OPINION: Sanford may be seeking spotlight with his behavior

Gov. Mark Sanford was absent without leave for four days as his wife and staffers wondered about his whereabouts and taxpayers asked what would happen in an emergency. Sanford said he went to the mountains to clear his head and recover from a grueling battle with the Legislature over the stimulus package.

After losing and being forced to take the federal money by the State Supreme Court, Sanford deserved a respite. The Republican risked his political reputation during the fight and was licking his wounds. Not even South Carolina’s Democratic Party chairman was begrudging Sanford a vacation.

The Republican was scheduled to return to his office in Columbia this morning and was shocked to learned about the dust-up over his time alone.

Here’s the problem: Sanford didn’t tell anyone where he was headed. That included his wife, his staff and the lieutenant governor.

The chief executive cannot leave for four days, checking in only occasionally from parts unknown. He cannot turn off his cell phone and beeper.

Sanford’s whereabouts were a guessing game Monday. Finally, a spokesman explained he was hiking the 2,200-mile Appalachian Trail “to kind of clear his head after the legislative session.”

The disappearance left nearly friends and foes scratching their head. It was unusual behavior, even for the unpredictable Sanford.

“He’s an avid outdoorsman,” Sanford spokesman Joel Sawyer said. “Nobody’s ever accused our governor of being conventional.”

Lt. Gov. André Bauer, who’s supposed to be in charge in the governor’s absence, was rebuffed in discussing the situation with the governor’s staff. That’s poor planning by the governor and smacks of irresponsibility.

“I cannot take lightly that his staff has not had communication with him for more than four days, and that no one, including his own family, knows his whereabouts,” Bauer said.

The governor, who has been criticized profusely this year after turning the stimulus debate into a political power play with the legislature, didn’t even tell his wife about his plans. Jenny Sanford said she had not spoken with her husband for several days, including Father’s Day. The Sanfords have four sons.

“He was writing something and wanted some space to get away from the kids,” Jenny Sanford told The Associated Press while vacationing at the family’s Sullivans Island beach house.

Certainly, the lieutenant governor and other Sanford critics had a field day over the incident. Rightfully so.

Senate Minority Leader John Land, D-Manning, wondered what kind of father would leave four sons behind on Father’s Day.

“It’s one thing for the boys to go off by themselves, but on Father’s Day to leave your family behind? That’s erratic,” Land said.

Sen. Jake Knotts, a Lexington Republican and a persistent Sanford critic, wondered what would have happened in an emergency.

“The way things are in the world today and homeland security, we need the governor to be fingertips away,” Knotts said.

We understand the concern, but in the back of our mind, we wonder if it was all a publicity stunt.

Sanford is trying to distinguish himself from other potential GOP presidential candidates in 2012. The buzz about his disappearance had to raise his name recognition nationwide.

After all, the morning news programs were all over the story, with NBC sending a correspondent to Columbia and using it as its No. 2 story on “Today.”

As it turns out, all’s well that ends well. The governor is safe. The state did not suffer an emergency. And all of America knows the Sanford’s name.

Next time, governor, leave behind an itinerary.

— Unsigned editorials represent the views of this newspaper. Editorial board members are Mark Laskowski (regional publisher), James Bennett (regional editor), Sam Bundy (sports editor), Kimberly Ginfrida (news editor), David Johnson (regional circulation director), Charles Tomlinson (Lake City News & Post editor) and Jackie Torok (metro editor).