He’s a travelin’ man
Not all political leaders in America were fans of the recent bailout program rolled out by President Obama. South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford fought lawmakers over accepting the cash advance, but in the end he lost a long, hard-fought legislative battle over the bill that’s likely loaded with pet pork. Not long after the short-term loan went through for his state and Mark Sanford signed off on it, he claimed he did so for bureaucratic reasons – to block other states from claiming the money he had wanted to deny for South Carolina.
That, coupled with his controversial stance on funding for schools in his state, have made him somewhat less than popular with many South Carolinians. Mark Sanford needed time off.
Here’s where it gets strange. As it turned out, he went so far as to disappear from public view – and government view, and family view. False information from staff had placed him hiking on the Appalachian Trail during a nudist exhibition, but that was a proverbial red herring. As it turns out, Mark Sanford went to Argentina to cool his jets.
Don’t cry for him, Carolina
The truth is, he never loved you.
According to reports, Sanford was in Argentina, not hiking on the Appalachian Trail as had been previously circulated by staffers either in on the game or kept in the dark by their boss. During the four days that he had dropped out of sight, reports The State newspaper, he was in Buenos Aires.
Considering how little state government appreciated being left in the lurch without warning, it’s only right that Mark Sanford (Argentina?) is holding a news conference today. In fact, it should be in progress as I write this.
Yeah, yeah, difficult legislative session, we’ve heard it before
Sanford told The State that he went to the land of Evita in order to “recharge after a difficult legislative session.”
But wouldn’t you at least tell your wife if you were going to disappear for a few days – that is, if there was no funny business going on. As it is, his wife Jenny had no idea where her beleaguered husband had gone. South Carolina government was left with a vaguely worded law to direct them as to whether the state’s Lieutenant Governor should officially be named the successor then or not. State lawmakers were frustrated with Governor Sanford’s irresponsible behavior. And why did staff tell reporters he had gone hiking on the Appalachian Trail when it was clear that his cellphone had been used near Atlanta, Georgia?
Adding fire to the farce, Mark Sanford (fresh off Argentina) told the press he had no idea why his staff said he was hiking in the Appalachians. Perhaps it sounds less dangerous than “He’s consummating several illicit affairs in the oil-change bay at the local Wal-Mart,” but who knows. Maybe the man truly just wanted to get away. I think he should get away from his job so the state can eventually hold a special election to replace the man that was in dereliction of his duties. I wonder if he expensed the trip to the taxpayers?
Now he’ll face the tango music
Think this South Carolina politician can work the bellows of public opinion with Astor Piazzolla-like skill? We’ll see.
"I needed a special 'manicure' they only give there, see…"
Sanford claims he cut his trip to Argentina short to return to his state of employment. It seems there’s been something of a media circus going He said he cut his trip short to Argentina by a day to return after his chief of staff explained that his mysterious absence had stirred considerable media attention. Ya think? All that Sanford told the local newspaper is that he was alone on the trip, and that he drove along the coastline.
Senator Jake Knotts told MSNBC that this whole mess could have been averted if “a little bit of truth had been implemented into this story. All we have had is lies, lies, lies and cover-ups,” he says.
Knotts, who has been critical of Governor Sanford in the past, says that taking a break is one thing, but abandoning his state government is another. Up to at least the time right before his press conference, Sanford has yet to apologize for any of his behavior. Perhaps he was in a debt bind and chose not to use a cash advance in Maine as a short-term loan. The he would have been fleeing the country in embarrassment.
“It is all strange, bizarre behavior just we have had continuously out of this entire administration,” Knotts exclaimed rather candidly.
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