Why Did Sanford’s Staff Lie About His Trip To South America?
Why Did Sanford’s Staff Lie About His Trip To South America?
When Gov. Mark Sanford’s (R-SC) five-day absence was noticed by the national media Monday, Sanford’s staff sought to quell concerns by telling reporters he was hiking the Appalachian Trail:
Then, at 10:01 p.m. Monday, [Communications Director Joel] Sawyer e-mailed reporters an update: “The governor is hiking along the Appalachian Trail. I apologize for taking so long to send this update, and was waiting to see if a more definitive idea of what part of the Trail he was on before we did so.”
Sawyer said Sanford was hiking “to kind of clear his head after the legislative session.” He added emphatically, “[Sanford's] an avid outdoorsman.”
On Tuesday morning, Sawyer said that Sanford had “called to check in with his chief of staff.” Yet he stuck with his claim that Sanford was hiking.
It turns out, however, that Sawyer was lying. This morning, reporters from The State caught up with Sanford at Atlanta’s Hartsville-Jackson International Airport, where he had just returned from a seven day trip to Beunos Aires, Argentina — nowhere near the Appalachian Trial. Sanford refused to say what he had been doing in South America, and offered no explanation for why his staff lied:
Sanford, in an exclusive interview with The State Media Company, 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.
Sanford said he had considered hiking on the Appalachian Trail, an activity he said he has enjoyed since he was a high school student. “But I said ‘no’ I wanted to do something exotic,” Sanford said “… It’s a great city.” [...]
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. … When asked why his staff said he was on the Appalachian Trail, Sanford replied, “I don’t know.”
Last night, South Carolina’s Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer (R) explained that during Sanford’s week-long vacation out of the country, Sanford never transferred executive authority, and that Sanford’s staff refused to tell Bauer where the governor was. “If another emergency were at hand right now, we don’t have a way to contact our governor, and so that concerns me,” he said.
News 4 called the governor's office, and was told again by staffers that they stand by their original statement that the governor is hiking the Appalachian Trail. They did not want to comment on this story.
I apologize to my staff. I misled them about my whereabouts, and as a result the people of South Carolina believed something that wasn’t true. I want to make absolutely clear that over the past two days at no time did anyone on my staff intentionally relay false information to other state officials or the public at large. What they’ve said over the past two days they believed to be true, and I’m sorry to them for putting them in this position.
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Is it too early in the morning to talk about republican buttsex?
June 24th, 2009 at 9:22 amAnd Gov Sanford, It’s too late for a family values pic with your kids…
June 24th, 2009 at 9:22 amWhy Did Sanford’s Staff Lie About His Trip To South America?
– - What’s important here is that Sanford just deep-sixed any hope for the White House in 2012. We don’t knowingly elect flakes as president.
June 24th, 2009 at 9:26 amA true conservative, this Gamecock from South Carolina, taking advantage of the off-season rates in Rio.
June 24th, 2009 at 9:29 amWhy Did Sanford’s Staff Lie About His Trip To South America?
Ptobably because they didn’t know where in the hell he was ………
June 24th, 2009 at 9:29 amWhy Did Sanford’s Staff Lie About His Trip To South America?
– - Don’t cry for Mark Sanford. He went to Argentina, he kept his distance…
June 24th, 2009 at 9:30 amWith his disappearance, Sanford displayed the maturity of a 16 year old. Totally irresponsible. In the “real world” where I work, if I was to disappear for 6 days without notice, I would have been terminated for job abandonment. I hope he kissed his presidential hopes goodbye when he boarded the plane – presidents can’t just run away when the going gets tough. What a screwball.
June 24th, 2009 at 9:31 amWhy Did Sanford’s Staff Lie About His Trip To South America?
Because they couldn’t figure out a way to spin that he’s out of the country hunting for South American man sex.
June 24th, 2009 at 9:32 amMy theory: minor plastic surgery.
June 24th, 2009 at 9:34 amCan I be the first to point out that, if you leave the borders of these here God-fearin’, red-white-’n'-blue United States of Jeebus — you need a passport (thanks to our Republican friends)?
So, um, how was it that Sanford just “happened” to have his passport when he decided, you know kinda-sorta on a whim, to go to Argentina instead of Appalachia?
June 24th, 2009 at 9:35 amPachydiplax de St. Augustine Says:
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A true conservative, this Gamecock from South Carolina,
June 24th, 2009 at 9:29 am
You could have just come out and posted that he’s an assh0le ………Because that’s all he is
June 24th, 2009 at 9:35 amIt sounds to me as if the guy had a meltdown and felt like he had to escape, though why he chose Argentina is beyond me. Maybe he planned never to come back and then changed his mind. The possibilities are endless. I feel sorry for the guy even if he is a Republican.
