The Rally That Wasn’t
Members of the media nearly outnumbered demonstrators at a State House rally calling on S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford to resign this evening, an embarrassing showing considering that two-thirds of South Carolinians currently believe the governor should step down.
Still, the message of the few who did show up was loud and clear.
“There’s a big difference between coming clean and getting caught,” said Zach Croft, a student who spoke at the event. “Our governor got caught.”
Croft challenged Sanford to actually “come clean,” saying “if you are truly sorry for what you have done, resign.”
Sanford admitted last month to carrying on an extramarital affair with his Argentine lover, Maria Belen Chapur, and deceiving his staff, family and citizens of the state as to his whereabouts during a recent trip to Buenos Aires to see her.
The following week, Sanford gave a damning interview to the Associated Press in which he admitted that he had seen Chapur more times than he originally disclosed – and that he had “crossed lines” with other women in the past. Those admissions spawned a flood of calls for his resignation, and Sanford indeed appeared to be teetering on the brink last week until his wife, First Lady Jenny Sanford, allegedly intervened behind the scenes on his behalf.
The governor is facing particular scrutiny over a taxpayer-funded Commerce Department trip that he took to Argentina last year, ostensibly on “official business.”
In fact, this morning’s Washington Post included a damaging article showing just how thin the governor’s “official business” was on this particular trip – during which he admits to having stayed with Chapur.
Sanford has repaid the state for his expenses from this trip, but his critics contend that’s like returning money after a bank robbery.
Still, Sanford spokesman Joel Sawyer says his boss has no plans to step down.
“The governor recognizes that he has work to do in building back the trust of South Carolinians, and he is committed to doing so,” Sawyer said.
Law enforcement personnel estimated the crowd tonight at roughly two dozen.
Here are a few pics of the few who gathered (note: the guy in the blue shirt was a pro-Sanford demonstrator).
Also, here’s a pic of former La Socialista editorial page editor Brad Warthen taking in the festivities …
And here’s the famous Glenn McConnell protester …
And finally, here’s the mystery reporter that our founding editor spent literally the entire rally staring at …
Seriously, people. Somebody hook us up with an ID (fast) so we can enter her in our hottest newsbabe competition …
Comments
By Yon on July 9th, 2009 at 8:03 pm
The hottie is Andre is drag…
By CNSYD on July 9th, 2009 at 8:05 pm
The sell out by the state GOP leadership killed the attempt. Remember them at election time.
By DJ on July 9th, 2009 at 8:20 pm
Dammit! If I only knew I would’ve went down there to clown everyone, including said sexy reporter. Is it me, or does the argument that he should step down because of an affair just not a good one?!? I dont know, its just not that impressive of a reason for me to go apeshit over. Affairs involving politicians are a dime a dozen. Yeah, its morally screwed up, but so is nancy Pelosi’s inability to blink. I mean if he should step down it should be over his track record. But whatever makes you Lefties feel better about yourselves. And I am not a righty.
By yarrrrr on July 9th, 2009 at 8:21 pm
“Members of the media nearly outnumbered protesters at a State House rally calling on S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford to resign this evening, an embarrassing showing considering that two-thirds of South Carolinians currently believe the governor should step down.”
There have been two polls taken… one right after his press conference and another right after his disastrous AP interview… during both those times I thought he should resign… now I don’t care and I think that’s what most people think…
By King Cotton on July 9th, 2009 at 8:55 pm
“Law enforcement personnel estimated the crowd at roughly two dozen.”
Wow, I’m sure the governor is working up his resignation speech this very moment.
The people have spoken, Mark, all (roughly) 24 of them.
By anon on July 9th, 2009 at 9:02 pm
That’s Margaret Burnquist from Foxcarolina 21 in Greenville:
http://www.foxcarolina.com/bios/13537893/detail.html
By peewee on July 9th, 2009 at 9:33 pm
What a friggin’ joke! Nearly 60 people. Carol Fowler squaking on the 7 o’clock report.
By UpYers on July 9th, 2009 at 9:45 pm
Freak Show…
By James the Foot Soldier on July 9th, 2009 at 9:45 pm
From the looks of the pumps I’m guessing the reporterette is from the AP wires – wondering what she she do wrong to get stuck with this story.
By PandaChris on July 9th, 2009 at 10:09 pm
Few people want to dance on Sanford’s political grave…even less will show up for a rally calling for his resignation.
Go ahead and do all you can to help redeem the man…he will never be President…and unfortunately, his is the albatross for the reform movement in SC.
Dont believe me? Watch the primaries next year….Nikki wont beat Andre or Henry. And she can thank Mark for that.
Anyone want to take that bet?
