Posted on 06/22/2009 7:45:59 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford has been hiking the Appalachian Trail, a spokesman said Monday, explaining a dayslong absence that perplexed fellow state leaders.
Sanford hadn't been at work for several days and his office hadn't been in touch with him. Lawmakers and his wife said Monday they didn't know where he was, leading critics to question who was in charge of South Carolina.
...
Sanford spokesman Joel Sawyer said Sanford left town on Thursday with plans to hike the Appalachian Trail. ..
"He's just up there to kind of clear his head after the legislative session," Sawyer told The Associated Press in an interview.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
“You posted where he was and how he was doing in post 63. His C.O.S. heard from him TODAY. If the mans life was in any danger I would have seen it on my LOCAL NEWS at 11:00pm.”
Not exactly and who said anything about his life being in danger? The question is still was he out of touch and disappeared for days, hell is he still out of touch, where is the guy, where is the communications, where is his attempt to stop this bleeding?
Post 63 “This is what The Hill published two hours ago.”
“First lady Jenny Sanford told The Associated Press she did not know where he husband was, but that she was unconcerned. As news of Sanford’s absence spread on Monday, the governor’s chief of staff called Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer’s (R) office to tell him they had reached Sanford and he was fine.”
Obviously if he was hiking and hadn't reported in someone would be looking. The National Forest Radio traffic from the Georgia to Virginia line is quiet. I have them all loaded in the scanner except Great Smokey Mountain Park and I doubt he's hiking there. Then again putting on a Tin Foil Hat could that be the top secret reason Abrahams Creek trails and campground in GSMNP is really closed the past few days and not the problem bear as being reported? I think I'll go post my theory at whattheheckmightareallyhappenedbymytinfoilhat.kook
I'd almost bet he's not alone and the person with him can access any state communications. Look for him to be back later in the week.
The reports are ridiculous. He hasn't been in his office for several days. Well he was there Thursday meaning missing a grand total of two work days.
His mini vacation is in line with his outdoor interest. In other words he likes to hike. Too much is being made of this including getting away from the kids for a while. Every parent has to get away for a while sometimes be it a few hours or a few days.
I wish every politician in DC would go hiking 6 out of 7 days a week. It wouldn't make me mad one bit considering what they are doing now.
You keep saying nothing, so far it is appearing that no one knew where he was or how to reach him, the Lt. Governor didn’t, his Chief of staff finally claims to have reached him but in view of the size of this national story that is a slim straw to cling to.
Here is what National Review Online is reporting from the Governor’s communication director, and it isn’t very inspiring at this late hour.
National Review Online:
Sanford Went Out For a Hike [Mark Hemingway]
Governor Sanford’s communications director just sent out this notice:
I wanted to pass along the following update regarding the governor’s location.
The governor is hiking along the Appalachian Trail. I apologize for taking so long to send this update, and was waiting to see if a more definitive idea of what part of the Trail he was on before we did so.
I want to emphasize that this isn’t something that either staff or Mrs. Sanford is concerned about. As we said earlier today, it isn’t unusual for the governor to be out of pocket for several days after the legislative session. We knew he would be difficult to reach, and that he would be checking in infrequently. Given the media attention this has generated, we’ll obviously update you once we have some more specifics to pass along.
06/22 11:45 PMShare
Some I'm sure know how to reach him or reach whom he's likely with. The communication director likely knows as would the head of the state police. I wonder who in that department didn't show up?
Evidently most persons knows he does this after every session and it wasn't really an unexpected absence as such. Now why you suppose it's an issue now? Some of the DEMs responses match those of some FR posters word for word HUM. Like I said before I don't know much about him politically. But I don't see a governor taking a 4-6 day hiking trip as a national emergency. Our president's used to be out of communication with Congress longer than that.
There is an article about Sanford in todays local paper. Four responses so far and none see the emergency and none are negative about him. Maybe someone just wants to screw up his time off. Ever think of that? Like draw attention away from European Vacations and trips elsewhere taken by someone else? Nah Tin Foils a lot more fun.
So, what did Jenny Sanford say?
The press plays all kinds of games. They even make things up on occasion. If this quote was wholly fabricated, then his press office should say so. Even out of context, her statement was ridiculous.
The wife probably isn't often asked to give public comments so maybe this was a good lesson for her. But she needs to wise up if he's going to become more public.
And if he traveled to DC would that be kept a hush-hush secret so that no one breaks into their house? Give me a break.
I'd bet they've got better security than most of us.
We used to leave a car at the ski slope and hike west for 3 days in a loop around the crests above the Valley inside the park.
Shining Rock was 2nd home for a while. Spend a ton of time on that section of the parkway.
