Jenny Sanford, the political wife who did not stand by her husband, endorses candidate in GOP race to succeed him

She is the political wife who bucked tradition. When scandal struck her husband, the governor of South Carolina, she did not stand by his side. Instead, Jenny Sanford packed up her things and their four children and moved out of the governor's mansion for the family's home on Sullivan's Island.

Today she issued a letter supporting another "principled, conservative, tough and smart" woman in the crowded Republican primary to succeed Mark Sanford. (You may recall the governor, who once had presidential aspirations, went AWOL last summer, telling his staff he was hiking along the Appalachian Trail while he was actually in Argentina romping with his mistress.)

Jenny Sanford's pick for the state's next governor -- Nikki Haley -- was once a strong ally of Gov. Sanford, but in the wake of the scandal over his disappearance and his affair, she distanced herself, removing his photo from her campaign website.

This is one endorsement that could actually carry some weight. Jenny Sanford, a former Wall Street executive, was instrumental in managing her husband's campaigns, and has a network of supporters around the state. "It sends a signal that you might not be wasting your vote," said Danielle Vinson, a political scientist at Furman University.

In a letter, first reported by South Carolina's State newspaper, Jenny Sanford also talked about how her family is coping in the aftermath of the national scandal. 

"We all know this past year has been difficult for our state on many level," Sanford wrote. "It's been hard for me and my family too. But our family is resilient, and we will be fine. And the people of our state are resilient too. I have no doubt South Carolina will get back on its feet."

-- Johanna Neuman

Photo credit: Davis Turner / Getty Images

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Jenny Sanford, book deal in hand, makes first public appearance since splitting the governor's mansion

She never played it like the good wife, standing dutifully by as her husband, Gov. Mark Sanford, went gaga over his love affair with a Argentine woman, a tryst that prompted him to go AWOL from his gubernatorial duties last June. You remember, the guy they called the "Love Guv," the one who suffered what the Washington Post called an "Appalachian-Trail-no-wait-I-mean-Argentine-mistress meltdown."

Now, South Carolina First Lady Jenny Sanford will make her first public appearance since separating from her scandal-plagued husband and moving out of the governor's mansion in August. An aide announced that Saturday she'll participate in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, a Charleston-area 5K run/walk to benefit breast cancer research.

Jenny Sanford, who moved with the couple's four sons to their beach home on the South Carolina coast, is also writing a memoir. According to Ballantine Books, which plans to publish the "inspirational" tell-all next May, the former investment banker will talk about her transition from Wall Street executive to Southern political spouse, and about  "the universal issue of maintaining integrity and a sense of self during life's difficult times."

As for the governor, once considered a likely Republican candidate for president in 2012, he still lives at the mansion, and still talks about serving out his term, which ends in early 2011. And the marriage? A former advisor called it effectively over, saying the book is part of the rehabilitation process. "This book is a personal story of pain. It’s not a feminist statement. Frankly, I’ve never seen someone as loyal to her husband as Jenny has been to Mark, and this is what it’s left her with. It’s just a tragedy,” the former advisor said.

-- Johanna Neuman

Photo: Associated Press

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Lindsey Graham tagged as a 'traitor' for backing climate change legislation -- those angry tea-party protesters are back

Those angry town hall meetings are back.

Last night, at a forum at Furman University, South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham was pilloried by protesters for his decision to back Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, and for his support for climate change legislation.

During the 75-minute event, one man told Graham he had “betrayed” conservatism and made a “pact with the devil” by working with Democrats, and asked when the senator planned to change parties.

This is Lindsey Graham we're talking about, best friend and constant companion of the Republican Party's 2008 standard-bearer, Arizona Sen. John McCain.

The troubles all started Sunday, when Graham co-wrote an Op-Ed article with Massachusetts Democratic Sen. John Kerry in the New York Times called "Yes We Can (Pass Climate Change Legislation)," which talked about their campaign to corral bipartisan support for climate change legislation.

As Graham has said elsewhere, "I think the planet is heating up. I think CO2 emissions are damaging the environment and this dependence on foreign oil is a natural disaster in the making."

Maybe what really ticked off the conservatives was when Graham argued that the problem should be addressed as soon as possible -- even if the solution helps the Democrats politically. "I'd like to solve a problem, and if it's on President Obama's watch, it doesn't bother me one bit, if it makes the country better off."

Easily reelected in 2008, Graham has a few years to recover his base.

