Another One Bites the Dust.
24 06 2009The 2012 Republican prospects are a bit challenged these days.
First, there was Bobby Jindal and his famous “What the Hell was THAT?” response to President Obama’s address to Congress back in March. That’s the one where he ridiculed money to be used for volcano monitoring….just before a major volcanic eruption in Alaska, along with looking, in general, like a creepy version of Mr. Rogers who had no clue what he was talking about.
Then, Newt Gingrich did his best to alienate women, Latinos, and anyone with an ounce of sense by calling Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor a racist. Good move.
And, of course, Sarah Palin, while continuing to chip away at her Alaskan support, races full-speed toward her bid to become Student Body President of her Middle School country, one tweet at a time.
And now this….the strange and unbelievable saga of Governor Mark Sanford. Why just a few weeks ago he and Sarah Palin were engaged in a friendly wager over a hockey game, and now …
Over the last week the story has morphed in the following way:
Where’s Governor Sanford?
Nobody Knows. Staff and family have no clue.
He’s actually hiking the Appalachian Trail. Needs to clear his head and escape from the kids….on Father’s Day.
Isn’t that a bit odd?
Wait, someone reported that his cell phone pinged from the airport in Atlanta!
That’s not on the Appalachian Trail…
He’s been to Argentina! Said he needed to “recharge” and “do something exotic.”
Was he alone?
Yes he says he was alone.
In Buenos Aires?
Well….alone except for his mistress.
What will happen now that Mark “I Wasn’t Really Hiking the Appalachian Trail to Get Away from My Family, I Was Meeting My Mistress in Buenos Aires to Get Away from My Family” Sanford has effectively blown his 2012 prospects to kingdom come by vanishing for five days without telling anyone where he was?
For starters, after a bizarre press conference given by Sanford today, he has stepped down from his role as the head of the Republican Governors Association, and you know what that means. Power abhors a vacuum, and I’ll bet that someone with pointy elbows and big dangerous shoes has her eye on that aforementioned emptiness.
Can we expect another fiasco as per usual? You know, something like:
Meg Stapleton: She doesn’t know if she’d accept it.
RGA: Well, we don’t know if we’d ask.
MS: Well, she might accept it…if she felt like it would benefit Alaska.
RGA: Are you saying we should ask?
MS: Not necessarily, but it sure would be nice for you to have some sparkle right about now with all this bad press, don’t you think?
RGA: So…if we ask, she’ll accept it, is that what you’re saying?
MS: Yeah, I think you could say that.
RGA: Really? OK, we’ll issue a press release and do a big media splash. The more we think about it, the more we like it!
MS: OK, we’ll talk later.
(Later)
MS: What’s this we see about you announcing that the governor will be heading up the RGA?
RGA: Well, that’s what you said.
MS: No we didn’t.
RGA: We’re going to look like idiots. Yes you did!
MS: Did not.
RGA: Did too.
MS: Not.
RGA: Too.
MS: Nuh-uh.
RGA: Fine, we’ll ask Haley Barbour.
MS: Are you dissing the governor?
Sadly, on the RGA’s website, which prominently features a clip of the Sarah Palin/Sean Hannity interview, is their main title:
The GOP Comeback Begins with Republican Governors
Oops.
June 24th, 2009 at 7:08 PM
6 kids? He’s only admitted to 4. …
June 24th, 2009 at 7:11 PM
So… who gave up the emails…
Take a look at the news conference… see those 2 women over his right shoulder? RM noted them… both are cute, but one is absolutely beaming. Giddy at his discomfort.
June 24th, 2009 at 7:14 PM
oh duh… now I get it. Maria has two boys.
Soooo… she was separated and he saw an opportunity. The cad.
June 24th, 2009 at 7:19 PM
Mistress has 2……..probably gonna have to listen to “Yo Mama’s a whore” from their classmates.
June 24th, 2009 at 7:23 PM
Hopefully for those two boys, the kids in Argentina do not know that tune.
June 24th, 2009 at 7:29 PM
Oh my, Jennifer’s statement:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/24/jenny-sanfords-statement_n_220425.html
It ends with the words:
“This is a very painful time for us and I would humbly request now that members of the media respect the privacy of my boys and me as we struggle together to continue on with our lives and as I seek the wisdom of Solomon, the strength and patience of Job and the grace of God in helping to heal my family.”
