We give credit where credit is due around here – and we gave La Socialista (a.k.a. The State newspaper) plenty of credit for breaking the story of S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford’s affair with Argentine lover Maria Belen Chapur.
The scoop paid dividends, too, as La Socialista‘s unique monthly visits nearly tripled in June, according to the website Compete.com.
Of course, in the weeks since the scandal broke, the paper has returned to its old habit of ripping off our political intel and insights, which thankfully happens so often these days that we no longer have the staff to devote to whining about it.
For example, take the paper’s big cover story today by reporter John O’Connor, which basically regurgitates our coverage from last week … and the week before that, frankly.
Look, while we’re happy to continue providing everybody with the answers ahead of time, why can’t the MSM follow our advice as blindly as they follow our story lines?
Seriously, people … the world works a lot better when everybody just listens to us.
By Wes Wolfe July 12, 2009 at 1:53 am
Yeah, covering lies is so easy. God, you are so full of shit.
By anonymous July 12, 2009 at 2:09 am
Just four days before Gov. Mark Sanford got on a plane headed to South America last year, state Commerce Department staff members were scrambling to set up legitimate business meetings in Argentina.
Roughly 200 e-mails obtained by The Post and Courier sent between Commerce staff, Sanford and the governor’s office from January to July 2008 reveal a governor intent on a light-day schedule and free evenings that Sanford later admitted he spent with his lover.
In an e-mail sent just before midnight on June 18 to tie up loose ends, a staff member wrote to Commerce Secretary Joe Taylor, “By the way, good news from Argentina — at the end of today they came through with some (good appointments for Sanford) there. We will finalize (the) agenda there for him tomorrow and send it to him. Credit to Ford who blindly called one of the company’s in Spanish and got an appointment.”
While planning the Argentine trip, Commerce staff repeatedly suggested that the governor wanted a “low-key” schedule with nights free.
The governor told staff that has was looking to “enhance his trip” to Buenos Aires.
http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2009/jul/12/e_mails_reveal_details89006/
By lou July 12, 2009 at 6:36 am
Where is the rest of that AP interview that they promised to release.
By Noticing July 12, 2009 at 7:35 am
Little Wes Wolfe is really full of himself these days.
Perhaps he should learn to check the depth before diving in. Especially head first.
By Mab July 12, 2009 at 10:56 am
“The State” is turning into “Entertainment Weekly.” Harry Potter takes up more than 1/2 of the front page today.
By SC Moderate July 12, 2009 at 11:53 am
Has anyone come close to piecing together the 10 republicans who voted to ask Sanford to resign, thus figuring out you voted to let him stay?
By CNSYD July 12, 2009 at 11:56 am
Jenny has to approve of what they publish.
By ? July 12, 2009 at 1:24 pm
Everyone, please pay Wes Wolfe some attention so he doesn’t have to do this.
By w July 12, 2009 at 4:56 pm
Wes Wolfe is a fat, lazy, unintelligent sack of shit. It is really satisfying to know that nobody reads his sputum.
By sic shillie July 12, 2009 at 6:17 pm
LOL the sanfords think were all a bunch of mindless TERDPLOPPERS. I guess theyre right. instead of demanding honest, accountable leaders with true integrity we simply accept these frauds and go along on our merry way to the bathroom to PLOP TERDS all the live long day LOL.
By jeffy July 12, 2009 at 7:43 pm
Hey Mab…be glad it isnt Payday lending…the other constant reply topic on the front page.
By Cockfighter July 12, 2009 at 7:48 pm
Wes Wolfe is a mere finger puppet.
GO COCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
By Mab July 12, 2009 at 8:49 pm
Jeffy — Today’s front page consisted of:
65% – Harry Potter: photo and movie story stuff
20% – Some football player’s photo and gobbledygook
15% – Governor Sanford photo and gobbledygook
My math isn’t always noteworthy — but you could eyeball that and realize you really don’t need to go any further into it.
By John Vierdsen July 12, 2009 at 10:10 pm
Wes is jealous because he’s irrelevant. What a douchebag.
By chimack July 13, 2009 at 3:12 pm
Interesting photo. Mrs. Sanford is holding Mr. Sanford’s arm. Is that the way its done in SC?
By Cornelius July 13, 2009 at 7:04 pm
Don’t be too concerned about La Socialista’s “habit of ripping off our political intel and insights.”
I read only fitsnews, not the MSM (mainstream media) version. I hope their advertisers check this site from time to time.
By anonymous July 13, 2009 at 8:23 pm
Mark Sanford Dickipedia
Dickipedia:
Marshall Clement “Mark” Sanford, Jr. (born May 28, 1960) is the Governor of South Carolina, a passionate lover of Argentinean women, and a dick.
Sanford was a leading candidate for the Republican Presidential nomination until an extra-marital affair in Argentina brought national attention to his dickishness (pun very much intended).
