South Carolina's Gov. Mark Sanford admits to affair
Today’s news out of South Carolina is a reminder of three important rules in politics: It isn’t the incident, it is the attempted coverup. It isn’t about sex, it’s about hypocrisy. Schadenfreude always wins in the end.
South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford has admitted having an affair with a “dear, dear” friend in Argentina. That explains why he disappeared for days without telling his wife or staff his whereabouts. Trying to cover for the boss, his staff told everyone he was hiking the Appalachian Trail, only to be embarrassed by today’s announcement.
At a nationally televised news conference, Sanford apologized to his wife, family and people of faith all over the nation for his actions. A strong political conservative, he said he would step aside as head of the Republican Governors Assn. as well. He looked extremely tired and at times appeared on the verge of tears. He took a few questions, among them:
“Were you alone in Argentina?”
“Obviously not,” he replied.
It is unclear what the announcement means for any presidential ambitions he may have. Or for the GOP in general. Nevada Sen. John Ensign, another Republican who some saw as having presidential potential, recently admitted that he had an extramarital affair.
-- Michael Muskal
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South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford pauses to look at his notes as he admits to having an affair during a news conference Wednesday, June 24, 2009, and that was the reason why he was in Argentina. (AP Photo/Mary Ann Chastain)
It is time for him to step down or for SC to impeach him. There is a related post at http://iamsoannoyed.com/?p=1930
Posted by: carly | June 24, 2009 at 12:45 PM
Infidelity is so Villaraigosa. These republican morons need to think of something else to keep themselves relevant.
Posted by: char | June 24, 2009 at 01:24 PM
This is SO ridiculous... Why the hell does he need to apologize to the "people"?????
This is a personal matter - This country is SO messed up. My governor can go screw any female he wants - as long as he does his governor job right we should not care....
Bunch of retards... Go get a life and let people live theirs.
Posted by: Paul | June 24, 2009 at 01:28 PM
This guy is too stupid to even elicit a comment...
Posted by: Grandpa | June 24, 2009 at 01:31 PM
Do any of these "Family-values" GOPers know how to keep it in their pants? At least this one was doing it with a woman. (We presume!)
Posted by: bobach | June 24, 2009 at 01:34 PM
Those tears always wrok in the south. good thing you're not Villarigosa...you would have been butchered in the papers.
Posted by: Matt | June 24, 2009 at 01:36 PM
And he opposes gay marriage on moral grounds? Hypocrite! One man, one woman, then another woman on the side is OK??
Posted by: John | June 24, 2009 at 01:36 PM
WHAT A JERK.
Posted by: Barbara Green | June 24, 2009 at 01:42 PM
Well I guess this proves he's not the sharpest knive in the drawer.
Posted by: Jonathan | June 24, 2009 at 01:47 PM
How many decades has it been of Republicans setting one set of standards for me, and another for themselves.
Although college educated I can't find work even though I'm skilled. over 50 and being a white male is being discriminated against. Now my COBRA is running out. Having had 2 strokes - induced by letting my work situation get to me - I cannot find a plan for under $20k a year. So I would welcome a government plan, just like all these "public servents" have. And I would gladly pay a reasonable amount. But there was John McCain on TV saying I couldn't get that because then all uninsured and many insured (with inadequate coverage) would go on the government plan. Well, DUH!
These Republicans get there, and set rules for the rest of us. Those JA Republicans have had so many public out of wedlock affairs and broken up marriges, yet they still come on my TV everyday and talk about how moral they are.
And this guys didn't go along with Obama's economic plan. Golly, gee. What a surprise.
Posted by: Howard Roarke | June 24, 2009 at 01:49 PM
PEOPLE, he was there to see his BABY.
Why else would he go down there five months after his wife found out? He was there to see his new CHILD.
Posted by: paul | June 24, 2009 at 01:54 PM
The more people seem to focus on "family values" the less able they are to live up to them, it seems.
Posted by: Jon K. | June 24, 2009 at 02:06 PM
If you are a woman from Argentina stay away from me! I don't care how uncommon or how beautiful you are, etc. All I know is that you have a way of making a State-Side Dude's common sense go out the window. First we hear about NYT Economics Reporter Edmund L. Andrews and his personal financial travails after marrying a long time love interest from Argentina. Now SC Gov. Marc Sanford's non-detachable Johnson takes a 5 day leave of absence to get with a certain beauty in Buenos Aires. Argentinian women, you may be the sirens but I am Odysseus tied to the mast!
