Mark Sanford's Wife Urged to Write Tell-All Book

By Paul Bedard, Washington Whispers

Ever notice how the guys of political affairs write books about their cheating, make big dollars, and then sometimes go on to greater fame? What about the victims in those cases: the wives? Well, we hear that the New York publishing world would like Jenny Sanford, the wife of South Carolina's odd Gov. Mark Sanford, to tell her side of their story. The reason: Unlike the wives of some politicians who have been ensnarled in scandal, she seems to have taken a different role than the supportive mate, leaving the governor's mansion with her kids while he pines about his Latin lover in Argentina.

Leading the effort to get Jenny to open up is best-selling author Dorothea Benton Frank. She tells our Suzi Parker that she'd be first in line to help Sanford pen a memoir. Frank has been collecting notes of support for Sanford via her Facebook page and this weekend plans to hand-deliver them at the Sanfords' beach house on Sullivan's Island, S.C. Frank, whose latest novel is, coincidentally, titled Return to Sullivan's Island, has more than 400 messages. "I'm going to print all of these and take her a copy of my book and my first book and stick them in her mailbox," says Frank, who met Jenny Sanford at a wedding on Memorial Day.

Here's just one of the messages she's received: "Jenny you are a strong woman. I'd like to see you set an example for Real Women and do what Hillary Clinton didn't, send him packing. Woman Don't have to live with this stuff. You dump him and I'll start the 'Jenny Sanford for Governor' campaign. SC could use some Women's Representation in Government."

Frank isn't the only one providing Girl Power to Sanford, Parker finds. Debra Condren, author of Ambition Is Not a Dirty Word, says, "Women are encircling Jenny Sanford with a protective wall of fierce, outspoken, adamant collective compassion, clearly conveying this message to her—and to other women who are suffering: The sisterhood has your back. Finally."

Frank's novel came out right as the Sanford scandal heated up. "The joke on the book tour was every time the news media Googled "Sullivan's Island," my book came up. We laugh that Mark Sanford sold a million books for me."

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