Mark Sanford avoids criminal charges following ethics investigation

By GottaLaff

Mark the C Streeter skates after pleading no contest to ethics charges. However, I wonder what will eventually come of Rachel Maddow's investigations into the suspiciously low rent he paid to live there.

As for the Appalachian Trail hike trip to Argentina sexcapades, he's home free:

South Carolina's Attorney General has decided that Gov. Mark Sanford will not face criminal charges following an investigation into his travel and campaign expenses.

The A.G. said he didn't "knowingly, willfully, and intentionally set out to break state law". He did, however, knowingly, willfully, and intentionally set out to break his family member's hearts.

But on Monday, McMaster said the ethics violations did not rise to the level of criminal conduct. The law, he said, "requires a much higher standard before criminal prosecution is warranted."

This gave Sanford the opportunity to use the word "stalwart":

He said McMaster's decision reaffirms his belief that the Sanford administration has always "been a stalwart defender of the taxpayer. "

Said the man who could very well be residing in a building owned by a group that shouldn't have tax exempt status and treats their favorite members of Congress to cut rates.

BREAKING: Mark Sanford will plead no contest to ethics charges

By GottaLaff

Via a Yahoo e-mail alert:

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) SC gov will plead no contest to ethics charges, pay $74,000 in fines over travel, spending.

That's all I have. Details coming.

All my previous posts on the Sanford scandals here.

UPDATE via another alert:

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) Judge finalizes divorce of SC Gov. Mark Sanford, ending his 20-year marriage to wife Jenny.

Sanford Divorce Televised

By GottaLaff

As the Stomach Turns:

The Charleston Post and Courier reports the final divorce hearing for South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R) will be televised tomorrow with Jenny Sanford taking the witness stand to explain why her marriage is over.

As many as three television outlets have showed an interest in being in the courtroom Friday, some looking to broadcast live.

I'm glad there won't be reruns.

Mark Sanford Refused to Be Faithful in Wedding Vows

By GottaLaff


Hint, hint:

South Carolina first lady Jenny Sanford recalls how she made the "leap of faith" to marry husband Gov. Mark Sanford even though the groom refused to promise to be faithful, insisting that the clause be removed from their wedding vows.

Um, hello? What does it take, a sledge hammer?

"It bothered me to some extent, but ... we were very young, we were in love," she said in an exclusive interview with Barbara Walters to air on "20/20" Friday. "I questioned it, but I got past it ... along with other doubts that I had."

Mark: Jen? I'd love to marry you, as long as you have no objections to my going to Argentina one day and cheating on you with my soul mate while I'm there.

Jenny: Ummm, well... I mean...

Mark: I love you. Lots. Sweartogod.

Jenny: Oh wow. That was like, rilly sweet.

Mark: You're hot... (for now).

Jenny: Oh em gee, you are so kewl. WE are so kewl! 'Kay, I'll marry you!

Mark: You're the best!

And the rest is history.

Gallup: “Political Winners” Circle Filled by Figures Close to Obama

Looks like the GOP has been successful branding Pelosi as a "loser" considering that she has had a very good year politically.

PRINCETON, NJ -- In Americans' estimation, the top three political winners of 2009 are all women closely linked with the Obama administration: Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Sonia Sotomayor. Among these, Michelle Obama has the broadest support with 73% calling her a "winner" in U.S. politics this year and 21% a "loser." However, Clinton's rating is nearly as positive.

President Barack Obama, himself, also falls in the political winners circle, although the percentage calling him a political loser is somewhat higher than is seen for the three women.

The picture is quite different for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, whom half of all Americans identify as a political loser. More than half say the same of Rep. Joe Wilson (the representative who yelled "You lie!" to Obama at a joint session of Congress), as well as Gov. Mark Sanford (who is losing his wife and is under a state ethics investigation over an admitted extramarital affair), White House party crashers Tareq and Michaele Salahi, and the Republicans in Congress generally.

VIDEO- SNL: John Edwards, John Ensign, Mark Sanford fight for "public affairs" attention

By GottaLaff



The Three Stooges.

