Governor Sanford explains why he won’t resign
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Governor Sanford explains why he won't resign
Gov. Mark Sanford opened Monday's meeting of the state Budget and Control Board by saying that John Rainey, a businessman who first approached Sanford about eight years ago and encouraged him to run...Gov. Mark Sanford opened Monday’s meeting of the state Budget and Control Board by saying that John Rainey, a businessman who first approached Sanford about eight years ago and encouraged him to run for governor, had dinner with the Sanfords Sunday night and said, “I got it. You’ve apologized. You need to get on with governance.“
But Sanford told the board, “If you’ve disappointed folks as I have, I don’t think you can outdo it.“ So he then apologized personally to each member of the board.
After the meeting, he confirmed to reporters that he almost quit after announcing that he had been unfaithful to his wife. “Initially, my reaction was to resign,“ he said. But then he heard from a number of friends who encouraged him not to.
He said, “What is the message that I would send to my four boys, my and Jenny’s four boys, on life? Is it you fall and that’s the end of the story? Or do you begin the process of getting back up, of rebuilding life, trust, all that goes with it? To be human is to, on occasion, fall flat on your face. I’ve done it in the most public of circles. The question now is, what do I learn from it and what do others learn from it?“
He said going through such a public fall would make him a much more forgiving person, a much humbler person and a much less judgmental person.
One of the friends supporting Sanford is Sen. Lindsey Graham, who is godfather to the Sanfords’ youngest son. Sen. Graham told reporters Monday, “It would be in the best interest of South Carolina, in my opinion, to try and allow Governor Sanford to try and finish out his term. But he’s got some damage to repair with his family, with the people of South Carolina and I’m willing to allow him to do that and I think he can.“
The speculation about whether Sanford would resign has created a lot of political intrigue. If he did resign, Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer would serve the final 18 months of Sanford’s term. But Bauer is considering his own run for governor in 2010, so a Sanford resignation would give Bauer an advantage as the incumbent.
Because of that, there were reports that Bauer told state lawmakers that, if Sanford would resign, Bauer would serve only the remainder of the current term and would not run in 2010. Therefore, Sanford’s resignation wouldn’t influence the 2010 race. But Bauer told News Channel 7 that he has not told any lawmakers that he would not run and would serve only the remainder of Sanford’s term. “Yes, I have considered doing that,“ he said. “Somebody else mentioned that.“ But he denies talking to lawmakers about it.
Bauer says the 2010 race “should not be in his (Sanford’s) decision making. He needs to decide, can he patch his family life together and can he run the state effectively and get economic development moving forward in South Carolina? If the answer is yes, he needs to get back to work and we need to support him.“
But Sanford’s decision not to resign left some lawmakers disappointed, including Columbia Democrat Rep. Todd Rutherford. “We already know that if he were any other state employee he would be fired. That is state policy. You cannot be gone that long without good reason. He should have been fired. The only way for him to be fired is for him to currently resign. Impeachment at this point does not seem to be an option,“ Rutherford says.
He says he’s not focused on what the governor was doing while in Argentina, only that he left the state for six days without leaving anyone in charge, without letting his staff know where he was or giving them a way to contact him.
Reader Reactions
What gutless spineless state government officals we have! No one dares open an investigation NOW on this governor mess?
Yes the man had an affair. BUT HE ALSO LEFT THE COUNTRY WHILE IN COMMAND NOT TELLING ANYONE ABOUT IT. What if his plane crashed? What if he was attacked and killed while in another country?
he’s used our tax money on his trips!
and today he comments about his “soul mate” and “true love”. (Meaning his mistress in Argentina). Is he writing a book? And in the same breath talks about getting back with his wife?
THIS MAN IS IN ANOTHER WORLD AND IS NOT TALKING SENSE! HE NEEDS TO RESIGN NOW! WHY ARE WE NOT FORCING THE ISSUE! He’s a liar, a cheat, and he’s making a mockery of his poor family’s life!
