The Gaggle : Mark Sanford

This Week in Political Sex Scandals

Katie Connolly — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 23:32:49 GMT

Will the excitement ever stop? Two of this year's juiciest political sex scandals are becoming full-blown ethics scandals for the GOP. This evening we learned, via The New York Times, that disgraced Sen. John Ensign used his influence to get a job for the husband of the woman he was sleeping with. That man, as we know, was one of Ensign's staffers, Douglas Hampton. After reaching out to numerous friends and contacts, Ensign lined up a political-consulting gig for Hampton and then organized for his donors to become Hampton's clients. The Times reports than Ensign and his staff then "repeatedly intervened" with federal agencies on behalf of Hampton's clients. The Gray Lady presents a detailed and damning examination of Ensign's wheeling and dealing to keep his former staffer content, and his affair a secret. It will be interesting to see how this plays in Nevada. GOPers are madly hoping that they'll be able to knock Harry Reid off in the 2010 elections, but this sort of political tarnish could spill over to the Nevada GOP more broadly and hurt that effort.

This brings us to South Carolina, where embattled Gov. Mark Sanford is proving, again, to be the gift that keeps on giving. The State newspaper reports that he's petitioning the state Supreme Court to prevent the release of the preliminary findings of an ethics panel—which is investigating the governor's use of public and campaign money to facilitate his Argentine affair—to lawmakers. He's worried that the incomplete report will provide political ammunition for those seeking to remove him from office. He wants to wait until his defense has been incorporated in the final version. The State Ethics Commission has countered that if the legislature decides to impeach him, then they become prosecutors who are entitled to the report regardless. Sanford's lawyers are standing firm, arguing that "proceeding in confidence prevents the Commission from being subject to undue outside pressures in its decision-making process, precludes tampering with witnesses and evidence and encourages people with relevant information to speak freely." It's unclear whether the ethics report will have much of an impact, though. There's already a growing chorus that thinks Sanford is well past his use-by date.

Then there is the ongoing John Edwards saga, which at this point is just gross. I feel dirty even typing about the latest allegations—involving a Rielle Hunter-John Edwards sex tape—so instead I am going to direct you to a sad but compelling story by Ben Smith at Politico, which looks at the shunned Edwards aide who risked his reputation for a man he believed in. The aide in question, Andrew Young, seems to have had a deeply unhealthy attachment to Edwards, which irritated wife Elizabeth. Smith presents a quite-fascinating character study of a true believer, even if it is hard to understand how someone could maintain a grip on a character so slimy.

Is South Carolina Turning on Jenny Sanford?

Katie Connolly — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 14:22:13 GMT

Yesterday I took a break from reading about health care reform to flip through Rebecca Johnson’s story about Jenny Sanford in this month’s issue of Vogue. I’m not alone in admitting my repulsed fascination with her husband’s tawdry adventures. And I’m certainly not the only person who admired Jenny’s grace and resilience in those tumultuous days after her husband’s emotional circus of a press conference. Which is why I was so surprised to read the vituperative criticisms of her written by readers of South Carolina’s The State newspaper.

State reporter Gina Smith posted a summary of the Vogue piece online yesterday. It was the most read piece on the site and has attracted hundreds of comments. I was curious to read what others thought of the piece. I wanted to see if people shared my reaction─a sense of hope in the possibility of reinvention after tragedy; sadness for a woman who had to live this humiliation publicly. Judging by the comments, I’m probably in the minority.

Now I’m not one to argue that comments on Web sites are a truly accurate barometer of public opinion. Most readers don’t comment. On many sites, it’s those for whom a piece has sparked emotions who bother to leave a remark. Often it’s the angriest people who, shielded by the anonymity of the process, leave sharply worded responses. Still there are usually elements of raw honesty in those reactions, which tells you something important about the piece of journalism or the subject that provoked them. In this case, it’s the sympathy of South Carolinians for Jenny Sanford is drying up.

