Sanford You Dummy!
Posted by Jake G. on 06.24.2009
Fred G. Sanford wouldn't approve.
By now you've probably heard about Republican South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford's disappearing act last week. The Governor was gone so long without telling anyone where he was that someone almost had to step in and take his place. Now it's been revealed that Mark was in Argentina, on an international booty call. As announced today, Mark will be resigning from his post as head of the Republican Governors Association and whatever 2012 Presidential aspirations he had, would be seemingly gone.
Myself, I have no real issue with the guy having an affair. While I certainly don't condone it, his personal business is just that, his personal business. However I believe he should be removed from his spot as Governor. Not because he had an affair, but because he lied about it, endangered the citizens of South Carolina by disappearing and misrepresented himself as a family man.
Imagine if a hurricane or some other natural disaster had come up upon South Carolina while the Governor was off playing sexual conquistador? What if, god forbid, there was a terrorist attack? Surely someone could have stepped in, but it still would have been a real travesty if the Governor couldn't be reached at all when potential emergencies were possible.
Adding to the shame is the fact that this man's family couldn't get a hold of him, on FATHER'S DAY! This just casts another ugly shadow onto the weakening GOP party. The Republicans had been talking up their Governors for some time now and hoping that some of them could step up to be de facto leaders of the party, but controversies like this won't help the cause. Sanford was the darling of the party for a bit when he tried to refuse Obama's stimulus money and now looks even more foolish than then.
Of course Democratic leaders have had their fair share of similar controversies with Elliot Spitzer and John Edwards. Both were major blows that didn't help the party. All week the bloggers on the right have been under attack that when the facts came out that Sanford was going to find himself in a similar situation, but they right insisted that one of their own wouldn't do that. Now there will be a lot of back pedaling and story changing.
The struggling GOP needs to show that it can have strong leaders and not just do as I say not as I do guys like Rush Limbaugh, but it certainly seems to be having a hard time with it. The GOP Governors were supposed to be a bright spot for the party but with Texas Gov. Rick Perry's nonsense about succeeding, Bobby Jindal's seeming lack of polish when he offered his "rebuttal" to Obama earlier this year and now this scandal, it can't be good.
I reserve judgement until I get a good look at the mistress.
Posted By: AdmChesterMynuts (Guest) on June 24, 2009 at 04:35 PM
I remember a certain president that had a affair and lied about it and all the leftys said it was none of our buisness.Let's try to be consistent for once.
Posted By: John (Guest) on June 24, 2009 at 05:17 PM
It's no worse than what Bill Clinton did.
Posted By: luna (Guest) on June 24, 2009 at 05:17 PM
I really wish people would wake up. Being Democrat or Republican makes no difference. The problem is the people we allow to run for office.
We've made it so that only the rich and the super-ambitious can run for government, and these are the same people that are willing to do anything to get what they want. If you put a bunch of power-hungry people in a position of power, they are going to abuse it.
Not every public office is a scumbag, but it's no coincidence that most of the time that a major investigation is done on one of our fine leaders, something unsavory comes to light.
Posted By: xjuggernaughtx (Guest) on June 24, 2009 at 05:23 PM
I reserve judgement until I get a good look at the mistress.
Posted By: AdmChesterMynuts
LOL She better look like Vida Guerra or better to be worth the trip and killing his career. Just PLEASE let the wife have the dignity not to stand next to him during the obligatory teary eyed public apology.
Posted By: Shockmaster (Guest) on June 24, 2009 at 05:24 PM
seriously that is way too damn far for a booty call. this chick better be fucking hot as hell.
Posted By: stronelis (Guest) on June 24, 2009 at 05:26 PM
Kennedy,Clinton,Frank,Spitzer,Condit,and Edwards all will have Sanfords back.
Posted By: Bill (Guest) on June 24, 2009 at 05:34 PM
"It's no worse than what Bill Clinton did."
Yes it is. Clinton had the decency to stay in his office, even while he was getting blown. THAT'S commitment to a job!
Posted By: poffo316 (Guest) on June 24, 2009 at 05:41 PM
For all you people that want to compare this to Clinton: last I checked, even while Bill was getting Lewinskied in the Oral Office, he was reachable by pretty much every member of his staff; Sanford basically abandoned his office when he ran off to Argentina and went South on Carolina (or whatever his mistress' name is), which is what people are calling him out on.
Posted By: Anonymous Poster (Guest) on June 24, 2009 at 05:51 PM
BUT BUT BUT.. BILL CLINTON!!
