Just when you thought the SC Supreme Court stimulus slapdown might cause Governor Sanford to retreat for a while, along comes the saga of the AWOL Governor and his hot Latina lover, er "soul mate". First he was missing. No one, not even his staff or wife knew where he was. When you are Governor, you don't get to just shuck it all and disappear. It might not be illegal, but it is malfeasance in office. Heck, I didn't leave the school campus without several folks knowing where I was, in case I was needed. We are all paid to be on the job and so is Mark Sanford.
I was shocked to hear the next day the claim that he was hiking the Appalachian Trail. The shock came from believing that political figures would be better liars that that, given the amount of practice they get. In fact, most fifth graders can come up with a better story that that one. On vacation in Florida, I turned to Carolyn and told her flatly that was a lie. But it was to get so much better.
Next we learn that he had been in Argentina with his lover. All that crying and carrying on! Please. Governor Sanford admitted to an affair, er "love story" with the Argentine woman. He described the whole "sparking thing." He told us he went to break up. I call BS on that statement because it doesn't take 5 days to break up, unless you have at least one last "dance" to remember each other by. All this on Father's Day weekend.
I thought that Michael Jackson's unfortunate demise might take the Governor off the front page, but nooooo. I'm sitting in a bar in Nokomis, Florida eating oysters and drinking tequila, waiting for Carolyn to get a haircut. I'm talking to a guy two stools over about how tired we are of Michael Jackson coverage, when CNN puts up a split screen with Jackson on the right and Sanford on the left. The caption reads something like this - "Why do famous people engage in risky behavior?" If the Governors shuts up now, the coverage shifts entirely to the Jackson death.
But Nooo. He had to tell us the whole sordid tale. He talked about his feelings, his "soul mate", and "trying to fall back in love with my wife." I don't know about you guys, but I might have been "Bobbitted" if I had said that. Next he repaid 3 grand to the state despite statements that he had not spent state money on his falling in love with his soul mate adventure. Last we learned that he had illegally used state money for first class air fare to the tune of 38 grand. Alas, we know now that there is no accountability when any party has all the power. Had Sanford been a Democrat, he would have been either forced out of office or impeached. The political calculation has been done and Sanford will skate - only because the Republican Party dreads Andre Bauer in office more than they despise Mark Sanford in office. It's as simple as that.
Addendum: Governor Sanford has been on vacation with his family. Good for him. Maybe when he comes back he can focus on the business of the state for a change.