By yarrrrr on July 9th, 2009 at 10:58 pm
Here are a few better pics to for better perspective…
http://mypict.me/show.php?id=8SFY
http://twitpic.com/9tp1f
If he had better crisis management this whole controversy actually could have turned into a net plus… if he had been more focused at his press conference(though I actually think he did ok there), went straight back to business without giving things people to riff off of(king david), and had left the emails to speak for themselves by skipping the AP interview then he would be in much better shape… this might have even make him look more interesting and he would probably have more than a few apologists… now, not so much since he’s show a lack of media savvy…
By Larry on July 9th, 2009 at 11:14 pm
Nice flip up shades on Warthen there.
Haha.
By yarrrrr on July 10th, 2009 at 7:17 am
Lol, I just watched the video here…
http://www.thestate.com/154/story/859001.html
what a freak show…
By lou on July 10th, 2009 at 7:30 am
No one had enough notice for this rally to begin with. It was attended by more than two dozen FITS… it was around 50ish, after 5 on a Thursday that looked like rain.
Now, I will tell you it hooked up the right people with the right people… so success? Yeah it’s comin.
By Ron on July 10th, 2009 at 8:40 am
There weren’t many people there, but the ones who did show up were enthusiastic.
I posted several shots on-line, including one of the Newsbabe (last in the gallery):
http://www.pbase.com/ronsc/impeachsanford
There were a few interesting looking characters around.
By FireThemALL on July 10th, 2009 at 8:56 am
Did y’all know that SC has NO recall statute?
We should all get on the phone to our lawmakers and DEMAND they pass a bill which gives the citizens of this state the power to FIRE any elected official (perhaps by getting up enough signatures on a petition in that district).
Right now, we cannot force any elected official out of office except by impeachment, which is a totally political process, and which never seems to work anyway.
By Shay on July 10th, 2009 at 9:05 am
Maybe it just shows the limitations of “virtual” organizing. I use facebook all the time, but nothing beats real-world, real-time contact.
By yarrrrr on July 10th, 2009 at 9:36 am
“There weren’t many people there, but the ones who did show up were enthusiastic.”
That’s why they upped the crowd estimate to 60 from actual 30 or so in the news story… you guys were ferocious…
“There were a few interesting looking characters around.”
I couldn’t see any uninteresting characters…
“No one had enough notice for this rally to begin with… so success? Yeah it’s comin.”
You guys got a tonne of free publicity… this thing has been pumped for the past week… it was picked up by a lot national blogs like one at The Atlantic… if you guys wanted to protest it should have been done at least one week ago, probably two weeks ago… way way way too late now… game over…
“Now, I will tell you it hooked up the right people with the right people…”
I await the union of kkk guy and mullet woman…
By yarrrrr on July 10th, 2009 at 9:40 am
Sorry Ron IF I wrongly implied you were with that group… regardless, thanks for the pic of the news lady…
By 1+1=3 on July 10th, 2009 at 10:49 am
has anyone physically seen the gov since the port meeting on monday?
By Ron on July 10th, 2009 at 11:27 am
No apology necessary, Yarr, as you did not wrongly imply anything. I am a liberal Dem who has disliked Sanford and his policies all along, and I would rather vote for Satan than for a Republican. Nonetheless, I enjoy reading FitsNews and just discovered this blog a couple of weeks ago at the beginning of the Sanford Argentina brouhaha. I consider most of the opinions expressed here to be of the typical discredited right-wing radical variety, but I like the irreverent tone and the fact Fits will mercilessly go after one of its own. But one thing I think we can agree on: the news lady is easy on the eyes and worth a photo!
By James the Foot Soldier on July 10th, 2009 at 1:52 pm
Ron – speaking of discredited left-wing disasters – how’s that whole Obama Stimulus Plan working?
By Crooner on July 10th, 2009 at 2:36 pm
Ron is my new best friend.
By Toyota Kawaski on July 10th, 2009 at 4:23 pm
If fits went after his own he would live in San Francisco.He is nothing more than a Sanfraud,egg suckin,voucher pimp not to mention a well never mind u get the whole rainbow flag thing.Remember the “cowgirls” in broke back were married also.
By Tricky on July 10th, 2009 at 7:28 pm
Looks like the governor has stiffened his resolve and will stick it out! Wait, isn’t that how he got into this mess?
By scooter on July 12th, 2009 at 3:02 pm
I do not care how many showed up at the protest, I read the comments on a number of blogs and news articles. 90-95% have been calling for his resignation. For me, he needs to have gone the first day back in Columbia. Take his family and leave SC. How much more time will it take for somebody to force this issue. He has done NOTHING to help SC and it’s people who are really hurting. I am so angry. I will never respect this man and can only hope that he could care what we think. He doesn’t. It is all about HIM.