On the night he was elected Governor of South Carolina six-and-a-half years ago, Mark Sanford threw his security detail the first of many curve balls to come.
Hankering for a “Mexican Pizza,” the quirky new governor-elect decided to make a “run for the border” with his family – driving the family van himself.
Informed that it was no longer necessary for him to drive himself around, Sanford bristled.
“You guys can follow me if you want, but we’re going to Taco Bell,” Sanford flatly told the agent-in-charge.
So began what we’re sure has been the most interesting chapter in SLED’s distinguished history of protecting South Carolina governors – a chapter that anyone who drove Sanford during his campaign could have told the SLED agents was going to be “different.”
Prior to injuring his back, Sanford used to take long runs and bike rides without his security detail present, and his ability to evade his security guards has always been legendary among his staff.
“He’s a ‘don’t fence me in’ kind of guy,” said a source familiar with Sanford’s protection.
Once in West Virginia, a startled State Police officer assigned with guarding the governor was shocked to discover that Sanford had “gone for a run” without bothering to tell anyone.
So where did the governor run off to this time?
There are several theories …
“Surfer Boy/ Outdoorsman”
An accomplished surfer (wind and waves) as well as an avid hunter and fisherman, Sanford sneaking off to some tropical beach or a remote mountain cabin wouldn’t be surprising. Plus, the governor has been known to take a few days off once the legislature has adjourned, which it did last Thursday.
“The Interview”
This theory holds that Sanford was whisked away by some Republican political heavies to undergo a “Presidential Fitness” evaluation. For his sake, let’s hope one of the requirements wasn’t to keep the trip on the “down low.”
“Military Brat”
Sanford’s a reserve officer in the U.S. Air Force, remember? Could his absence have been related to making up some missed hours during the whole “stimulus” debate?
“Bad Father/Husband”
What kind of dad ditches his four sons on Father’s Day weekend? One in trouble with his wife … several sources are trying to spin First Lady Jenny Sanford’s “I’m not concerned” comment as something sinister. We’re hearing that’s bunk, but …
Interestingly enough, the governor has “tweeted” twice on his peregrination (click here to see), which raises serious questions about whether or not he’s actually the one in charge of his Twitter account.
Should we find out where Sanford is, we’ll be sure to pass it along …
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