June 24th, 2009 at 9:37 amThis looks really bad on Sanford. I’m waiting for the scandalous sex photos to turn up on the internet.
June 24th, 2009 at 9:39 amWhat married man just disappears without telling his wife where he’s going on Father’s Day weekend?
Mark701 Says:
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It sounds to me as if the guy had a meltdown and felt like he had to escape, though why he chose Argentina is beyond me. Maybe he planned never to come back and then changed his mind. The possibilities are endless. I feel sorry for the guy even if he is a Republican.
June 24th, 2009 at 9:37 am
I feel way more sorry for his family , his staff and especially his constituents……….
June 24th, 2009 at 9:39 amCHECK LIST FOR TRIP;
Unemployment 3rd highest in the country…..check
Education worst in the nation…..Check
Highest crime per capita……Check
Crumbing schools for black kids……check
Highest spousal abuse in the nation….check
Stimulius money ……….. Fu** …Check!!!!
Granola bars ……check
hiking shoes …….check
sleeping bag…..check
Maps ……check
Address of mistress….check
Condoms ……check
Note to wife and kids….Fu** that next…
Passport ……check….just in case i have to cross state lines!!!
Learning spanish handbook…..check
Living up to the GOP family vaules…..check
Leaving town with no regards for wife and kids on fathers day weekend…..PRICELESS!!!!
June 24th, 2009 at 9:39 amReally… isn’t there some kind of dereliction of duty involved here? WTF? I mean, some sort of punishment for leaving the country while on duty as governmor and not informing anyone? i would imagine that the DHS, if doing their job, ought to have a few questions themselves.
And where are all the “accountability conservatives”? I guess IOKIYAR.
June 24th, 2009 at 9:41 amCome on the guy is tired. Tired of having to find money to rebuild schools and roads in his state. He went for drive along the coast in ARGENTINA?!?! Last I looked the Outer Banks is close to his home, and a very nice drive. And bulls**t he didn’t know this would cause a media blitz. What a wuss! What an arrogant self serving bloated wuss! What’s left of the Republican Party is getting scarier by the minute, hell by the nano second.
June 24th, 2009 at 9:41 amAnd another thing, Ensign received a standing O from his colleagues in Congress. Fine, if he’s such a stand up guy, I would like a refund from the $40mil tax payers money Ken Starr spent to prove Clinton got a blow job.
ten bucks says tub-o-lard rush was on the same flight and there was viagra and child prostitutes involved. Sanford’s no dummy, he knows you need to butter up the leader of the RNC if you want to run for president.
June 24th, 2009 at 9:42 amMCMetal Says:
I feel way more sorry for his family , his staff and especially his constituents……….
June 24th, 2009 at 9:39 am
_____________
I feel most sorry for the poor Argentinians who had to put up with the guy for a week.
June 24th, 2009 at 9:43 amThis is confusing. Perhaps Glen Beck can explain this to me with some Barbie dolls.
June 24th, 2009 at 9:43 amchiroptera toasterhead Says:
I feel most sorry for the poor Argentinians who had to put up with the guy for a week.
I feel sorry for child slave prostitutes no matter who they have to put up with.
June 24th, 2009 at 9:44 amI feel most sorry for the poor Argentinians who had to put up with the guy for a week.
WINNER WINNER ..CHICKEN DINNER!!!!
June 24th, 2009 at 9:44 amThe people of SC should demand Sanford’s ouster. Sanford’s not trustworthy and unfit for any office in fact he lives in a completely different era as most of today’s GOP live.
June 24th, 2009 at 9:45 amOh drat! I’ve been spouting off on this all over the ThinkFast thread.
TP, I love the pic… is this a test? How many pigs can you spot?
Sanford disappears. No one, including his wife, family, staff, the Lieutenant Gov or the S.C. government knows where he is.
But DHS certainly knew. He used a passport. They keep records. He had a cell phone, and supposedly called his staff. They track cells using GPS and triangulation. He boarded a damn plane, and was seen doing so!
By last night I was certain he’d taken the $700 million in stim funds and fled. Still would like to see S.C. verify that all the cash is still in the coffers.
This story stinks and I for one can’t wait for the salacious details to emerge. FLUSH! Buh bye, you racist piece-o-shit!
PEACE
June 24th, 2009 at 9:49 amI believe that at least one or more “key” members of his staff knew, at some point, where he was, and simply chose to lie at his request. I also firmly believe that Sanford did not think that he’d be caught: that his story about wandering along the Appalacian trail would stand (as who could have proved him wrong?… unless some reporter caught him at the airport… oops!…..). I’d also feel confident that it was some staffer of his who learned his true whereabouts who tipped off the press. Oooops.
