How much longer does Sanford have as governor?

[JohnnyLongtorso]

Given that neither Larry Craig, David Vitter, or John Ensign ever bothered to resign, I don't see why Sanford will feel compelled to. Unless he's impeached, he'll finish out his term and slink away into a cushy consulting job.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

He should have resigned today, IMHO.

Agreed.

But he'll be around til 2011.

[ag]

Given that neither Larry Craig, David Vitter, or John Ensign ever bothered to resign, I don't see why Sanford will feel compelled to. Unless he's impeached, he'll finish out his term and slink away into a cushy consulting job.

They are senators. A senator can pretend he is a chair, or something, long enough for the scandal to dissipate. A governor can't. What is he going to do over the next few weeks: hike the Appalachian Trail?

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Given that neither Larry Craig, David Vitter, or John Ensign ever bothered to resign, I don't see why Sanford will feel compelled to. Unless he's impeached, he'll finish out his term and slink away into a cushy consulting job.

They are senators. A senator can pretend he is a chair, or something, long enough for the scandal to dissipate. A governor can't. What is he going to do over the next few weeks: hike the Appalachian Trail?

Governors in South Carolina have so little power, he wouldn't have much to do even without this affair having become public.  Plus, he has just as much clout with the General Assembly now as he did a week ago.

[MasterJedi]

He'll be there until the end of his term and then fade away.

[they don't love you like i love you]

A good point made at my work: If any of us had disappeared for as long as Sanford did with no notification to work, it would be considered job abandonment and we would be fired. I'd say Governor is a bit more important job, so why not the same standard?

[pogo stick]

Less than a week.

[Eraserhead]

A few weeks.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

I think he'll finish his term.

[Joe Republic]

I find it amazing that Eliot Spitzer hired some prostitutes and resigned two days after it hit the headlines, but Mark Sanford abandoned his state completely for several days to hike some Argentinian tail, and he remains safe?  Let's get some perspective.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

I find it amazing that Eliot Spitzer hired some prostitutes and resigned two days after it hit the headlines, but Mark Sanford abandoned his state completely for several days to hike some Argentinian tail, and he remains safe?  Let's get some perspective.

It's OK, because he impeached Clinton for not going terribly far out of his way to get a BJ.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

I find it amazing that Eliot Spitzer hired some prostitutes and resigned two days after it hit the headlines, but Mark Sanford abandoned his state completely for several days to hike some Argentinian tail, and he remains safe?  Let's get some perspective.

It's OK, because he impeached Clinton for not going terribly far out of his way to get a BJ.

Clinton was impeached for perjury.  Why is it so hard for liberals to understand that?

[Franzl]

I find it amazing that Eliot Spitzer hired some prostitutes and resigned two days after it hit the headlines, but Mark Sanford abandoned his state completely for several days to hike some Argentinian tail, and he remains safe?  Let's get some perspective.

It's OK, because he impeached Clinton for not going terribly far out of his way to get a BJ.

Clinton was impeached for perjury.  Why is it so hard for liberals to understand that?

Depends on your defintion of perjury, I suppose.

[Frodo]

However much time Sanford has left as governor, I doubt it would be long enough for him to finish out his term. 

[Landslide Lyndon]

I find it amazing that Eliot Spitzer hired some prostitutes and resigned two days after it hit the headlines, but Mark Sanford abandoned his state completely for several days to hike some Argentinian tail, and he remains safe?  Let's get some perspective.

It's OK, because he impeached Clinton for not going terribly far out of his way to get a BJ.

Clinton was impeached for perjury.  Why is it so hard for liberals to understand that?

Depends on your defintion of perjury, I suppose.

Whose is kidding who?
Perjury was just the fig leaf.

[Magic 8-Ball]

A few weeks.

[Torie]

There is zero reason for Sanford to resign. He did not commit a crime, and his personal life is nobody's business. However, he lied in public, so his political career is finished. What a pathetic dumb ass! And he may have been irresponsible, but that is not a capital offense either.

I would not resign under these circumstances, but then I would have refused to discuss my personal life as well, much less lie about it.

Methinks you'd be singing a different tune had there been some kind of crisis in South Carolina last weekend, and nobody could find the governor...

Ya, but that is not the stuff of resignation, and it certainly isn't legally or ethically required. Moreover, in the governor's absence, the lieutenant governor is authorized to act, and I am quite confident that without the personage of the governor on hand, the state of South Carolina could muddle through just fine.

I am more interested in judging politicians pursuant to their policies and skill at dealing with the big issues. This fixation on detritus such as this strikes me as deflective of that, and rather neighborhood adjacent indeed to well - a red herring.

Sue me! 

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Moreover, in the governor's absence, the lieutenant governor is authorized to act, and I am quite confident that without the personage of the governor on hand, the state of South Carolina could muddle through just fine.

Actually there was some concern as to whether Bauer would have been able to act if needed.  Our laws concerning the transfer of power in such a case are so vague concerning what constitutes a temporary absence or an emergency that a Attorney General's opinion that was written well before Sanford was even governor opined that it might well need to be settled by a court.  I expect we will have one or more bills introduced next session to clarify when a transfer of power takes place.

[exopolitician]

I think he'll finish his term.

I'm starting to think this.

[Frodo]

After the latest revelations, I will be surprised if he survives to the end of July. 

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Boy i made a mistake on this one thinking he'd go til 2011.

Mea Culpa city......wow

He's gone in  July.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

He'll last until January when the General Assembly next comes into session, but if he doesn't stop talking, he'll get impeached and divorced.  I can't see Sanford resigning at this point for political reasons.  It's not as if he has any political future to salvage, and I don't see any real harm he is doing to the GOP in the state that might prompt he to quit.  The only reason he would resign would be if Jenny tells him to.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

He'll last until January when the General Assembly next comes into session, but if he doesn't stop talking, he'll get impeached and divorced.  I can't see Sanford resigning at this point for political reasons.  It's not as if he has any political future to salvage, and I don't see any real harm he is doing to the GOP in the state that might prompt he to quit.  The only reason he would resign would be if Jenny tells him to.

Sanford backs out of promise to release records
15 mins ago
 
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford has backed out of a promise to release personal financial records proving he did not use state money for trips to see his mistress.

A day after Sanford declared in an emotional Associated Press interview that his mistress is his soul mate, spokesman Joel Sawyer says the governor does not want to discuss personal matters in the media anymore. The state is investigating Sanford's travel to see the Argentine woman the governor identified as his lover.

Sanford agreed this week to provide the AP with proof of his payment for trips to New York and Argentina to see her.

His staff first said the records might be made available Tuesday, and then the governor's spokesman said Wednesday Sanford would not release them.

***********************************************************************

I think it's going to be much sooner

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Quite the reverse.  The fact that he's finally starting to shut up more likely indicates he's decided to ride this out no matter what.  Until the General Assembly comes back into session, there's no way to force him out if he's willing to ignore what the media says about him, and he's been pretty good about doing that the past few years.

[Brittain33]

Quite the reverse.  The fact that he's finally starting to shut up more likely indicates he's decided to ride this out no matter what.  Until the General Assembly comes back into session, there's no way to force him out if he's willing to ignore what the media says about him, and he's been pretty good about doing that the past few years.

Wait a minute. At what point did he start to shut up?