-- Johanna Neuman

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Friday scandal update: From Spitzer to Ensign to Sanford to Edwards

You have to give Democratic ex-N.Y. Gov. Eliot Spitzer credit for understanding a simple fact: The American public’s attention span is about as long as a TV commercial. If it's short and zippy.

When Spitzer got busted for hiring prostitutes in 2008, he immediately resigned. Now “the hooker-happy Democrat,” as the New York Post dubbed him, is contemplating a somewhat-plausible comeback.

Other politicians caught in flagrante delicto have taken a markedly different route: They haven’t stepped down. So how’s that working out for Republicans South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford and Nevada Sen. John Ensign?

Critics say the Republicans, whose rise and fall have eerie parallels (voting for Democrat President Clinton’s impeachment over his sex scandal among them, have been rendered ineffective by their decisions to stay in office. As long as they’re public figures, the argument goes, someone will be poking around for new details of their scandals.

So in South Carolina, even Republicans are throwing around the word “impeachment” in regard to a governor who reportedly used state funds while turning “hiking the Appalachian Trail” into a double entendre.

Now, this week, Ensign – who has been in hibernation for much of the last four months – got pummeled by a newspaper story that detailed his herculean efforts to try to silence his mistress' husband. (Sen. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma didn't come out looking so good, either.)

Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell declined to defend Ensign today, and ethics experts speculated that Ensign's actions might have crossed into criminal behavior. 

Even if they didn’t, the latest round of publicity surely will help push along a Senate ethics inquiry.

So, hmm, with all this talk of infidelity, which path do you think America's favorite baby-daddy, ex-Democratic senator and presidential candidate John Edwards, would have chosen had he been elected president?

-- Ashley Powers

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Was Hillary Clinton right on Iran?

It was a pivotal moment in the presidential campaign, when Hillary Clinton branded Barack Obama as "naive" for suggesting he would meet with the leaders of Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba and North Korea in his first year as president without any preconditions

"I thought that was irresponsible and frankly naive," Clinton said after their July 2007 debate in South Carolina, adding that Obama gave an answer "I think he is regretting today."

During his inaugural address, Obama maintained his outreach to Tehran, where President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has denied both the Holocaust and Israel's right to exist. In one of the most discussed passages of his speech, Obama said,

To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history, but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

Today, Obama spoke for a growing cadre of powerful nations -- France, Britain, Germany and for the first time perhaps even Russia -- in condemning Iran. Amid intelligence that Iran has kept a second nuclear facility, capable of producing 3,000 centrifuges, hidden from weapons inspectors for years, Obama warned that unless Iran acts immediately, punishment will be swift. "Iran is breaking rules that all nations must follow," he said.

France's Nicolas Sarkozy added muscle to Obama's statement, warning that "everything must be put on the table," and that if by December Iran has not reformed, sanctions will be imposed.

And Britain's Gordon Brown added spine, saying that Iran's "level of deception" in keeping the plant secret for years, along with the scale of its nuclear ambitions, means that "the international community must draw a line in the sand."

Somewhere Clinton is sighing.

-- Johanna Neuman

Photo: President Ahmadinejad tours Iran's first uranium enrichment plant in Natanz. Credit: AFP/Getty

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Who ruined Washington? Vote here

When South Carolina's Joe Wilson pointed his finger at President Obama and shouted out on the House floor, "You lie!" it arguably marked a new low in American politics. It also exposed the essential quality of politics these days -- in which the two major parties are dominated by the extreme wings and the middle is left without a voice.

How did Washington get so coarse?

Perhaps it was Brian Lamb, with his C-SPAN cameras, who lifted a veil on the town's secrets, unleashing a new generation of media trainers and posturing politicians. Or maybe it was Fanne Foxe, the Argentine stripper who jumped into the Tidal Basin when her date, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Wilbur Mills, was arrested for drunk driving. Their escapades helped end an era of media protection for politicians' private behavior. Private behavior had made it to the police blotter, and ever since scandal has bred cynicism about Washington.

I have another theory about who's responsible. In an opinion piece in this morning's Times, I suggested that it was former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. In his savvy understanding that running against Washington would be more advantageous for his brew of vulnerable freshmen, Gingrich changed the congressional calendar, sending them home every weekend. So Washington was no longer a place of comity, no longer a town where folks fought all day on the political battlefield and then broke bread together in the evenings.

Read the piece here and let us know who you think stripped politics of its civility.