In addition to being a disgraced politician, Sanford is also a real estate developer and Air Force Reserve captain, which allows him to screw people out of money while wearing a bomber jacket and most likely calling them “Iceman.”
Read the whole story: Dickipedia
http://www.dickipedia.org/dick.php?title=Mark_Sanford
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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/13/mark-sanford-dickipedia_n_230447.html
By anonymous July 13, 2009 at 8:45 pm
National Journal:
South Carolina Has the 5th Most Dysfunctional State Governments
National Journal is just out with “The Six Most Functional State Governments” and the Palmetto State comes in at number 5.
Yayyy, us!
The ratings are based on four criteria:
The quality of leadership — by the state’s legislature, its current governor and, where applicable, its ousted governor.
The whiff of criminality in the state’s top political leadership.
The severity of the state’s policy challenges.
The intensity of the media circus surrounding state government.
Each state is graded in each category on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 representing the worst, the most severe or the most intense, and 1 representing the most benign. The categories are averaged to produce a final score and ranking.
On the issue of leadership, we get a big spankin’ 10:
After his now infamous sojourn to Buenos Aires to visit his mistress, Gov. Mark Sanford (R) returned to South Carolina in a drastically weaker position than when he left. He had already alienated many in his state with his effort — blocked by the courts — to decline certain federal stimulus monies. Then he irked political leaders and constituents by leaving the state for several days without providing forwarding information. Finally, after his return, Sanford inexplicably volunteered to journalists a wealth of details about his unsettled personal life.
Our next best, uh, worst score is for “Media Circus” – a 9:
The Sanford story caught fire internationally and bequeathed a new euphemism — “hiking the Appalachian Trail” — to the English language. But as Sanford looks more and more likely to stay put, South Carolina has already begun to return to normalcy.
Our “statewide challenges” merit a 7 due to the unemployment rate and other issues such as infant mortality, premature births, stroke, diabetes, smoking prevention and violent crime.
About the only thing we come out looking good on is “criminality” where we get a score of 2.
The other five states (and thier ranking) on the list are:
6. California
4. Alaska
3. Illinois
2. Nevada
1. New York
http://www.examiner.com/x-16728-Columbia-Democrat-Examiner~y2009m7d13-National-Journal-South-Carolina-Has-the-5th-Most-Dysfunctional-State-Governments
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By anonymous July 13, 2009 at 9:20 pm
One for the Ages:
RE: Maria Belen Chapur
Mark Sanford’s Latina Lover Press Conference
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qAtZ9N6FiY&feature=related
By anonymous July 13, 2009 at 9:43 pm
Released records detail staff efforts to reach missing Sanford
Gov. Mark Sanford’s chief of staff, Scott English, unsuccessfully tried to reach Sanford 14 times during the governor’s secret trip to Argentina to visit his mistress last month.
With calls unanswered, the governor’s communications director, Joel Sawyer, juggled e-mails and media phone calls from around the nation, giving a consistent but untrue message that the governor was taking a break from a draining legislative session and hiking the Appalachian Trail.
Through South Carolina’s open record laws, The State received today more than 500 pages of documents – e-mails and phone call exchanges – between the governor’s staff members.
The records do not show any communication between the governor and his staff between June 18 when he left the country and June 22, when questions about the governor’s whereabouts were first raised. Sanford was contacted June 23. He returned to the country June 24.
State leaders accused the governor of abandoning his responsibilities and not properly informing the lieutenant governor and his own staff of his whereabouts.
http://www.thesunnews.com/575/story/979471.html
By anonymous July 13, 2009 at 10:18 pm
Jun 22, 2009
Sanfraud Spokesman: SC governor hiking Appalachian Trail
(AP) — A spokesman for South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford says he is hiking the Appalachian Trail, which explains his perplexing absence.
A statement issued by Sanford spokesman Joel Sawyer Monday night didn’t make clear what part of the trail he was on.
Sanford hadn’t been in his office for several days, and fellow politicians and his wife said they didn’t know where he was.
Sawyer had said earlier in the day he wasn’t aware that anyone on staff had spoken to the governor since Thursday.
Jenny Sanford said she had not spoken with her husband for several days. That includes Father’s Day.
Where is South Carolina’s governor?
The lieutenant governor doesn’t know, and neither does a state senator who’s a close confidante.
And while his staff said they knew where he was, a spokesman said he wasn’t aware that any of them had spoken with the governor since Thursday.
“He was writing something and wanted some space to get away from the kids,” Jenny Sanford told The Associated Press while vacationing with the couple’s four sons at their Sullivans Island beach house. She said she didn’t know where he was, but wasn’t concerned.
“Gov. Sanford is taking some time away from the office this week to recharge after the stimulus battle and the legislative session and to work on a couple of projects that have fallen by the wayside,” Sawyer said.