Panel votes 6-1 against Sanford impeachment

By GottaLaff

In RushpbulicLand, you get to cheat on your wife, abandon your state (all why being a hypocrite), and then get rewarded with not-impeachment:

An impeachment resolution against Gov. Mark Sanford has been essentially killed, as a majority of the 7-member committee formed to weigh evidence against the governor voted against it today.

The vote, which came shortly after 3:30 p.m., was 6-1 against the resolution. The full House Judiciary Committee will still take up the resolution.[...]

Sanford was accused of abandoning his duties and using state resources for personal purposes.

If a Democrat had pulled this, he/she would have been kicked out within days, and the news dee jays would have stayed on the story non-stop, pausing only for the latest Tiger Woods cartoons.

Gov. Mark Sanford faces 37 charges he broke state ethics laws

By GottaLaff

Argentina Mark is in more agua caliente:

South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford faces ethics charges he broke state laws more than three dozen times by violating rules on airplane travel and campaign money, according to details of the allegations released Monday.

It's up to the state attorney general to decide whether to file criminal charges.

I wonder if he's seeking comfort and consolation from his "soul mate". Nah, that would be a bad move... nearly as bad as abandoning an entire state.

The State of Columbia newspaper also questioned whether Sanford properly reimbursed himself from his campaign cash. [...]

Four GOP lawmakers already have filed a resolution that would force Sanford from office because of "dereliction of duty," and the travel allegations play no part in that move. Their measure deals solely with Sanford's absence from the state, when he led his staff to believe he was hiking the Appalachian Trail while he was in Argentina.

And this guy continues to make decisions on behalf of his state.

Sanford impeachment measure to be formally considered

By GottaLaff

Will they dress in top hats and tails?

A special House committee in South Carolina will formally consider an impeachment resolution against Gov. Mark Sanford for the first time next Tuesday, the Republican chairman of the committee told CNN Friday. [...]

The measure currently states that Sanford committed "serious misconduct" by secretly leaving the state in June without informing his staff or establishing a chain of command.

Harrison said "the game plan" is for the four Republicans and three Democrats in the group to finalize the language in the resolution before passing it on to the full Judiciary committee, which will then vote in January on whether the measure should be sent to the full House.

This is what happens when you abandon your state.

Don't cry for me Argentina....

UPDATE: More here. (H/t: Ady)

Sanford impeachment resolution likely next week

By GottaLaff

Mark and his cha-cha-cha-ing are finally coming back to bite him in his lying, roving, C Street ass:

A resolution of impeachment against Gov. Mark Sanford is likely to be introduced next week during a special session of the South Carolina legislature, but lawmakers said the governor's job is safe for the time being.

Republican state Rep. Greg Delleney told CNN his resolution lists three charges against Sanford: dereliction of duty for leaving the state to visit his mistress in Argentina in June; attempting to cover-up the scandal; and bringing "disgrace and shame and ridicule" on the state.

One, two...

"If that is not serious misconduct in office, I don't know what is," Delleney said of Sanford's actions.

...cha cha cha! One, two...

But most Republicans in the legislature want the governor to resign and several are ready to begin the impeachment process, even as the results of a state Ethics Commission investigation into the governor's travel expenses are still pending.

Delleney said his goal is "to get the ball rolling" on impeachment in a committee before the legislative session officially begins in January, when he hopes the resolution can be quickly brought to the floor for a vote.

...cha cha cha!

Oooooops!

VIDEO: Sanford Pulled Over for Speeding

By GottaLaff

But... but... he's the governor! We're allowed to break the law!

South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford's (R) car was pulled over for speeding and a video from a dashboard camera shows the trooper asking the driver, "You got a good reason for running 85?"

When the driver says he's driving the governor, the trooper replies, "Not a really good reason to be speeding."

"Tell him that," the agent says.

After shaking Sanford's hand, the trooper let them go without issuing a ticket.

However, The State reports that after police review of the video, the driver will now be cited.