June 24th, 2009 at 9:50 amApparently this guy isn’t planning on running for public office any time soon (again). This would come back to bite him on the butt. And God help him if there are any pics of him doing something he shouldn’t be doing.
If he wanted to end his political career, he picked a hell of a way to do so.
June 24th, 2009 at 9:51 amDoesn’t Mr. Sanford owe the people of SC a legitimate excuse as to exactly where he was and for what purpose? Considering he went on this lark during a regular business week on the taxpayers of SC’s dime.
June 24th, 2009 at 9:51 amI understand the need for taking vacations and wanting privacy, but he really should have turned over power to his lt. gov. before he decided to take off. That reason alone should justify a more thorough explanation from him.
June 24th, 2009 at 9:53 amMark701 Says:
It sounds to me as if the guy had a meltdown and felt like he had to escape, though why he chose Argentina is beyond me.
June 24th, 2009 at 9:37 am
__________
I can understand it – it looks very nice, in fact. I could totally do a meltdown there.
June 24th, 2009 at 9:54 amthis is certainly one of the most ridiculous stories i’ve ever heard.
does he really get to keep being governor after going awol to south america for a week?
will there be no consequences?
June 24th, 2009 at 9:54 amIt will be interesting to discover when and how Mr Sanford paid for his airline ticket.
June 24th, 2009 at 9:54 amAfter flogging Obama’s date night, I’m fully anticipating the “media” to obsess over the cost of Sanford’s trip, who paid for it, why the Governor found it necessary to abandon his wife and kids on Father’s day weekend, to be inexcusably MIA from his elected office…
..and why his entire state’s vistas and scenery are so titanically inadequate for unwinding that he had to break out a passport; unless, of course there is lenience in Argentina that South Carolina might find too…baroque?
June 24th, 2009 at 9:56 amYou have to ask yourselves, who paid for this trip? The tax payers of America or the people of South Carolina?
June 24th, 2009 at 9:56 amKeeping it moving forward:
34) RantingTommy
35) DrxJ
36) IgnoranceIsNotBliss
37) PLC
38) Zimzone
39) CageyCretin
40) Wayne
41) A Patriotic Anopheles Acting
Do I hear 42?
PEACE
June 24th, 2009 at 9:57 amMark701 Says:
It sounds to me as if the guy had a meltdown and felt like he had to escape, though why he chose Argentina is beyond me.
Well, especially given that it’s fcuking winter in Argentina right now! Yesterday’s high in Buenos Aires was 51.
Hiking my a$$. Check the stim funds!
PEACE
June 24th, 2009 at 10:00 amWhat is the list about?
June 24th, 2009 at 10:00 amMaybe he just had a hankering for a nice malbec and a nice plate of grilled meats and chimichurri. Can you blame him?
June 24th, 2009 at 10:01 amPosted on Think Fast, but on topic…
Mark Sanford, the 21st Century Moses, went looking for the Republican Party.
He knew Boss Hog Limblahblah liked the boys in Argentina, so he walked the beach for days, looking for a sign, or at least a good looking boy.
He carried nary a watch or cellphone, determined to find Truth for his party.
After walking alone in that wild sand that borders Earth & Ocean, he at last found his party. ‘Thank you, God’, he thought to himself as he saw light ahead on the dark beach.
Yes, the Governor finally found his party. It was a good party, too. Lots of merriment & ale, even some Mad Dog 20 20.
Verily, he consumed much drink and partied hardy with the local natives. Now his mind was clear. He would return to the swamps of South Carolina with a strong message to the unbelievers…
STFU, & leave me alone!
June 24th, 2009 at 10:01 amApparently, last Thursday was ‘Naked Hiking Day’.
We know where Governor Sanford was.
June 24th, 2009 at 10:02 amdbadass, I’m sure he went there for the meat, but the question remains whether or not it was still on the bone.
And see what you started with The List?
PEACE
June 24th, 2009 at 10:02 amSanford says: “South Carolina, it’s no Argentina…”
June 24th, 2009 at 10:03 amhanshiro the antlion Says:
——————————————————————————–
What is the list about?
People who are fed up with “Another Joe”’s incessant whining about how he hates this site, everyone here, and every topic listd.
People who, in a single loud voice want to say STFU to Another Joe.
June 24th, 2009 at 10:04 amSpencer’s Mom,
I suggest skipping the numbers 41 and 43.
June 24th, 2009 at 10:04 amThe walk-up fare for a first-class ticket to Buenos Aires is 11 thousand dollars.
