Couple of interesting NY Times pieces about Gov. Sanford. First, one about the press and Sanford. Reporters in South Carolina got anonymously mailed copies of those emails with Ms. Argentina back in December, but couldn’t confirm they were real (and have no idea who forwarded them). Other tidbits:
The governor did have a reputation for unexplained absences, so his mysterious disappearance did not initially raise any suspicions in the local news media. “He has a pattern of quirky behavior,” said Adam Fogle, the editor of The Palmetto Scoop, a political blog in South Carolina. “He’s kind of odd.”
Last Thursday, the governor taped an interview with Sean Hannity for Fox News, in which Mr. Sanford criticized the federal stimulus plan and said he had not thought of running for president (“a lot of strange doors open or close in life,” he said). …
On Tuesday, The State received its second tip, this time from an airline passenger who said, according to Mr. Chapman: “We’ve seen your governor on an airplane. He’s not on the Appalachian Trail.” This tipster suggested that the governor would be returning from Argentina.
Mr. Chapman dispatched Gina Smith, a political reporter, to the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Wednesday morning to meet a flight from Buenos Aires. “He definitely was surprised to see me, and I was equally surprised to see him,” said Ms. Smith, in an interview on MSNBC. “It was just sort of a hunch that he would show up at the airport in Atlanta.”
I’ll bet he was surprised!
Gail Collins is not satisified with calling Sanford “kind of odd”– she thinks he’s a loon–
On behalf of the people of Illinois and New York, I’d like to thank South Carolina for giving us Mark (“I’ve been unfaithful to my wife”) Sanford. Finally, a governor who’s weirder than Rod Blagojevich and less responsible than Eliot Spitzer.
Really, we’re extremely relieved.
Sanford, as we all now know, went AWOL from his state last week, then re-emerged to admit that he had not been on the Appalachian Trail writing a book, as the chaotic explanations from his family and his staff had suggested, but in South America where he had gone to break up with his lover. “I spent the last five days crying in Argentina,” he said, completely ignoring all we have learned from Andrew Lloyd Webber. …
although the governor-run-amok thing is worrisome, South Carolinians can take comfort in the fact their state gives its chief executive slightly less power than a game warden. Fourth, before this search for a presidential nominee goes any further, I’m thinking it’s time for the Republicans to apologize for putting us through the Clinton impeachment. We seem to have pretty well established that sexual stone-throwing is a dangerous sport.
She notes that the gov’s staff kept up his Twitter field while he was off playing in Argentina.
Remember how easy it was to cheat back before Twitter, myspace, FB, text records, emails, etc..? (not that I cheat but you know what I’m saying) ..all you had to do was just meet up at the hotel for lunch and no one was the wiser. Now? car tracking devices under the wheelwell that can download all the visited locations without the driver even knowing it. Seriously, think back to the 50′s. All a guy had to do was just check his collar for lipstick and not knock her up.
Makes you wonder how so many of our elected officials elude interested others. Lessee … Camp Shelby has a lot more traffic these days than it used to … may be difficult to be invisible there. And there’s those curious quarters at Camp McCain. Well … where there’s a will there’s a way. Probably a lotta readers checking their wheelwells this afternoon ….
Car tracking? That’s so early 2000′s. Nowadays you can be tracked via your cell phone.
http://www.themobiletracker.com/english/index.html
Now THAT’s technology. I’m toast!
;)
JDB, I’m wondering when parents (or an angry spouse liked Sanford’s) will realize they can use the find-the-lost-iPhone feature of the new iPhone software to check where the iPhone user is.
