Where's Sanford? Even wife is clueless to whereabouts 6/23/2009 12:37 AM By JIM DAVENPORT Associated Press
COLUMBIA -- Where is South Carolina's governor?
The lieutenant governor doesn't know, and neither does a state senator who's a close confidante. Even Gov. Mark Sanford's wife is in the dark.
Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer said he's been told the governor's staff is in contact with the second-term Republican, but Sanford's wife said she hasn't heard from him in several days, including Father's Day.
"He was writing something and wanted some space to get away from the kids," Jenny Sanford told The Associated Press while vacationing with the couple's four sons at their Sullivans Island beach house. She said she didn't know where he was but wasn't concerned.
Sanford, who's also chairman of the Republican Governors Association, earned a reputation as the nation's most vocal anti-bailout governor by refusing $700 million in federal stimulus money for schools until he lost a court battle earlier this month.
His spokesman Joel Sawyer released a statement saying the governor was taking a break after losing the fight.
"Gov. Sanford is taking some time away from the office this week to recharge after the stimulus battle and the legislative session and to work on a couple of projects that have fallen by the wayside," Sawyer said.
Sawyer wouldn't say where Sanford was or confirm that he knew the governor's whereabouts himself. Law enforcement officials who handle his security also declined to comment. After releasing the statement, Sawyer didn't immediately respond to further questions about whether Sanford was keeping in touch with staff.
Sanford typically is open about his whereabouts, and his office makes no secret of time spent on vacation or out of state.
But politicians, including the lieutenant governor, said they did not know Sanford was taking time away from his office.
State Sen. Tom Davis, a Beaufort Republican, Sanford confidante and former chief of staff, said his calls to Sanford were going straight to voice mail. Calls from The Associated Press to the governor's cell phone also went to voice mail.
Bauer said he didn't know where Sanford was but said he had not been put in charge.
Bauer spokesman Frank Adams said he had been told Sanford chief of staff Scott English was in touch with the governor. "They assured us they know where he is," Adams said.
English did not immediately respond to a message left seeking comment.
Sen. Jake Knotts, a Lexington Republican and a persistent Sanford critic, said the state needs to know where its governor is.
"The way things are in the world today and homeland security, we need the governor to be fingertips away," Knotts said. "Somebody's got to be in charge."
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Comment Title: Take a Hike
Hizhonor, The Gov, has once again, as is his habit, put on display his nutty and eccentric behavior. He truly is an embarrassment for the citizens of South Carolina. And, being last or close to last in every category of quality-of-life measure, South Carolina doesn't need any more reasons to be embarrassed. As someone else posted here, it will take a lot more than a hike to clear up Hizhonor's mental problems. His behavior has been abjectly irresponsible -- and the irresponsibility didn't just start with his decision to take-a-hike. The state would likely benefit greatly if he would take a really extended hike. Whoops --STOP THE PRESSES, STOP THE PRESSES! Now it's being reported that Hizhonor made a clandestine visit to Argentina. A reporter apparently intercepted him at the Atlanta airport upon his return. As they say, you just can't make this stuff up! South Carolina has a comedian (clown, to be more specific) for its chief executive.
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Posted by: Bobbys girl On: Wednesday, June 24, 2009 8:50 AM
Comment Title: Argentina???
Poor baby Sanford! I feel sorry for him. Not because of the PRESSURE he didnt realize hed have while in public office, but because of the SILVER SPOON he has chronically lodged in his mouth! LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT REAL PRESSURE! Pressure is what my boss Bobby feels everyday, both physically and mentally. 1.) The PRESSURE he feels when he stomps and drags his peg leg behind him. He feels a pressure in his hip, and it aint pleasurable either! 2.) The PRESSURE he feels everytime he runs a road race for charity. He wants to win as bad as everyone else, but have you ever jogged with a peg leg over some of our Aiken roads? It aint easy! Jog goes like this: STOMP, DRAG, SPLAT! You try it sometime! 3.) PRESSURE to gain respect of his employees! Oh sure, I respect him. But you should see how the others do! While he naps they sometime take off his leg and hide it. Theyre sick! Or they'll put the rubber part of a plunger on the end of it and use it to unstop the toilet. They then put it back on him, put on his peg leg sock and he's none the wiser till he starts getting laughed at (by them) because he smells of an "accident"! They are sick! SO DONT TELL PEG LEG BOBBY ABOUT NO PRESSURE! HE LIVES IT EVERY DAY! PEG LEGS AND POLITICS = PRESSURE!