To be sure, there were folks who expressed their respect and admiration for Jenny. Some want her to just outright leave the lying scoundrel; others want her to run for office herself. But a large number were just annoyed and sick of hearing about her. She’s criticized for talking about the affair after saying she’d wanted privacy. Readers allege that she’s obsessed with fame; that she should have recognized her marriage was in trouble for a long time; that she’s a sexual “ice princess”; that the photo of her in a coverup and sun hat was shameless. Some readers were angry that she’d chosen a national fashion magazine to air her reflections, rather than a local newspaper. Many people are fed up that the Sanford drama is still playing out while unemployment rises and ordinary folks (a cadre the wealthy Sanfords have never been part of) struggle to pay their mortgages and save for their children’s education.

I guess I’m out of touch with South Carolina. To me, Jenny’s desire to appear in a magazine that epitomizes glamor and beauty is perfectly reasonable. What woman wouldn’t want a gorgeous Vogue shoot to restore her shredded self-esteem after her husband’s missives about his mistress’s delectable curves have been read throughout the country? I don't agree that Jenny's talked too much about her sorrow. It's not like she's gabbed about it on Oprah. The few interviews she's done have been careful and measured. I think her decision to discuss it is appropriate. Yes, millions of Americans are struggling against crushing financial hardship right now. But Jenny’s silence wouldn’t change that. Her words, on the other hand, can help others with marital troubles realize that their heartbreak is manageable. It's human nature to find solace in other people's stories. The Sanford's story was never just a local political scandal. It isn't owned by South Carolina. It was a sad drama that, in its telling, revealed much about the human condition. And I for one am glad to have been able to read Jenny's reflections on it.

Another 'C Street' Pol Accused of Cheating

Holly Bailey — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 16:16:42 GMT

Another week, another sex scandal: Word broke late yesterday that former GOP Rep. Chip Pickering is the latest politico in trouble for allegedly cheating on his wife. Pickering’s now-estranged wife, Leisha, has filed suit against his alleged mistress, whom she says busted up their marriage and ruined her husband’s political career. The alleged other woman, Elizabeth Creekmore Byrd, was Pickering’s college sweetheart. The suit claims Pickering, who left Congress in January, began having an affair with Creekmore Byrd when he was still in the House and that their relationship ended both of their marriages. What’s so juicy about this latest dust-up? Well, while he was in Congress, Pickering just so happened to bunk at the increasingly infamous rowhouse at 133 C Street SE here in Washington, a “Christian fellowship home” where he was roomies with John Ensign and where Mark Sanford used to hang out. Ensign and Sanford, as the world well knows, have been caught up in their own sex scandals in recent weeks. C Street is even mentioned in Leisha Pickering’s lawsuit: She says her husband and Creekmore Byrd snuck around there. Scandal!

So what exactly is going on at this house on C Street? The Washington Post had a good profile a few weeks ago about the increasingly curious rowhouse, which is owned by a secretive religious group that encourages lawmakers to promote Christian ideals in public policy. At least five GOP members of Congress currently rent rooms there, including Ensign. Other lawmakers are said to come and go, attending Bible studies and other “fellowship” events. Another resident is Sen. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, who reportedly called Ensign on the carpet for his indiscretions. Earlier this week, Coburn told Roll Call that he wouldn’t tell anybody what he and Ensign discussed, claiming that his was advising Ensign both as an ordained minister and a doctor, two roles that offer confidentiality, he insists. Will the Senate ethics committee buy it? They are reportedly weighing a probe into payments Ensign’s parents made to his mistress’s family.

No doubt Pickering’s problems will turn up the focus on other residents in the house. According to the Post, that includes Reps. Mike Doyle, Bart Stupak and Zach Wamp—none of whom will comment on what’s been happening at C Street. Privately, they are said to be worried about being tarred by the various scandals. With that in mind, perhaps it’s time to start looking for a new place to live.

