Free Republic

“No one’s going to save us dude. It’s up to us and us alone.” These are the words of a text message I received from a fellow conservative upon the revelation that South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford had disappeared for a few days to spend time with his mistress in Argentina. After the cumulative disaster that were the 2008 GOP primaries, conservatives desperately thought that, for once, we might have an ardent conservative – particularly a fiscal conservative – run and actually capture the White House in 2012. And this was not your garden-variety, self-proclaimed “conservative” Republican who interpreted conservatism...

Sixteen years ago, a relatively young, ambitious new Democratic president arrived in Washington determined to transform America's health care system. His determination was not enough. When the American people took a closer look at the only question that really matters on health care reform - will the proposed changes ultimately help or hurt the patient? - they found President Clinton's ideas lacking. HillaryCare, as it became known, died a fairly spectacular death. It seems in this case that history does, indeed, repeat itself, as the central premise of the Clinton health care proposals - funneling hundreds of billions of dollars...

Caucus says governor protects taxpayers. BY ROBERT BEHRE At least one faction of the Republican Party thinks South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford should run for president. The National Board of the Republican Liberty Caucus passed a resolution encouraging Sanford to seek the office in 2012. It cited the way Sanford has voted his conscience on tough issues. Dave Nalle, chairman of the California-based caucus, said: "In his two terms as governor of South Carolina, Sanford has shown independence and creativity and acted as a vigilant guardian of taxpayer interests." The caucus is far from the highest profile organization within the...

Fantastic response here in the running poll of Mark Sanford's new commercial. Through the roof approval from Republicans, and overwhelming support from Democrats as well. Watch and enjoy!

Frustrated with Gov. Mark Sanford's refusal to accept $700 million in federal stimulus dollars and his opposition to the state budget, S.C. Senate President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell addressed the governor in an open letter this month, writing, "Time and again, you have failed to address problems in a constructive manner and proactively work with the Legislature to find solutions." Noting Sanford's constant opposition to the Republican-dominated state legislature, McConnell added, "While the attacks you have launched may have been intended to build your national image as a reformer, in the final analysis, the work of a true reformer is...

Southern Republicans — the backbone of the GOP — are not sold on any of their party’s possible high-profile presidential candidates in 2012, a finding that could be good news for S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford. Sanford rubbed shoulders at a Columbia health care forum Thursday with former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who remains highly regarded by many in the Republican Party. It was another moment in the spotlight for Sanford, who has generated buzz about his 2012 presidential prospects with his frequent television appearances and outspoken opposition to Democratic President Barack Obama’s federal stimulus plan. Southerners overwhelmingly back Sanford’s...

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — First, South Carolina's governor refused to accept federal stimulus money for his state's struggling schools. Then the Republican vetoed a state budget that required him to take it. This week, Gov. Mark Sanford sued his own state's elected officials in federal court, arguing the government can't tell him what to do. . . . . . Only Sanford and his few political allies dispute the need for the cash. Sanford says the stimulus cash takes the pressure from legislators to reduce government spending and get rid of waste. If the right cuts are made, the need...

COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) - Gov. Mark Sanford says he will veto $348 million worth of stimulus money in the state budget. Sanford called the budget put forth by state lawmakers "fundamentally flawed" and said that many of them weren't given enough time to even look at the state budget to properly vote on it. "They were not really even given time to look at this budget. There was a motion for a 24-hour look and that was denied, so it's basically just a handful of folks worked out the details on this budget over the weekend," said Sanford. Sanford has...

(snip)After the speech a volunteer from Paul’s Campaign for Liberty asked Gov. Mark Sanford (R-S.C.) about it, and he weighed in against Graham. There was almost a pejorative comment a moment ago. Sen. Graham spoke and said “I’m not a libertarian,” whatever, whatever, as if that’s an evil word. Liberty is the hallmark of the American experiment … People say, you know, “Mark, you’re kind of libertarian,” you know, and they say it as if it’s an evil word, like you’re a communist or something. I’m like: Throw me in that briar patch … I’ve been accused of being a...

Lawmakers are still carelessly spending money despite steep declines in state revenue and an ailing economy, said Gov. Mark Sanford today in a news conference where the governor reiterated his plan to withhold a portion of federal stimulus dollars due to South Carolina. Sanford explained lawmakers have not made an attempt to live by the one guideline he set for tapping the money, which is spending an equal amount — $350 million this year — paying down debt. Instead, Sanford said, lawmakers are spending money on ineffective or unneeded programs, such as a plan to staff a new capitol police...

