OPINION: Time’s come for Sanford to resign

It’s time for Gov. Mark Sanford to go.
The Republican wanderlust should resign immediately to spare the state more revelations about his tawdry relationships with women.
Sanford’s admission last week of an affair with an Argentine woman was shocking. The people of South Carolina lost trust in the 49-year-old governor but seemed willing to give him a second chance.
More shocking details came Tuesday.  The governor said he “crossed the line” with other women. And, in extremely poor taste, he said he would “try and fall back in love” with his wife, Jenny, as though she were some kind of consolation prize.
We no longer believe Sanford has the footing or moral fiber to serve as the state’s chief executive. His use of taxpayer money to arrange a trip to Argentina and his confession of other affairs were the last straw.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Sanford said his Argentine lover, Maria Belen Chapur, was his soul mate. Then, he poured out a detail that forced everyone in South Carolina to cringe.
“This was a whole lot more than a simple affair, this was a love story,” Sanford said. “A forbidden one, a tragic one, but a love story at the end of the day.”
The governor admitted to encounters with other women before he met Chapur, perhaps to stave off potential bombshells from them. He referred to it as moments when he “let his guard down” with physical contact but “didn’t cross the sex line.”
The mincing of words reminded us of former President Bill Clinton saying, “I did not have sex with that woman, Miss Lewinsky,” after questions were raised about his behavior with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. It was Sanford, remember, who, as a member of Congress, voted to impeach Clinton, saying he lacked the “moral legitimacy” to lead. The governor spent more time and had more liaisons with the Argentine than previously disclosed. He said he and a spiritual adviser met with Chapur in New York earlier this year for what was supposed to be a farewell after Jenny Sanford found out about the affair.
Of course, the governor left the state without notice and had a week-long tryst in Argentina. He misled his wife and staff into believing he was hiking on the Appalachian Trial.
Sanford talked with the AP about romantic, multi-night stays with his girlfriend in New York. He said their initial meeting came at a 2001 open-air dance spot in Uruguay.
“There was some kind of connection from the very beginning,” he said.
From the beginning, the governor was trying to hide his affair from the public. Although he told his wife about the mistress, he did not say he was headed to Argentina two weeks ago. He also did not communicate with Lt. Gov. André Bauer or state officials about his intentions to disappear for a week. The breach of governance amounts to dereliction of duty. There was no emergency or constitutional crisis, but there could have been with the governor out of touch and in the arms of his lover. The governor’s trip to New York to say farewell and his trip to Argentina have brought scrutiny from Attorney General Henry McMaster.
“In light of the governor’s disclosure of additional travel today, I have requested that SLED (State Law Enforcement Division) conduct a preliminary review of all Gov. Sanford’s travel records to determine if any laws have been broken or any state funds misused,” McMaster said in a statement.
Lawmakers and potential gubernatorial candidates have been reluctant to ask Sanford to resign. State Sen. Vincent Sheheen, D-Camden, called Tuesday for the governor to step down, and his comments resonate with us.
“Sanford misled his staff and the public as to his whereabouts; he used a taxpayer-funded mission to Argentina for his personal behavior, and he failed to inform anyone that he was leaving the country,” Sheheen said.
The embarrassment must stop. The state needs strong leadership to overcome the worst economic times since the Great Depression.
Sanford mortally has wounded himself with his poor judgment. He should step out of public life and into the history books as soon as possible.

— 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).