The Freak Show Is Back
S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford returned to the Carolinas Wednesday and you won’t believe the first thing he did …
He made a beeline to the nearest television camera and immediately began talking about “forgiveness” and “earning back the trust” of the people of South Carolina.
Shocking, huh?
“Looks like it’s time to get in touch with our ‘inner governor’ again,” one Palmetto political observer told FITS.
Seriously, people … Sanford must have been Jonesing pretty hard for some media attention. After all, it had been two weeks since the Luv Gov last indulged in a little “therapy by journalist.”
As reported first by FITS, Sanford spent the last two weeks tooling around Europe with his family – which is obviously what you’d expect anybody serious about earning back the trust of South Carolina to do. Prior to that trip, Sanford took a five-day vacation with his wife, Jenny Sanford, at an undisclosed location.
Must be nice, huh?
Comments
By anonymous on August 6th, 2009 at 3:13 am
The following is an exerpt of Post and Courier reporter Yvonne Wenger’s interview with State Law Enforcement Division Director Reggie Lloyd on Monday.
Sound clip:
http://www.postandcourier.com/audioclips/98/
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COPY OF LETTER FROM SLED DIRECTOR:
August 4, 2009
SLED RESPONDS TO LIES PRINTED BY THE POST AND COURIER NEWSPAPER
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) will not tolerate blatant lies and other disparaging remarks made about and against this agency by members of the media.
SLED is setting the record straight about a recent article that unprofessionally and unethically misrepresented Director Reggie Lloyd during an impromptu meeting yesterday with The Post and Courier newspaper.
Today’s article titled, “Lloyd terms records ‘a joke’ ” by reporter Yvonne Wenger states that Director Lloyd referred to past SLED Chief Robert Stewart’s budget record-keeping as “shoddy.” This is an absolute lie. A previous, related article by the Post and Courier with the headline, “SLED denies access to budgets,” is yet another lie. SLED has made attempts on several occasions to assist the Post and Courier with its recent request including, web-site referrals, a conference call and FOIA request. SLED has documentation showing the lengths this agency has taken to accommodate the Post and Courier.
This is the same practice SLED has used and will continue to use with the media on similar requests in the future. We will not grant The Post and Courier special privileges that we do not extend to other media outlets or the general public.
In the past year, SLED has been transparent, opening its doors and budget documents to other media outlets including two reporters on two separate occasions from The State Newspaper, a Columbia television reporter and additional reporters for an internal tour of the agency.
Furthermore, it should be known to the community that The Post and Courier advised SLED through an e-mail, that it would run negative comments on this agency if SLED did not immediately provide the information instead of adhering to the fifteen day period to fulfill any FOIA request.
Last month, another reporter from the Post and Courier was unprofessional after stating that he was instructed by his editors to follow Director Lloyd wherever he went, including to a memorial service for a friend and home in order to get an interview with him. SLED will not be intimidated by the Post and Courier. This behavior is unacceptable and will not be tolerated in the future.
SLED takes pride in giving the media and citizens of South Carolina valuable information about public safety and this agency. SLED will continue maintaining this professional relationship with media outlets that work within the ethical behavior recognized by professionals in their field.
Sanford staff tries to put out SLED fire
http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2009/aug/06/sanford_staff_tries_put_out_sled_fire91670/#comments
By liz shepherd on August 6th, 2009 at 9:22 am
Yes it is a C Street CULT FREAK SHOW.
And Mark Sanford destroyed me because I went back to work with my lifelong illness, labeled a disability by administrative decision in 1987.
Never you mind that…. businesses could use the order, but when I wanted to have it considered as evidence….
Nope,
Sanford privatized Social Security.
go check http://www.stimulus.gov and look at the box in the middle of the page.
222 million of stimulus dollars is going to be paid as SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS…..
Social Security is a federal program… but not here. Fidelity Management and Research and PROVIDENCE HOSPITAL now own our Social Security money…. it’s invested for their monetary pleasure and our personal pain.
And remember this, Providence sold an open heart operating room to Lexington because SCDHEC, which Sanford wanted complete control over, remember…. refused to give Lexington a certificate of need.
Well, having scrubbed angioplasties in more towns that Columbia SC, I am well versed to tell you guys that the Columbia area does not have enough heart beds. Providence was able to see to that you hear me…..
they own Sanford.
Well, maybe it’s not Mark they own but they own the office of the Governor.
Who is running this state?
It’s not who everyone thinks it is.
WAKE UP PEOPLE AND ASK MARK SANFORD TO STOP ABUSING ME please.
By Commonman on August 6th, 2009 at 9:38 am
The tape sounds as if the Director was a little perturbed that a reporter would ask questions about the budget. This is the STATE Law Enforcement Division, not Brinks Security. It seems that Mr. Lloyd could control his tone of voice just a little and answer the questions without sounding so arrogant and frustrated. One thing about Chief Stewart, he was always in control and I never heard him raise his voice. Maybe that is the difference between a career law enforcement officer running SLED and a lawyer in charge. Pride goes before the fall. Lets see what happens next.
