Gov. Sanford Admits Affair With Woman From Argentina

[Richard Tafoya]

AP:
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/news/2009/06/sc_gov_mark_sanford_says_hes_had_an_affair.php?ref=fpa

South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford says he's been having an affair with a woman from Argentina and will resign as head of the Republican Governors' Association.

The married father of four emotionally apologized to his wife, staff and others at a news conference after returning Wednesday from a trip to Argentina that followed a dayslong absence. His staff had said the Republican was hiking on the Appalachian Trail.

Sanford says he met the woman about eight years ago and it became romantic about a year ago. He says his wife and family have known about it for the past five months.

Sanford says, "I've let down a lot of people."

[db44]

Ah, the party of family values... Argentina?!

[Richard Tafoya]

As soon as the dung hit the fan, Fox News put up a chyron identifying Sanford as a Democrat. They sure make that mistake a lot when Republicans get themselves into trouble.

http://cloudfront.mediamatters.org/static/images/item/fnc-20090624-sanford.jpg

[pinky]

So this is two in about a week, both considered possible presidential candidates for 2012.

Yeah, the GOP is credible. :rolleyes:

[Annoyedlistner]

Its all over the news here...its insane how many people are defending him.

Before the news broke of him having an affair many of the local republicans were still standing by him. They didnt see a problem with their gov. jumping the country without telling anyone where he was going.

I dont really care about the affair, but the deal about skipping the country without telling anyone is way out of line. He needs to resign his office right now.

[Richard Tafoya]

Think Progress:
http://thinkprogress.org/2009/06/24/sanford-frc-website/

Previously, the website (http://www.valuesvotersummit.org/) for the Family Research Council’s Values Voters Summit 2009 featured a picture of South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, advertising that he was a potential speaker. But Pam Spaulding points out (http://www.pamshouseblend.com/showComment.do?commentId=145795) that following Sanford’s announcement (http://thinkprogress.org/2009/06/24/sanford-affair/) of an affair, his picture was quickly removed from the website (http://www.pamshouseblend.com/showComment.do?commentId=145795).

[Richard Tafoya]

TPM:
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/06/sanford_to_lover_i_love_the_erotic_beauty_of_you_h.php?ref=f pa
We got the feeling from his press conference that things weren't quite resolved between Mark Sanford and his Argentina-based lover. Now The State has published emails the pair sent each other last year -- and they definitely reinforce that impression.

The conservative Republican waxes eloquent, telling his lover Maria, among other things:

I could digress and say that you have the ability to give magnificent gentle kisses, or that I love your tan lines or that I love the curve of your hips, the erotic beauty of you holding yourself (or two magnificent parts of yourself) in the faded glow of the night's light...

Reading these intensely personal communications, it's hard not to feel some sympathy for the human beings involved. But that doesn't mean they don't make good reading.

Reports that the paper had been working on this story for a while were on the mark. The paper says it got the emails in December.

[Annoyedlistner]

and yet so many people in SC are supporting him.....

[lions1mew]

Yeah Republicans are all family values until it happens to one of their own and then they are understanding and forgiving. Please. If it had been a Democrat, they would have been all over him like bees on honey for his "immorality."

[pinky]

Yeah Republicans are all family values until it happens to one of their own and then they are understanding and forgiving. Please. If it had been a Democrat, they would have been all over him like bees on honey for his "immorality."
See: John Edwards.

[db44]

Apparently, some of his trips to Argentina were paid to by the SC taxpayers... Not this weekend's tryst, but a few in the recent past.

So on the same line of the above posts: I haven't seen anyone who was on Obama's case about New York yet denounce these trips. Conceivably,

Does SC have that many business ventures there that he has to take multiple trips?

[Annoyedlistner]

Apparently, some of his trips to Argentina were paid to by the SC taxpayers... Not this weekend's tryst, but a few in the recent past.

So on the same line of the above posts: I haven't seen anyone who was on Obama's case about New York yet denounce these trips. Conceivably,

Does SC have that many business ventures there that he has to take multiple trips?

have you been to SC lately? They dont have very much business interest to begin with....

[db44]

So the GOP is okay with one of their governors spending tax dollars to fund an international affair, but the president is not allowed to spend a night out on the town? Obama was priming the New York pump. Sanford was paying for Argentinian hotels and who knows what else for an illicit relationship.

Sanford should have followed Ensign's lead and stepped down right away... Or at least the GOP should have and should be pushing for that now.

[Annoyedlistner]

So the GOP is okay with one of their governors spending tax dollars to fund an international affair, but the president is not allowed to spend a night out on the town? Obama was priming the New York pump. Sanford was paying for Argentinian hotels and who knows what else for an illicit relationship.

Sanford should have followed Ensign's lead and stepped down right away... Or at least the GOP should have and should be pushing for that now.

I heard the Lt. Gov on the radio this morning on the way to work, he was not happy about what is going on and wants answer to why the Gov. thinks its ok to skip the country. He was pretty pissed, keep in mind he's also a Republican.

[oxymoron]

I think it is ok to have affairs with people who live on other continents.