South Carolina’s “missing” governor is coming home …
After sparking a national uproar by taking an undisclosed hike along the Appalachian Trail (and not telling his wife, staff or security detail where he was), S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford will be back behind his desk in the State Capitol tomorrow.
Here’s the latest update from Sanford Communications Director Joel Sawyer …
Governor Sanford called to check in with his Chief of Staff this morning. It would be fair to say the governor was somewhat taken aback by all of the interest this trip has gotten.
Given the circumstances and the attention this has garnered, the governor communicated to us that he plans on returning to the office tomorrow.
Wonderful.
Now lawmakers like Sen. Jake Knotts – who fanned the flames of this story – can get back to ignoring Sanford and dismissing all of his ideas for improving our state at their leisure.
By Tee June 23, 2009 at 10:06 am
I am still confused why Jake the Snake was so worried about Gov. Sanford. Its more painful for him to be in his (Sanford’s) presence than it is for him to put one fat leg in front of the other.
By Dave Scotese June 23, 2009 at 10:10 am
Maybe he was looking for John Galt.
By Barney Fife June 23, 2009 at 10:13 am
The legislature has told Sanford to take a “hike” for years. He does and they complain. Very strange, indeed.
By CNSYD June 23, 2009 at 10:33 am
Finally a Sanford statement I agree with! I too was taken aback by the interest in him. If I am not careful I will staart caring about Jon & Kate.
By Rick June 23, 2009 at 10:35 am
Dave, maybe he’s found John Galt and is preparing for the future.
Barney, ya gotta love it, he follows directions and the pigs wonder why and are frightened by his absence.
By Philip Branton June 23, 2009 at 11:09 am
STOP THE PRESS ……!!!!
~~~~ NEWSFLASH ~~~~
Mark Sanford discovered…..WIND !!!! While on our state’s peaks along the App trail it was discovered that WE have ENERGY right here in our state to drive the very TURBINES that GE builds ..
Mark SANFORD…….now is the TIME….!!!! NOW…!!!!
Call all legislators ….OUT !!!!
Come back and divulge your “I HAVE A DREAM “Hike” ….Speech” !!!!!!!!
Tell JAKE Knottz to KISS your gritz….!!!!!!
You did NOT sleep on a couch in DC for this disgusting treatment…!?!?!
COme ON….MARK !?!?! Itz NOW or NEVER…..!?!?! Watch the movie “TIN CUP” and let it RIP…..!!!!!!
Itz the ENeRGY……MARK !!!!!!!
By Mab June 23, 2009 at 11:30 am
Jakie’s anxiety was akin to a hunter who has lost sight of his prey.
By gus w palinthrober June 23, 2009 at 11:48 am
Pigs, poop
What’s the scoop
Father’s Day
Away.
Writing?
Write!
Riiiight!
State of the state
Snoozin’s great
Four day, away
My way or the highway.
My way is the highway
Appalachian Trail
When you see all else fail
Which AT path,
Wait, let me finish my laugh.
Charleston’s own
Soon be gone.
(Again)
Seven years of Mark
Palmetto progress dark
Mark or Andre — who’s irrelevant?
My word, whither the elephant.
Shut your mouth, you hideous Jakie,
The Governor’s Office is what Mark makee.
Blankety blank you, Senator Knotts
Sanford’s nowhere paths are lots.
Get out of our party, you RINO, thee.
Let’s make our party like 1923.
Mark’s turned in to a national hoot,
His office literally an empty suit.
Mark Sanford — finally found,
How shabby — publicity hound.
Jobs don’t last
Opportunities pass
Mark, please reimburse the state for gas.
Shannon Faulkner
Stars and Bars
John Graham Altman
Rusty DePass
Surely the fools aint run out o’ gas.
When it comes to these episodes,
Mark leads the way
Better than even Miss SC Teen USA.
By trudee June 23, 2009 at 12:07 pm
Can’t beat Clinton and Monica, though!
By Mike June 23, 2009 at 12:16 pm
Everybody needs to take deep breaths until the blood gets back to your extremities.
