Sanford Contemplates “Leave Of Absence”
Steadfastly refusing to resign his office, S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford is exploring the idea of taking a 60-day leave of absence, sources tell FITS.
The governor has also reportedly hired a crisis management team out of Washington, D.C. to help him navigate his ongoing public relations disaster, which took a decisive turn for the worst this week when an ill-fated Associated Press interview exposed numerous inconsistencies in his account of his affair with an Argentine woman.
Sanford admitted last week that he had been unfaithful to his wife with a “dear, dear friend,” a woman since identified as former TV producer Maria Belen Chapur of Buenos Aires.
The scandal (complete with R-rated emails from the governor to his lover) broke last Wednesday after Sanford disappeared for several days without telling anyone – including his security detail and his chief of staff – where he was.
He later lied to his staff about his whereabouts, telling them he was hiking on the Appalachian Trail, when he was in fact visiting his lover in Buenos Aires.
This week, the governor admitted to having seen Chapur more times than he originally disclosed. He also admitted to having “crossed lines” with other women in the past, but did not elaborate, identify those women or explain what he meant by his terminology.
He has also reimbursed the state for $3,000 in travel expenses from a 2008 trip to Argentina – a “legitimate” trip that included a romatic liaison with Chapur.
What do you think of Sanford’s “leave of absense” idea?
To the poll!
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Comments
By Seriously? on July 2nd, 2009 at 9:03 am
Leave of absence? That’s comical! I love the guy and all but my GOD, I think his goose is cooked. Take some hints from Kenny…
Know when to hold ‘em, Know when to fold ‘em
Know when to walk away, KNOW WHEN TO RUN!
By Toyota Kawaski on July 2nd, 2009 at 9:07 am
Like those dam Gaytor fans at the swamp who shake their keys at ya in the 3rd quarter I’m shaken my Yugo keys right now.
By 1+1=3 on July 2nd, 2009 at 9:21 am
is that all the vacation time Maria has?
By Curtis Loftis on July 2nd, 2009 at 9:21 am
John Rainey was correct when he told Sanford to shut up and go to work.
Do it already.
By Jeanie on July 2nd, 2009 at 9:25 am
He really needs to be treated by professionals for this. He is totally out of touch with reality and a LOA is the ultimate solution. It will be a trial for the Lt. Govr to show himself to be a leader or it may help the state choose the right person during this 18 months. After 60 days, if Sanford can emerge from his sad state of mind, I think he would be the best person for the job.
Poor guy, he wanted to explain with details so people would understand his unusual behavior, but instead it turned around and bit him. Irony of it all is that he thinks this woman is his soul mate – but she just happens to be one out of the many women he tried to dalliance with, and the only one who has no moral value and slept with a married man. It has been noted by Washington Times that a woman he tried to connect while in Chile turned him down after she found out he was married. All the candles he is holding for this Argentinian will burn out and he’ll realize that she is woman of no moral value.
By follydude on July 2nd, 2009 at 9:28 am
i don’t see that in the HR manual.
By yarrrrr on July 2nd, 2009 at 9:32 am
This should have been the initial response… now it may be too late… and the leave of absence maybe too long…
There needs to be a way for the legislature to force the executive to take a time out when they do something stupid on this order…
By stimulus on July 2nd, 2009 at 9:33 am
hasnt he already had a 6 1/2 year leave of absence???
By yarrrrr on July 2nd, 2009 at 9:34 am
There needs to be a 3rd option: “good idea, if done last week”
By Silence Dogood on July 2nd, 2009 at 10:01 am
Why in the hell would he need to tell us he was leaving. Just take six back to back 10 day absences without telling a soul, like he was planning originally when this shindig started.
By Phil on July 2nd, 2009 at 10:22 am
Who is Kitty Sutton>? And, what does she have to do with the Governor?
The wife of Dr. John P Sutton. Maybe Joe McCullough can answer the question for us?
Come on Sic Willy! Help us out!
Inquiring minds want to know?
By ethel krabitz on July 2nd, 2009 at 10:24 am
for the love of GOD. how much did he pay the crisis management team to come up with this half-assed plan? sometimes a crisis just can’t be “mananged”. How sad that he is without enough dignity to just make like a tree and leave.
By Max on July 2nd, 2009 at 10:29 am
DAMN…HELL…FITS
That’s exactly what he’s going to do.
His taking the 60 days is akin to putting the entire State in a time out to dissipate what he’s sees as a collective temper tantrum. And afterwards, he’ll suavely come back into the “room” and then ask us if we’re ready to discuss this like adults.
To him it all makes perfect sense.
By Phil on July 2nd, 2009 at 10:43 am
How about Joe Taylor and the “Dove Hunting” trip to Argentina? Joe supposedly paid for the trip out of his own pocket. They flew on his private plane…Who was on the plane with them??
Guess what…they did not…mmm who got the bill for that one?
By sage old bird on July 2nd, 2009 at 11:47 am
When is he going to ask for Dr Phil’s and Jesse Jackson’s opinions?
Call Oprah to the rescue!
By justsaynotojoe on July 2nd, 2009 at 11:48 am
RESIGN you bonehead. Do it today.
By Jim H on July 2nd, 2009 at 11:57 am
OMG…I thought the idea of him resigning over this was goofy. But I’ll be damned if he’s not giving his best effort to persuade me that I was wrong.
And this “crisis management team” he hired. Did they manage Chernobyl, too, perchance?
By Ruth Houston on July 2nd, 2009 at 12:08 pm
Sanford needs to take a break until he can get his emotions under control. In his present state of mind he is useless to himself and everybody else.
There’s a reason Sanford keeps babbling on about his mistress being his soul mate, and trying to fall in love with is wife again. http://bit.ly/HgSbU His advisors were remiss in not telling him what to expect in the way of withdrawal symptoms and pitfalls when trying to end the affair with his mistress. What Sanford is experiencing is not unique – although he thinks it is – since he was not warned about it beforehand. These are normal emotions for a person who it trying to terminate a extramarital affair in which there are strong emotional bonds in addition to a sexual bond. More observations on the Sanford affair from an infidelity expert’s point of view at http://infidelitynewsandviews.blogspot.com/
By Where will he go? on July 2nd, 2009 at 12:28 pm
I heard he was going to check himself in somewhere during these 60 days. Where the fuck is he going to go? He shut the State Hospital down…
What an idiot.
By Mab on July 2nd, 2009 at 4:02 pm
Ruth,
May your book begin flying off the shelves from sea to shining sea!
Thanks for your insights.
By Mike Licht on July 3rd, 2009 at 1:42 pm
Sanford has a hot story but no book deal. How long can THAT last?
See:
http://notionscapital.wordpress.com/2009/07/03/sanford-book-deal-flames-out/
By Right Field on July 5th, 2009 at 11:08 am
Things to do after getting caught in an affair:
1. Leave town for a year
2. Lie
3. Come back & lie
4. Get a divorce and seal the records
5. Lie
6. Go back to school & work on dissertation
7. Graduate with PhD in adultery and lying!
8. Teach adultery & lying!