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South Carolina Governor to Return to Office Wednesday
WSJ ^

Posted on 06/23/2009 12:46:03 PM PDT by Chet 99

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.

"It would be fair to say the governor was somewhat taken aback by all of the interest this trip has gotten," spokesman Joel Sawyer said in a statement. "The governor communicated to us that he plans on returning to the office tomorrow."

Mystery surrounding Mr. Sanford's whereabouts prompted some elected officials on Monday to consider temporarily transferring power to another state official. The governor, fresh from a battle with Obama administration officials and opponents in his state over $700 million in federal stimulus funds that he tried to refuse, took off on Thursday in a sport-utility vehicle normally driven by a bodyguard, turned off his mobile phone, and stopped communicating with his office, family and close political allies. Several said they didn't know where he was. His wife said he had taken off for some peace and quiet to write.

After declining for hours to reveal his location, Mr. Sanford's governor's office disclosed late Monday night that he was hiking along the Appalachian Trail and was difficult to reach.

Mr. Sawyer said Monday his office knew how to reach the governor, if needed, though allies said their phone calls were going straight to voicemail. Mr. Sawyer said at the time that the governor was taking time to "recharge" and "to work on a couple of projects that have fallen by the wayside."

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: US: South Carolina
KEYWORDS: sanford
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To: Chet 99

Maybe he checked himself into rehab or something like that.


21 posted on 06/23/2009 1:12:35 PM PDT by Cementjungle
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To: RexBeach
"Does his not love his wife?"

Or kids? He missed celebrating father's day with them which is rather strange. Couldn't he have waited a week for his nature hike?

22 posted on 06/23/2009 1:16:55 PM PDT by Mila
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To: Robbin
If my wife didn't know where I was for five hours (forget about five days), I would have some ‘splanin’ to do.
23 posted on 06/23/2009 1:17:54 PM PDT by riverdawg
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To: riverdawg

“If my wife didn’t know where I was for five hours (forget about five days), I would have some ‘splanin’ to do.”

Word, my friend.


24 posted on 06/23/2009 1:18:32 PM PDT by Slapshot68
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To: Chet 99
...took off on Thursday in a sport-utility vehicle normally driven by a bodyguard, turned off his mobile phone, and stopped communicating with his office, family and close political allies.

...was surprised to learn that his disappearance was garnering significant attention...

, If he does not think runnning off for an entire weekend without telling ANYONE (including his family) where he was going, is unusual behavior, worthy of "garnering significant attention", then he must be insane.

25 posted on 06/23/2009 1:19:55 PM PDT by WayneS (Respect the 2nd Amendment; Repeal the 16th)
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To: dead

Good point! I had not thought of that. Thanks.


26 posted on 06/23/2009 1:21:10 PM PDT by WayneS (Respect the 2nd Amendment; Repeal the 16th)
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To: LdSentinal

Stankapotamous armpit hair hippie chicks!


27 posted on 06/23/2009 1:25:15 PM PDT by Rebelbase
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To: Slapshot68

Oh c’mon people. At worst this is just a PR snafu that his opponents (including the Lt. Governor) are using to derail any national ambitions.

IMHO, his senior staff and the Mrs. always knew where he was and how to reach him, but didn’t do a good job of communicating to the press.


28 posted on 06/23/2009 1:27:12 PM PDT by Corin Stormhands ("Failed Obama Administration" (TM))
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To: gathersnomoss
A missing Mark Sanford trumps a murdered Iranian woman any day, right American Politburo?

Something like that.

29 posted on 06/23/2009 1:30:51 PM PDT by kesg
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To: Chet 99
Hey, Jesus went into the wilderness to get away. Not saying that the governor is Jesus, just that what he did -- if that's really what he did -- is not unprecedented.

I think this is a big political and media smear job. He stood up to politicians in his own state, a la Palin, and he stood up (God forbid) to Obama.

So of course he must be destroyed.

I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, and even admire him for being his own man. And if his wife didn't like it, that's between him and his wife.
30 posted on 06/23/2009 1:31:26 PM PDT by hemogoblin
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To: Chet 99

This is 100% an attempt to take him out of the 2012 race. Nothing else.

He’s done it before.


31 posted on 06/23/2009 1:32:42 PM PDT by HarryCaul (Verify Possums! Pogo's Enemy is Us!)
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To: Robbin

Why is everyone believing the wife didnt know where he was. The wife is under no obligation to share anything with the media. And, as a private person, she is just as able to lie to media as anyone else is.

My guess is that if someone needed to get to him, they could have.

I have been in a position where I needed to be “accessible” day or night (I used to be involved with corporate mergers, and those keep odd hours.) Letting people know where you are, and under what conditions you want to be disturbed is not brain surgery.

Does the guy get vacation?

Give him a break.


32 posted on 06/23/2009 1:36:00 PM PDT by Vermont Lt (Ein Volk, Ein Riech, Ein Ein.)
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To: Chet 99

I don’t blame him at all for wanting to get away from the Office of Governor. For all intents and purposes, the Office and the State has lost it’s sovereignty, thanks to ‘dictator’ occupying the Oval Office.

It wouldn’t surprise me if ‘governor’ Sanford held a news conference announcing he is vacating his office because it is longer a position that is viable because the state is now being run from washington.


33 posted on 06/23/2009 1:37:31 PM PDT by RetSignman (DEMSM: "If you tell a big enough lie, frequently enough, it becomes the truth")
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To: hemogoblin

“I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, and even admire him for being his own man. And if his wife didn’t like it, that’s between him and his wife. “

I also admire him for being his own man. But I don’t admire him for leaving his family without any way of getting in touch with him.


34 posted on 06/23/2009 1:44:12 PM PDT by Slapshot68
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To: Slapshot68
I also admire him for being his own man. But I don’t admire him for leaving his family without any way of getting in touch with him.

Again, that's between him and his family.
35 posted on 06/23/2009 1:51:21 PM PDT by hemogoblin
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To: hemogoblin

But it speaks volume of his character, which at least I, take into consideration when considering someone to represent me.


36 posted on 06/23/2009 1:52:07 PM PDT by Slapshot68
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To: Vermont Lt
hemogoblin, HarryCaul and VermontLt --- your combined responses probably reach the truth of the matter. This story is "strange" only to those who believe all people should think, act, and relate in one way only; i.e., their way.
37 posted on 06/23/2009 1:53:35 PM PDT by Walrus (If at first you don't secede, try, try again.)
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To: Slapshot68

I got the impression from the story that the family was not panicking or filing missing-persons reports. If it’s OK with them, it’s OK with me ... a guy can go away for a few days.


38 posted on 06/23/2009 1:58:07 PM PDT by hemogoblin
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To: Walrus
LOL

Going walkabout IS NOT a crime.

Perhaps he have carried one of these

39 posted on 06/23/2009 1:59:30 PM PDT by ASOC (Who IS that fat lady, and why is she singing?????)
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To: hemogoblin

Cool. I agree he has a right to go away. I would even say any man has a right to get away for a while, even from his family. But I wouldn’t be out of communication with them. That’s a bit odd to me...especially when you have children.


40 posted on 06/23/2009 2:02:17 PM PDT by Slapshot68
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