Another Separation For Mark Sanford

Katie Connolly — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:54:50 GMT

Another one of Mark Sanford's relationships is on the rocks today. This time it's his publisher. Sanford had a contract with Sentinel, a conservative publisher owned by the Pengiun Group, for a book titled "Within Our Means". Today a spokesperson announced that Sentinel and Sanford had made a "mutual decision" to go their separate ways. Sanford, who made headlines earlier in the year for wanting to refuse stimulus money for his his state, had planned to write about fiscal conservatism. It's unclear if Sanford will seek another publisher, or how far he'd gotten in writing the novel. We're just glad he wasn't planning to writing about family values.

What is Mark Sanford Thinking?

Holly Bailey — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 17:32:19 GMT

Who is advising Mark Sanford these days? That’s what your Gaggler is wondering, considering the embattled South Carolina governor will not stop treating the media as a confessional. In two days of interviews with the Associated Press, Sanford not only owned up to still being in love with the Argentine woman he cheated on his wife with, but he confessed to having “crossed the lines” with other women in the past—though he insists he didn’t have sex with them. Sanford admitted that he’d seen his mistress, now identified as Maria Belen Chapur, more often than he’d initially admitted and described her as his “soul mate.” “This was a whole lot more than a simple affair, this was a love story,” the governor told the AP. “A forbidden one, a tragic one, but a love story at the end of the day.” And Sanford is coming clean with all this, even as he says he wants to reconcile with his wife, Jenny, whom he is "trying to fall back in love with." Yikes. We can only guess at the advice most political consultants would be giving Sanford right now: Shut up. But maybe we got a clue as to what was to come when we saw Sanford’s aides essentially drag him away from the press conference he held a week ago to confess his affair. Sanford doesn’t want to go away. He wants to explain, even as he admits he's participating in his own "political funeral," as he put it. It’s unclear who is giving Sanford advice day to day. Perhaps no one. The State newspaper over the weekend described his wife, Jenny, as his most valuable political adviser, and she's clearly not around. Another confidant, former chief of staff Tom Davis, looks to be on the outs with the governor as well. Meanwhile, Sanford’s troubles just seem to get worse and worse. Henry McMaster, South Carolina’s GOP attorney general, has announced an investigation into whether Sanford abused his office or used state funds to conceal his affair (or affairs?). A growing number of Republicans in the State are calling on Sanford to resign—something he, so far, refuses to do. "I've been able to do my job and in fact excel at it," Sanford told AP. Can he survive?

Sanford in March: "Republican Governors" Are GOP's Future

Daniel Stone — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 12:56:30 GMT

It's probably safe the say that Mark Sanford isn't the the Republicans' anointed savior anymore, riding to Washington before 2012 to reinvent the GOP. Of course just a few months ago -- you might even say a week ago -- the storyline was mighty different. You had a respected, young and rising young governor. He hadn't, yet, attracted unflattering national attention (that would come weeks later, when he unsuccessfully tried to refuse to stimulus dollars for his state) and he had the virtuous attribute of being geographically disconnected from Washington. So in March, right around the time of obvious instability in the Republican Party -- recall Steele vs. Limbaugh, quickly followed by apology-gate -- Newsweek called on Sanford to talk strategy.

You can read the whole interview here. But a couple excerpts:

NEWSWEEK: In devising a new strategy for the party, where do you go from here?
SANFORD: There is an eternal tug of war within the party on where we go from here and how we find a way out. One camp says the key is to appeal to Hispanics and women and use technology more. The way out of the wilderness is to grow the tent. The other camp—and the one I fall in—says that you can build a big tent, but you have to make sure the poles can hold it up and that you're working from a good foundation. In many ways, a political party is nothing more than a brand. The great brands of time have succeeded in as much is that they've done what they say they're going to do. People buy a John Deere tractor because it does what it says they're going to do.
Who's responsible for crafting that image of what the party is supposed to do and turning around and selling it to people?
From a tactical standpoint, it's got to be Republican governors. The minority in Congress can try to impede policy, but that's very difficult. In these economic times, people want changes that will make a difference in their lives. I think that the way out of the wilderness will be getting back to the core and getting policies implemented that will be instrumental in people's lives. And I think for that, Republican governors will be particularly important.