-- Johanna Neuman

Photo: Wilbur Mills with Fanne Foxe, a stripper known as the "Argentine Firecracker," outside the Pilgrim Theater in Washington, D.C. in 1974. Credit: Associated Press

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Mark Sanford, now Joe Wilson: What's in the water in South Carolina?

Is there something in the water in the Palmetto state?

True, Republican John McCain carried the state over Democrat Barack Obama,  59% to 37%, in the 2008 election.

But opposition to the Democratic White House seems to have reached fever pitch there.

First Republican Sen. Jim DeMint urged fellow conservatives to "break" President Obama by making his healthcare reform a Waterloo in his presidency, defeating him and his ideas with a big fat congressional rejection.

Then came Gov. Mark Sanford. Even before his infamous fling with a mistress in Argentina that saw him go AWOL from the governor's mansion and prompted aides to perpetuate a fabricated story about his hiking in the Appalachian Trail, the governor had a political moment in the sun. The onetime presidential aspirant made headlines in February by threatening to reject Obama's stimulus package money. Even the Legislature balked at that one.

Now comes Joe Wilson, the former Marine and six-term congressman who until Thursday was an obscure back-bencher. After his unprecedented outburst Wednesday night -- calling Obama a liar from the floor of the House -- he apologized. As Ticket reported, he also cut an ad asking supporters to send money to his cause. Because, as the Ticket also reported, Democrats have been sending lots of money to his rival, Rob Miller. In fact by this morning ActBlue's efforts have sent more than $700,000 to Miller's campaign coffers.

But the truth is that while South Carolinians may cringe at Wilson's rudeness -- for which he apologized -- they cheer his position. "South Carolina is a state that's always loved having characters for politicians," Bruce Haynes, a GOP political consultant, told Politico.

In a string that goes back to John C. Calhoun and the late Sen. Strom Thurmond, politics in South Carolina is as revered a sport as football, said former Democratic Gov. Jim Hodges. "In most places, they play the sport of politics every two or four years," he told politico. "In South Carolina, they play it every year."

-- Johanna Neuman

Photo credit: Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

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Republican Rep. Joe Wilson's heckling of Obama sparks fundraising flood to his Democratic opponent

In eight years of George W. Bush's presidency -- despite huge differences on wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and contentious debates over torture policy, No Child Left Behind and immigration reform -- no elected official ever heckled the president of the United States when he addressed a joint session of Congress.

But last night, as President Obama was making the case for his healthcare reform initiative, 62-year-old South Carolina Republican Rep. Joe Wilson called the president a liar. To his face.

It happened when Obama was rebutting the myths about healthcare reform, including the shibboleth that the package will allow benefits for illegal immigrants. Obama assured the viewing audience that the rumors were false.

"You lie!" shouted Wilson.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi looked stunned. First Lady Michelle Obama, watching from the gallery, shook her head back and forth. And Republicans like Arizona's John McCain, calling the heckling "totally disrespectful," immediately called on Wilson to apologize.

Wilson did call the White House to apologize. Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, reportedly livid over the breach of civility, took the call. Then Wilson put out a statement saying, "This evening I let my emotions get the best of me when listening to the president's remarks regarding the coverage of illegal immigrants in the health care bill. While I disagree with the President's statement, my comments were inappropriate and regrettable. I extend sincere apologies to the President for this lack of civility."

But the apology did not stop a flood of donations to Wilson's likely Democratic opponent in 2010: Rob Miller, a Marine Corps and Iraq war veteran who lost to Wilson by 8 points last year and is eager for a rematch. Miller quickly put out a statement saying Wilson's behavior "exemplifies everything that is wrong in Washington. Instead of engaging in childish name-calling and disrespecting our commander-in-chief, Joe Wilson should be working towards a bipartisan solution."

"Joe Wilson" quickly became the most searched term on Google. Ditto Twitter. And soon enough, the money started pouring in. ActBlue, which bills itself as the clearinghouse for Democratic action, says it has raised more than $100,000 for Miller, and counting.

Of course, some conservatives are hailing Wilson as a great hero. Red State is urging backers to pony up to Wilson's campaign. They're also flogging Utah Republican Robert F. Bennett for applauding when the president bashed politicians (former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's name was not mentioned but you could kind of hear it in the air) who inspire fear over mythical Obama death panels.

And throughout the speech, House GOP leader Eric Cantor texted on his BlackBerry, and several Republicans waved sheets of paper at the president, offering reform suggestions.