June 24th, 2009 at 10:05 amI still think there’s some meth, under age male protitutes and a cheap hotel lurking in the details.
And yes, the ubiquitous Viagra too. He’s a Republican for God’s sake, it doesn’t take Madam Cleo to figure this one out.
June 24th, 2009 at 10:05 amMake it 42. Tachinidae Leporello.
June 24th, 2009 at 10:06 amSanford says: “South Carolina, a nice place to dump the family for a getaway abroad…”
..”or for a broad”
or..
June 24th, 2009 at 10:06 amI’m paraphasing here, but this morning on Morning Joe, he (Joe) said that he had visited Sanford at his gov manson and Sanford made mention of the fact that he felt like he was trapped 24/7.
Questions is: Then why in the hell did he run to be gov.? Does he think it would be any different if he were to be the POTUS? Somethings not right with this guy.
June 24th, 2009 at 10:07 amCute pig, but why is it wearing a suit?
June 24th, 2009 at 10:07 amOf course, Reich-wing evangelical christians can now talk about their very own prodigal son returning.
June 24th, 2009 at 10:08 amProstitution is legal in Argentina.
From the website http://www.clubhombre.com
“Argentina is a destination that should probably be added to every sex traveler’s list. Argentina, specifically Buenos Aires, has the reputation for an extremely high female to male ratio. What does this mean for you? More beautiful women to choose from, of course! The Buenos Aires nightlife scene is fantastic and one of the most famous in the world.
Hobbying in Argentina, like in most countries except for the Unites States, can be found at a variety of different locations. You will be able to find freelancers working out of a nightclub or cafe, clubs, and escort agencies.”
June 24th, 2009 at 10:09 amSince so many Republican politicians are getting busted for illeagal sex these days it’s only wise to go as far away as possible to engage in divient sex acts to avert detection. After all, as Sanford is a crusader for ‘family values’ you wouldn’t want to get caught paying for sex with strangers, would you.
And don’t for one second believe Sanford just returned from a seven day trip to Beunos Aires, Argentina, because he really went to the brothels in Thailand!
June 24th, 2009 at 10:09 am42.CageyCretin Says: People who, in a single loud voice want to say STFU to Another Joe.
Ah. Can we duplicate the list and forward it to the repubs & blue dog dems over resistance to universal healthcare? With the same message?
June 24th, 2009 at 10:09 amSomething’s definitely fishy here — that much is abundantly clear — and according to an article about Sanford’s impromptu vacation in the New York Daily News, his own staff members say that this is not the first time he’s done something like this:
“Sanford’s office emailed NBC to say ‘it’s not uncommon for him to go out of pocket for a few days at a time to clear his head.’ They said he had let his staff know he’d be difficult to reach.”
WTF? When Sanford ran for the gubernatorial seat, did he not understand that the position is to at least some degree a 24/7 proposition? In my opinion and experience, what’s true in the financial world is to at least some extent true for the professional world in general — high yield inevitably entails high risk. Just about everything in this life comes with a price tag of some kind attached — and the higher your aspirations are, the the higher the price you’ll have to pay to meet them. If you want to hold a position of power and prestige such as governor of a state, you should be prepared to pay the high price which will invariably come with it in some form — such as less privacy, higher stress, less free time, and/or heavy responsibility. What this means is that the freedom to go off on a whim and be incommunicado for a few days while you’re “clearing your head” may be a luxury that you really can no longer afford — not if you want to avoid the consequences. Aren’t Republicans the ones who are always pontificating on the importance of “taking personal responsibility”? Well, this is — or damn well should be — part of what that means! Yes, there’s no question that the governor’s position is an incredibly stressful one — but it comes with the territory, and running away or trying to hide from it is really not an appropriate response for someone in a leadership role. If Sanford wants to have any hope of staying in politics — never mind winning the Presidency — – he needs to find a different coping mechanism pronto. While he’s at it, he should at the very least apologize to the citizens of South Carolina or even offer to resign — not only for his abrupt departure, but for leaving the state without first temporarily transferring authority to the Lieutenant Governor. This was a gross dereliction of duty on Sanford’s part, and his behavior suggests that he’s really not emotionally equipped to handle the position. If any of us had suddenly decided to take a five-day weekend without first making certain that we had coverage at our place of employment, probably the only thing that could possibly save us from being fired in that instance would be going to the ICU.
June 24th, 2009 at 10:11 amWow. This just keeps getting stranger and stranger.
I guess this marks yet another Republican removing himself from the 2012 Presidential Candidate Pool.