By The HR Guy June 23, 2009 at 12:22 pm
Hmmm, I’m not a SC resident, nor have I any vested interest in the politics of SC, but it does seem a bit strange that a state government executive would leave for that many days, practically unreachable, and only tell his staff (who might not have been able to contact him either). Sure, there are other state officials that could be contacted in the event of an unlikely emergency…but it still seems sort of odd. I guess if you look at it from a common point of view of most work environments, if you worked next to someone who took four days off, even as a long weekend, you would be naturally curious about the plans of the worker taking off.
Do I, as a regular citizen, make it a daily task to find out where my government executive is? No. But I do expect him or her to make their plans known to those with high responsibility in the government.
By Veronica Corningstone June 23, 2009 at 12:32 pm
Boy, that escalated quickly…..
By DedMousie June 23, 2009 at 12:58 pm
Well – at least he wasn’t using tax payer funds to take an expensive vacation in Lagoon Island, Tanzania or anything…
Hopefully he figured out that “Hey, there’s WIND up here”!, but I doubt it. Done right, we could probably power almost half the state on wind alone, but I’ll be dead before that actually happens. Hell, we *all* might be dead before that happens…
By RD Neck June 23, 2009 at 1:08 pm
I think that he went nuts. Anyone remember him swimming in a retention pond every morning before work when he was a real estate broker in Charleston? He would come into the office in ratty clothes smelling really fowl. Frank eventually had to shit-can him.
That boy only cares about himself…
By Harry June 23, 2009 at 1:52 pm
This story was pushed hard by Andre Bauer and his unprincipled cronies. It is saddening that Lt. Governor Bauer has pimped the old people for all they are worth and is now going after Sanford in what is thought to be a moment of low ratings.
Is it not about time that Bauer’s personal life receives the attention it deserves? While that might take its own blog site with an x rating, I think it is worth it if we can get rid of this menace once and for all.
By Ben June 23, 2009 at 2:02 pm
http://features.csmonitor.com/politics/2009/06/23/sanford-disappears-to-hike-appalachian-trail-on-naked-hiking-day/
anyone else think its funny that the GUV decided to take a hike on naked hiking day?
By Fred June 23, 2009 at 2:08 pm
Like him or not, Sanford is a serious man. It is sad that clowns like Andre Bauer and Knotts can drag him in the mud like this.
Stunts like this are why the republican party is sucking now-a-days.
By Rick June 23, 2009 at 3:03 pm
Ya notice the Republicans will play this way with one of their own, but turn into certifiable pansies when facing the dems?
By madcock June 23, 2009 at 3:13 pm
Sanford disappears for four days in a state vehicle. By his wife’s own admission, she doesn’t know where he is, just that he needed to get away from his sons (over Father’s Day weekend). The head of his security contingent, SLED, the Lt. Gov. and his own staff don’t know wher he is……….and you blame Jakie Knotts for blowing things out of proportion!
Conservatism really is a mental disorder.
By Kid Charlemagne June 23, 2009 at 3:18 pm
If only Jake Knotts would leave the state for …… ever.
By checo June 23, 2009 at 3:40 pm
damn! why does he have to come back? everything was running MUCH smoother while he was gone! i was hoping he’d stay on the hiking trail until election day!
By Glen June 23, 2009 at 6:55 pm
Sanford was probably busy in the bathroom at ATL with that other noted political twink,Lindsay Graham.
By Jeffy June 23, 2009 at 7:03 pm
Nude hiking day? I told you all Guv was with BIN News!! They always cover nude hiking day. Bin is just a porn cite!
By SherryB June 23, 2009 at 7:58 pm
The whole world has gone mad.
By Dixie June 23, 2009 at 10:13 pm
All that grandstanding to grab the media spotlight and try to make people think he was a viable presidential candidate, appealing to conservatives while causing anguish to people in his state that were suffering. Well, what do you think his chances are now. Leaving during father’s day to go on a hike. What father leaves his family on such an occasion. I don’t think Sanford is high on the GOP’s short list now ,do you. What a retard.
By Jeffy June 24, 2009 at 8:28 pm
Time for all the Bauer bashers to apologize.