By scooter on August 6th, 2009 at 9:44 am
I am conflicted: I am sorry he is back, cause he is useless, and I do not forgive his going AWOL over and over. Even when here, he does little to no work for the citizens. But, I am glad he is back, because he will do something stupid again, and the talking heads on TV (especially MSNBC) will go after him again. Lots of sad information that makes us look bad in SC, but makes me laugh like crazy at the Gov. and his soap opera life. Mr. Sanford, I continue to call for you to resign.
By jeffy on August 6th, 2009 at 11:04 am
I have offcially open up an investigation into Liz’s claims. The folks over at Wolfe Reports are all over Liz and her investigation, btw. Damn heart surgeons…I knew they were behind the whole thing! I bet BIN is a heart surgeon? Nah…he wouldnt live at home if he was.
By anonymous on August 6th, 2009 at 11:20 am
Sanford’s hobby: being governor
As bad as all the parts of the whole saga of Gov. Mark Sanford’s disappearance are, the aspect that I find the most troubling is the report that his trip had originally been planned as a 10-day Argentina rendezvous. He cut his trip short only after learning of the firestorm back home. What kind of governor books a 10-day international getaway and fails to inform the lieutenant governor or his staff? What kind of governor demonstrates such a disregard for the job he was elected to do? Answer: a governor who thinks his job is just a hobby.
We were promised during the 2002 campaign that the new Republican governor would be a leader, someone who would work to make South Carolina a better place. But what we got was something different altogether. We got Mark Sanford.
During his first year in office, a contentious state budget debate was raging in Columbia. State leaders were facing tough decisions on South Carolina’s future. Instead of being at the capitol to offer critical leadership and help broker an agreement, Sanford was off in Bermuda enjoying a yacht race. And as the state’s unemployment rate began to rise to one of the worst in the nation, where was Gov. Sanford? On a statewide bicycle ride. And recently we learned about pleasure trips to China, Tibet, Nepal, India, Thailand, Hong Kong and Uruguay from the e-mail exchanges with his Argentine mistress.
If we polled the business leaders who have considered South Carolina for an expansion or location but chose to go elsewhere, there is no doubt that they would affirm the fact that Sanford’s cavalier attitude toward his job has hurt our state. I have heard it from business leaders in South Carolina.
As Mark Sanford enters his final years as governor, one word can be used to describe his legacy: failure. Failure to lead, failure to accomplish anything, failure to govern. Time magazine named him one of the nation’s worst governors in 2006 for good reason. South Carolina has fallen further and further behind; our state’s once-solid reputation as a formidable economic development powerhouse has been reduced to a national embarrassment.
We were promised leadership, but all we got was a part-time governor who lacks any real commitment to his job.
SEN. JOHN C. LAND III
Senate Democratic Leader
Manning
http://www.thestate.com/letters/story/891492.html
By Chris on August 6th, 2009 at 11:28 am
SLED is, and has been, run by lower middle class white thugs that used their power to do as they wished.
Lloyd may or may not fix the problem. I don’t know him so I can’t say. But make no mistake about it…these people are thugs and Lloyd has his hands full!
If Lloyd is serious about reform, he had better watch his back. These people play for keeps.
By Ed on August 6th, 2009 at 11:32 am
Sanford used to live in the C house in the capital. He was taught that he and others in C house were chosen by God to lead their flocks . His sins can be tolerated because he is “chosen”. He obeys a different set of laws than you and I do.
This nutcase belief system is what keeps him from resigning.
This is written about in a book called, “The Family”.
The more I learn about Sanford and his religious fantasies the more I believe he needs to go.
I talked to God last night about this and he agrees that Sanford has a “screw loose”- his words.
By Todd on August 6th, 2009 at 11:57 am
ED: Did you really mean His words…… wow. Do you go to First Pres also?
By Dude on August 6th, 2009 at 1:51 pm
What does first pres have to do with anything?
By sick of it all on August 6th, 2009 at 8:00 pm
Boy, the Good Lord must be pissed…Sanford and so many others doing so many ungodly things in his name.
By anonymous on August 6th, 2009 at 8:16 pm
South Carolina among 3 states scolded for unspent stimulus funds
Florida has done the worst at spending stimulus bill transportation money, with only 2 percent of its available highway construction money being used already, according to a congressional study.
Hawaii and South Carolina were second- and third-worst in getting money out the door.
In a scolding letter, the chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee told Florida Gov. Charlie Crist to step it up.
“I strongly urge you to refocus your efforts to implement the Recovery Act and use the available funds to create and sustain family-wage jobs,” wrote Rep. James L. Oberstar, Minnesota Democrat. He sent similar letters to the governors of Hawaii and South Carolina on Thursday.
Mr. Oberstar sent congratulatory letters to the three top-performing states: Wyoming, which has allocated more than three-quarters of its transportation money; New Hampshire, with 64 percent; and Oklahoma, at 53 percent.
All three low-performing states have Republican governors, while the three top-performing states have Democratic governors.
South Carolina, which has allocated 3 percent, ranked ahead of Hawaii, which has no projects underway …a spokesman for South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford referred questions to the state transportation department. A spokesman there said they were looking into Mr. Oberstar’s charge.
Mr. Sanford, meanwhile, was among the most vehement opponents of the bill, even going so far as to try to turn down funding.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/aug/07/3-states-scolded-for-funds-unspent/