I am including Sawyer with the rest of the people who would have know collectively, note: “They either (a) knew he was in Agentina and lied about him being elsewhere or (b) (most likely option) knew they had NO F-ing clue where he was and determined among themselve(sic) to lie anyway and say he was on the trail.”

Note the the pronoun “they” and the one I incorrectly typo-ed, “determinted among themselve[s].” So I guess if you think that I am saying what I said with either (a) direct knowledge that it is indeed false, (not likely) or (b) recklessness disregard in whether or not it is true – then you would be correct, I have apparently slandered NOT JUST Sawyer, but the entire governor’s staff (however, based on the facts available, this opinion of mine is not very outlandish at all).

So on that note, as I represent all that is bad with the internet (and obversely I will just assume persons such as yourself represent all that is good with the interent) there is just one conundrum left for you, which is:

If Sanford and staff made their statements either (a) knowing Sanford was somewhere else, or (b) (as I presumed) not knowing where he was – that is, in reckless disregard for the truth about where he was – can we at least call it a draw since they lied first. In your mighty opinion, oh great commenter, I will await your verdict final judgement, but until them remain as…

Silence

E-mails released by Gov. Mark Sanford’s office show an administration that is concerned about its image, coordinates its message with a close group of former staffers and is not afraid to play hardball with political opponents.

The documents show the behind-the-scenes workings of a governor who long claimed ideas were more important than politics.

Many of the e-mails contain press clippings. Others discuss which papers Sanford should place opinion pieces in or interviews he should accept. Sanford also frequently asks staff to send him stories or cartoons about him.

In many cases, staff or Sanford discuss ways to respond to media coverage and opinion columns that they disagree with, such as an article critical of Sanford’s record.

In one e-mail, staff members write a response to an article. The e-mail’s title is “Proposed surrogate: Chad Walldorf.” That indicates Sanford’s office wrote the piece for Walldorf, a political ally and former chief of staff, to sign his name to.

FULL STORY:
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/breaking/story/841384.html

Mark Sanford is born again after viewing his own “funeral” in recent weeks, the wayward South Carolina governor writes in Palmetto State newspapers today.

“It is true that I did wrong and failed at the largest of levels, but equally true is the fact that God can make good of our respective wrongs in life.”

Good Lord. This man is using God for political cover.

His “I did wrong” blather notwithstanding, has he fully accounted yet for all his lies and deceptions? Who should believe anything he says?

“I’ve been humbled and broken as never before in my life, and as a consequence have given up areas of control in a way that I never have before. And it is my belief that this will make me a better father, husband, friend and advocate.

“It’s in the spirit of making good from bad that I am committing to you and the larger family of South Carolinians to use this experience both to trust God in his larger work of changing me and, from my end, to work to becoming a better and more effective leader.”

Give it up, man. Work out your problems in private. Let the people of South Carolina move on from this embarrassing episode.

“In working with a few alterations to my approach, I think this could be a far more productive last session than the one that would have been had the tragedy that has unfolded not occurred, and in turn, people’s lives can be made better.”

A few alterations? This is delusional.

Looks like the governor’s communications director has had enough.

I doubt he’s the only one.

http://www.news-record.com/blog/54431/entry/64715

Sir, what have you been doing over the last few days? uh uh uh well, I’m on this journey uh uh uh …I’m trying to get my mind right …uh uh uh wait let me finish…

Sir, what journey? uh uh uh …I have struggled with how best to convey my regret in letting so many down and and and it’s going to take a long time to apologize to everyone ..

Sir, what do you regret? uh uh uh …I did wrong and failed at the largest of levels …uh uh uh …but the fact is that God can make good …uh uh uh …

Sir, did you go to a funeral the past weeks? …uh uh uh Yes! Yes I did! …while none of us has the chance to attend our own funeral, in many ways I feel like I was at my own in the past weeks …uh uh uh …wait, let me finish….lifetimes of lessons …lifetimes of lessons learned over the past weeks …yep, I’ve learned lots of lessons …I’ve learned alot …uh uh uh….

Sir, are you concerned about the citizens or the economy of South Carolina? uh uh uh …well, over my life I have not given any thought to either of those issues uh uh uh …actually, I have never thought about the people of South Carolina until now …uh uh uh …but now, I’m thinking about them alot, all of you, everyone of you, I love you so much, God loves you and I love you more …uh uh uh wait, let me finish…

Sir, how do we know that you have truly changed? uh uh uh well, no public apology can make wrong right uh uh uh …but it is on this plane that I’ve grown the most over the past weeks ….to work to becoming a better and more effective leader …uh uh uh …we are all family now, the South Carolina family …I love you man….uh uh uh ….

Sir, what have you done to become a more effective leader? uh uh uh well, I’ve been to my own funeral and really it’s all about the tides …uh uh uh see, my tide is going out right now, so ya’ll need to have love, mercy and walk humbly as I take these baby steps in the next 18 months ….uh uh uh…

Sir, what was your funeral like? uh uh uh well, it was just awful! …it was just awful! uh uh uh …it was just me looking at me …uh uh uh …and you know I realized that I am the governor of South Carolina and I haven’t done anything for the citizens since I’ve been in office except cause grief and corruption uh uh uh …so I asked myself? Self? How am I going to get out of this? uh uh uh …

Sir, how are you going to get the people of South Carolina to forgive and forget all the grief and corruption? uh uh uh well, I know, I have the answer …I hereby pronounce and appoint God as governor of South Carolina …uh uh uh uh …that’s it …God is now Governor! You heard me! God is the Governor of South Carolina …uh uh uh …quite frankly, there is really is no need for me to go to my office at all …uh uh uh wait, let me finish….

Kudos to the AP, which finally got a brand new picture of Maria Belen Chapur, Mark Sanford’s Argentinean lover.

http://investmentgrader.com/2009/07/17/new-shot-of-mark-sanfords-lover/

South Carolina’s Charleston Post and Courier has posted online some 570 pages of internal emails out of Mark Sanford’s office that were obtained through a FOIA request, and here’s an amusing postcript:

It appears the Department of Homeland Security raised concerns internally about his disappearance, suggesting the possibility that the Feds may have worried that Sanford’s MIA status signaled a national security threat. This underscores yet again the irresponsibility of his vanishing act.

On page 523 of the emails, you find an email chain involving a DHS official and Sanford’s aides. A DHS media monitoring official, Margaret Luther, emailed DHS employees a copy of a State article about his disappearance, with an amusingly clinical subject line:

“South Carolina Governor Whereabouts Unknown”

That email was forwarded to Sanford’s Washington office, and the expression of concern from DHS prompted a bit of joking among Sanford’s aides, with one emailing another:

DHS is worried about the governor (in an unofficial way). Big Brother is watching.

It’s just yet another way that Sanford’s goofball disappearance taxed us all, even consuming Federal resources

http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/republican-party/department-of-homeland-security-worried-about-mark-sanfords-disappearance/

Plus, he has known for years that the only thing Mark Sanford does is play on the internet and fly his family around the state at taxpayer expense.

Nikki Haley is disgracful. She needs to go hide under a rock.