Posted By: Jamal (Guest) on June 24, 2009 at 05:54 PM
It's no worse than what Bill Clinton did.
Posted By: luna (Guest) on June 24, 2009 at 05:17 PM
Actually, it is a bit worse than what Clinton did, as Clinton was in his office doing his job while this guy disappeared utterly for a couple of days.
Posted By: Guest#8145 (Guest) on June 24, 2009 at 05:54 PM
'Myself, I have no real issue with the guy having an affair. While I certainly don't condone it, his personal business is just that, his personal business'
Here is a statement so relevant to the state of our world that it needs to be taught in school.
To justify the pursuits of our own addictions to abhorrent sexual deviance, that we accept it, nay we EXPECT it, from our representatives and leaders. By accepting it, you do condone it.
Maybe, just maybe, if we actually had some moral standards to live by, our society could be a much better place to live.
Instead we live in a place where deviant behavior is condoned, and moral behavior is attacked.
Such a shameful state of mind we live in
Posted By: Mikel (Guest) on June 24, 2009 at 06:16 PM
Ok so he forgot to fill out a PTO form,who hasn't done that before?
By the way Ted Kennedy left the scene while his mistress drowned to death and he is still a senator.Makes the leaving his post argument a little hollow.
That being said..........he is done.
Posted By: John (Guest) on June 24, 2009 at 06:36 PM
Hey John it goes both ways - I guess this means all of you Republicans are going to scream and yell for Sanford to be impeached and run out of office, right?
Posted By: GaryML (Guest) on June 24, 2009 at 06:52 PM
The only problem I might have is if he used public funds to go to Argentina for this personal booty call. Then by all means, throw this cretin in jail. The fact that he was unreachable was very irresponsible; but not something I would call for his head for.
Posted By: MydniteSon (Guest) on June 24, 2009 at 07:31 PM
"that being said.........he is done"
I did Gary. READ. You would think after me proving you wrong about Zimmers article, you would be smarter than this.Get with the program.
Posted By: John (Guest) on June 24, 2009 at 08:15 PM
Hey Gary, all jokes about PTO forms or the dems doing it aside,this guy is a scumbag.He disgraced his wife,kids, and the people who voted for him by breaking his vow to the one he is supposed to love the most.Add the fact that he lied and I am done with him.
I think people who say its ok to cheat on your wife have serious issues.They should not be put into positions of trust, seeing that they betrayed the one person where trust is most important.
Maybe I am wrong though.I know it pisses me off when republicans do it.Does it make you angry when the Dems do it?Hopefully America can start electing people they can trust from both parties,the country would be better off.Late
Posted By: John (Guest) on June 24, 2009 at 09:11 PM
Clinton lied under oath. Sanford did not. However, I agree, Clinton did not abandon the office, Sanford did, and that would be reason enough for me to oust him out of office.
Posted By: gwpbrian (Guest) on June 24, 2009 at 09:12 PM
I'm confused, what did he lie about - other than where he would be?
Sure, stupid to not let leave anyone in charge of case of disaster, etc, but as far as i can see, and we don't know who paid for what yet, he didn't violate the law.
For me, being AWOL is cause to consider removing him from office, As for the the rest of it, it seems like he fucked up and admitted it, unlike in most cases where the guy only comes clean after he's caught.
Hell, I thought he handled it all very well and I respect him a lot for owning up to it, and I might have actually supported him for prez after the press conference - if he had only been responsible about being out of state.
Posted By: Guest#1742 (Guest) on June 24, 2009 at 09:55 PM
Um...let's se what the "typical" conservative vitriol would was when this happened to liberals in the past:
1. FOX News conveniently labeled him a Democrat on screen...just like they did that other Republican disgrace Mark Foley. How convenient... so FOX is disavowing Sanford like they disavowed Foley.
Clearly, we can all see that conservatives eat their own!!!!!!!
2. Sanford apologized. Wow. Apologized. Who forced him to apologize? Surely not liberals. I guess his conservative base pushed him to apologize. Man, that's all conservatives in this country ever do--force people to apologize for stupid shit.
See also, Limbaugh, Rush; Steele, Michael; Gingrey, Phil; and lo' and behold...on that apology to Rush list...Sanford, Mark.
Why do conservatives keep forcing people to apologize?
3. What? An extramarital affair? That involved sex? This man is not a man of god; he hates god. Why do conservatives hate god?