June 24th, 2009 at 10:13 amSanford says: “In South Carolina, it’s ‘Happy Father’s Day;’ but in Argentina, it’s ‘Who’s Your Daddy?‘”
June 24th, 2009 at 10:15 amFrom the South Carolina Constitution:
June 24th, 2009 at 10:15 am
Lots of former Confederates ended up in Argentina after the “late unpleasantness” didn’t work out so well for them in 1865. Perhaps the gov was just visiting relatives.
June 24th, 2009 at 10:17 amFrom the comments over at TPM:
LMAO!!
June 24th, 2009 at 10:17 amWhat is it with republicans and going AWOL?
June 24th, 2009 at 10:18 amDidn’t Sanford listen when Herr Bush whined that “guvernin’ and deciderin’ is hard work“?
Based on his statements, I suspect the Gov prefers his toast light rather than dark, but he’s toast all the same.
PEACE
June 24th, 2009 at 10:18 amTold his staff he was “spiking some Argentine tail.” They HEARD “hiking the Appalachian Trail.” An easy mistake to make.
June 24th, 2009 at 10:21 amHonestly who cares about this? Does this efefct any of your lives?
June 24th, 2009 at 10:22 amIMPORTANT NEWS FLASH
FOX’s Glenn Beck Plays With Dolls On The O’Reilly Factor {Really}
FOX News Glenn Beck Plays With Dolls On The O’Reilly Factor To Illustrate His Attack ACORN.
Just wanted to share for when the parade of ignorance begins.
June 24th, 2009 at 10:22 amMy boyfriend insists Sanford is on the bus (read: gay) and that he was in Argentina for a little anonymous mansex. Oh, the Republicans are sooooooooo entertaining with their immolation that only the Hindenberg could rival.
June 24th, 2009 at 10:26 amYou were asked politely. You were asked impolitely. 40 plus have gone on record. I assume you are an adult. Would you now like to answer the simple question?
June 24th, 2009 at 10:27 amHonestly, The Truth, why do care to comment about this thread? Does it effect your life?
June 24th, 2009 at 10:27 am64. Another Joe Says: Just wanted to share for when the parade of ignorance begins.
The hot air for the balloons has arrived….
June 24th, 2009 at 10:27 amUnderdeveloped sense of personal responsibility?
June 24th, 2009 at 10:28 amThe great part about the Sanford story is it’s got legs. MSM & blogs alike will be digging with both hands to find out what the Gov. was up to, & find out they will. Kudos to The State for getting a tipster to let them know when Sanford was flying in so they could question him.
June 24th, 2009 at 10:29 am69.ralph the wonder locust Says: Underdeveloped sense of personal responsibility?
I’m going with “Bloated sense of entitlement” for $1000.00…
June 24th, 2009 at 10:31 amI’d love to see the flight manifest list of all Buenos Aires flights to see if Sanford’s name is on them.
June 24th, 2009 at 10:33 amIf Sanford was simply getting away for a vacation, he probably could have just said so and gone without any flak.
As it is, everyone’s radar is beeping to indicate that there is something problematic. My radar raises suspicions of an alcohol binge, manic-depressive episode, or sexual escapade (if not all three).
June 24th, 2009 at 10:34 amIt’s not so much that he took off for a vacation after a tough session – but that he didn’t tell anybody. What kind of responsible adult does that?
If I were to come back from Argentina after a surprise week’s hiatus, I’d first have to answer to the police, because my wife would surely have called them. Next, I’d have to answer to my wife – I’m sure she’d be insanely curious about what I was doing and with whom during that week. Yes, we trust eachother in our marriage, but disappearing for a week would be a serious breach of that trust. Finally, I’d have to answer to my boss if I wanted ANY hope of retaining my job – which would be very unlikely.
June 24th, 2009 at 10:34 amSo, does “Sanford’s staffers” mean the same thing in South Carolina as it does in Argentina?
June 24th, 2009 at 10:35 amClinton beat Sanford to Buenos Aires:
Ex-president’s spokesman denies strip dance
Clinton’s boys night in Buenos Aires
http://www.buenosairesherald.com/BreakingNews/View/4182
An ‘Oh, Hell’ Moment in Buenos Aires
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/16/AR2009061603088.html
Maybe Mark went to check out Andrea Rincón, a “morocha” (brunette) who was “pulposa” (well-endowed) and a former participant in the popular TV reality show “Big Brother”
June 24th, 2009 at 10:36 amDoes anybody know was Rush out of town at the same time? Buenos Aires is a popular sex tourist destination, that might have tag teamed…but then again because they are the party of family values, and the moral majority, etc. etc. that just couldn’t be.
Left his wife and four boys, on fathers day no less, what a creep.
