The planned "disappearance" of South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford gets more bizarre by the minute.
Sanford, a Republican governor, deemed to be a rising star in the party, took time off after a legislative session concerning the taking of federal stimulus money.
From The State newspaper:
Sanford's whereabouts had been unknown since Thursday, and the mystery surrounding his absence fueled speculation about where he had been and who's in charge in his absence. His emergence Wednesday ended the mystery.Sanford, in an exclusive interview with The State, said he decided at the last minute to go to the South American country to recharge after a difficult legislative session in which he battled with lawmakers over how to spend federal stimulus money.
Sanford said he had considered hiking on the Appalachian Trail, an activity he said he has enjoyed since he was a high school student.
"But I said 'no' I wanted to do something exotic," Sanford said "... It's (Buenos Aires, Argentina) a great city."
The governor said he cut his trip short after his chief of staff, Scott English, told him his trip was gaining a lot of media attention and he needed to come back.
When asked why his staff said he was on the Appalachian Trail, Sanford replied, "I don't know."Sanford later said "in fairness to his staff," he had told them he might go hiking on the Appalachian Trial.
Sanford said the legislative session was a difficult one for him, particularly losing the fight over whether he should accept stimulus $700 million in stimulus money he wanted lawmakers to spend on debt instead of urgent budget needs.
"It was a long session and I needed a break," Sanford said.
Allegedly, in addition to his staff not knowing his location, his wife was not aware of his trip, as well.
Stanford, a prospective GOP candidate for a 2012 Presidential run, may have just ruined any credibility he possessed.
If he can't handle a debate in his own state legislature, it bodes ill for his ability to be able to handle a crisis on a national level.
This action was not just irresponsible regarding his leadership ability in his role as Governor, but it creates a credibility gap from which no amount of explaining or spin can help to erase the self-inflicted harm done to his reputation.
This was not only a bizarre display of irresponsibility, it was just plain stupid.
Permalink | E-mail This | Technorati Links | Sphere: Related Content | Digg this! | FARK It!
Filed under:
Politicians, WTF?
Comments (13)
Better to clear out the bad... (Below threshold)1. Posted by Falze | June 24, 2009 10:29 AM | Score: 7 (7 votes cast)
Better to clear out the bad apples early. We should thank him for taking himself off the list so early.
1. Posted by Falze | June 24, 2009 10:29 AM |
Score: 7 (7 votes cast)
Posted on June 24, 2009 10:29
2. Posted by bill-tb | June 24, 2009 10:33 AM | Score: 1 (7 votes cast)
Why let something like proving you are qualified stop you from becoming president. Anyone got a link to our mysterious interloper sitting in the presidents office. I would like proof he he qualified to be president.
Sanford will be fine ... Just another state run media hatchet job.
Here is your chance state run media.
2. Posted by bill-tb | June 24, 2009 10:33 AM |
Score: 1 (7 votes cast)
Posted on June 24, 2009 10:33
3. Posted by Adrian Browne | June 24, 2009 10:44 AM | Score: -11 (15 votes cast)
What will Sanford blame his disappearance on:
o Alcoholism
o Prescription pain medication addiction
o Bizarre double life
o Sexual abuse flashbacks
o All of the above
VOTE now!
3. Posted by Adrian Browne | June 24, 2009 10:44 AM |
Score: -11 (15 votes cast)
Posted on June 24, 2009 10:44
4. Posted by wolfwalker | June 24, 2009 11:04 AM | Score: 4 (8 votes cast)
Actually, this smells of "creative incompetence" to me. I just don't think Sanford is so stupid as to think he could get away with this. A Democrat could, but Republicans have higher standards for their presidential candidates' behavior. It makes me think he doesn't want to run and also doesn't want the endless barrage of publicity and will-he-won't-he speculation. So he did something to definitively take himself out of the running, once and for all.
4. Posted by wolfwalker | June 24, 2009 11:04 AM |
Score: 4 (8 votes cast)
Posted on June 24, 2009 11:04
5. Posted by Adriane Brownie | June 24, 2009 11:10 AM | Score: 7 (15 votes cast)
On what will Adrian Brown blame his stupidity:
o Alcoholism
o Prescription pain medication addiction
o Bizarre double life
o Sexual abuse flashbacks
o All of the above
VOTE now!
5. Posted by Adriane Brownie | June 24, 2009 11:10 AM |
Score: 7 (15 votes cast)
Posted on June 24, 2009 11:10
6. Posted by lori rasmussen | June 24, 2009 11:15 AM | Score: -2 (6 votes cast)
A Colorado newspaper has published allegations from male prostitute Mike Jones (of Haggard fame) that Sanford was in Colorado with Jones. Jones claims to have Sanford's airline boarding pass from ATL to DEN. This could be interesting to watch.....