Here's the video from WIS-TV:

Sanford Pulled Over for Speeding (via @pwire)

This guy just can't seem to stay out of the headlines... or trouble.

Mark Sanford, meet reality

By GottaLaff

Mark of C Street by way of Argentina had this to say:

"I think if anything is off the table, it's that I'm not running for president. It's 100 percent believable now."

-- South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R), quoted by Upstate Today.

Great grasp of the obvious, there, Mark. Now if he could only grasp this:

Sanford Prepares to Fight Impeachment

In an interview with the Greenville News, South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R) said that "he has no plans to resign, will fight any attempt at impeachment and believes he may have the best chance next year at pushing for government restructuring."

"He said he believes any violations of law found by an ongoing state Ethics Commission investigation would be 'technical' ones and he will fight any attempt by legislators to use those to oust him from office."

It will be interesting to see what the state legislature does when they're back in session early next year.

So much for reality.

"Frugal Conservative" Sanford Took Expensive Flights in Europe

By GottaLaff

Sing along, EVERYone! "Don't fly for me, Argentina-a-a!"

South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R), "already facing scrutiny for expensive taxpayer-funded flights, relied on charter jet services costing more than $63,000 when traveling in Europe on two state business trips," an Associated Press investigation has found.

"Throughout his political career, Sanford has cast himself as a frugal conservative, known to demand that state employees use both sides of Post-It notes. His 2002 gubernatorial campaign included attacks against other state officials for what he called wasteful travel expenses."

Hyp. O. Crite.

Li. Ar.

Sanford's Security Clearance Intentionally Suspended, Nearly Resigned

By GottaLaff

Is this anything like making a mistake by (un)intentionally falling in love with your "soul mate"?

After South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R) "admitted leaving the country for a secret tryst in Argentina, the Department of Homeland Security suspended the governor's security clearance because of questions raised about his 'lack of candor' and 'trustworthiness' to protect classified information," the Charleston Post & Courier reports.

At the time officials said the suspension "was a mistake by a lower-level employee." But the newspaper finds it was not an accident and that higher level officials were involved.

Mr. C Street, er, Sanford, can we get a comment?

"I came close to resigning in June, but now I believe the people of South Carolina just want us to get back to business."

-- South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R), in an interview with WSAV-TV. Hat tip: GOP12

Yeah, monkey business.

Too bad he changed his mind.

BREAKING: SC House speaker asks Sanford to resign

By GottaLaff

Per MSNBC's David Shuster just now, the South Carolina House speaker is calling for Mark Sanford's resignation... the most weighty request to date, says Shuster.

Stay tuned.

Mark Sanford accused of smear campaign against Lt. Governor

By GottaLaff

This clown cannot avoid news... make that, negative news:

An outspoken critic of Mark Sanford is accusing the embattled South Carolina governor of orchestrating a smear campaign against Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer.

Republican State Sen. Jake Knotts wrote to fellow members of the state legislature on Wednesday accusing Sanford and his allies of spreading rumors that Bauer is gay — a claim that was reported earlier this week by a blogger who seeks to out closeted conservative politicians.

"As a former target of a false rumor started by the Sanford Camp I can tell you with absolute certainty this attack was orchestrated on behalf of Mark Sanford, either directly or indirectly, and financially subsidized by him or one of his many 'front-groups,'" Knotts wrote. [...]

Knotts, an ally of Bauer and a fierce opponent of Sanford, said there is no truth to the gay rumors that have dogged Bauer for years.

"I have known Andre since he was eight years old," Knotts told CNN. "Ain't a homosexual bone in his body. That boy is a good boy. It's a just an attempt to prevent Andre from become governor."

Like being gay is something to be ashamed of? "Ain't a homosexual bone in his body"? "Good boy"? So gay men are "bad boys?" That's some friend.

Bauer publicly called on Sanford to resign last week, a request that was promptly rejected by the governor. Bauer is also planning to enter the crowded race to succeed Sanford next year. [...]

"It's an absolute effort by Sanford's people to discredit Andre," Knotts said of the rumors. "Sanford hates Andre so bad it's pitiful."

