Mark Sanford Whines About A Camera? What?
Anyone who follows Palmetto politics knows that the most dangerous place in South Carolina is the area between Gov. Mark Sanford and a television camera.
After all, journalists are Sanford’s therapy. Unless of course they’re Latin, in which case they’re “therapists with benefits.”
Anyway, Sanford – who has never been a big fan of education policy – has always been a big fan of cameras, which is why it was curious that he took issue with one being present at a recent education budget hearing.
Sanford also took issue with the gentleman holding the camera, former S.C. Policy Council analyst Neil Mellen, who is currently serving as a communications director for South Carolinians for Responsible Government (SCRG).
After his office asked Mellen to speak at the hearing, Sanford rudely interrupted the policy analyst – calling him an “alpha male” and demanding that he turn off his video camera, which the governor said was “bothering” him.
Here’s the clip …
Jeez … what a dick.
First of all, why do you have your office invite someone to testify only to rudely interrupt them and bitch about them exercising a First Amendment right?
Sanford pulled this crap at his recent unemployment circle jerk, too.
Anyway, as evidenced by the genteel manner in which he handled this incident – Mellen is a nice guy. Too nice, some would argue.
Personally, we’d have told Sanford where he could shove it, and invited him to have someone throw us out if he didn’t like it (now THAT would have been some awesome video!) …
Incidentally, later on in the hearing (off-camera), the governor basically said that it didn’t matter what budget recommendations his panel came up with because lawmakers were just going to make their own funding decisions.
Um … duh. That’s what’s happened seven years in a row, genius.
So what was the point of this hearing, again?
Exactly …
Calls to Gov. Sanford’s office seeking an explanation for his behavior were not returned.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Superintendent of Education Jim Rex (who is seen in the video above) reportedly mentioned the camera incident at a gubernatorial forum sponsored by a bunch of attorneys in Savannah, Georgia last weekend. Asked a question about the public examination of candidates, Rex reportedly told the story of Sanford’s bizarre reaction to Mellen’s camera and then said “whatever, I’m used to being examined by now.”
Comments
By Scott on November 9th, 2009 at 4:19 pm
Sanford’s curious behavior continues to amaze. It seems like he’s had problems with cameras since one found him early one morning at the Atlanta airport.
By BSide on November 9th, 2009 at 4:21 pm
Mellen should be allowed to film whatever he wants. It’s a public meeting of public officials, and if he wants to record it, go for it. Isn’t Sanford the transparency guy anyway?
By Faith in the STUPID on November 9th, 2009 at 5:05 pm
Mark Sanford is a lame duck governor, trying to convince himself that his very public short comings make him a victim. The sad thing is Gov. Sanford -who used to take hearings like this as an opportunity to expose big spending bureaucrats- has resigned himself to tacitly endorsing state failure through his new found non-confrontationalism! The only person he spoke out against (in this hearing anyway) was someone sticking to the conservative mantra he always claimed to personify.
By Toyota Kawaski on November 9th, 2009 at 5:13 pm
See cats often turn on their own!
By Ynot on November 9th, 2009 at 5:47 pm
Sanford is sick- mentally off base, every day, all day.
And the General Assembly is sleeping. ZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
By columbia insider on November 9th, 2009 at 6:16 pm
Sounds to me like there were plenty of other cameras in there recording events and that the governor was simply objecting to the place where this guy was filming and wanted him to go back with the others. I don’t see anything wrong with that.
By CNSYD on November 9th, 2009 at 7:11 pm
Yes Sanfraud is transparent. The problem is that SC voters could never seem to see through him and discover that there was nothing there.
By Quiet Voice of Reason on November 9th, 2009 at 8:35 pm
Honestly, though, that’s the most flattering picture of Scott English in quite a while!!!
I stand by my statement that nothing EVER changes in this state. We had a chance to alter the power structure and yet nothing, certainly not the public’s desires, will allow that to happen. Hmmmmmmm….. anyone ever hear from McConnell about impeachment?? Didn’t think so.
By Cheraw Citizen on November 9th, 2009 at 9:13 pm
We still have the 1st amendment right, or any other constitutional right, for that matter, left in the U.S.?
I thought Sic found that out on his recent trip to Washington.
Sure, they have to throw out a bone once in awhile to keep up appearances.
We need a new constitution, one which is at least honest enough to state, “We the government…for the government, by the government”.
It was never really about the ordinary citizen anyway, was it?
By scooter on November 9th, 2009 at 9:16 pm
Man oh man. Can’t anyone step up and make this clown go away? WHile visiting family in another state this month, I was asked a number of times about Sanford. They all said they had never heard of him until this past June. They all laughed at his behavior, then apologized to me about their laughter. Then they said they were sorry that SC had Sanford and Joe Wilson and Jim DeMint. I told them it was OK to laugh, because I was finished crying about the embarrassment.
By Lolo on November 9th, 2009 at 9:54 pm
I wish the cameraman would have slapped the shit out of him, Sanfraud the coward he is!!!
By alaindelon on November 9th, 2009 at 9:54 pm
Is there any Sanfraud sex tape out there? Just askin… He is so self-
absorbed that I would think so.
By Isaac Bickerstaff on November 9th, 2009 at 10:44 pm
Is the time South American making Sanford’s appearance that of a shoe fished from the Congaree River? It’s not as sweet as John Boehner’s effervescant glow, but nice and shit just the same.
And if that sex tape goes viral, alaindelon, I want to be warned to go missing until it jumps the shark and shit.
By Judy on November 10th, 2009 at 11:31 am
make him go away .. he is an embarrasment to EVERYONE .. feel sad for his sons in particular AND Jenny.
By Huhhh??? on November 10th, 2009 at 11:57 am
Thanks for the Trackbacks.
It’s actually journalistic of you, to give 2 takes on the same story.
Let the reader decide is always the best way to go.
By Doris Gribbon on November 10th, 2009 at 12:39 pm
I think you all are the ones who are sick. What’s wrong with asking to have a camera moved if it was distracting? I guess you’re never going to give this man some peace. Doris
By Lin McKay on November 10th, 2009 at 1:32 pm
Too much energy, effort and time is spent on ‘hating’ Sanford. If we all used it in a more positive way much would get done. If not Sanford someone else would be the whipping boy. Let the governor serve out his time and journey on down the road never to be heard from again. It is soon the season of giving . . . let’s all give Governor Sanford and his family the gift of ignoring . . . ignore them and stop the headlines! Keeping all of this in the news helps the rest of America to continue laughing at SC.
By Michael Bay on November 10th, 2009 at 6:07 pm
He should have stuck the camera up Sanfrauds ass!!!
By ohara on November 10th, 2009 at 9:50 pm
It looks like the only reason he was complaining is because the camera wasn’t pointed in his direction.
“It’s really bothering me” that they’re filming & I’m not in any of the shots.
When HASN’T he been a 1st class dick?
Unless he is picking a fight over nothing, he’s not happy. Time for his taxpayer paid attorneys to stuff a sock in Sanford & haul his ass back to the mansion. The stress of all those Rotary & Kiwanis lunches must be getting to him.
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