4. Impeach him! He's unfit for leadership because he's had an affair.
5. These conservatives keep demonizing others via moral sermonizing; but when they fall...there's always some good reason. Rush says people who buy illegal drugs without prescriptions should rot in jail for life but when it came to him...oh...he has such bad back pains. Ted Haggard denounces gays and drugs then is "outed" by his gay prostitute/lover/drug dealer. So basically, they shit on people from their soap boxes but when their turn comes, it's either a "private matter" or there's always SOME excuse.
Clearly, conservatism is a mental disorder.
Bow. THE END.
Posted By: Brandon Crow (Guest) on June 25, 2009 at 12:50 AM
Crow, your better than that.Do you really want me to answer to your hate?I will if you want to go another 15 rounds with me. I will leave it up to you.I am up all night.Me and you,no apology.I love you like a brother but your way out of line.I am going to get a couple of beers,me,you,now
.
Posted By: John (Guest) on June 25, 2009 at 02:29 AM
Talk about conservative damage control....Tsk, Tsk, Tsk. It is truly pathetic.
Posted By: David (Guest) on June 25, 2009 at 02:36 AM
So Crow,I suffer from a mental disorder huh?I have been consistent with my posts.He is a scumbag.What else do you want from me?
Would he be a hero if his name was Kennedy and he left his mistress to die?NO.
If you think this is a typical conservative,then your sick and wrong.This asshole disgrassed his family and is no way reflective of the conservative movement.You know better than that.
Your better than that.You sound like a hack,your a hall of famer Crow.........act like one
Posted By: John (Guest) on June 25, 2009 at 03:04 AM
Hey John, I'm a lefty that thought that Clinton should have stepped down during the great neo-con witch-hunt. If he'd have done that, then Gore would have most likely rammed the much needed retaliation against al qaeda through the obstructionist congress. With a successful military campaign on his side, he would have easily beaten king George the lesser in 2000. Then we'd have a president who would be smart enough to realize that maybe those memos about terrorists taking flying lessons without caring about how to land, and the fact that Osama Bin Laden wanted to attack us; and actually do something to prevent the 11 September attacks, as opposed to going on extended vacation. At the same time; we'd also likely have reduced our dependence on foreign energy, we would take the lead in medical research thanks to our work on embryonic stem cells, we would be much less in debt due to our not invading Iraq, and we'd be on the cutting edge of technology thanks to having a president who is smart enough to pay attention to technological advances. On top of all that, the goofballs on the retarded reich-wing wouldn't have had Bill Clinton to kick around anymore, which means that Newt Gingrich, Larry Craig, David Vitter, and now Mark Sanford wouldn't have dozens of screaming idiots defending their indescretions by yelling, "but Clinton did it!!"
Posted By: Coyotespaw (Guest) on June 25, 2009 at 03:54 AM
People are really losing focus of this. I don't mind him having an affair (though I personally condone, and even am disgusted by such activities, it doesn't have anything to do with there job). No, this man, who is in a very important position of authority went AWOL for days! He could have been saving his daughter from terrorists in Valverde like John Matrix for all I care, it doesn't matter. He abadndoned his post, and needs to be held accountable.
Can anyone here leave there job for 5 days without explaination to anyone and get it back. I surely can't. And Gov. Sanford should not have an exception. The MSM is totally missing the point here. This is not about an affair. Or why men and women cheat. This is dereliction of duty from an elected official, pure and simple.
Posted By: Andy (Guest) on June 25, 2009 at 05:37 AM
John,
Grab a few more beers, my friend! And get me one while you're at it! :) Chill out, relax.
Read my post again with the sarcasm that was intended. Surely, if you follow these comments as much as I think you do, you've seen those very bombs tossed at liberals by conservative commentators again and again for some of the stupidest things.
I'm glad you take issue with my so-called "anger" and "hate" and "hackery" because that shows you can discern craven ideology and bullshit when you see it. Next time you see some of these "typical" conservative posters flame liberals this way, I hope to see respond in kind and put them in their place just as quickly as you jumped on me here.
Shoot, if you do, I'll buy the beers!
Posted By: Crow21 (Guest) on June 25, 2009 at 09:45 AM
"The only problem I might have is if he used public funds to go to Argentina for this personal booty call. Then by all means, throw this cretin in jail. The fact that he was unreachable was very irresponsible; but not something I would call for his head for.
Posted By: MydniteSon (Guest) on June 24, 2009 at 07:31 PM"
Here here.
Is the guy balancing the budget? Is there job growth in South Carolina? How are those taxes?
I would LOVE it if he not only NEVER stepped down as governor, but was re-elected. CAN HE DO HIS JOB? That is what matters.
