Sanford's Affair "Blew Me Away," Longtime Pal Says

By: Daniel Carty
Topics: State Politics

Tom Davis, South Carolina state senator and former chief of staff of Gov. Mark Sanford, said his former boss' confessed affair with an Argentinian woman "blew me away."

Sanford went out of his way to apologize to Davis at Wednesday's mea culpa news conference, in which he admitted to cheating on his wife with a woman named Maria.

The confession came after Sanford was caught returning from a five-day trip to Argentina, during which his staff claimed he was hiking in the Appalachian mountains.

Davis said he was "tremendously surprised" by the admission in an interview with CBS' The Early Show Thursday.

As Sanford awaits the political fallout, Davis said he thinks the governor can weather the storm, saying South Carolinians had a "tremendous capacity for forgiveness."

"Now, I think the South Carolina people also have a fine nose for hypocrisy," Davis told Early Show co-anchor Harry Smith. "So the next few days are going to tell the tale about whether or not Gov. Sanford is sincere in terms of taking responsibility for his actions, and the pain he's caused the people."

"And knowing the man that he is, I think he will make that case, and I think the South Carolina people will give him a chance."

When pressed by Smith on whether Sanford's support for President Bill Clinton's impeachment in 1998 following an affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky, Davis said that "as reprehensible as Gov. Sanford's actions were … let's remember the grounds for impeachment for President Clinton was for lying under oath."

"We're all human," Davis said. "We all have failings."

Predict: Mark Sanford's Future
Will Mark Sanford still be governor of South Carolina on Labor Day?

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by HAIRYONETOOOO June 26, 2009 10:42 AM EDT: MOST OF THE PEOPLE IN SC ARE BIGOT AND HYPROCRITES AND WILL PROBABLY GIVE HIM A PASS, AFTER ALL IT WASN'T LOVE AND BETRAYING HIS WIFE IT FAMILY, HE WAS PAYING FOR IT~~; Reply to this comment


by HAIRYONETOOOO June 26, 2009 10:39 AM EDT: mR. DAVIS SAYS WE'RE ALL HUMAN AND WE MAKE MISTAKES, THATS NOT WHAT THEY WERE SPOUTING ABOUT BILL CLINTON. I HOPE THEY IMPEACH HIM.

HE IS QUITE HOMELY AND HAD TO GO ALL THE WAY TO ARGENTINA TO LINE UP A DATE, I WONDER HOW MUCH HE PAID HER PER TRICK??; Reply to this comment

by realitychec6 June 25, 2009 4:04 PM EDT

... boy, everybody's enjoying this story! ... better than a daytime soap, eh? Yeah, it has all the ingredients. Folks just slurp this slop up, don't they! Seriously, the political party has little to do with these male politicians' activities... I think they think these privileges go along with the territory. Women go after these types of men and men are easily seduced.

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by specialty8 June 25, 2009 4:14 PM EDT: good post,look at the fun the Kennedy boys had with some attractive women.


by specialty8 June 25, 2009 4:00 PM EDT: Why don't all you Obamabots go over to the articals about the GDP,the stock market and the price of oil and spread your love on those subjects instead of this stuff?; Reply to this comment


by nirak2-2009 June 25, 2009 4:00 PM EDT: Maybe just as many Dems are unfaithful, but at least they don't act like they are above everyone else and condemn others like Sanford did; Reply to this comment


by jxknowles June 25, 2009 3:30 PM EDT: Great. Now the Luv Guv is blowing his friends. Can't this guy get enough?; Reply to this comment


by o_nolan1 June 25, 2009 2:08 PM EDT: How do solve a problem like Maria?????; Reply to this comment


by blog_fever2 June 25, 2009 2:01 PM EDT: by stuart2021 June 25, 2009 6:33 AM PDT
Christianity has NOTHING to do with this at all. Harry (whomever that is) has nothing to do with this.

This is about an elected official who willingly abandoned his sworn oath to serve the citizens of SC. He fled from his responsibilities in a most unusual way. On those grounds he should be deemed unfit to serve as governor of any state.

Republicans have no testicular fortitude. They are WEAK! They cannot make wise decisions!
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I disagree.... this story headline was based on his adulterous actions first, the elected official taglines were secondary. He is in trouble mainly because he had an affair, not because he left office. If he had disappeared to Argentina, for example, to see a dying relative without telling anyone, when he got back it would not be as big as a story.... This story is blown out of proportion because it has to do with an illicit affair. Adultery is a Christian principle sin btw.....; Reply to this comment


by t1963b June 25, 2009 1:18 PM EDT: I don't think it's a republican or democrat issue -- I think it's a power issue. These people have these positions of power and think it entitles them to do whatever they want with no consequences. Unfortunately for them, a position of power doesn't mean they have a bit of common sense - otherwise they'd all know better by now than to put it down in emails!; Reply to this comment


by pjk12354 June 25, 2009 12:04 PM EDT: It is really tough to feel sorry for a sleazy politician who cheats on his wife & family on Father's Day weekend.

Talk about crocadile tears............what a pathetic piece of crap!; Reply to this comment