Posted by: Barnacle Bob | June 24, 2009 at 02:09 PM
Sanford should take a page from Villaraigosa's playbook, no pun intended, and nip this in the bud before he's forced to speak at another hastily arranged and ill-advised press conference to announce his resignation.
Posted by: anotherwhiner | June 24, 2009 at 02:11 PM
Disappears to Argentina? GOP Conservatives always out pooching someone or something. What a sweet world it would be if they'd all just ZIP IT!!!! Perhaps some "people of faith" can chime in and explain why they're receiving an apology. Please, do tell.
Posted by: Eddie | June 24, 2009 at 02:15 PM
Paul you can defend this guy all you want, but the point is.
the "height of irresponsibility for the governor to walk out on his solemn duty to the people of South Carolina."
Sen. John Ensign affair + Mark Sanford sex scandal = 0 Republican "conservative" values & ethics
Posted by: T | June 24, 2009 at 02:32 PM
"Sanford apologized to his wife, family and people of faith all over the nation for his actions."
Oh, I see... he apologizes to "people of faith", i.e., those who claim to have "morals", like he does, because they attempt to force their version of morality, and "family values" on the nation - NO to gays wanting to adopt unwanted children, NO to gays wanting to form stable, loving relationships, NO to gays wanting to serve in the military, NO to women who want to decide what is in the best interest of their own life during pregnancy, and on and on.
Guess what, Family Values Gov Sanford? As evil and despicable you think they are, "non-believers" are actually able to be faithful in marriage, and form loving, stable, giving, emphathetic families. And by the way, if you read the Constitution lately, as a government official, you serve non-believers as well as "people of faith".
When will this country get it? The difference between the democratic party and republican party is not in the amount of affairs either one has, it's about one party claiming moral superiority over the other, forcing government into the bedroom, and condemning a group of citizens that has been historically oppressed and not allowed the right to form stable relationships thru marriage. Condemning gays for actually WANTING loving stable relationships while secretly making a mockery of "morality" and marriage is the height of hypocricy.
Posted by: Dan | June 24, 2009 at 02:45 PM
republicans... the gift that keeps on giving... the only thing better would be sara palin in a lesbian video...
Posted by: bill pearson | June 24, 2009 at 02:47 PM
When someone is stridently favoring the rightwing culture war positions, probably his personal life is the opposite. I'm hoping this is another nail in the coffin for the culture war movement.
Posted by: John | June 24, 2009 at 02:50 PM
A married US governor having an affair with an Argentine woman. Is that something Bill Clinton built into NAFTA?
Posted by: Grandpa | June 24, 2009 at 03:02 PM
Really, does anyone care? What about the crimes being committed by Acorn? The payouts to Banks, AIG, Acorn, Ms. Pelosi's accusations. I guess something is on the horizon again, a distraction (amnesty maybe) who cares who is seeing who? Why doesn't anyone really care about the hard working Americans, think we know why! They are all in the tank together, so sick of seeing these issues as the important issues of the day!
Posted by: trae | June 24, 2009 at 03:11 PM
O.k. we are all hypocritical in one form or another. What I can't forgive is the GOP standing on their moral high horse and tell the rest of us how to live our lives, who should work and live in this country (I wonder who cuts his yard), and who should marry (I guess F&*king another woman besides his wife is o.k. until you get caught).
The GOP is should be the part of "I'll do what ever I want until I get caught and tell the rest of America how to live their lives"...
Please give me a break!
Posted by: Billy Bob | June 24, 2009 at 03:15 PM
The party of Less Government just got smaller today.
Mission accomplished.
Posted by: anthony | June 24, 2009 at 03:17 PM
Guess that's why he didn't need the stimulus package.
Posted by: anthony | June 24, 2009 at 03:18 PM
I guess DOMA wasn't enough to save this marriage. It must have been the gay marriages in Iowa that finally made him do it.
Posted by: Jim F. | June 24, 2009 at 03:34 PM