Posted By: J. Alexander Mitchell (Registered) on June 25, 2009 at 09:50 AM
John you couldn't be more wrong, what better represents the conservative movement more than self-righteousness and hypocrisy?
Posted By: Spaghett (Guest) on June 25, 2009 at 10:28 AM
Everyone here who has said this is not about "the affair" but rather his dereliction of duty is absolutely right. The man, head of his state, went AWOL, disappeared for five days. Imagine any other governor doing that. Imagine Obama doing that. Heads would roll.
Do I think he needs to step down as governor over the affair? No. Does he need to step down over dereliction of duty? No. It would be nice, but it's not required. Frankly, it's not really my business. The people of South Carolina will decide if they feel he's fit for office.
And to those who berate him and call him a bum and a disgrace for having an affair, all I can say is I don't think anyone believes it's okay for him to do that.
But we're not hanging him for it either. There's a big difference between openly condoning such an act and simply saying we understand human nature, and these things happen.
What's worse, that Sanford is a human being, has human flaws and fell to human needs? Or people who are imperfect in their own right going all "soap box?"
Posted By: Brandon Crow (Guest) on June 25, 2009 at 10:58 AM
Oh great. Another preachy, holier-than-thou post from Mikel. Could you have your head any further up your ass?
Posted By: Dr. Mickhead (Guest) on June 25, 2009 at 11:16 AM
"For all you people that want to compare this to Clinton: last I checked, even while Bill was getting Lewinskied in the Oral Office, he was reachable by pretty much every member of his staff; Sanford basically abandoned his office when he ran off to Argentina and went South on Carolina (or whatever his mistress' name is), which is what people are calling him out on."
This is true to an extent, I was merely making a point. I'm not a conservative by any means, but Clinton commited perjury and obstruction of justice. Everybody grandstanded and made it about the affair instead of the president trying to committing real crimes -- felonies, ffs.
So while Clinton did the shady backhanded deal after he was caught, Sanford stood up and said "I admit that I screwed up."
I don't think either of them are fit for leadership -- not because of their indiscretions, but because their indiscretions hurt their job performance in both cases.
I'm not biased against either party, I have no problem calling either out on doing stupid and messed up things.
So what if Clinton was reachable? He was doing reprehensible underhanded things and the press decided to focus on the sex instead of the real problem. Imagine that. There are things in place for someone to take over in the event that the Governor (or president) is unreachable. In the grand scheme of things, an undisclosed disappearance of a few days is less terrible for a public official than perjury and obstruction of justice.
Posted By: luna (Guest) on June 25, 2009 at 12:52 PM
Dr. Mickhead,
Yes, Mikel is indeed being "holier than thou" again. But then, that's because we all know Mikel IS holier than all of us.
First, he's absolutely freakin' perfect.
Second, the man has a direct line to God.
Third, he's right that we condemn moral acts...like lying a nation into a war; like dismissing the innocent civilian deaths of people from other countries because we all know they're secretly all terrorist sympathizers and insurgents; like denying people basic, fundamental, Constitutional rights.
Frankly, I'm surprised Mikel is still one of us. That celestial being should have been deified long ago!
Posted By: Brandon Crow (Guest) on June 25, 2009 at 01:01 PM
A friend of mine, who is a minister, just posted this on his Facebook page:
"Oh, no! Another married Conservative Republican Elected Official having an affair with someone of the opposite sex. I guess same sex marriage IS destroying the sanctity of traditional marriage."
Beautiful.
The overflowing hypocrisy of the right on "family values" is too delicious to even taste right now.
Posted By: Brandon Crow (Guest) on June 25, 2009 at 01:02 PM
Yes, Crow, bask in your side's right-ness. Bathe in it; soak it in. Make sure you don't miss a spot.
Posted By: Scotty H (Guest) on June 25, 2009 at 01:27 PM
What does rejecting "stimulus" money have to do with his affair? I'm not defending the guy's affair, but he rejected the stimulus money because he saw it for the federal power grab it was. I can only hope the next governor of SC can defend his state's sovereignty AND keep his pants on.
You socialists on here have no more clear a path to ruining this country than before simply because some politican cheated on his wife. He will be replaced and your destructive ideas will still be worthless.
Posted By: Da Man (Guest) on June 25, 2009 at 02:07 PM
I have a headache.
If Al Gore was president would he be still one of the biggest polluters in the country?Private jet riding Gore cuase is so lame that he had to change the name of it to"climate change"
I am glad your so glib over This dickhead cheating on his wife.That way we don't focus on the dickhead in chief bankrupting this country.By the way cap and trade is passing this week,that will cost everyone a extra 1000 dollars a year.So much for no one having their taxes going up unless you make 250,000 dollars a year.Meanwhile North Korea is flipping the pussy in the white house the middle finger.