For better or worse, many Americans invested a great deal of hope in President Obama’s election, and while we clearly can’t pass judgment on the entirety of Barack Obama’s presidency after just a hundred days, now seems like a reasonable time to take a step back and evaluate his administration to date. Based on the campaign that President Obama ran, and the expectations that he therefore set for his presidency, it seems to me that there are two arenas in which it is fair to judge him -- on policy and on political terms.  On the policy front, those judgments...

By risking his popularity now, Mark Sanford may be quite popular in 2012. BY ANDREW ROMANO . . . . . When Obama unveiled his $787 billion stimulus plan, a flock of ambitious Republican governors promised to fend off large portions of the Washington windfall. But as political pressures mounted, only Sanford stuck to his guns. For the past month, he has boldly threatened to reject up to 25 percent (or $700 million) of South Carolina's stimulus funds unless a reluctant Republican-dominated legislature sets aside a matching sum of state money to pay down its debt. (He has accepted the...

WASHINGTON – As an eager rookie in the House of Representatives, Tom McClintock came to Capitol Hill in January, ready to honor a popular president who had transformed the nation's politics. Yes, Ronald Reagan's 98th birthday was approaching. And McClintock, the new Republican congressman from California's 4th District, offered a resolution to celebrate the Gipper's life. It was never taken up by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. "We were informed by the committee that they don't do birthday resolutions any more," McClintock said. The resolution was one of two pieces of legislation sponsored by McClintock in his first...

Gov. Mark Sanford drew the biggest ovation during the Columbia Tax Day Tea Party rally for his stance opposing $700 million in federal aid unless the state pays off an equal amount of debt. Organizer Britton Clark told the crowd "Thank God for officials like Gov. Mark Sanford," Clark said. "They have been reviled, they have been mocked by the media for doing the right thing."

HANNITY: And, Governor, thanks for being here. You are coming under a lot of pressure for not taking all the stimulus money. How is it going politically? SANFORD: We're surviving it just fine. I think that there is this silent majority, if you want to call it that, that very much fits in with these tea parties that are sort of self-generating around the country, because a lot of people are genuinely frustrated and concerned about the stimulus and its size. And a lot of people are very concerned about the size of government and the way it continues to...

For the second year in a row, South Carolina’s economic outlook ranked 20th nationally, according to a new report from the American Legislative Exchange Council. The second edition of Rich States, Poor States: ALEC-Laffer State Economic Competitiveness Index provides a roadmap for economic recovery based on state policies that have a proven impact on growth, the council said in a statement. The American Legislative Exchange Council is a conservative think tank that has counted among its organizers the late conservative activist Paul Weyrich and among its congressional allies the late U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms of North Carolina.

I hope the citizens of South Carolina stop the General Assembly from the shark-like “feeding frenzy” of federal funds, which are really our seized tax dollars. Find out the facts. Gov. Mark Sanford has tried to reduce the non-necessary spending of our lawmakers. He has vetoed this pork every budget year and the legislature has consistently overridden his efforts to reduce spending. South Carolina would be in a better fiscal situation if spending restraints had been made in the good times. Now we are being threatened by our legislative leaders that if we don’t take the federal funds, prisons will...

Gov. Mark Sanford secured South Carolina’s $2.8 billion share of federal aid Friday but warned teachers, school districts and others not to plan on $700 million for classrooms, colleges and public safety. In a letter to the White House budget office, Sanford reiterated that he will not apply for the $700 million portion of funds. He is asking state lawmakers to use an equivalent amount to pay off debt. “They’re not going to get that money,” Sanford said Friday of school districts. Sanford was the nation’s final governor to request the money.“The $700 million doesn’t come unless we accept it....

COLUMBIA, S.C. — For a millionaire, Gov. Mark Sanford has a reputation for frugality that borders on the extreme. Former employees say he has been known to require his staff to use both sides of a Post-it note. When Mr. Sanford was a congressman, he slept on a futon in his office and returned his housing allowance. And when, after he moved into the Governor’s Mansion here, tax collectors declared his family’s home on Sullivan’s Island a secondary residence subject to a higher tax rate, he appealed and won. Now, with his threat to refuse more than $700 million in...

When hundreds of protesters showed up at the South Carolina statehouse to protest Gov. Mark Sanford's refusal to accept $700 million in federal stimulus, it was worth noting how Sanford doesn't represent economic disaster - but perhaps the only chance we've got.