June 24th, 2009 at 10:42 amTPM has been all over this story. They are the Great Whites of blogging, never let go once they get the smell of blood, and are reporting that Sanford is giving a presser at 2:00.
Also, this little tidbit:
And, as a TPM reader points out, the highs right now are in the low 50s with the temps dipping down into the 30s at night. Perfect beach weather!
PEACE
June 24th, 2009 at 10:44 amWhy didnt he take his whole family?
June 24th, 2009 at 10:44 amwow, overnight the story goes from “things that make you go hmmmmm” to “WTF Land”….
I still think he was having “some work down” down Argentina way.
June 24th, 2009 at 10:47 amThis story just gets better and better. Do we have before and after pictures?
CAPTION: I like it when they squeal.
June 24th, 2009 at 10:47 amBobwurst Says:
Is it too early in the morning to talk about republican buttsex?
To answer the question; it’s never too early because those Republicans are a queer lot.
June 24th, 2009 at 10:49 amI think there’s a possibility his wife (and some staffers) knew where he was and what he was up to but LIED (gee, what suprise.. man, what a flake.. this denotes mental instability at best.. as many here have said already, he can kiss his WH aspirations good-bye…)
this story gets better and better.. that 2:00 pm presser will be quite a show….
June 24th, 2009 at 10:50 amThe Truth Says:
Honestly who cares about this? Does this efefct any of your lives?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
None whatsoever.
June 24th, 2009 at 10:54 amExcept for that awesome feeling of schadenfreude when another Republican loon has a national “WTF” moment…then it effects me in quite a delish way.
“Honestly who cares about this? Does this efefct any of your lives?”
In that another lunatic republic666an presidential hopeful has all but lost any hope of a presidential bid, yes it does.
June 24th, 2009 at 10:58 amBut– but… I thought TPM was the blog that only covered serious health care issues????
That’s what Another Joe told us anyway.
June 24th, 2009 at 10:59 amHey Another Joe Says! I just watched Beck anad O’reilly play with their dolls. WOW, that was very interesting show and homophobic tell. WOW……
June 24th, 2009 at 11:00 amWho’s dolls did he take?
Prostitute, Cocaine Orgy.
That’s easy to see what actually see what went on.
June 24th, 2009 at 11:02 am“recharge after a difficult legislative session in which he battled with lawmakers over how to spend federal stimulus money.”
It’s hard work, hard work I say, finding ways to deny your constituents’ needs.
June 24th, 2009 at 11:02 amHe claims to be a fiscal conservative. Who paid for this junket?
Maybe he had a case of this :”
June 24th, 2009 at 11:03 amDissociative Fugue:
-confusion over personal identity
-accompanied by unexpected travel away from home
Abnormal Psychology (Sue, Sue, Sue)
Or like Jane says he’s a lying pos who took a vacation on the taxpayers dime.
I think all right wingers (well, most) fit the abnormal category, thats why I like to use this book
tony and lido
By all accounts, this is just plain weird behavior on the part of Sanford and even stranger explanations. Even for a country used to the excessive vacations of G W Bush and Ronald Reagan, this is very strange. A simple “I’m going on vacation!” would have sufficed, would it not? Maybe not on Father’s Day weekend perhaps, but nonetheless…
Can’t wait for the press conference.
June 24th, 2009 at 11:03 amOT – If Another Joe is so concerned about the health care issue, why doesn’t he/she/it move to Washington, DC and go to work for TP –that way he/she/it can have an impact on the subject matter of the site. I know that TP occasionally calls for investigative journalists to submit posts for the site. Or is Another Joe just a back street driver?
June 24th, 2009 at 11:08 ambschmalfeldt Says:
“Told his staff he was “spiking some Argentine tail.” They HEARD “hiking the Appalachian Trail.” An easy mistake to make.”
There have been some great posts to this story, but the one above gets my vote for the best so far.
Fukcing hilarious!
Keep them coming, folks!
June 24th, 2009 at 11:15 amConservative logic:
The best way for Gov. Sanford to ‘escape pressure‘ was to stage the most suspiciously unexplained and newsworthy vanishing act, only to return with 10x the pressure than when he left to…’escape pressure…‘
This reminds me of a similar mentality…
June 24th, 2009 at 11:17 am
blackwidow Says:
wow, overnight the story goes from “things that make you go hmmmmm” to “WTF Land”….
I still think he was having “some work down” down Argentina way.
This story just gets better and better. Do we have before and after pictures?
Breast implants? Nose job? Butt Lift? Dick Cheney enlargement?
June 24th, 2009 at 11:21 amBbbbbbut, what does that have to do with healthcare, AnalJoe?
Whatsamatter, it doesn’t like today’s topics so it’s once again making up it’s own?
