t really do anything, it’ll just be the 44th guy in a row to be President. Yeah, he’ll have been different in being a black guy, but he’d still be a guy.

The real change would become more apparent. And there could be a lot of folks who are ready for it.

As for Sanford, I knew womething was up. You just don’t disappear over Father’s Day weekend from your wife and four kids, epsecially when you’re Governor of a state. And then his car is spotted at an airport a six hour drive away.

It’s not like he’s the only one. In the past few years alone there’s him, Ensign, Edwards, Spitzer, Vitter, McGreevey, Clinton, Gingrich. Guys from both parties, at the highest levels of power. Presidents, VP nominees, Speakers, Governors, Senators.

[fortunate sun]

and somewhere in America a politician smiles as he lifts a dixie cup full of Hawaiian Punch in the air in a mock toast ...

[ansel12]

He’ll be fine. At least he admits it and appears genuinely sorry.

Admitted it? What choice did he have? A governor disappears, with state security, the Lt. governor, and eventually the nation searching for him, he lies to his staff and puts them in media hell trying to convince the world he is hiking on the Appalachian trail, then the media discover the abandoned government vehicle at an airport, after a week of chaos he returns to America and has to confess that he wasn't even in the country and was with a girlfriend in Argentina.

This guy is bizarre and scuzzy, did I say bizarre already, this guy is flaky and slippery as hell, thank God he self destructed now rather than later, too bad he took so much conservative prestige down with him when he finally went.

[Non-Sequitur]

Didn’t he say in the news conference that his wife and him are separated?

I would hope they are now. I haven't heard anything about them being separated for the past five months.

[Non-Sequitur]

Didn’t he say in the news conference that his wife and him are separated?

I would hope they are now. I haven't heard anything about them being separated for the past five months.

[DJ MacWoW]

Ain’t that the truth!

[stuartcr]

Would someone that didn’t have power and cheated on their spouse, have a charcter flaw? How much power is required before it’s not a flaw?

[KansasGirl]

I thought he said that they are separated, “but not formally.” Sounded to me like his wife was well aware that he was still involved with the lady from Argentina, but I could be wrong.

[BallyBill]

A.W.O.L. M.O.R.O.N.

Why not be like a Democrat and just carry on like nothing happened, do your job and people forgive.

[FromLori]

No actually I did not post it jokingly I said the same thing about North Korea threatening us I believe if Palin would have been Vice President they would take heed. I know myself I would Nuke Em! Hence give Estrogen a chance.

[Frank_2001]

“Where do they get the energy?”

Clean living, intense gym workouts, and regular marathon running/s;)

[stop_fascism]

You were told that by an imbecile. Jackson and Jefferson were widowers, Buchanan was a bachelor, so they couldn’t cheat by definition. Cleveland married during his presidency to a real hottie. It is very doubtful that Grant or either Adams was unfaithful. Since Tyler had 16 children, he probably didn’t have time to cheat. Taylor and W.H. Harrison didn’t live long enough to have affairs. Pierce was too drunk. Polk was sickly and adored his wife. Of the rest, only a handful appear to be womanizers. I suggest you read “Young Goodman Brown” before you spread such nonsense.

[Palladin]

Sanford will go down in the annals of "Dumb Horny Politicians" right alongside Wilbur Mills, and his Argentine Frirecracker, Fannie Foxxe:

http://ldesign.wordpress.com/2007/05/

Does anyone remember Wilbur Mills these days? A US Representative from 1939 to 1977, he was the menace of Washington DC females of all colors, shapes and professions. Liking his spirits, he cut quite a lively picture in the DC social life.

On October 7th, 1974, he gained true fame because of a somewhat rocky relationship with Argentine stripper Fannie Foxe (aka The Argentine Firecracker). That very night, being driven through DC, his car was stopped due to no headlights being on. As the cop approached, Fannie jumped out of the car and hopped into a nearby Tidal Basin. Wilbur, drunk as a skunk, remained in the car, fingering the scratches on his face.

Fannie eventually climbed out of the Basin; Wilbur temporarily sobered up enough to enjoy a 60% reelection by the good, not to mention open minded, people of Arkansas. But Fanniegate wasn’t over. Wilbur was soon forced to step down from his seat after staggering onto the stage of a Boston club where Fannie did her act, creating a bit of unfortunate turmoil. Allegedly, he later joined the AA. It’s not known what happened to Fannie except there are indeed some rumors involving the Kennedy’s.

