Fresh Loaf

On June 23, South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford admitted to an affair with an Argentinian woman, following in a long line of less-than-faithful Southern politicos.

“It’s gonna hurt, and we’ll let the chips fall where they may. … The bottom line is this: I’ve been unfaithful to my wife. … I spent the last five days of my life crying in Argentina.”

— Sanford during a June 23 press conference

“There were times when I was praying and when I felt I was doing things that were wrong. But I was still doing them. … I look back on those as periods of weakness and periods that I’m … not proud of.”"

— Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich admits his infidelity in a 2007 radio interview with “Focus on the Family“

“I told my wife that I had a liaison with another woman, and I asked for her forgiveness. … You cannot beat me up more than I have already beaten up myself.”

— Former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, in a 2008 statement about his affair

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On Tuesday, Red State/Peach Punditeer Erick Erickson complained the hubbub surrounding Gov. Mark Sanford’s disappearance was a trumped-up phony hit-job non-issue:

First, we need to be clear on the facts — not the media speculation:

• Sanford did tell his staff and family where he was going.
• Because he was traveling without a security detail, it was in his best interests that no one knew he was gone.
• His political enemies — Republicans at that — ginned up the media story.
• When confronted by a pestering media, things went downhill.
• Again though, at all times there was no doubt that Sanford’s staff and family knew where he was.

Now, here is all you need to know about this whole entire story — the reaction from the erstwhile Republicans angry at Sanford for not being a fiscal squish and from the media all go back to their core belief that without Sanford manning the barricades of government at all times, the government will collapse and people will starve, die, and forget how to read and write.

That’s it.

Maybe not quite it.

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Hiding out in the woods?

UPDATE: File under “duh.” Sanford initially said he flew to Buenos Aires because he wanted “to do something exotic.” Now we know he wanted to do someone exotic. Yes — surprise! — he’s admitted he went to meet up with his mistress.

As former CL intern Casey McIntyre observes on his Facebook page: “In defense of Sanford’s staffers, ‘Hiking the Appalachian Trail’ does sound a lot like ‘Hunting for Argentinian Tail.’ Perhaps they just misheard him.”

Up until now, Sanford was best known for trying unsuccessfully to deny his state $700 million in Obama-bucks. Now we know the guy has nothing against a little stimulus.

Yesterday, this blog reported that South Carolina officials said the state’s missing governor had decided to go “hiking along the Appalachian Trail” for five days without telling anyone.

Well, it turns out that was a bit of a fib.

Not only does it now appear that Gov. Mark Sanford had left his state, but he’d left the Northern Hemisphere entirely — and, as the old joke goes, he had to change planes in Atlanta. The AWOL Republican was spotted this morning at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport by reporters for The State, S.C.’s largest newspaper, getting off of a flight from Buenos Aires, Argentina.

According to their story:

Sanford 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, just to reassure the wife, who also had no clue as to his whereabouts:

Sanford said he was alone on the trip. He declined to give any additional details about what he did other than to say he drove along the coastline.

Yeah, I’m sure that’s exactly what he did. It’s incredible how relaxing a few days of, um, coastline-driving can be.

(more…)

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