Let's not focus on any of the real issues.Let's spend our time piledriving some republican.That way we can not focus on the biggest disaster of a president in the history of this country.
Lastly Crow, you comfortable with all the focus on some knob from South Carolina while the president gets serviced from the media on a daily basis?
Posted By: John (Guest) on June 25, 2009 at 02:20 PM
It's hilarious that liberals think this should be a public issue but believed that Clinton's affair should've been treated as a personal matter. Hypocrisy run amuck.
Posted By: Michael (Guest) on June 25, 2009 at 04:11 PM
"Let's not focus on any of the real issues.Let's spend our time piledriving some republican.That way we can not focus on the biggest disaster of a president in the history of this country."
Ahhh, the frightened cries of a stupid, butt-hurt Republican. God, how I missed that.
Posted By: Guest#5874 (Guest) on June 25, 2009 at 04:35 PM
Can we, for the love of God, stop using the terms liberal and conservative to describe these people? I know, I know, this is my 3rd reposting of this memo in the past week, but my lord it is making my skin crawl that pundits like Limbaugh and O'RLY are being called conservative when they are Republican panderers.
Republican DOES NOT equal conservative.
Democrat DOES NOT equal liberal.
When you act like those terms are interchangable, you show just how puppetized (not a word) you have become. Dance because the major news networks lump you all in to a grouping. Dance I say!
Back to the issue at hand. I hate people who cheat on their spouses. Don't dislike, hate. If you want to fuck around, don't get married. Ta-da! Or you can have one of those awesome swinger marriages that I hear people talking about. Sounds like a win-win situation to me.
That being said, what the guy does in his personal life is no business of yours. Wasn't any of our business who Clinton fucked until he started lying about it to everyone that would listen. If a guy is going to lie openly about something like fucking the intern, what's going to happen when he makes a major error in judgment with regard to global politics? Sure, Sanford shat all over the idea of marriage, and I won't get a beer with the guy, but if he fessed up and didn't spend tax payer dollars to do it...oh well. He's a bad husband. He's not getting paid to be a husband. He's getting paid to, well, govern...
BUT, if he didn't give notice, and the people who elected him want his ass, he gets a pink slip. If he used tax payer money, and the people who elected him want his ass, he gets a pink slip. If the people who elected him think he's a total douche for cheating on his wife, and want his ass, well, you get the idea...
This is for South Carolina to decide. The guy manned up and admitted he did it, and then apologized. If his voters think that's acceptable, he will stay. If not, they'll replace him.
Posted By: The Man (Guest) on June 25, 2009 at 05:54 PM
Mikel,
Please stop with the BS. Which "liberals" thinks this is a public issue? Most of the comments here seem to echo the sentiment that the affair isn't the issue, but rather his dereliction of duty.
I don't see a slew of comments saying "IMPEACH," or rather for Governors, "RECALL!"
Please stop making stuff up; really, your grasping at irrelevant, nonexistent matters reeks of desperation and an inability to accept reality.
That my friend, is a mental disorder.
Posted By: Crow21 (Guest) on June 25, 2009 at 07:48 PM
Oops...mea culpa! That last comment I posted wasn't supposed to be addressed to "Mikel," but rather "Michael."
Posted By: Crow21 (Guest) on June 25, 2009 at 08:04 PM
Scotty H,
I think you missed the point of my post. It's not gloating, it's not about flaunting "my side's right-ness." I don't say a thing about "my side."
I'm merely pointing out the contaminating, nearly viral Republican problem right now, which is a lack of credibility that will be seen by the populace at large as hypocritical.
Am I lionizing "my side?" No.
Am I deriving pleasure that the "exalted" Republican "family values" and the too-often, sinisterly judgmental tendencies of the right wing have come back to bite them? Damn straight, I am.
But don't misunderstand or misconstrue that for gloating. When the right deliberately put themselves on a moral soap box for electioneering purposes, they deserve a hard fall when it comes back around.
If "my side" did this high-filutin' sermonizing and moralizing, and then they fell, I'd say the same thing.
Posted By: Crow21 (Guest) on June 25, 2009 at 08:11 PM
1996 voted yes on the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) to prevent same-sex marriages.
Because marriage is so very sacred to this man.
Posted By: Mike (Guest) on June 29, 2009 at 03:35 PM
STAY CURRENT