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Posted by: SICK OF SANFORD On: Wednesday, June 24, 2009 8:40 AM
Comment Title: Hola from Argentina!
Well, well, well...I hope all you Stanford supporters have rags on hand to WIPE THE EGG OFF YOUR FACE! This guy is a DISGRACE. I would be devestated if my husband took off without telling me where he was going, especially on Fathers Day! If he doesn't show respect for his own family, why on earth would you bozos think he gives a rats patootie about you? He thinks because he has money he can just do as he pleases? Maybe in the private sector, but he's an ELECTED OFFICIAL! IT SEEMS AS THOUGH HE'S FORGOTTEN THAT. And that he needed to escape to get away from the pressure? PLEASE! He knew what he signed on for. POLITICS = PRESSURE & LIFE IN A FISHBOWL!
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Posted by: On: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 10:43 PM
Comment Title:
A black Chevy Suburban believed to have been used by South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford to leave town on an extended walkabout has been found in the parking lot of Columbia Metropolitan Airport. CNN was alerted to its location by a law enforcement official. Sanford is expected to return to Columbia tomorrow after a mysterious six-day absence. His office has said the governor, a possible 2012 presidential candidate, has been hiking the Appalachian Trail to clear his head after a tough legislative session. The SUV is outfitted with blue police lights and two-way radio. Inside the vehicle: A baseball cap, running shoes, sunscreen, a pair of shorts, a canvas bag and a sleeping bag. A parking permit for the school attended by Sanford’s children is visible on the windshield
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Posted by: On: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 10:00 PM
Comment Title:
Greenville news is now reporting that his vehicle has been located at the Atlanta airport. His wife STILL says she has not heard from him. Something is VERY wrong.
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Posted by: "The View" On: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 10:00 PM
Comment Title: Where is the man?
I heard he was on a vacation with Clay Aiken. I wonder who paid for the trip?
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Posted by: On: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 7:17 PM
Comment Title: Hiking on the Appalachian Trail for a reason...
Y'all do know that the first day of Summer is annual "Naked Hiking Day" on the Appalachian Trail, don't you? Hmmmm... (If you don't believe me, GOOGLE is your friend.)
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Posted by: On: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 6:44 PM
Comment Title: Out of the way?
Springer mountain, GA is the southern end of the Appalachian Trail and is only about 50 to 60 miles north of Atlanta. So the Atlanta area would not be out of the way like previous ppl have stated. Stop watching so much television next time... maybe then you will know what you are talking about instead of coming up with your off the wall conspiracies.
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Posted by: On: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 5:06 PM
Comment Title: Scott Singer
To bad Scott Singer didn't join him on that trip. Maybe we'd get some better decisions made around here!
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Posted by: On: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 4:01 PM
Comment Title: "writing something" while hiking"
Would that include an explanation of where he is for his wife? And apology for missing Fathers' Day for his boys? An apology to the citizens of SC for bailing on his actual job?
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Posted by: On: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 3:52 PM
Comment Title: Stable as a bowl of Jello
Yeah, he's stable enough to be president by current GOP standards.
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Posted by: On: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 1:35 PM
Comment Title: Sanford
With a leader like this, no wonder the rest of the country often laughs at South Carolina. One thing for sure, he is probably not visiting a public school.
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Posted by: On: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 1:21 PM
Comment Title:
Does anyone here really believe, that a Governor would just walk away, not tell anyone at the job he was going to be off for a couple of days, to go hiking? This is the best story they could come up with?? This is what pisses me off with the Repubs, they think they can say anything, whether it makes sense or not, and people will just accept it as fact. It is insulting at best and sociopathic at worse. This man needs a 302 exam upon returning to work. And Repub wives, please stop standing up for your men when they make you look like fools, it is not a very attractive trait for a modern woman.
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Posted by: On: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 1:14 PM
Comment Title:
Yep, insist government doesn't work, and then run for office to prove yourself right. I wish PALIN would take a hike too!
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Posted by: On: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 1:13 PM
Comment Title:
Conservatives believe in absentee government, and probably wish all governors would just disappear like this.
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Posted by: On: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 1:13 PM
Comment Title:
Republicans have been missing in action for years. Sanford just decided to apply a literal translation to the phrase.