Toward the end of the interview, I asked Sanford about the "rising star" label -- how it felt to know his party expected big things of him. "That's very flattering and kind," he said, awkwardly unsure of what else he could say. "But I can't be focused on that." Apparently, we now know, he wasn't.

Sanford to Reimburse Cost of Previous Argentina Trip

Holly Bailey — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 20:36:35 GMT

Your Gaggler wondered yesterday if Mark Sanford would have to own up to using any state funds to either facilitate or cover up his infidelity. Now comes word via his press office that the South Carolina governor will reimburse the state for a junket to Argentina he took a year ago, which is when the affair apparently started. Here’s Sanford's statement:

As noted by the Department of Commerce, I attended a trade mission with the Department of Commerce last June. As the agenda notes, the mission was spent meeting with government and private business officials in both Brazil and Argentina. This trip was handled very professionally by the Department of Commerce, and I'm proud of their work there. However, while the purpose of this trip was an entirely professional and appropriate business development trip, I made a mistake while I was there in meeting with the woman who I was unfaithful to my wife with. That has raised some very legitimate concerns and questions, and as such I am going to reimburse the state for the full cost of the Argentina leg of this trip.

Sex Scandals Through the Years: Both Parties Even

Katie Connolly — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:54:32 GMT

Mark Sanford's unexpected and emotional revelation of an affair yesterday has caused much hand-wringing about the future of a seemingly scandal-plagued GOP. Critics are quick to point out that the party espousing "family" values seems to be having some difficulty getting its representatives to live accordingly. But here at the Gaggle, our memories are a little longer. We recall the days, not so long ago, when it seemed as though Democrats were the ones having trouble keeping their pants on. So we tasked our wonderful intern Aku Ammah-Tagoe to tally up who's been doing what to whom since the Wayne Hays scandal of 1976. My penchant for PowerPoint graphs once again proved irresistible, so I turned the results into graphic form. (Please note, this is not an entirely scientific analysis. Politicians are grouped by year, according to when the affair/scandal was exposed.)

The first thing to note is that, according to our research, Democrats and Republicans are pretty even in terms of sex scandals since 1976. Democrats have edged ahead in recent years, but not by much (16-14 since 2000). Republicans led the way in the '80s and '90s. The other striking feature of this graph is the jump in the number of scandals this decade. We only found nine notable scandals in the '80s, compared with 30 since the turn of the century. Interestingly, the majority of these political affairs happened during the reign of arguably the most socially conservative president during the period we examined.

It's impossible to say whether affairs are more common now, or the media has gotten better at reporting on them, or the news cycle and new mediums allow for less privacy. There are potentially other factors at play too, like the fact that few Congressmen bring their families to live with them in DC these days as was common in the past. Now the pressures of fundraising drive members back to their districts whenever Congress is not in session. Perhaps these split-city lives place more strain on relationships than before. Or perhaps, as conservatives and even some feminists would argue, the overt sexualization of popular culture has altered our societal expectations of sex, its availability, and when and where it is appropriate. But I don't think there is an academically sound way to prove any of these hypotheses. Pick the one you like, and argue amongst yourselves.

One last thing to note is that just one female politician made the list: Helen Chenoweth, who admitted in 1998 to having an eight-year affair with a rancher in her home state of Idaho during the 1980s. Ironically (or maybe hypocritcally), Chenoweth was a vocal critic of President Bill Clinton during the Lewinsky scandal. So that is one out of 53, or 1.9%. Yes there are fewer women in politics overall, but this figure is a significantly smaller proportion than that. Maybe the solution to the political distraction and damage of sex scandals is simply to elect more women.

Aku's full list is after the jump. If we've missed anyone, please let us know in the comments and we'll update the graph.