He should quit and apply to one of the network’s soap operas! Because he’s in LA LA LAND!
To an extent I agree with some of the comments on this page butI feel that Sanford should resign and stop being the hypocrite that he is.The thing is if he wants go hide the salami in Argentina,all well and good,BUT YOU DON’T LEAVE YOUR FREAKIN’ POST UNATTENDED ‘CUZ OF A PIECE OF TAIL!!It was bad enough with him trying to bully the ESC and when he could’nt be found for days during the Horry County fires and now this????Looks to me he wants to be another Bush and be another lying S.O.B.in public office.As far as fedup is concerned the report was on Sanford and his foulups,not Obama trying to straighten up 8 years of ya boys George’s foul-ups.Pay attention!!!!!
redrockraven, do you really understand what you just posted? You accuse the GOP of being immoral. Do you recall a certain person by the name of Bill Clinton? Ohhh, I guess he doesnt’ count because we never fully defined what the definition of “is” is.
Open you eyes! See the truth!
It’s past time for Sanford to go quietly into the night.
An apology and then back to governance? Who are you kidding? This is the man who has constantly frustrated both parties, pushed to have our tax money go to other states rather than accept federal stimulus funding, stymied all efforts to improve education, turned his back on the poor and now Mr. “Family Values” hypocritically commits adultery and blows it off by claiming everyone “falls down.“ What a slander to all the people who respect their vows and pledges before God and remain true to their spouses and moral values.
Wake up SC; why do you think we are the laughing stock of the nation?
On the bright side; at least there won’t be a Sanford/Palin ticket in 2012.
When You Vote Republican You Get Immorality
Newsvine.com… Sun Jun 28, 2009 9:41 PM EDT
Republicans never tire of making public displays of how concerned they are with America’s moral fabric while supporting their own adultery and fornication at the same time. This while they judge others, deny equal rights to gays, plunder America’s treasury on illegal wars, support torture and discriminate against anyone who does not agree with them. Americans been barraged with laws, programs, sermons, demagoguery, the religious right, right wing bigots and all sorts of moral demonization from a Republican political movement whose most powerful pundit is a multiple-times-divorced drug addict who flamboyantly cavorts around with a new girlfriend every few months.
The GOP harbors these deviants and why Americans seem oblivious in caring is beyond words! Americans get more upset over two men kissing in a movie than they do murder, rape or soliticious sexual affairs by Republicans. Perhaps it is their own self righteousness that dictates a gross misjudgment of immorality.
After all, even now that this conduct has been exposed, their instinct, all the way to the highest levels, is to excuse and defend those leaders and offer up the most disgusting defenses, all because preservation of their political power depends on it. This is not some bizarre aberration. This is how they operate and it is who they are.
Republicans and the religious right talk a lot about threats to marriage and families, especially when scaring Americans about gay people. They do this to control, manipulate and raise money in an obscene hypocritical manner; however these right-wingers have the market on breaking up families and marriages, creating orphaned children and hurting people and destroying the moral fabric in America.
The Republican Party nor the right-wing, religious right preachers who claim “family values,“ and “pro-marriage” platforms in the context of their Party and their religion in order to propel themselves to power and who cannot remain faithful to their own families and churches, demonstrates the PURE hypocrisy of the right wing and the so called “Christian/Religious Right”.
I must admit I always get a good laugh out of witnessing another one of these “family values” type politicians getting caught with his pants down. I say if a man cheats on his wife, he will cheat on anyone, his wife, his children, his political Party, his church, his congregants and his country.
The truth is that on a personal level these solicitous sexual affairs are none of my business however when elected leaders, taking taxpayer money, stand on their soapboxes and judge others, when they condemn gays and deny equal rights to all Americans, when they destroy the lives of their families and their children, when they use their political power to deny rights and benefits to others and use taxpayer money for self-righteous and religious right agendas then it becomes my business, it becomes Americas’ business.
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