So he calls him gay and that's discrediting him. "You.. you... gay you!" I'd think a bigger slur would be, "You... you... Mark Sanford you!"

"Every time I have seen Andre and as long as I've known him, he's always had a pretty girlfriend," Knotts told CNN. "They love him, he treats them well, he treats them nice, he treats them with respect. He doesn't hang out in bars and go from woman to woman. Everybody that knows Andre knows for sure he ain't been seen hanging on to no damn man."

I realize Knotts is supposed to be one of the good guys, and that this isn't the point of the CNN piece, but I have a problem with the notion that one would feel pressured into statements like these to win over voters; that it's necessary to overcompensate by insisting that his pal always had a "pretty girlfriend", and the rest.

And I have a real problem with Mark, The (yeah, right) "Family" Man.

Half of South Carolina Wants Sanford to Quit

If he didn't keep on reminding people that he was still there with all these stupid pressers for no reason, he'd be in a much better situation. Via Taegan.

Half of South Carolina voters want Gov. Mark Sanford (R) to resign, according to a new InsiderAdvantage poll.

The survey shows that 49.5% of voters say it is time for Sanford to go, while 36.6% said the embattled governor should remain in office.

"Sanford is actually in a weaker position now than he was in the same poll shortly after he admitted in June to an affair with an Argentine woman, when 49.8% of South Carolinians thought the governor should stay, while 41.4% said he should resign."

VIDEO from Dept. of Are You Still Here?-- Mark Sanford rejects call for resignation

By GottaLaff

One of my favorite phrases is "know when to stop". Hey Mark...



Know. When. To. Stop.

The embattled governor claimed that most South Carolinians have moved on from his admission in June that he had an extramarital affair with an Argentine woman, a disclosure that sparked investigations into his use of state resources. But Sanford said political rivals continue to stir up controversy for "payback" and that the media keeps covering the story "because it helps sell papers."

Sanford continued to defend his administration's "incredible record" of using taxpayer money wisely for international and domestic travel.

One: What is up with this continuing meme of not looking back, only moving forward? Again, someone tell me how one ignores egregious behavior, unless, of course, we're talking about a Democrat. Then it's all condemnation, all the time.

Two: What universe is he inhabiting? Life on guilt-free Planet Mark must be lovely.

Three: Remind me to blame the press if I ever commit a crime or some other despicable act. Apparently, it's a lot easier than facing reality.

South Carolina GOP Weighs Sanford Impeachment

Do it already, put the man out of his and our misery. Via Taegan.

South Carolina Republicans will discuss whether to impeach Gov. Mark Sanford (R) when they meet this weekend, the Columbia State reports.

"Lawmakers, once reluctant to discuss removing Sanford, will weigh what it would take to force the Republican governor out and how the process would work."

"Sanford has been under fire since secretly leaving the country for five days in June to meet his lover and later admitting an extramarital affair with the Argentine woman. Since then, Sanford has been under fire for flying in expensive business-class seats and his use of state and private planes. All could violate state law or ethics rules."

No kidding- Canceled Sanford Book: Manifesto Of A Rising Conservative Star

By GottaLaff

(click on image to enlarge)

Via TPM, we discover that Senor Argentina Sanford, hoping to become el Presidente Sanford, had a book deal. Key word: Had. Dis. As(s). Ter:

[...] South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford was about to publish a serious book, as befits anyone with serious presidential aspirations. But then Sanford went hiking the Appalachian Trail. His wife left him, the press hounded him, his presidential hopes evaporated, and his book deal was cancelled.

Unfortunately for the publisher, Viking, the proofs for its Spring 2010 catalog had already gone to press, complete with a glowing write up of Within Our Means. [...]

Sanford would have explained through "personal" examples "how the GOP went astray over the last eight years." One can only imagine.

"Governor Sanford's down-to-earth voice and common sense principles will give conservative readers a much-needed sense of hope," the catalog promises.

They could always sell it as fiction.

You can read the entire entry here.