Democrats:
1.   Wayne Hays (1976): Affair with secretary (one of the first major sex scandals)
2.   Allan Howe (1976): Solicited sex with two prostitutes (both of whom were undercover cops)
3.   John Young (1976): Staffer alleged sexual harrassment
4.   Fred Richmond (1978): Charged with soliciting sex from a 16-year-old boy.
5.   Gerry Studds (1983): Reprimanded for having sex with a male teenage House page
6.   Gary Hart (1988): Affair with model Donna Rice.
7.   Barney Frank (1989): Affair with male prostitute, who also conducted business in Frank's home.
8.   Chuck Robb (1991): Admitted to receiving a nude massage from a former Miss Virginia.
9.   Brock Adams (1992): Eight women accused him of sexual harassment, abuse, and rape.
10.   Mel Reynolds (1994): Sexual relationship with 16-year-old campaign volunteer.
11.   Bill Clinton (1998): Affair with intern Monica Lewinsky.
12.   Gary Condit (2001): Affair with (murdered) intern Chandra Levy.
13.   Paul Patton (2002): Affair with nursing home operator; when the affair ended the state of Kentucky filed numerous violations against her business.
14.   Bob Wise (2003): Affair with a state government staffer
15.   Jim McGreevey (2004): Resigned as NJ governor after admitting that he is "a gay American"
16.   Neil Goldschmidt (2004): Admitted to having a relationship with a 14-year-old girl in the 1970s.
17.   Roosevelt Dobbins (2005): Congressman form Arkansas, pleaded guilty to fondling a 16-year-old.
18.   Gavin Newsom (2007): Affair with the wife of a top aide.
19.   Antonio Villaraigosa (2007): Affair with a television reporter.
20.   Tim Mahoney (2008): Admitted to multiple affairs.
21.   Eliot Spitzer (2008): Involved in prostitution scandal.
22.   Paul Morrison (2008): Affair with administrative staffer while Attorney General of Kansas, pressured her to reveal information about Kansas D.A.
23.   Marc Dann (2008): Attorney General of Ohio, had an affair with a staffer.
24.   David Paterson (2008): Admitted that both he and his wife had extramarital affairs
25.   John Edwards (2008): Had an affair with a campaign employee while running for President.
26.   Kwame Kilpatrick (2008): Text messaging sex scandal
27.   Sam Adams (2009): Portland, OR mayor lied about relationship with 18-year-old male intern.
TALLY: 27

Republicans:
1.   Tom Evans (1980): Along with other politicians, accused of being involved with lobbyist/former Playboy model Paula Parkinson.
2.   Bob Bauman (1980): Solicited sex from a 16-year-old boy
3.   Jon Hinson (1980): Caught attempting to have oral sex in a men's House restroom.
4.   John G. Schmitz (1982): Had an affair that led to an out-of-wedlock child.
5.   Dan Crane (1983): Reprimanded for having sex with a teenage House page.
6.   (Buz Lukens (1989): Spent time in jail after having sex with a 16-year-old girl.
7.   Jon Grunseth (1990): Swam nude with group of 13-year-old girls; suspended gubernatorial run.
8.   Ken Calvert (1993): Arrested while soliciting a prostitute.
9.   Bob Packwood (1995): Resigned from Senate amid allegations of sexual harassment and abuse.
10.   Bob Livingston (1998): Admitted to multiple extramarital affairs.
11.   Helen Chenoweth-Hage (1998): Admitted to a six year affair with a married rancher in her home state of Idaho
12.   Henry Hyde (1998): Admitted he'd had an affair many years prior
13.   Rudy Giuliani (2002): Ex-wife Donna Hanover accused him of "notorious adultery"; he's now married to Judith Nathan, his girlfriend at the time.
14.   Steve LaTourette (2003): Accused of affair with staffer, who he later married.
15.   Jack Ryan (2004): Former wife Jeri claimed he took her to sex clubs and pressured her to have sex in public.
16.   James West (2005): Removed as mayor of Spokane, WA after an gay Internet sex scandal.
17.   Don Sherwood (2006): Affair with 29-year-old woman while he was a PA congressman.
18.   Mark Foley (2006): Involved in a texting scandal with male House pages
19.   Bob Allen (2007): Solicited oral sex from a male undercover cop.
20.   Newt Gingrich (2007):Acknowledged having an affair in the 1990s
21.   Charles Boutin (2007): Resigned from MD Public Service Comission after email exchanges with a prostitute surfaced.
22.   David Vitter (2007): Part of the DC Madam scandal
23.   Larry Craig (2007): Bathroom sex solicitation scandal.
24.   Vito Fossella (2008): Affair with a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel.
25.   John Ensign (2009): Admitted to having an affair with a married staffer.
26.   Mark Sanford (2009): Affair with a woman in Argentina.
TALLY: 26

