Gov. Mark Sanford arrived in the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport this morning, having wrapped up a seven-day visit to Buenos Aires, Argentina, he said. Sanford said he had not been hiking along the Appalachian Trail, as his staff said in a Tuesday statement to the media.
Sanford’s whereabouts had been unknown since Thursday, and the mystery surrounding his absence fueled speculation about where he had been and who’s in charge in his absence. His emergence Wednesday ended the mystery.
Sanford, in an exclusive interview with The State, said he decided at the last minute to go to the South American country to recharge after a difficult legislative session in which he battled with lawmakers over how to spend federal stimulus money.
And to think the founding fathers would return to their farms after legislative sessions, and it would take week(s) to get a hold of them if their presence or opinion was required.
What a hyper-frenetic world we live in.
Don’t weep for me, Carolina . . .
I am breaking my no comment pledge because y’all know why this is a stupid story? Our state is run by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. In a written opinion two weeks ago she held the governor is irrelevant and for all intents and purposes has no power. The only reason the press caught onto this story is because Sanford is a conservative. If our own US House majority whip from Calhoun County, SC, Rep. Jim Clyburn, disappeared for a week, no one would care, and most of us would be grateful.
Give me a break. First, he is a Governor, not a Legislator. Governors did not go home after the legislative session, that is why states have houses for the Governor to live in. He was elected to a 4 year term to run the state. That means during his term he is to be reachable 24 hours a day, seven days a week to execute those duties, or arrange for someone else to execute those duties for him. You can’t just disappear and not tell people where you are are or how to get in touch with you.
Secondly, he, or his staff, have made up a series of escalating lies as to where he was and what he was doing. Lies which did not even end when The State newspaper was waiting for him in the Atlanta airport on his return trip from Buenos Aries.
Oh and its don’t cry for me Carolina or Argentina in this case. As the governor apparently spent the last 4 days driving up and down their 2 mile long Coastal Highway. They must know him pretty well along that strip by now.
Two comments –
1. yawn
2. Who cares? If he’s out of state, at least he’s not doing the state any harm.
Two miles long, Mitchell? Seriously?
“In Buenos Aires, the Avenida Costanera is the only coastal road, and it’s less than two miles long.” Source the State Newspaper.
Thanks, Mitchell. I read the report in the State about five hours ago, at which point I do not believe that it included this information. Had not read the update.
let’s all hold our breath waiting for the MSM to play up Gov Kaine (D, VA) and his refusal to divulge his travel details:
http://www.roanoke.com/editorials/wb/209330
Chris,
Surely you cannot believe these stories are the same. If the Governor had said, “I am going on vacation to an undisclosed location, my staff knows how to reach me in the event of an emergency.” There would be no controversy. That is not what happened. He simply jumped in the car and drove away. Neither his wife nor his staff knew where he was, or how to reach him; and then either with or without his approval, his staff released a series of lies to the press to cover it all up. So Sanford has three choices now, admit he was irresponsible, admit he knew his staff was lying to the press; or throw his staff under a bus by saying, they made up a bunch of lies, and I don’t know why. In all fairness I guess there is a fourth option, “My staff lied to the press and they were justified in doing so.”
By the way, I voted for this man the first time he ran.
Those of you saying this is a nonstory must not be living in South Carolina, as I do, in tornado season, which is now. Who calls for the state of emergency? Who has the authority to activate the Guard?
Dem or Republican, the man should have made better plans. The Lt. Gov. had no idea that Sanford was to be out of touch for an extended period.
No Mitchell, of course they are not the same. Sanford is not stonewalling like Kaine is with this silly claim of “security,” for one.
But they are far more similar in circumstance than they will be in MSM attention, that was my point.
#11, I suppose you mean hurricane season?
Chris,
I do not understand your point. If Sanford had said, “I am not disclosing my travel plans for security reasons, but my staff knows how to reach me.” I would have no problem with that statement. All I need to know is he is doing his job or his job is covered. I do not personally need to know where he is. I accept the possibility a high profile governor could be the subject of an attack or kidnapping, and would understand his security detail not wanting people to know where he will be at any given time. I do think the Lt. Governor should know where he is going, and when he will be back.
As far as not stonewalling, that is all his staff has been doing for days now.
[blockquote]Two miles long, Mitchell? Seriously? [/blockquote]
I’ve been on it any number of times, and I’d have guessed it was maybe 3 miles long. It has, however, one restaurant after another on it, each better than the next. You could spend a week on the avenue just dining.
That said, Sanford’s behavior is outrageous and completely unacceptable. I’d be surprised if he finishes his term.