Sawyer said that he hadn’t spoken with Sanford since Thursday and wasn’t aware that any other member of the governor’s staff had, either. The governor told his staff where he was going last week and planned to check in.
Sawyer wouldn’t say where the Sanford was, but said it was an area with limited communication.
The lieutenant governor said he did not know Sanford was taking time away from his office.
State Sen. Tom Davis, a Beaufort Republican, Sanford confidante and former chief of staff, said his calls to Sanford were going straight to voice mail. Calls from The Associated Press to the governor’s cell phone also went to voice mail.
Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer said he didn’t know where Sanford was but said he had not been put in charge.
“It’s one thing for the boys to go off by themselves, but on Fathers Day to leave your family behind? That’s erratic,” said Senate Minority Leader John Land, D-Manning.
Sanford’s unannounced absence was a cause for concern because the National Guard and the state’s top law enforcement agencies report to him, Land said.
“And when those officials can’t get in touch with the commander, it’s really weird. That’s not responsible,” he said.
Sen. Jake Knotts, said the state needs to know where its governor is. “Somebody’s got to be in charge.”
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jG3Xqgk_yvHFCxzYZIaivTgoMo0gD9903OU80
By anonymous July 13, 2009 at 10:36 pm
South Carolina governor Mark Sanford seems to be a compulsive liar
So is his staff!
JOEL SAWYER IS A FREAKIN’ LIAR
Why Did Sanford’s Staff Lie About His Trip To South America?
When Mark Sanford’s five-day absence was noticed by the national media Monday, Sanford’s staff sought to quell concerns by telling reporters he was hiking the Appalachian Trail:
Then, at 10:01 p.m. Monday, [Communications Director Joel Sawyer e-mailed reporters an update: “The governor is hiking along the Appalachian Trail. I apologize for taking so long to send this update, and was waiting to see if a more definitive idea of what part of the Trail he was on before we did so.”
Sawyer said Sanford was hiking “to kind of clear his head after the legislative session.” He added emphatically, “[Sanford's] an avid outdoorsman.”
On Tuesday morning, Sawyer said that Sanford had “called to check in with his chief of staff.” Yet he stuck with his claim that Sanford was hiking.
It turns out, however, that Sawyer was lying. This morning, reporters from The State caught up with Sanford at Atlanta’s Hartsville-Jackson International Airport, where he had just returned from a seven day trip to Beunos Aires, Argentina — nowhere near the Appalachian Trial. Sanford refused to say what he had been doing in South America, and offered no explanation for why his staff lied.
http://detroit.craigslist.org/pol/1237193461.html
By anonymous July 14, 2009 at 12:02 am
EMAILS SHOW SANFRAUD IS NOT INTERESTED IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Chief of staff tried to reach Sanford 15 times during secret trip, records show
Sanford’s chief of staff Scott English unsuccessfully called the governor’s cell phone 15 times during the governor’s secret trip to Argentina to visit his lover last month as staff members were out of contact with the governor for at least four days.
With calls unanswered, the governor’s communications director Joel Sawyer juggled e-mails and media calls from around the nation, refining what was later proven to be an untrue message that the governor was taking a break after a draining legislative session and hiking the Appalachian Trail.
“The governor is hiking along the Appalachian Trail,” Sawyer repeatedly wrote to reporters June 22. “I apologize for taking so long to send this update, and was waiting to see if a more definitive idea of what part of the Trail he was on before we did so.”
Documents shed new light on a June 18-24 secret trip the governor took to Buenos Aires, Argentina, to visit his lover, including Sanford missing an economic development meeting during his time in South America.
Sanford has said he misled his staff to believe he was hiking the Appalachian Trail.
The governor was approached June 24 by a reporter from The State newspaper in the Atlanta airport as he exited a plane on his way back from Buenos Aires. He later confessed to the affair with his Maria Belen Chapur, his Argentine lover, whom he called his soul mate, as well as other inappropriate contact with other unnamed women.
The documents show:
• The governor’s staff appears to have believed the governor was hiking the Appalachian Trail. On June 18, the day the governor left for Buenos Aires, the governor’s scheduler e-mailed State House law enforcement security that she was “not sure of (the governor’s) weekend plans still.”
The governor’s phone records for his state-issued cell phone show six days of no communication between Sanford and his chief of staff. On June 23, the governor finally returned English’s calls.
English and Sawyer only exchanged one e-mail on their state e-mail accounts about Sanford’s whereabouts.
• The governor allowed some economic development initiatives to take a back seat during his secret trip. He was invited to but turned down a dinner invitation June 24 with representatives from a company looking to expand their S.C. operation, according to e-mail records. Sanford also declined a June 25 celebration event for a S.C. business’ plant expansion because his schedule was “just absolutely jammed this summer,” wrote a staffer in an e-mail.
http://www.islandpacket.com/news/local/story/904010.html