Those drainages that run to the south from the crest of the Smokies down to to the lake looked like they’d be some very remote areas. Eagle Creek especially. Never have made it there. There’s a place on the map up near the crest called Bone Valley that i’ve always wanted to visit just for the name’s sake.
A shame people don’t badger Congressmen about their international ‘junkets’ as much as Sanford is being skewered over this hike on the AT...I doubt this is setting the taxpayers back much. Geez...let the man get some exercise.
That’s supposedly a quote from Sanford’s wife. Do you know if it’s wrong or not?
Hey at least in he’s going on a cheap vacation. Governor Ed Rendell has graciously postponed his African Safari trip until his over loaded budget and tax increase passes.
“Should any emergencies arise between the times in which he checks in, our staff would obviously be in contact with other state officials as the situation warrants before making any decisions,” said Sawyer.
This statement is apparently left out. Or buried.
I don't believe you answered my question. WHAT did the wife say?
Honestly? I don’t care. Her statement changes slightly with each article. AOL, AP, just slight twists. This whole thing is fabricated and key statements such as the one I pointed out have been ignored or underreported. This is a political witch hunt. I’m not carrying a torch.
You keep making long posts about your speculations and talking like a salesman but you don’t have any real information to share, so give it up until we have some facts to counter the facts as reported.
This is what the Wall Street Journal is printing this morning. It sounds like the guy actually walked away for from office for five days. We didn’t need this c*ap from some one that was high on our list.
“COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford called his chief of staff Tuesday morning to check in after an unexpected five-day absence, and was surprised to learn that his disappearance was garnering significant attention, his spokesman said.”
“South Carolina Law Enforcement Division Chief Reggie Lloyd, who oversees the governor’s security, raised alarms with high-ranking elected officials over the weekend about the governor’s absence, according to people familiar with the situation.”
My first trip to Eagle Creek was rough and at night in the pouring down rain. We left Cades Cove picnic area about 1:00pm or so. We didn't know it till we got to hiking that there was a small boy lost between the picnic area and Spence Field likely around the Bote Mountain trail junction with the Cades Cove trail about three quarters up.
We had planned on spending the night in the south shelter on Spence Field and going on down into Eagle Creek the next morning. The trail into Eagle Creek heads up at the spring at the shelter & wasn't a well established trail till you got to the old rail road bed. There were so many searchers up on top including National Guards that we decided to go on down the NC side. Even the final leg of the Spence Field Trail trail above the Bote Mountain split had a lot of jeep traffic. I was with my dad and his friend and I was about 14 I guess. They both had hiked in there before and into Hazel Creek so they knew the area. We were dead tired when we got to where we planned to camp. The next trip a year later was a lot easier.
As for the boy they never found him. He was somewhere between 6 & 8 years old. Just a shoe was found I think. But he could have been 10 feet off the trail and no one would ever seen or heard him. The rains the night he got lost and the next night made it even harder and dogs couldn't track then either.
I never went back over there just a few day trips up to Spence Field or Thunderhead years later. Last trip to the field I was coming down and almost out when a paniced woman came running up the trail. She asked me if I had been to Spence Field and if I had seen two boys. I asked how old and she said 8 & 10 I think. I asked her when did they leave she said that morning. I had to bite my tongue. Most people don't understand the dangers. A guy on horse back headed up the mountain and I told her to get to the ranger station. They didn't make the local news that night so I reckon they found them. They were very lucky kids.
There’s a freeper who’s relative hiked that portion of the AT and swears they met Eric Rudolph on the trail. Disheveled look, long hair/beard, no gear and way up on the trail. Makes sense as that is only a couple of days long hike from the Snowbird mts. where he was hiding out.
Hard to say. I remember me and dad hiking to Gregory Bald for a couple of days. Up at the shelter was a bearded guy who had been living up there for several months. That was about 40 years ago I guess. We corrupted him as he put it by sharing some caramel candy. LOL. He was likely there that long. He was a painter and showed us a tree he climbed and his easel was up there and he had some of his work.
I remember when Rudolph first went on the wanted list even the Medical Choppers out of Knoxville had to get Feds permission to fly over the mountains to Andrews. Rudolph I'm betting stayed close enough to civilization to grab a quick meal when he was in the woods. A persons appearances can change in weeks. He could have even been staying in Knoxville on the streets and I doubt the cops would have known. Easier to survive there and hide among street people than up in the mountains a few years. IIRC when they found him they weren't sure who they had.
I remember the fun I had with an instructor at the vocational school when I joined the National Guards. I had a full beard and had to shave it off. I went to class the next day and he didn't know who I was. It was a fun hour or two that followed LOL.
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