Fresh Loaf

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.

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Tired of swallowing Xanax every time you jump on a plane to visit the folks? You might get an alternative, my weary friend.

A new multi-state study says high-speed rail is feasible along I-85 from Charlotte, N.C. to Macon. Greenville, S.C. and Atlanta would be stops along the route.

From a press release about the study:

The Charlotte-Macon Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor study assesses the capacity and speed capabilities of the corridor and estimates possible ridership, revenue, operating and capital costs associated with extending high-speed passenger rail from Charlotte, N.C. to Macon, Ga., along the I-85 corridor. The report also addresses the feasibility of train speeds up to 150 miles per hour, including new track construction in locations that would increase speeds and avoid congested areas. The study was conducted by the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center in Cambridge, Mass.

“This effort supports our shared belief that we must seriously consider — and plan for — transportation alternatives in these rapidly developing areas,” said Georgia Transportation Commissioner Gena Evans. “Given the growth our states continue to experience, we must explore every tool in our tool box in order to move the needle on transportation reform.”

…

High speed rail service, where appropriate, will provide business and leisure travelers with a competitive alternative to air and auto for trips between 100 and 500 miles.

Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia are working together with the business communities in each state to plan, develop and implement high speed rail in the Southeast. If implemented, the system would be developed incrementally, upgrading existing rail rights of way where possible.

What’s next? More studies, of course, including environmental assessments and modeling to gauge how viabile it would be to connect high-speed rail to other cities such as Washington, D.C. and Boston. Nowhere in the release does it mention how much the project would cost, which, in the end, is what determines whether it gets off the drawing board and into reality.

The complete study is also available online for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!

Full press release is after the jump.
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