News Flash: Sanford Also Likes Chick Flicks

Holly Bailey — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:41:03 GMT

The State newspaper publishes more of those Mark Sanford emails today, and now we’re getting more of the back story on how those messages were obtained and why the paper chose to not print them until now. As your Gaggler mentioned yesterday, the State reports that it had the Sanford emails since December. According to the New York Times, which has a nice write-up on the press’s handling of the affair, someone forwarded the emails to the paper anonymously. A State reporter then contacted “Maria” via her e-mail address in an attempt to confirm their authenticity, but never heard back. They apparently did not approach Sanford’s office. “What it was, was a puzzle piece that was hardly discernible,” the paper’s political editor tells the Times. But the paper didn’t really pursue it further, in part because reporters were so skeptical that Sanford might be a cheater. By their own account, Sanford was a weirdo, but an adulterer? No way. The paper still doesn’t know who sent the emails—a mystery that is indeed pretty interesting. Here’s your Gaggler’s question: Did Maria tell Sanford that reporters had contacted her? That was in December, and by Sanford’s own admission, his wife found out about the affair five months ago, in February.

BTW, today’s round of electronic pillow talk includes a mention of John McCain (Sanford talks about how he had been invited to spend some time in Aspen with the 2008 nom and how it had stirred up VP talk again); talk of their apparent first liaison at an open air dance in Uruguay (They’ll always have Punta del Este); and book recommendations (Maria gives a thumbs up to “The Age of Turbulence” by Alan Greenspan). Oh, and there’s Sanford’s odd movie recommendation: “The Holiday,” that Cameron Diaz/Jude Law/Kate Winslet chick flick about couples who fall in love on a holiday but live thousands of miles apart. “It’s music was pleasant and made me think of you—its mood and the notion of a holiday (wrapped up in our case over two days) certainly fit as well,” Sanford writes.

Ick Watch: Sanford's Emails to His Mistress

Holly Bailey — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 22:50:11 GMT

Speaking of other shoes to drop, the State newspaper down in South Carolina has published a series of emails between Gov. Mark Sanford and the woman in Argentina with whom he had an affair. The woman, identified only as “Maria,” refused to talk one of the paper’s reporters today when approached at her home in Buenos Aires, but the governor’s office doesn’t dispute the content of the emails, which date back to roughly one year ago. In the story, the State discloses that it's been in posession of the emails since December. (Oh really? What's the backstory there?) Warning: These emails are super cheesy, even for your Gaggler who will own up to watching the occasional episode of Days of Our Lives. (The guy who played Chris Kositchek now playing Roman? What is that about?) Here’s an excerpt of one Sanford love email to his beloved. Don’t say we didn’t warn you:

Two, mutual feelings .... You have a particular grace and calm that I adore. You have a level of sophistication that so fitting with your beauty. I could digress and say that you have the ability to give magnificent gentle kisses, or that I love your tan lines or that I love the curve of your hips, the erotic beauty of you holding yourself (or two magnificent parts of yourself) in the faded glow of the night’s light - but hey, that would be going into sexual details...

Three and finally, while all the things above are all too true - at the same time we are in a hopelessly - or as you put it impossible - or how about combine and simply say hopelessly impossible situation of love. How in the world this lightening strike snuck up on us I am still not quite sure. As I have said to you before I certainly had a special feeling about you from the first time we met, but these feelings were contained and I genuinely enjoyed our special friendship and the comparing of all too many personal notes...