I got an email or read something… can’t remember exactly …
anyway it was an AT&T locator service thingy. You can track every phone on your account, or whom you select or something (for a monthly charge)
I guess AT&T didn’t want to get sued by some philandering spouse, because IIRC it said something about sending a text message periodically to the phone notifying that it’s being tracked.
edit: found it. It’s called FamilyMap
If you follow your “values” —- those basic tenets of decency likely taught to you by your parents, grandparents, etc. —- then you won’t be “cheating” on your spouse in the first place, won’t have to worry about lying to cover it up, and won’t have to worry about such unnecessary drama and embarassment. And for a politician in today’s “gotcha” world where nothing is truly secret anymore, this would be especially true and very important. If you haven’t got the self-discipline to not do such stupid things in your personal life, then you likely lack the same self-discipline in your work.
Sanford sounds like he has been going through some type of “mid-life crisis”. Too bad for him, and for us, that it has been such a public drama and ordeal. But, he has no one to blame but himself —- just like the many before him caught in a similar predicament, and the many more likely to follow.
I just hate it that he has now caused trips to Argentina to sound so suspicious and potentially lewd. Argentina is a fabulous destination for hunters. Argentina, during its winter (our summer), offers world class dove and duck hunting, as well as great food. For many wingshooters, it is the dream hunting trip of a lifetime (even absent any hanky panky). I plan to go one day. And instead of a guy trip, the wife may now need to come along to prevent any gossip from being started by folks with no life of their own. Ha.
There is a blues song that comes to mind here, with lyrics that include the following: “…get you some business, and leave mine alone”.
And there is another song, in the funk category, that comes to mind as well, with lyrics that include the following: “..if your livin’ in a glass house, don’t throw no stones”.
All of these lyrics are words of wisdom to live by.
Oh sure … quail hunting in Argentina. No wife will ever question that one. Lemme know when you’re about to “explain” your expedition to Mrs. Afotl … I’ll bring the pickup truck over and help you gather your stuff from the front yard.
Quail. Argentina. That’s a good one.
http://www.losgauchos.com/
http://www.argentinawingshooters.com/
http://www.cordobadoves.com/
http://www.jjcaceria.com.ar/dove-hunting-argentina.htm
just the tip of the iceberg
Ben, I’ve known a number of people who have gone dove hunting in Argentina. It really is supposed to be astounding shooting.
Argentina may have the best bird hunting in the world. But Mark “The Hiker” Sanford queered it for a lotta shooters.
“Don’t cry for me….Argentiiiinaaaaa……”
“So take a letter Maria, address it to my wife
Say I won’t be coming home, gonna start a new life
So take a letter Maria, address it to my wife
Send a copy to my lawyer, gotta start a new life”
This guy has gone over the edge. He’s obviously emotionally tortured and deeply in lust with ‘Maria.” He’s UNFIT to be Governor of S.C., and UNFIT to be head of much of anything else – his family included. If the guy found his soul-mate in Maria, then more power to him. But, he needs to get his butt on down to Argentina and make it official, POSTHASTE. I don’t think he is capable of rational decision-making at this time. He was about as unraveled as I’ve ever seen a public figure at his very own press conference. Clearly, the man is UNDONE. His wife needs to kick his butt out for good, NOW. Sanford has become delusional, comparing himself to Biblical figures such as Paul and David. This guy’s lost it and he’ll be lucky not to end up in an asylum. His narcissim is off the charts. He makes no bones about putting MARIA before his 4 boys and his wife. Jenny, the boys, and the good South Carolinians would be best-served by this self-absorbed, egoistic ‘man’ getting his sorry ass down to Buenos Aires, posthaste. What d’ya bet, when Maria sees him for what he is, she’ll be kicking him to the curb in short order? This guy is the consummate lying, self-righteous prick.
In response to fly: Are you Mrs. Sanford? You are displaying all the hostility of a jilted lover. Ha.
Afotl, your earlier comment led to a Evita fest at my home. I think Fly was trying for hyperbole. It made us laugh and laugh and laugh. Headed to the GSO in the Grove.
Delta, I’m glad to have triggered festivity (as opposed to what some of comments usually trigger –Ha). “Evita” is one of my favorite musicals, and it immediately came to mind during this Sanford soap opera.
Sanford says he’s staying. New slogan: “Lying’s a big part of Politics, grow up and get over it.”