That didn’t take long …
Less than twenty-four hours after a S.C. House subcommittee overwhelmingly assigned an “unfavorable report” to an impeachment resolution against him, S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford went out looking for the national spotlight he lost six months ago.
His first foray?
A press release urging South Carolina’s Congressional delegation to oppose a government takeover of health care.
“While few disagree that our nation’s healthcare system needs to be fundamentally reformed, how we actually go about this reform is vitally important,” Sanford said in a statement released from his office. “Our decisions today will have a lasting impact not only on future generations, but also on the delicate balance between government intervention on the one side, and individual liberty and opportunity on the other. With that in mind, we have several serious concerns about the radical healthcare overhaul currently being debated in Washington D.C.”
Wait … “we?”
Was Mrs. Tan Lines in the governor’s office with him while he was jotting all this down?
Anyway, Sanford’s release was a bit bizarre for several reasons.
First, the governor has gone out of his way over the past six scandal-plagued months to downplay his national future. In fact Sanford’s incessant, self-deprecating belittlement of his own former national ambitions was a central theme of his “scandal management.”
That’s why it’s somewhat telling that he sends out a nationally-themed press release on the very first day after his impeachment cloud, for all intents and purposes, lifted.
Does Sanford really think he can rehabilitate himself on the national stage?
The release was also bizarre considering Sanford’s pledge to spend the 12 months that he has left in office focused on doing his job to the best of his ability. We’re not sure how other South Carolinians took that remark, but we interpreted it as a sign that the governor was bringing his focus back to the state issues that he has been neglecting – not just as a result of his recent self-inflicted drama, but during the year or so preceding those scandals that he spent positioning himself for a presidential bid.
Third, is there any real substance to this release? Or anything it can conceivably accomplish (beyond media attention)?
We’re not saying Sanford’s opinion is irrelevant (opinions are like … what’s that expression again?) but the last time we checked there were no swing votes in the S.C. Congressional delegation on this particular issue. In other words, Sanford’s release is preaching to eight people who have already made up their minds as to how they are going to vote on the legislation.
Fourth, we obviously agree with everything Sanford said on the subject of health care. In fact, we’ve been holding forth against socialized medicine (and the merits of free market health care reforms) on a near-daily basis for months now – including when Sanford was down in Buenos Aires admiring those tan lines.
Look, the governor is in charge of his bully pulpit and he can use it however he wants. We just thought the timing and content of this particular missive was a little odd …
By Bryan McCanless December 10, 2009 at 9:27 pm
Do some articles on Lane Pimpin(Kiffin) and the TN orange pride girls
By Michael S. Smith II December 10, 2009 at 11:37 pm
Didn’t the House reject the public option two days before Sanford issued this press release?
… Somebody needs to fire their political consultants.
… Oh Jenney, where art thou? We need a compass to help right this already sinking ship!!! “Mark feels like a rudderless child.”
MICHAEL S. SMITH II
P.S. As a member of St. Philip’s Church in Charleston, I thought it most bizarre for the governor to host his press conference on the church’s grounds yesterday. You know, the church he’s standing in front of in all of those photos that ran of him today. You know, the church of which he’s NOT A MEMBER. BRRRRRilliant, Mark — you JACK@$$! Next time do it at your church on Sullivan’s Island, unless, that is, you’re too frightened to show you own shadow there during the day anymore.
By ohara December 11, 2009 at 12:05 am
I thought from his press conference today that he was trying to get back in the game. His line about reconciliation with his wife? More like reconciling with her bank account.
BTW, the “we” he was referring to is his most annoying habit of referring to himself in the European regal tense as “we.”
By Michael Bay December 11, 2009 at 12:32 am
I love it all is forgiven, Sanfraud hes back to his old self a lying cheating motherfucker!!!!
By Ynot December 11, 2009 at 5:49 am
He’s so keen on ” reform”, could it be perhaps because he has already done a little illegal ” reformation”??
You betcha.
By John December 11, 2009 at 7:12 am
Michael Smith has it bad for the Gov. and good for the Lt. Gov.
Real bad. Real good.
Some love hate stuff going on there.
Deep stuff. Very deep stuff.
By Libb December 11, 2009 at 8:17 am
Next installment of this epic saga will be the miraculous, Jesus-inspired reconciliation w/ Miss Jenny. After which, SC’s own quirky version of Hillary and Bill will take their show on the road with Miss Jenny as the candidate.
By scooter December 11, 2009 at 11:39 am
WHAT A JERK! As much as I disliked “W”, and do dislike the tea party nit-wits, I dislike sanford even more. I want him gone. He makes me ill.
By Tell The Truth December 11, 2009 at 4:12 pm
wow!!!! I can not read the article for admiring that beautiful BUTT!!!
By dirtbogger December 11, 2009 at 4:45 pm
I just clicked on this one just to get a few more angles on that ass, what a disapointment
By anonymous December 11, 2009 at 8:53 pm
And Sanfraud said:
Oh! Maria! Oh! Maria!
“You have a level of sophistication that is so fitting with your beauty. I could digress and say that you have the ability to give magnificently gentle kisses, or that I love your tan lines or that I love the curves of your hips, the erotic beauty of you holding yourself (or two magnificent parts of yourself) in the faded glow of night’s light — but hey, that would be going into the sexual details we spoke of at the steakhouse at dinner — and unlike you I would never do that!”
By Ralph Hightower December 12, 2009 at 12:24 pm
Governot Sanford,
You can forget about any aspirations to be President that you may have had. Your political career is over! You plowed your high-flying political career into the ground when you left your family and South Carolina to go “Hiking on the Appalachian Trail” on Fathers’ Day.
You have absolutely no political credibility.
Will Obama listen to you? Nah. Although Bill Clinton may provide you some tips.
Your best chances for a political career is to be appointed Ambassador to Argentina under Bill Clinton’s third term as President.