Meanwhile, Wilson's official House website has been overwhelmed. "Due to exceptionally high traffic, this site is temporarily unavailable," says a notice. "Please come back shortly."

-- Johanna Neuman

Top photo: Rep. Joe Wilson. Credit: Reuters. Bottom photo: Republicans wave ideas. Credit: Getty Images.

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Jenny Sanford says you-know-who is a you-know-what

South Carolina’s moved-out First Lady Jenny Sanford has been seeking help and support from her pastor -- and is spending some quality talking time with a therapist.

And what she’s discovered, according to reports of an interview in the upcoming September issue of Vogue magazine, is that her estranged husband is an addict.

That’s right: Gov. Mark Sanford might as well face it, he’s addicted to love. Remember earlier this year when the South Carolina Republican was not off traipsing the Appalachian Trail on nude hiking day but was actually in Buenos Aires doing something else with a female e-mail friend there?

In the Vogue interview, Jenny Sanford compares his out-of-control lust for Argentinian Maria Belen Chapur to the compulsions of an alcoholic or someone who can’t stay away from the XXX channels. 

“Over the course of both pastoral and marriage counseling," Jenny Sanford is said to have said to the magazine, "it became clear to me that he was just obsessed with going to see this woman. I have learned that these affairs are almost like an addiction to alcohol or pornography. They just can’t break away from them.”

Uh-huh.

Sanford moved out of the governor's mansion last week, and her astute husband, showing a keen grasp of the obvious, allowed as to how his political days are over.

In Vogue, Jenny Sanford goes on to say: “It never occurred to me that he would do something like that,” and that when she and the gov first met, there was more the warm glow of camaraderie than the wild flames of passion. 

She understands the desire to escape the pressures of living in the spotlight: “I’d like somebody 5,000 miles away I could e-mail. It’s not exclusive to men, but I know that isn’t realistic.”

She’s open to salvaging her marriage: “All I can do is forgive. Reconciliation is something else, and that is going to be a harder road. I have put my heart and soul into being a good mother and wife. Now I think it's up to my husband to do the soul-searching to see if he wants to stay married. The ball is in his court.”

She’s feels bad for the other woman: “I am sure she is a fine person. It can't be fun for her, though I do sometimes question her judgment. If she knew the newspaper had those e-mails back in December, why did she want him to come in June? But I can't go there too much. All I can do is pray for her because she made some poor choices."

Pray for her? Really?!?

Just once, it’d be great if one of these women who’s been dragged through the media circus by her unfaithful partner were to say something along the lines of, “Yes, I still love him. Yes, I’m hurt and angry and stunned. Yes, I want to club him and his chippy with this baseball bat. Yes, this bat. The one I’m holding right now.” You know you want to hear that, too.

And by the way….Vogue? This is where a woman betrayed goes to unburden her soul? Tucked between the fragrance ads and the breathless exuberance over the fall clothing trends?

Guess so. The issue hits newsstands next week. Cue the Robert Palmer soundtrack...

-- P.J. Huffstutter

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Photo: Associated Press

Gov. Mark Sanford says his 'political days are over.' Ya think?

Once touted as a possible Republican candidate for president in 2012, South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford -- who ran off to Argentina in June to visit his mistress -- announced today that his political career is over.

"This is truly not about Mark Sanford anymore,'' the two-term governor said this morning during a speech to the Twin City Rotary Club in Batesburg-Leesville. "A lot of folks were convinced that I was running for president. My political days are over.''

First Lady Jenny Sanford and the couple's four sons moved out of the Columbia, S.C., governor's mansion last week for their beachfront home in Sullivan's Island, S.C., more than 100 miles southeast of the capital. 

 

Mark and Jenny Sanford, a former Wall Street executive, say they are working to repair their marriage of 20 years. Asked Wednesday how he is coping with living in the empty mansion, Sanford replied, “That part's hard.”

“There are consequences for any mess-up we have in life, and that's one of them, and that's probably the most bitter part of it,” he said, adding the move was a family decision to protect the children. “These boys deserve to be out of the fishbowl that they have been in and been subjected to a lot this summer,” he said.

The governor said he has done a “thorough job of discrediting himself” but thinks the voters of South Carolina are ready to move on and willing to let him finish the remaining 16 months of his term.

-- Johanna Neuman

Photo: Jenny Sanford, foreground, takes belongings from the governor's mansion in Columbia, S.C. Credit: Mary Ann Chastain / Associated Press

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