LOLSanfordFollow

I've only been half following the Mark Sanford saga. For those who have been following it even less, Governor Sanford of South Carolina was one of the pointmen in the GOP war against the stimulus. He said that he'd refuse the money but the SC general assembly (or whatever they call their version of the state legislative branch) passed a law requiring him to take the money. He fought it in court and lost. So it goes.

So the state legislative session just ended and Sanford is... gone. His staff says they don't know where he is, his security detail isn't answering questions, even his wife shrugs. The guy misses Father's Day without a word. No one was in a panic about it but no one had an answer either. After three or four days, the answer is "He wanted to get away and work on some stuff he had set aside. Some writing and things." After five days, it's "He's off walking the Appalachian Trail somewhere... we don't know exactly where but he'll be back in a couple days."

I won't pretend that I much cared about that aside from rolling my eyes at someone who loses a fight and has to run away from home to go sulk for a week. I got over that shit around age 14. Apparently SC's Lt. Governor is livid about it, since he wasn't informed, no emergency powers were vested in him and he was plainly told that he could not have any communication with the governor while he was out finding God or burying a dead prostitute or whatever one does along the Trail. No, what amused me was someone mentioning that this dope was supposed to be one of the rising GOP national stars, standard bearer for fiscal responsibility and presidential candidate for 2012.

President? Seriously? Can anyone take this guy seriously now? I can imagine the commercials now: "When the 3:00 AM Phone Calls comes, Mark Sanford will be saying 'This job is hard... I need to drop off the radar for a week'."

Between this and the crash & burn of Senator Ensign's future national ambitions, the GOP's gonna need some more stars to rise up.

He's recently been seen near Knobb Hole, Butte Park, Blueball and Bird-in-Hand.

The article says



They must be a bunch of real bad-asses!

Reminds me -- just a little bit -- of the time (August 2003) when Democratic members of the Texas legislature played hooky to prevent a quorum because of a particular bill they were opposed to but didn't have the votes to block. Apparently they went to Oklahoma so that even the Texas Rangers (not the baseball team) couldn't come get them and drag them back to the state capital.

Politicians suck.

He was hiking the Appalacian Trail in Argentina, apparently.

His weekend hike turned into a week-long jaunt to Buenos Aires.

The question arises now: Who exactly paid for his plane fare to South America? And wtf did he think he was doing not telling anyone where he was going?

His wife is being quietly PO'd about the whole thing, so speculations about adulterous vacations abound.

..and apparently not modest.

Gotta respect a guy that's not afraid to bear it all on the AT.

Either way I guess. I spose it depends on how hairy the guy it.

Even unofficial visits? Interesting - so they can evaluate security needs, I suppose.

It's certainly something I would encourage people to do before being elected, or after retiring from office.

At the very least empower your lieutenant governor to make decisions in your absence.

No one stopped him.

Personally, I wouldn't let my husband disappear for a week without knowing, where, how to contact, when to expect, etc etc. For a Governor to choose to do so, sans ANY notification to his office, doesn't speak too highly of the guys level of responsibility.

Huh. I doubt it has legs but take it or leave it...

Wait..... wha?



Who did what in the where now?