sanford saga – i’m more interested in who brought him down….
By American Girl in Italy on June 25, 2009 at 7:06 PM in Current Affairs, Media Bias, Media Handling of Story, Presidential Candidates, Republicans, Sara in Italy
Love letters between Mark Sanford and his *secret Latin lady lover* were printed yesterday in The State. The South Carolina paper reported that they have been holding onto the emails for six months, and were provided by an anonymous source.
Who is that source? (And how gross is that to print 
personal emails like that? OK, yes, I read a couple of snipits from them…so, sue me. But seriously, that was gross.)
E-mails obtained by The State newspaper in December detailed an affair between Gov. Mark Sanford and Maria, a woman in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
However, attempts to verify the e-mails — from an anonymous source — were fruitless, until Wednesday. Then, acting on another anonymous tip that Sanford would be on a plane returning from Argentina, the paper sent a reporter to Atlanta.
When Sanford got off a plane from Buenos Aires, he stopped an interview with The State when asked if he had been with anyone in Argentina.
Obviously at least one person at The State knew about the affair, per the emails. The person who provided the paper the emails knew about the affair. Someone on Sanford’s staff knew he went to Argentina – regardless of what they say. Someone knew. Someone booked his ticket. Someone cleared his calendar. Sanford named a few people that have been working with him, and his family during these difficult times. And someone tipped The State that Sanford was arriving from Argentina (an anonymous passenger on the plane? uh huh).
John O’Connor, the newspaper reporter who wrote the story about the e-mails, told CNN Wednesday afternoon that The State did not confront Sanford with the messages in December because at the time “there was little way to tell that these were authentic e-mails.”
The media basically ignored the John Edwards scandal, until it broke in the National Enquirer. (And then the MSM still ignored it). So, why the media fire storm over Sanford, who was, for all intents and purposes, on vacation for a few days? Why all of a sudden was the media acting like Dick F*chin’ Tracy?
There is nothing particularly sexy about this scandal – except the DUMB DUMB DUMB lie about where he was. Sanford had already told his wife about his Latin lady lover five months ago. He confessed the affair to his father in law. It was a private matter between husband and wife at this point. The Sanfords were working on how to proceed, as a family. He reportedly went to Argentina to end this relationship.
As far as anyone knew, he was on vacation, but within hours it became a firestorm. His wife wasn’t worried when asked about his whereabouts (she had already asked him to move out, so she was not privy to his schedule) but said he wanted to get some peace and quiet, and do some writing. His office said he was hiking. OK, a little mix up in detail, but no one on his staff, or his wife, was *worried* about his whereabouts. Why did the media become so concerned, all of a sudden?
The big political hoopla now is that Sanford left South Carolina unattended. A tragedy could have struck, and no one would have known where he was! Hogwash. People knew where he was. Had something happened, he would have been on the phone in a second. The Lt. Governor would have stepped in, just as they would if the Governor was on vacation, or out of state on business.
Yes, Sanford screwed up. He had an affair and he brought this on himself. This seems to be the M.O. of pols on both side of the aisle.
But, it seems to me that someone knew about it, and stoked the media firestorm with the intent to bring him down. Who? That’s the real story. Affairs, sadly, are a dime a dozen in Washington these days.
Perhaps whoever sent those emails 6 months ago has been waiting for the right time to bring him down? They obviously have known about this for quite a while. Did the source panic, knowing that Sanford went to Argentina to end the affair, and the window for opportunity was closing? Or have they been waiting for the opportunity to catch him in the act?
The only reason, in my opinion, this story got the coverage it did was because someone KNEW he was in Argentina, and forced this story to break. (and because he is a Republican.)
I’m not saying it should not have broken. I just want to know who did it.
State Rep. Todd Rutherford, D-Columbia, called for Sanford’s resignation immediately after Sanfords press conference. Perhaps he did it.
Or maybe a fellow Republican? A potential Presidential Candidate (Romney?) could have reason to want to bring him down. Sanford was gaining traction, and was a potential risk in 2012.
The Dems or Obama administration had reason to want to take him out – Sanford criticized the $787 billion federal stimulus law and was a big critic of Obama. Hey, would Obama have access to action on a passport?
Jenny Sanford is a potential suspect, a woman scorned and all that, but she is open to a reconciliation, so I don’t think she is an obvious choice.
Or it could have just been someone in his office, who had access to his computer….
Who else?
The Today Show covered this and Meredith’s opening remarks bugged me:
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
Sex scandal? How tacky, Meredith. A sex scandal is Larry Craig trolling for boy toys in the airport bathroom. This seems like an emotional love affair. And seriously, Sanford saw the woman three times in one year… this wasn’t a sex scandal.
At least the guy gave us the truth yesterday. No denials, or bullshit, just raw emotion. Yes, he was *caught* but he truly seems broken up. I think it’s kind of sad.
Do I think Sanford should resign? Normally I would say no. I didn’t think Bill Clinton should be impeached, either. Sanford did…so, what’s good for the goose, is good for the gov’nor.
Oh, and John Kerry said this:
“Too bad if a governor had to go missing it couldn’t have been the governor of Alaska. You know, Sarah Palin.’’
John Kerry can suck it.






