Poor AJ, jealous of Becky and his dollies.
PEACE
June 24th, 2009 at 11:23 amSanford went to South America for a medical procedure.
He needed to have both a legislative and a judicial boot surgically removed from his ass.
June 24th, 2009 at 11:34 amThis is just flaky. Like beyond Larry Craig flaky.
June 24th, 2009 at 11:39 amMaybe he will emigrate.
June 24th, 2009 at 11:40 amhanshiro the antlion Says:
42.CageyCretin Says: People who, in a single loud voice want to say STFU to Another Joe.
Ah. Can we duplicate the list and forward it to the repubs & blue dog dems over resistance to universal healthcare? With the same message?
I’m for that.
June 24th, 2009 at 11:44 am,,,
the sanford doctrine:
go to buenos aires for father’s day.
:|
“we love you dad.”
…
June 24th, 2009 at 11:45 amObviously the stimulus plan is so successful that the Appalachian Trail has been expanded to Argentina.
June 24th, 2009 at 11:48 amFirst it was he was working on some writing, catching up on “unfinished projects.”
Then it was hiking in the Appalachian Trail.
Now it’s Buenos Aries.
Yeah… it’s something naughty alright. Also note that he rushed off all of a sudden like it was an emergency instead of setting up a plausible cover story.
June 24th, 2009 at 11:49 amSanford should have stayed in Buenos Aires. No man worth anything goes off for a week out of the country without telling his wife where he’s going.
The party of family values — my lily white ass!
June 24th, 2009 at 11:49 amThis has to tell you a lot about his relationship with his wife. He takes a 7 day vacation (originally it was only 4 days) without his wife. Why did he do that?
June 24th, 2009 at 11:50 amaddendum…
Why did he do that and why didn’t he tell his wife where he was? What would have happened if there was a medical emergency with his wife or one of his children?
June 24th, 2009 at 11:51 amSANFORD = HUEY LONG
June 24th, 2009 at 11:56 amWow, Sanford still hasn’t contacted his wife:
A CNN reporter tracked down Jenny Stanford at her Sullivan Island vacation home. Sounding less like the wife of a 2012 presidential contender and more like America’s favorite reality TV star announcing her separation from her husband, she said: “I am being a mom today. I have not heard from my husband. I am taking care of my children.”
You gotta love those family values.
June 24th, 2009 at 11:58 amOh I see. The child prostitutes cheaper this time of year.
June 24th, 2009 at 12:00 pmZooey Says:
my lily white ass!
Ah, the beautiful scenery….. (couldn’t resist… I AM rotten to the core….). ;)
June 24th, 2009 at 12:02 pmOk, I gotta ask this. You have started a list of people who have said STFU to AJ. I guess that means that you think he is a useless troll. We all know the way to get rid of a useless troll is to ignore them. But, people are still responding to him, giving him what he wants. Why is that?
June 24th, 2009 at 12:04 pmIt’s OK. Unlike the poor, redneck, trailer park, white trash, that makes up his voter base, Sanford has socialized, government paid, health insurance.
June 24th, 2009 at 12:04 pmshoeless Says:
Oh I see. The child prostitutes cheaper this time of year.
No, he had a limited time discount coupon. That’s why he had to leave so abruptly.
Limbaugh will be understanding and sympathetic to his plight.
Family values. Personal accountability. Strong work ethic. No sense of entitlement. —-yep, he’s certainly a modern republic (since he does NOT match any of those descriptions).
June 24th, 2009 at 12:05 pmBilbo Hussein Baggins Says:
But, people are still responding to him, giving him what he wants. Why is that?
Don’t know. Fair enough point. Isn’t the policy OFnF?
June 24th, 2009 at 12:08 pmMaybe at the presser he is going to announce that he is having a sex change?
June 24th, 2009 at 12:11 pmThere are only two reasons to go to Argentina, and you can snort one off the tits of the other.
June 24th, 2009 at 12:11 pmI still don’t get it: Why the lie ?
Sanford could have easily said he’d be difficult to reach as he went to a personal vacation. He could have either transferred power to the Lt. Governor or left an emergency number to get in contact with him (leaving it with a trusted person so that the number would not be revealed). He could have told his wife, who when asked by the press, could say “no comment”.
At first, I thought it may be an attempt to play with the Press’s heads and have them work hard on the wrong story. But now I just don’t get it.
June 24th, 2009 at 12:13 pmSo he was in Argentina. So why all the lies? What was he actually doing there?
You can post your favorite theory in the comments section here:
http://www.ihatewhatyoujustsaid.com/2009/06/23/the-sanford-pool-place-your-bets-readers/
June 24th, 2009 at 12:13 pm….