Lastly I also suspect I feel a little vulnerable because this is ground I have never certainly never covered before - so if you have pearls of wisdom on how we figure all this out please let me know... In the meantime please sleep soundly knowing that despite the best efforts of my head my heart cries out for you, your voice, your body, the touch of your lips, the touch of your finger tips and an even deeper connection to your soul.

Ew! Unsubscribe!

After Sanford, What Do Republicans Do Now?

Holly Bailey — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 22:04:09 GMT

Mark Sanford’s decision to come clean about his extramarital affair today is just the beginning of the story. There will inevitably be other shoes to drop: What did his staff know? Did any state employees lie for him? Did Sanford use any state funds to facilitate or conceal his affair? After all, the South Carolina governor did take off in his official vehicle last Thursday when he made his secret getaway to Buenos Aires. Will he be forced to resign the governor’s office? While we’ve seen politicians bounce back from bad behavior before (just ask Bill Clinton or Newt Gingrich), all of this means Sanford’s 2012 presidential aspirations are likely over. But the bigger question is: What do Republicans do now?

It was barely a week ago that Sen. John Ensign, another GOP rising star, admitted his own affair. Ensign, though still largely a political unknown nationally, had been tagged by many within the party as an up-and-comer with the ability to help the GOP rebuild in the era of Obama. Today’s announcement from Sanford was like a sucker-punch for a party that has still not quite managed to regain its political footing in recent months. “We look like the party of hypocrisy,” one frustrated GOP strategist said today. “How low can we go?”

It hasn’t just been a bad month for the GOP, it’s been a bad year. The party can’t seem to find its way out of the wilderness. There’s no obvious leader, and there are no obvious issues they can lay claim to against President Obama and the Democrats. The GOP has been unable to gain traction on anything—but that was a problem well before we learned about two of its 2012 hopefuls cheating on their spouses. What’s happened with Sanford and Ensign is no doubt a blow to the party, but Republicans were already struggling with question of identity: What kind of GOP does it want to be?

The answer is still unclear. The GOP’s claim to be the party of “family values” has taken a hit—though it was already in a tenuous position. (Do the names Mark Foley, Larry Craig and David Vitter ring a bell?) There’s been a push to move the GOP away from social politics and more toward mainstream issues, but there’s no obvious Republican, much less 2012 candidate, that seems willing to take up that mantle. In fact, the GOP seems just as lost as it did before—though the field of hopefuls has gotten considerably narrower. The most obvious beneficiaries of the fallout seems to be the people already sniffing around the race, including Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty and Haley Barbour. Like Sanford, all three have been critical of Obama’s stimulus bill and approach to federal spending, a position popular among GOP fiscal conservatives. Barbour, a former Republican National Committee chairman turned governor of Mississippi, benefits most strategically: He’s taking over Sanford’s chairmanship of the Republican Governors Association, a promotion that not only offers him a higher profile but helps him build on already broad national political contacts. The problem: None of the guys (so far at least) has elicited much excitement among the GOP base. Thus, the march through the wilderness continues ...

Mark Sanford Admits Extramarital Affair

Holly Bailey — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 19:06:24 GMT

In an emotional press conference this afternoon, South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford admitted that he had been cheating on his wife with a woman in Argentina, where he had been secretly vacationing the past six days. Sanford, who announced he was resigning his post as chairman of the Republican Governors Association, repeatedly apologized to his wife and kids and to his staff, whom he admitted misleading about his whereabouts. The governor’s aides told reporters yesterday that Sanford was hiking the Appalachian Trail, when in fact he was in Buenos Aires. “I’ve been unfaithful to my wife, and I developed a relationship with what started as a dear dear friend from Argentina,” Sanford said, tearfully.

