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The Truth Could Have Set South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford Free

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listen to his own words:
“I think it would be much better for the country and for him [President Clinton] personally (to resign). I come from the business side. If you had a chairman or president in the business world facing these allegations, he’d be gone.” [Sanford on Clinton, The Post and Courier, 9/12/98]
“The issue of lying is probably the biggest harm, if you will, to the system of Democratic government, representatives government, because it undermines trust. And if you undermine trust in our system, you undermine everything.” [Sanford on Clinton, CNN, 2/16/99]
He is in the trashcan with Guiliani, Gingrich, Spitzer, Vitter, Craig, Foley, Mahoney, Ensign...and others who puff out their chests and tell everyone else how to live a moral life. And this is not just a private matter. These folks voluntarily took the mantle of leadership and then threw it in the sewer.
He is also in the trashcan with Duke Cunningham, Jack Murtha, William Jefferson, and others who have used their positions to either directly (their pockets) or indirectly (their friends) benefited themselves either by insatiable ego or pocket fattening. Even the pols some of us like are beneath contempt and ought to be tarred and feathered and run out of town on a rail. We need to take names of the living off every public facility immediately.
He wanted the position, the power, the fame---and then has the unmitigated gall to drag his wife into public and embarrass her again. If he had any decency he would resign and check himself into a fool farm.
Just what the elephants need: another sanctimonious pissant.
But the donkeys ought not gloat. While Sanford was out whoring they are avoiding the people's business by allowing Chris Dodd, Nancy Pee Mousemeat, Byrd, and others to run rampant.
No wonder the ratings fall and fall and fall.
There is, of course, another facet: Anderson Cooper, Keith Olbermann, Sean Hannity, Ruch Limbaugh, Randi Rhodes, and others make money off this garbage. So ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, PBS, NYT, Newscorp, Gannett, Cox, and the rest of the fourth estate continue to shirk their responsibilities to be a loyal opposition by preferring to engage in brown-nosing, asskissing, and pimping and whoring for the politicians.
No integrity.

wampus kitty of GA 2:22PM June 25, 2009

Public officials at all levels of civil government affect our lives. All are expected to spend their working days in ways that don't distract them from the duty of wisely managing the public purse. Governors do it state level. Congressmen do it in the Capitol for all of us. Boys will be Boys does not work after the age of eight. A governor on the job can't be doing it right when he's weaving alibis so he can sneak off with someone who envies his wife. He's supposed to be trying to make life better in his state, not deciding on which negligee to buy. Some public officials cheat by taking advantage of the fact they can't help getting insider information they use to buy or sell stock. Others cheat by giving first allegiance to church laws, not the federal or state constitution. Resigning gives a weakling a chance to "serve again," but impeachment marks the person as unfit for public office. The best standard is idealistic, yes. That means not accepting less than the best from public servants.

auradawnveirs of CA 1:04PM June 25, 2009

Christianity preaches the harmful concept of "forgiveness." If you do something bad, you expect to beg victims to "forgive you." As a "forgiving Christian," you'll "mercifully forgive" because you're like "merciful" God. Where there's "mercy" there is no justice. Trillions of dollars have been paid to churches after a believer "confesses sinful guilt." The cleric performs voodoo gestures and words of the magic act called "forgiveness." The cleric explains that repentance must be demonstrated and a nice fast way is to pay for new vestments or a new organ, etc.ˇ The Democratic Party has its share of "forgivers" who expect to be "forgiven" for wrongly treating families or taxpayers and constituents. We meed more godless public officials. They never ask a God to guide them. For me, Obama's weak point is his vote-seeking theatricalizing of of his Christianity. As in "Look at me, I'm at an ecumenical prayer breakfast as a Christian." Or, "I start my day by asking God to tell me what to do." Will his girls have a chance to be anything except Christians? Bush from 2000, said he began his day with prayer and look at the mess God led him to make.

Auradawnveirs of CA 5:32AM June 25, 2009

Oh great. First the Republicans ruin the economy, now they are outsourcing adultery.
See:
http://notionscapital.wordpress.com/2009/06/24/gop-governor-outsources-adultery/

Mike Licht of DC 12:01AM June 25, 2009

IF Mark Sanford had any degree of integrity, he would resign immediately. He gives Republicans a bad name. He has betrayed the trust of his constituents beyond what is tolerable. It has less to do with his structural violence toward his wife and sons than his abuse of public trust in failing in his constituional responsibilities to protect the public safety of the citizens of South Carolina. But then, it would take a person of integrity and proper moral values to resign! Should we expect this of Mark Sanford? As he has demonstrated over the last few months, he places his so-called moral high ground and ??? principles above public interest and his constitutional responsibilites! It's time for him to go. He he will not do it respectfully of his position, the he needs to be impeached.

Roger of SC 7:48PM June 24, 2009

QUOTE: "In all my years covering politics, I've never seen a star-bound politician's career fizzle with such catastrophic downward velocity."
How quickly we forget -- Gov. Elliot Spitzer?!?!?

Marty of NY 5:31PM June 24, 2009

Perhaps if enough "Christian conservative" members of the GOP run into trouble like this, the mythical beasts known as Republican moderates will get some people thinking about moving away from the party's entwinement with the Christian right.
At least for now, that would seem to be a smart way to start the road back to respectability and electability.

Claywise of WY 4:31PM June 24, 2009

as long as he's able to do a good job, who cares if he has a girlfriend. that is personal, between him and his wife/family. maybe they have an open arrangement? why is it our business what he does on his free time? if his wife is o.k with it, then so am I.

suzi of SC 4:26PM June 24, 2009