June 24th, 2009 at 7:32 PM
Isn’t it curious that other GOP “contenders” are dropping like flies? Wonder if those who promoted GINO and got her the VP slot have been at work to make sure she has no competition? She and Sanford would have made a great pair! Now I understand why she has sidled up to Cornyn and dropped Sanford…..
GINO is trying to beef up her “military experience/judgment” credentials by visiting troops in Europe. I still think she will do a “surprise” visit to her son and his unit as well as other Alaska National Guard and regular military units from Alaska.
What I want to know is who is paying for her European junket and her upcoming surprise visit to Iraq or Afghanistan? It certainly should not be ANY US military group nor the State of Alaska. There is no reason for her to be there but to beef up her resume, say see I can drop in on our troops too, and get some publicity.
Wonder if she will be seeing the Sarkozy’s and Italy’s premier? If she does, again she is trying to beef up her resume and say she has international experience….. Must be nice to travel on everybody else’s money but your own!
June 24th, 2009 at 7:36 PM
sauerkraut~ just peed my pants here..lol good one…
June 24th, 2009 at 7:38 PM
So Haley Barbour is taking Sanford’s place as head of the Republican Governors Conference. Doesn’t he have 2012 aspirations as well? Hmm. Newt called Sonia Sotomayor racist. He’s done. Rick Perry talked about secession. He’s done. Senator Ensign got caught diddlin around. He’s done. Same with Sanford. Jindel chopped his own knees out from under him on national tv. He’s done. Who’s left. Mike Huckabee? Jeb Bush? Barbour? Mitt Romney? Think they are looking over their shoulders? Or trying to nail their closets closed so nothing falls out? This kind of has that black widow feel to it with Sarah standing in her hoochie shoes rubbing her hands with glee as more fall by the wayside.
June 24th, 2009 at 7:42 PM
201 sauerkraut Says:
June 24th, 2009 at 7:11 PM
So… who gave up the emails…
*********************************************
Once Jenny told her family she had suspicions , that SKIL money loosened up some lips………and key boards.
June 24th, 2009 at 7:43 PM
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/24/jenny-sanfords-statement_n_220425.html
Jennifer Sanford is a truly Christian wife. I admire her.
June 24th, 2009 at 7:47 PM
I think (not sure) that Europe may just be a stop-over for GINO. My guess is that she is going to Iran to address the troops, pretending (again) that she is the POTUS. Her gall makes my blood pressure go up. I hope the soldiers yell
“Take it off!” and whistle and hoot (like they would for a stripper).
June 24th, 2009 at 7:52 PM
Lori in Los Angeles Says:
June 24th, 2009 at 7:47 PM
I think (not sure) that Europe may just be a stop-over for GINO. My guess is that she is going to Iran to address the troops, pretending (again) that she is the POTUS. Her gall makes my blood pressure go up. I hope the soldiers yell
“Take it off!” and whistle and hoot (like they would for a stripper).
~~~~~~~~~
Lol! But her and dud would probably get off on this!
June 24th, 2009 at 7:54 PM
bucfan – I think Romney is gonna make short work out of eliminating sarah. He spent 40 mil of his own money in the last GOP primaries. How much has sarah raised over the last couple of weeks ?? The really big guns are gonna back someone they think can go the distance. sarah is gonna be dancing , jivin’ , putting out fires the whole way. And a 1 page letter on election eve from a M.I.A. DR. won’t cut it for medical records.
June 24th, 2009 at 7:57 PM
I find it funny that we GOP are holding Sandford to a higher standard than we hold Palin. She had her affair too.
I called it yesterday. Knowing it’s winter in Argentina right now, it’s cold, rainy and no one, I mean NO ONE goes there to drive the coast during the winter! I also predicted that Sandford would find Jesus by day’s end.
Game, set and match.
June 24th, 2009 at 8:03 PM
Crystal, Delta flies non stop from Buenos Aries to Alanta. Whenever we go to Argentina, we fly Delta. It’s direct route.