“ABC’s Joe Goldman reports that a US embassy official in Buenos Aires tells him that the embassy had “absolutely no idea” that Sanford was in Argentina. The embassy official added that this comes “from out of left field — it would be extremely odd that a US governor would not check in with the embassy.”
..
ht/kos
***
June 24th, 2009 at 12:22 pmThis man is a typical right wing liar. Any man who leaves for nearly five days, without telling even his wife where he is going, should be clobbered. If he wanted time to write or to get away, it did not have to be a foreign country.
His staff ended up lying for him. Can’t you just hear his chief of staff. “Well we have to say something to the press, let’s just say he went on a hike.” Incidentally that Appalachian trail he was supposed to hike on, is one that was being funded for upkeep by the stimulus package he was forced to take. Irony huh?
He was spotted in Atlanta. His staff said it was not him. It turns out of course that it was him. I will make a bet that it will eventually come out as to what he was doing. Either he had a woman with him, or he went for plastic surgery, which they are famous for. Either way it was a stupid way to do something. He had the authorities looking for a governor who dropped out of sight. His staff knew nothing. He missed fathers day with his kids. etc. Can you hear his wife trying to explain to the kids why daddy wasn’t home?
Show me a man that will be so inconsiderate and cavalier about his work and family, and I will show you a marriage on the rocks. And a man with a secret. You don’t (secretly) go to a foreign country to write or get away for somewhere exotic unless you are hiding something.
For him to say he was surprised by all the fuss is disingenuous and phony to say the least. This is one odd duck.
June 24th, 2009 at 12:26 pmHe is no genius, but this was stupid even for a man who has acted stupidly for the past few months. What a jerk.
…
maybe he’s a mule.
:|
June 24th, 2009 at 12:33 pmmaybe he’s a mule.
More likely he is a jack-a$$
June 24th, 2009 at 12:37 pmI am trying to imagine what the Rush/Hannity/Beck/FOX RW noise machine would be saying if this was a Democrat and not a Republican. I have to imagine since so far they have been silent about Sanford.
June 24th, 2009 at 12:38 pmAny good GOP sex scandal involves a dead girl or live boy. Which is it?
June 24th, 2009 at 12:40 pmHe probably would have never confessed to Argentina if he didn’t find out he was spotted at the airport and then his passport would be checked. I’m sure this isn’t the first time he’s abandoned his wife. If I was a publisher I’d be standing outside her house with a big fat check.
June 24th, 2009 at 12:43 pm121. sacomment Says: There are only two reasons to go to Argentina, and you can snort one off the tits of the other.
*clap..clap*
Yes, well done!…which, er, reminds me of a souvenir you might leave Argentina with…
June 24th, 2009 at 12:45 pmAfter perusing some of the comments, it’s a shame TP doesn’t maintain a “best of,” list of stories and their inspired comments by the posters.
Coffee spew-worthy…
June 24th, 2009 at 12:51 pm…
reg,
true!
:)
June 24th, 2009 at 12:52 pmArgentina? Appalachia?
Same thing. Get a life, libs!!
/snark
(p.s. Do we know where Darrly has been the last four days…?)
June 24th, 2009 at 1:00 pmWow!
I still don’t believe him.
Did he go to Paraguay?
June 24th, 2009 at 1:01 pmCuriouser and curiouser!’ cried Alice
Source: “There Is Some Evidence Sanford Was Not Alone”
By Zachary Roth – June 24, 2009, 12:31PM
“There is some evidence he was not alone,” a source in South Carolina politics told TPMmuckraker. “The other shoe’s gonna drop. I believe there’s a reason he wanted to drop his SLED detail.”
June 24th, 2009 at 1:35 pm…
popcorn ready?
the main feature is about to begin!
…
June 24th, 2009 at 2:20 pmGotta love this “moral” leader of the Republican party!!!
June 24th, 2009 at 2:59 pmSanford has admitted to an affair with an Argentinian woman.
June 24th, 2009 at 3:11 pmI think they’re (GOP) trying to break some sort of Guinness World Record. Who do you think is next?
June 24th, 2009 at 3:17 pmagain,
WHHOOOOO CAAAAARRRREEESSSS!!!!
maybe hell decide to stay there.
June 24th, 2009 at 3:22 pme-to-the-potato bug says:
WHHOOOOO CAAAAARRRREEESSSS!!!!
maybe hell decide to stay there.
I gotta tell ya, I care because the GOP constantly is throwing their “morality” around and when it swings back around and hits them square in the nuts it is complete and total KARMA and who doesn’t love a good laugh when someone gets hit in the nuts?
June 24th, 2009 at 3:27 pm