Sanford insisted the affair began “innocently” with casual emails and phone calls—the woman had apparently sought Sanford’s advice on her own marital troubles. But their relationship developed into something more about a year ago, the governor said. He said he had seen the woman three times since then and that he had spent the last five days in Argentina “crying.” The governor told reporters that his wife and family had been aware of his affair for about five months and that he had spoken to his father-in-law about it before he left for Buenos Aires last week. Asked if he and his wife are separated, Sanford seemed to struggle for an answer. “I guess in the formal sense we’re not,” he finally said. Sanford, who had been repeatedly mentioned as a 2012 GOP presidential contender, was asked if he would resign from the governor’s office. He didn’t answer. “I’ve let down a lot of people,” he said. “And that’s the bottom line.”

Missing Governor Returns...From Argentina

Holly Bailey — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:57:06 GMT

Mark Sanford has been found! The South Carolina governor was spotted this morning in Atlanta, where, surprise surprise, he was not actually hiking the Appalachian Trail as his staff had said. Rather, Sanford had been in Argentina, tootling around Buenos Aires. How did his staff come to think he was hiking Appalachians? “I don’t know,” Sanford told the State newspaper this morning, as a reporter captured him arriving back in the United States. “I wanted to do something exotic.” Mission accomplished. It was the first time in almost a week that Sanford had been seen. The governor disappeared last Thursday, leaving his staff, family and fellow legislators in the lurch. His wife insisted she wasn’t worried, even though she hadn’t heard from him, while his staff seemed to imply they had talked to him, even though his cell phone was apparently off. Sanford didn’t tell any of his fellow lawmakers he was leaving town, including Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer, who would feasibly be in charge should there have been a state emergency. Is this story over? Probably not--though your Gaggler is going to venture a guess that Sanford's 2012 White House aspirations might be.

SC Gov Reportedly Found, But Questions Continue

Holly Bailey — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 13:32:13 GMT

The Mark Sanford story just gets stranger. Late last night, Sanford’s staff came clean about the South Carolina governor’s previously undisclosed location: They say he’s hiking the Appalachian Trail this week—although they won’t say exactly where. But this has done little to appease his critics who say Sanford should have let people know where he was going in case of a state emergency of some kind. Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer tells Politico that he believes his office was misled by Sanford’s staff, who he says didn’t actually know where the governor was despite their claims. According to Politico, Bauer called Sanford’s office Monday and requested an “immediate phone conversation with the governor.” “That request was denied because the governor’s chief of staff does not know where the governor is and has not communicated with the governor since he left South Carolina last Thursday,” Bauer told Politico. “I cannot take lightly that his staff has not had communication with him for more than four days and that no one, including his own family, knows his whereabouts.” Now, to be fair, Bauer and Sanford aren’t exactly best buddies. Bauer is gearing up to run for governor when Sanford’s term ends, and Sanford appears to have thrown his support to another Republican. But Bauer makes a fair a point here: What if an emergency had happened? Would Sanford have been able to be located quickly? This is very odd behavior for a governor who has been musing about a 2012 White House run.

South Carolina Governor Missing?

Holly Bailey — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 21:47:44 GMT

Now this is a strange story: South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford left his executive mansion on Thursday night and hasn’t been seen since. According to the Associated Press, his wife doesn’t know where he is, ditto for his security detail who hasn’t been able to reach him. Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer, who would presumably be in charge, doesn’t know what’s going on. His office has been told by Sanford’s office that he’s been located and is fine--though they seem unwilling to provide any details. "He was writing something and wanted some space to get away from the kids," First Lady Jenny Sanford told AP this morning. She said she didn't know where her husband was, but wasn't concerned. According to the State newspaper, both of the governor’s cell phones—his state phone and his personal cell—have been turned off. His last known whereabouts had been near Atlanta because a mobile phone tower picked up a signal from one of those phones. Sanford (or someone pretending to him?) has been Twittering today. But his absence was unscheduled, which has prompted all sorts of speculation at the state capitol. According to the State, “foul play” has been ruled out apparently because Sanford does this quite frequently, just never for this long. (Really?) In a statement this afternoon, Sanford's office insists he's fine, that he's just "taking some time away from the office."