June 24th, 2009 at 8:13 PM
Sue Says:
June 24th, 2009 at 7:43 PM
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/24/jenny-sanfords-statement_n_220425.html
Jennifer Sanford is a truly Christian wife. I admire her.
——————————————————
Hillary Clinton and a thousand other public wives – of varying faiths – have said and done the same thing.
I don’t believe flowery language makes any one of them more Christian than the other.
June 24th, 2009 at 8:15 PM
#
199
sauerkraut Says:
June 24th, 2009 at 7:07 PM
@ 119 Aussie Blue Sky Says:
June 24th, 2009 at 5:21 PM
seattlefan Says:
June 24th, 2009 at 5:16 PM
What the heck is Palin doing in Europe?
________
Maybe she’s trying to see if she can see Russia from her hotel room. …
******************
******************
After reading that article at ADN, I think she is trying to get some street cred with her blank passport . She needs a few stamps in there to say she has seen the world. Ha! This is so transparent it makes me laugh. She is also trying to become wordly. Fat chance on that.
June 24th, 2009 at 8:21 PM
TBNTJudy Says: “I think we should continue to hammer on his record.”
Well… as of today, state wide and nationally his record is that he’s a liar and a hypocrite. He freely lied out of one side of his mouth and spewed political opinions out of the other. He lied! as recently as this very morning! His “lie” smacks the face of what he was supposed to be, what he projected of himself, what he was “supposed” to represent, what was supposed to be “the real deal”.
So YES, it’s kinda a big friggen deal. BECAUSE his record could now be based on lies and sleezy manipulations. It’s called trust. He violated it, as freshly as this very morning.
He publicly professed against Dems what he himself later did. Does that not count for anything? THIS is after all what he stands for, what his party stands for, what the repub party supposedly represents, point fingers and demands action on. So yes, it does matter.
June 24th, 2009 at 8:30 PM
so mudbug……..if Palin had an affair as you say, how is this now going to play out. You seem to have a gift of calling it, I’d like to hear it. Can you do this one?
June 24th, 2009 at 8:37 PM
Bucfan!! yes it does…….creepy crawly and venomous indeed.
bucfan Says:
June 24th, 2009 at 7:38 PM
“So Haley Barbour is taking Sanford’s place as head of the Republican Governors Conference. Doesn’t he have 2012 aspirations as well? Hmm. Newt called Sonia Sotomayor racist. He’s done. Rick Perry talked about secession. He’s done. Senator Ensign got caught diddlin around. He’s done. Same with Sanford. Jindel chopped his own knees out from under him on national tv. He’s done. Who’s left. Mike Huckabee? Jeb Bush? Barbour? Mitt Romney? Think they are looking over their shoulders? Or trying to nail their closets closed so nothing falls out? This kind of has that black widow feel to it with Sarah standing in her hoochie shoes rubbing her hands with glee as more fall by the wayside.”
June 24th, 2009 at 8:42 PM
Trying to parse this story
1. Governor disappears (must have taken the Bridge to Nowhere…now located on the AT) Only ones concerned are. . . reporters
2. Governor hiking the AT somewhere. . .”unconventional kinda guy”
3. Speculation: Hiking AT during Hike the AT Nude day . . .unconventional au naturale kinda guy maybe?
4. DISCLOSURE Jenny Sanford “I don’t know and I don’t care”
5, DISCOVERY: Governor on the Argentinian Tail. . . not so unconventional
6, Presser 2pm. . . Governor seems disoriented. . . head injury due to collision between image & reality…begins rambling. . .
7. PRESSER Starts off like a really bogus awards show but says I’m sorry – to everyone – final apology to wife. . .is this a Sean Penn moment?
8. PRESSER: animated during discussion of “Maria” (Maria Maria I just met a girl named Maria . . .)
9. PRESSER: Tears flow. . .as he resigns GOP post. . . as he talks about Maria. . . (her hips, her lips, her happy meal)
10. EMAILS disclosed: Man should get a gig writing Harlequin novels
11. QUESTION: Who will the GOP send to do the marital intervention and save the political career? John Ensign? Ted Haggard? David Vitter?
