Mark Sanford

Hiking the Appalachian Trail with Ayn Rand

Andrew Leonard — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:45:00 PDT

Give Newsweek some credit. The magazine's choice of South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford to review two recent biographies of Ayn Rand is an inspired act of editorial genius. Lest we forget, before Sanford became famous for (not) hiking the Appalachian Trail, he was much beloved by the Republican base for his (ultimately failed) attempt to reject stimulus money from Washington. That is what "going Galt" is all about. His proud stance bore a clear resemblance to architect Howard Roark's decision in "The Fountainhead" to blow up his own building after dastardly bureaucrats dared alter his design. Mark Sanford -- so committed to limited government he was willing to blow up South Carolina.

S.C. GOP votes to ask Sanford to resign

Alex Koppelman — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:45:00 PDT

Earlier this summer, the South Carolina Republican Party's executive committee held a meeting to decide what to do about their party comrade, Gov. Mark Sanford. At the time, Sanford got off with a slap on the wrist -- a censure. On Thursday, he wasn't quite so lucky.

Speaker of S.C. House calls for Sanford resignation

Alex Koppelman — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 12:55:00 PDT

South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford has very few allies left, even in his own party. In fact, it's been leading Republicans who've done the most political damage to their state's governor lately. First, Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer called for his boss to resign, and sweetened the deal by saying if he took over the job in that situation, he wouldn't run for a full term in 2010.

Sanford: Resigning would be "heaven on Earth," but I won't

Alex Koppelman — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 13:45:00 PDT

The last time South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford held a press conference like the one he had on Wednesday afternoon, it was to admit to an affair. This time, he made another rambling, eccentric statement, but it was about an outgrowth of that affair -- the public call South Carolina Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer had made earlier in the day for him to resign.

Lieutenant governor calls for Sanford's resignation

Alex Koppelman — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 11:05:00 PDT

Things are just gettin' worse for South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford. Members of his own party who serve in the state House will be discussing the possibility of impeachment at a meeting this weekend, and now the lieutenant governor has come out and made a public call for his boss to resign.

Impeachment for Mark Sanford?

Alex Koppelman — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 12:50:00 PDT

Earlier this year, it seemed that South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford had successfully weathered the storm caused by his disappearance and then his admission of an affair. No longer.

More trouble for Mark Sanford

Gabriel Winant — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 15:01:00 PDT

South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford’s been down so long, you can imagine it’s starting to look like up to him.

S.C. Republicans vote to censure Sanford

Alex Koppelman — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 07:40:00 PDT

It took four hours and several rounds of voting, but on Monday night the South Carolina Republican Party eventually voted to censure Mark Sanford, who's not only their state's governor, but a member of their party.

S.C. Republicans meeting to discuss Sanford's future

Alex Koppelman — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 09:30:00 PDT

South Carolina's Republican Party is in quite a spot right now. The state's governor, Mark Sanford, is one of their own, but after his very public disappearance and then his confession that he'd been in Argentina, with the woman with whom he'd been having an affair, many party members want him gone.

Jenny Sanford: "I am willing to forgive Mark"

Alex Koppelman — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:45:00 PDT

Jenny Sanford, whose husband is South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, has put out another statement about the governor's affair and the state of their marriage. In this one, though she still sounds angry -- understandably so, of course -- she also says she's willing to forgive, and to work with her husband to try and save their marriage. She makes clear, however, that there'll be a lot of work involved.

Sanford's office: "Governor has no plans to step aside"

Alex Koppelman — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:05:00 PDT

Via CNN's Political Ticker blog, a statement from the office of South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, responding to the plethora of calls for his resignation:

Mark Sanford, the movie

Alex Koppelman — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:10:00 PDT

South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford has been released from his book contract -- not too surprising, since his book seemed to be the traditional pre-presidential campaign tome. But a new parody video shows that at least he's still got a shot at selling movie rights for a story about his affair.

Go to her already, Mark Sanford!

Amy Benfer — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:03:00 PDT

Week 2 in the saga of “The Thorn Birds of Argentina” is upon us, and the shambling, lovesick, undoubtedly soon-to-be-former governor of South Carolina has all the pundits shaking their heads. “What is he thinking?” asks Fox News, noting that the governor has “thrown out the manual” from the politician’s school of adultery management -- confess, repent, slut-shame -- and instead seems to be “trying to reveal so many details that there is no more muck left to rake.” But it’s high time we recognize our Christian troubadour for who he truly is: a political operative of the most canny sort.

How long can Sanford hang on?

Alex Koppelman — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:55:00 PDT

Since he confessed his affair last week, South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford has let it be known that he has no intention of giving up his post. And at least one of his allies says Sanford will continue to be "defiant" and that if he goes out, it will be "in the ugliest, messiest way." But if he does remain in office, it will be in the face of ever-growing pressure from his fellow South Carolina Republicans, who are lining up to push him out the door.

A "mistress" by any other name

Mary Elizabeth Williams — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:02:00 PDT

As we sift through the wreckage of the Mark Sanford media circus, one thing that's become clear is that the English language is sadly lacking for nomenclature. Specifically -- shouldn't we have a better word for a professional woman who's had a husband and a family and career of her own than "mistress"?

S.C. GOP chair suggests Sanford should resign

Alex Koppelman — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:01:00 PDT

It's one thing for the chair of South Carolina's Democratic Party to call for Gov. Mark Sanford's resignation. Sanford's a Republican, so the fact that Democrats want to put as much political pressure on him as possible isn't exactly surprising. But the head of the state's GOP going after an incumbent Republican governor? That's something else entirely.

South Carolina Dems want Sanford to resign

Vincent Rossmeier — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:10:00 PDT

Sens. John Ensign, David Vitter and Larry Craig may have escaped their own sex scandals relatively unscathed, but it appears the imbroglio South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford put himself in is not going to go away anytime soon. In fact, the situation is just getting worse.

Sanford: I "crossed lines" with other women

Alex Koppelman — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:40:00 PDT

South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford's recent affair wasn't the only time he strayed from his wife, Sanford revealed in an interview with the Associated Press. But, he says, he didn't have sex with the other women, who he met while on trips abroad.

Sanford admits to more liaisons with Argentine woman

Alex Koppelman — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:30:00 PDT

South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford intends to stay in his current job, and so far, it appears that most other politicians in his state, even his rivals, are content to let him do so.

Mark Sanford, Jimmy Swaggart and the redemption racket

Alex Koppelman — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:20:00 PDT

The press conference on Wednesday, in which South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford admitted to an affair, spoke of "God's laws" and tearily apologized to everyone he could think of, was largely treated as something of an odd affair. And it was -- but it was, in its way, a ritual completely familiar to anyone who follows U.S. politics. Really, he was just following in a long American tradition, one that can have some political benefits.