[DJ MacWoW]

Smarmy works too.

[Terry Mross]

Before I condemn the man I must compare pictures of his wife to the Argentinian babe. Only half kiddikng. Looking at Hillary I couldn’t blame Clinton for what he did. I blamed him for where he did it.

[cripplecreek]

SC is a very conservative state obviously. It is very possible that he could be impeached or forced to resign.

I hope they're happy with what they get. The SC GOP chair has already stated that they have two wonderfull senators who would be up to the job. Imagine Governor Lindsey Graham and the scandals he could produce.

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

Grand Old Party now needs to Get Over Pu$$y.

[Carpe Cerevisi]

RON PAUL 2012!!!

[jeltz25]

Ironically, Sarah would probably have the biggest potential pool of applicants to choose from if she did go that route. It is noteworthy that you never really hear about female pols having affairs, only the guys.

Perhaps Sarah and Hillary could divorce Todd and Bill, respectively, and get married in IA(where it was just legalized), and form an unbeatable bipartisan superticket in 2012.

[onedoug]

Sure. As you say, now.

[DJ MacWoW]

In 2009, even liberals can't get away with this. The National Enquirer chased John Edwards into the Men's Room at the Beverly Hilton when Edwards was on his way to Reille Hunter's room.

Had it been a Repub it would have been the NYTMSNBCCNNABC chasing him into the john and not the Enquirer

[IrishPennant]

Grand Old Party now needs to Get Over Pu$$y.

Nah...just "strange" pu$$y...we don't want them going all Bawney Fwank on us, do we?

I guess Till Death Do Us Part only means something to conservatives.

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

It is reported that it was a woman with whom he is having an affair. I suspect that in fact it was a twelve year old boy. After all he is a politician, in America, in 2009 AD. On the other hand, being an American politician, he may have been standing nude on a beach in Argentina, facing the ocean with barbed wire rapped about his middle, an electrical cord slowly being tightened about his neck all while fondling his genitals. These people are sick.

[DJ MacWoW]

How about showing the maturity this man didn’t?

[Shermy]

Thailand? Argentina?

[Al B.]

....if she pees people know about it,

This is literally true. The Juneau Dems have their own bathroom monitor, Rep. Beth Kerttula, who keeps tab on that.

Sorry about your disappointment re: Sanford. Tragic that he would do that to his family but I never thought much of him as a leader anyway.

[Shermy]

“and was with a girlfriend in Argentina.”

Not exactly a weekend trip to Bermuda.

[Jaidyn]

Didn’t he say in the news conference that his wife and him are separated?

Yes, but he also inferred they are separated over his affair with this woman. He said they were working through it, or something like that. Evidently, he wasn't working too hard. I hope SC impeaches him. As conservative a state it is, it might happen. He built his career on the backs of others, and destroyed it, and many of them, along with his family. He's not fit to be a governor.

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

BF just likes boy prostitutes.

BF is a good set of initials for him.

This country is going to Hell faster than I thought possible.

[Tribune7]

I agree.

[Mariko]

Not gonna fly. What elective office has John Edwards held since 2004? Did he come anywhere close to the Democrat Presidential nomination in 2008?

Please don’t give the opposition ammo with false equivalencies. Sanford is a POS. If he used SC state money at any time to finance his visits with his mistress, he deserves to be impeached.

If he had any shred of decency, he would have resigned long before this became public. The only ones I feel sorry for are his wife and four young sons.

[Palladin]

You must have got that information from Doris Kearns Goodwin.

[Technogeeb]

Anyway, the thrust of the article was that men are messing up the country.

That's true, but that has only been the case in government since we started allowing women to vote (just a factual observation; make of it what you will).

Now that the socialism those women voted in have created a social welfare system that has destroyed the nuclear family, we have an entire generation of women (and effeminate men) who think government is supposed to be their husband or their daddy, and vote accordingly.

[IrishPennant]

We were already heading that way before, but now we have Obambo driving he train pull and BF taking up the caboose.

[Palladin]

The New Argentine Firecracker!

(Obscure Wilbur Mills reference, not understood by persons under 50 years of age.)

[Cathy]

Thanks for laugh, we needed it!

**Even though it is not SUPPOSED to be funny**

[Leftism is Mentally Deranged]

Another idiot gives the dems an excuse to sing “culture of corruption” all over again.

[Guenevere]

sigh.....

[MHGinTN]

But Wilbur was a drunk ... I don’t think Governor SAnford is a drunk, nor bathing in fountains.