12. RESULT. . . TBA. Final Tally – Christian GOPS 0 SC citizens 0 Judgmental Adulterers Too many to count. . .
June 24th, 2009 at 8:59 PM
The Sanford thing is definitely one of the weirdest I’ve seen – even stranger than Spitzer or McGreevey.
I can only speculate it was deliberate political suicide – he had to have known he couldn’t get away with it. I’ve seen guys lost their minds over women before but this was totally bizarre.
Did he fold under the pressure? I kinda feel sorry for the guy, hope he can patch his family back up.
June 24th, 2009 at 9:09 PM
News groups and SC state officials are looking into whether Sanford used state dollars to travel to Argentina- I’d like to know if AK state dollars are funding Palin’s credential-building trip, also. too.
June 24th, 2009 at 9:29 PM
Bear Woman @ 206 – I had the same thought.
June 24th, 2009 at 9:37 PM
When this came out today, I just made a mental note. I don’t care about Sanford carrying on, it’s really none of my business. But,……
he’s a liar, he took money from the state of S.C. to do it, and if he hadn’t been caught, he probably would have been running in 2012. Too bad, another one bites the dust.
And did you see Palin in her deckwear in the ADN, doesn’t she love the photo ops?
June 24th, 2009 at 9:45 PM
ADN and The State, two newspapers owned by McClatchy Publishing. Only one of which is doing reporting the right way. The State has been sitting on those revealing e-mails for 6 months. ADN has devoted itself to protecting Palin, in every instance. May its demise happen quickly.
June 24th, 2009 at 9:50 PM
The state is publishing Sanford’s romantic emails.
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/227/story/70630.html
Now why won’t Alaska release Palin’s emails ?… because they are her high school buddies. And just as corrupt as she. I don’t trust them if they do.
June 24th, 2009 at 10:22 PM
This just in.
Sanford and Jon to room together at Trump Tower.
June 24th, 2009 at 10:37 PM
223 VidOmnia Says:
June 24th, 2009 at 8:59 PM
The Sanford thing is definitely one of the weirdest I’ve seen – even stranger than Spitzer or McGreevey.
I can only speculate it was deliberate political suicide – he had to have known he couldn’t get away with it. I’ve seen guys lost their minds over women before but this was totally bizarre.
Did he fold under the pressure? I kinda feel sorry for the guy, hope he can patch his family back up
———————————————————
I see you’re not curious enough to mention this on your OWN blog.
Too busy bashing Democrat bloggers to make room for even one tiny Republican adulterer?
June 24th, 2009 at 10:44 PM
CO almost native Says:
June 24th, 2009 at 9:09 PM
News groups and SC state officials are looking into whether Sanford used state dollars to travel to Argentina- I’d like to know if AK state dollars are funding Palin’s credential-building trip, also. too.
——————————-
Sanford? No. Palin? Yes.
I distinctly heard Sanford – in answering the first question put to him, before he’d even finished speaking – making reference to his “own money”.
June 24th, 2009 at 10:46 PM
Looks like Sarah’s been palin’ around with an adulterer. I’m waiting for the press release. Will she demand her salmon back (from the Aces bet)?
June 24th, 2009 at 10:58 PM
I haven’t been able to get this song out of my head. This whole thing has been mishandled in so many ways it makes my head spin – but none more so than with every part of his life hanging in the balance, Sanford has snuck out of the country to be with his lover. He must have it ba-a-d.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpdB6CN7jww&feature=related
June 24th, 2009 at 11:34 PM
Tsk, Pauline! You should know better by now, than to read Mudflats while drinking tea… wipes monitor again. Great start to my day, thanks AKM.
Your U.S. politicians make our parliamentary expenses frauds look boring.