6. Posted by lori rasmussen | June 24, 2009 11:15 AM |
Score: -2 (6 votes cast)
Posted on June 24, 2009 11:15
7. Posted by chsw | June 24, 2009 11:26 AM | Score: 3 (5 votes cast)
Perhaps Sanford and VA's Gov. Kaine (also missing) were discussing finer points of the gay marriage debate. Alternate hypothesis - Sanford was checking on the progress of the US-funded study of South American bar prostitutes and HIV.
chsw
7. Posted by chsw | June 24, 2009 11:26 AM |
Score: 3 (5 votes cast)
Posted on June 24, 2009 11:26
8. Posted by Hank | June 24, 2009 11:31 AM | Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
This really is a strange one.
With the little info available so far, it reminds me of NH's Gary Dodds, 2006, who went missing and concocted a story to explain his absence.
Wolfwalker may be right.
8. Posted by Hank | June 24, 2009 11:31 AM |
Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Posted on June 24, 2009 11:31
9. Posted by MPR | June 24, 2009 11:41 AM | Score: 3 (9 votes cast)
The people of SC deserve an explanation. If he had planned this in the open he could have stopped all of this speculation. No one says he doesn't deserve time off but, being AWOL is just stupid. It is stupid because of the scrutiny he has to know he would be under being a possible major candidate. Liberal Democrats have every right to remain stupid. Republicans or Conservatives can't. That's how the world works. Grow up.
9. Posted by MPR | June 24, 2009 11:41 AM |
Score: 3 (9 votes cast)
Posted on June 24, 2009 11:41
10. Posted by Mac Lorry | June 24, 2009 12:01 PM | Score: 6 (8 votes cast)
The GOP needs to create a code of conduct by which elected and prospective candidates adhere or lose all support from other members of the GOP. This way current politicians and people who want to get into politics can know what's expected of them to be in the GOP. If they can't or are unwilling to live by that code they can become a Democrat.
Here are some examples. No GOP member. . .
• Commits or seeks to commit adultery
• Steals or conspires to steal
• Accepts kickbacks or conspires to accept kickbacks
• Pay kickbacks or conspires to pay kickbacks
• Cheats on their taxes
• Acts in an unprofessional manner. For example, disappearing from the public for more than a day unless they are on official business that requires such a public blackout.
• Suspends a campaign for office or any reason. If a candidate can't continue they must end their campaign and support whoever the head of the GOP selects as their successor.
10. Posted by Mac Lorry | June 24, 2009 12:01 PM |
Score: 6 (8 votes cast)
Posted on June 24, 2009 12:01
11. Posted by Colin Hamilton | June 24, 2009 12:22 PM | Score: 4 (6 votes cast)
When a prominent figure chooses to "disappear" it seems he can do so without the truth ever emerging.
I seem to remember that rather than try to rescue Mary Jo Kopechne or call for help from the police after his Chappaquidick accident Senator Kennedy reacted in a remarkable manner. He "said" he tried to free Miss Kopechne (although this wasn't confirmed) but then ran away and reported nothng until the following day. Where was he? What was he doing? We still aren't sure!
11. Posted by Colin Hamilton | June 24, 2009 12:22 PM |
Score: 4 (6 votes cast)
Posted on June 24, 2009 12:22
12. Posted by Peter F. | June 24, 2009 12:29 PM | Score: 5 (7 votes cast)
MacLorry,
With all due respect, you're one of the best commentors here, but .10 is a less than stellar idea. I appreciate your level of frustration with the situation, but a code of conduct sets up GOP members for an increase "GOP failure to live up to its own standards*" in the public's eyes and cries of "hypocrite!" from the left every time some GOP member strays from the path of "family values", etc. A code of conduct is just more fodder for the left.
The party is far better served by publicly condemning the governor's lack of responsibility and stupidity. And I think the GOP is pretty good at critisizing and, if need be, ostrasizing its own members without need of a code of conduct.
*At least the right attempts to live up to a set of moral standards. We often fail because we're human. But when it comes to having moral standars for the left, they collectively shrug shoulders and say, "meh, moral compass and standards? Who needs 'em. Let me go have sex with that lamp...."
12. Posted by Peter F. | June 24, 2009 12:29 PM |
Score: 5 (7 votes cast)
Posted on June 24, 2009 12:29
13. Posted by Dwayne "the canoe guy" | June 24, 2009 2:06 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Well, at least having sex with a lamp would provide an outlet for some of his urges. :P
13. Posted by Dwayne "the canoe guy" | June 24, 2009 2:06 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on June 24, 2009 14:06