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Posted by: On: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 1:06 PM
Comment Title:
As a citizen of South Carolina, I strongly support your stand on this, Lt. Gov. Bauer.
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Posted by: On: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 1:03 PM
Comment Title:
The Republican Party is not known for good Judgements.........
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Posted by: On: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 1:01 PM
Comment Title:
Americans have become so used to immediate gratification when they want information that they have lost perspective. With the media, twiiter, email, cell phones and the Internet we want to know everything now. I called the Governor's Office yesterday on a separate matter and the State was running business as usual, just because he was not tweeting or im-ing, does not mean that he was not in control or out of contact. There was a time when a political officer could call-in once a day and it was considered acceptable and normal, now we feel it is our right to know where someone is every second. The First Lady said she was not concerned about his location, and his staff was handling the government well in his absence, it is only his critics that have made an issue over his trip.
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Posted by: On: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 1:01 PM
Comment Title: sanford
where is sanford? again, he is nowhere that he can help the people of south carolina..even when he is in his office, he isn't "here".....maybe if we are lucky, he will get lost and won't show back up in his "office".......
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Posted by: Fred Nugent On: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 12:22 PM
Comment Title: Sanford...
I was totally against the "stimulus", but once it was approved, we were going to have to repay it anyway. Lindsey Graham ticks me off, because he didn't even cast a vote for the initial stimulus proposal in the fall! It was Graham's responsibility to say yes or no to the stimulus bill, not Sanford's! Sanford was just politically posturing. Now he's missing. What an idiot! He's an embarrassment to our state.
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Posted by: On: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 11:23 AM
Comment Title:
My gut tells me there is more to this story than meets the eye. Something fishy going on.
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Posted by: hmichaelsheridan On: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 11:09 AM
Comment Title: where,s the gov.
Maybe he,s out for an enema
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Posted by: On: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 9:37 AM
Comment Title: Wrong Direction to the Appalachian Trail
If he was on his way from Columbia to the Appalachian Trail, what was he doing in the Atlanta area? There is much, much more to this story.
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Posted by: Jane Page Thompson On: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 9:06 AM
Comment Title: Writing a new Constitution, I hope!
I hope our Governor is drafting a new Constitution for this State. We need one and with all of the special interests pulling at him from the Legislature, no wonder he needed time think without the Statehouse background noise. Now is the time for reform, I hope the Governor will return with a clear plan for that reform, with a new constitution for SC.
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Posted by: Proud of Sanford On: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 8:45 AM
Comment Title: Is he on a hike or has something worse happened
Is he on a hike or did he get kidnapped? Or even worse, did Jake Knotts, one of his critics, and Andre Bauer, running for Gov., cook this whole mess-up to get South Carolinians stirred-up over this to take the heat off of the Legislature, that has done nothing for us this session as the Gov.'s article on Sunday pointed out.
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Posted by: On: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 7:42 AM
Comment Title: Get away from the kids?
He needed to get away from the kids? According to the report, the kids were at the beach with his wife. Just how far away from his kids did he need to be? Something is not right here.
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Posted by: On: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 7:23 AM
Comment Title: On a Hike
Sanfard went on a hike.. He just stay on the trail. Not even bother to come back.. I find it hard to believe that he didn't spend fathers day with this children. What kind of man is this???
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Posted by: EEDAN_BB On: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 6:52 AM
Comment Title: Re:Sanford
This is old news!!!! He is on the Appalachian Trail.
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Posted by: On: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 5:33 AM
Comment Title: Typical Sanfard
Gov. Sanfard on the loose... Not surprised. He seems to be contantly out of touch with the rest of the state..I'm sure he deserves a break but never from everyone in the state. Our Senators should always know where he is regardless of how tired he is. We didn't elect him so he could run around like a top secret squirrel
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Posted by: BMF On: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 2:55 AM
Comment Title: Where's Sanford?
Senator Jake Knotts said that the state needs to know where its governor is! I agree. Governor Sanford is in the State of Tennessee attending a seminar being conducted by ‘The Chattanooga Shoeshine Boy’; entitled, ‘Shine the Backs of Them Shoes’!
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Posted by: noneya On: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 1:20 AM
Comment Title: missing governor
why doesn't he just take a permanent leave ie simply resign. he's pouting because he lost the opportunity to use stimulus money to pay down debts created under his watch. he is worthless and a few in the legislature should follow suit imho
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