June 25th, 2009 at 2:42 AM
It will be interesting to see GINO run Alaska from her Blackberry while in Europe or the Middle East or Jail…lol
June 25th, 2009 at 4:27 AM
in some respects i feel sorry for all of us when it comes to love — mainly because it is fleeting most of the time and requires constant efforts to maintain — and those efforts may not be evenly balanced in even the best relationship.
this guy and his emails (which i read last night after midnight) is so very very sad……after 8 years of friendship he dives into the deep abyss with this lady and i doubt if he will return to normal in his lifetime. she either played him or she too is toast with respect to the ever elusive pursuit of romantic love.
which brings me to his statement: “i spent the last five days of my life crying (in argentina).” wtf?
this doesn’t jive for me at all. his wife knew about the affair for 5 months (sometime around december apparently)……most likely from finally figuring out his little aircard computer email account at the farm with nauseating password thingee and reading the emails for herself…….and probably printing them out and waving them around in justifiable indignation.
so their marriage came to a screeching halt during the holidays….and then what….in june he slips off to argentina to make his final farewells to the love of his life? five months later? really?
or did this chicky get tired of the sweet nothings typed on an hourly basis and finally went on a local date that had some sexual satisfaction?
what WOULD make a grown man cry for five days? a baby in the oven? or just midlife crisis love gone south?
i am pondering this crying for five days……cause i don’t see it…. not with the story that is out for review at this moment. and why did his wife just kick him out of the house a mere two weeks ago? why not in december? did he keep chatting with his paramour while he was “working out his marriage”?
where was this guy sleeping the week he wasn’t living at home (assuming the second week of the separation was spent in argentina)….?
and yes, i feel like the world is tilted very precariously that i even care about this stuff at all when obama is trying to get us some health care reform and save the known universe from an economic peril that even our brightest minds can’t get their heads around.
but that is what love does to us — it makes us wonder why….
June 25th, 2009 at 5:02 AM
236 ENOUGHwiththetrainwreck Says:
June 25th, 2009 at 4:27 AM
“i am pondering this crying for five days……”
Since he had not been outed, at the time of his press conference, I assume that he knew he was about to be outed.
In that case he knew, when he flew down there that his POTUS hopes were gone, his marriage was probably gone, sooner or later people would find out that his wife had thrown him out, Maria’s hubby would or already had found out (may be source of e-mails) – in other words he already knew he was toast.
And like are real manly man and heoric leader, he went and committed a few more mortal sins and wallowed in self pity for 5 days.
June 25th, 2009 at 5:39 AM
marnie – it may just be that simple. he should have jumped on his bulldozer and knocked down a few trees on the farm instead.
June 25th, 2009 at 7:37 AM
Crying for 5 days in Argentina? I hardly think so.
June 25th, 2009 at 7:37 AM
He knew he was toast. He had to know that the press had the emails and probably confessed to Jenny. Hopefully, she had been able to read them before they were made public after her “I will forgive him , in time…” speech. Clearly, the emotional (love) side of the affair will hurt her more than the sexual side of the affair.
Anyway, Jenny kicked him to the curb & left with the kids for their summer home ( I assume). After two weeks of not talking to her (moreso his sons), I am sure it began to weigh on him what he will lose. Flies to BA to break it off.
I heard somewhere (unverified) that Maria’s husband was making all the noise about this and my bet is he sent the emails to the press. He may have had easier access to them if they were on her personal account.
AS the world turns…
June 25th, 2009 at 8:16 AM
He just lost his little “mind” for a while. He’s crying his heart out in front of the whole world because he got caught. I bet he’s wishing he’d developed a better game plan now because he can see what this is doing to his family. If he’s really lucky, he didn’t use any state funds for his trip. Before computers, the damage could be contained much easier….I think this thing has grown a life of its own though due to the intrigue of his disappearance. The political jokes, also. Of course, I have to say that I admire his wife for not covering up for him – which would have been easy if she hadn’t commented. Sounds like the office tried to cover but the wife obviously was not going to play along.
June 25th, 2009 at 8:19 AM
@236..he has been sleeping in the dog house! (likely the gov mansion since She bolted with the kids for Sullivan Island). My bet is Ms Argentina has flown to USA a few times for a tryst. When Maria “needs some” I am sure her husband obliges. Hopefully, Jenny did get to see the emails beofre they were published cuz that has got to HURT in more ways than one.
June 25th, 2009 at 2:28 PM
It seems to be endemic with Republican governors, especially those involved with the Republican Governor’s Ass’n. Barbour is the one who took over from Sanford.
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20090625/NEWS/90625011/Services+to+stop+without+Miss.+budget+
June 25th, 2009 at 2:56 PM
This all sickens me. Yuck.