Sanford Survives as GOP Votes to Censure

Politico: S.C. Republican Party's Decision to Censure Gov., Not Call for Resignation, May Ensure Sanford's Political Survival

(The Politico)  This story was written by Andy Barr and Jonathan Martin

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The South Carolina Republican Party voted to censure Gov. Mark Sanford Monday, rather than call for his resignation, an outcome that makes it likely the GOP governor will be able to weather the storm surrounding his extramarital affair and remain in office.

The vote of the state GOP executive committee took place late Monday night following a nearly four-hour-long conference call and three rounds of ballots aimed at getting a majority of the committee to either censure, support or ask the governor to resign.

The censure finally agreed to by the committee called the governor's behavior a breach of "the public’s trust and confidence in his ability to effectively perform the duties of his office."

Sanford was also criticized by the committee for failing to adhere to the "core principles and beliefs" of the Republican Party, though the censure noted that "barring further revelation" Monday's action would be "the party’s last word on the matter."

The final vote was 22 to censure, 10 calling for resignation and 9 supporting the governor.

"The events of the past two weeks have been as divisive as they have been disappointing for Republicans. But today has brought a large measure of resolution to a sad chapter in our State Party’s history," South Carolina GOP Chairman Karen Floyd said in a statement following the vote. "Republicans came together to speak with a unified voice, and now is the time for healing."

Though Monday’s vote does not have had any binding effect on the governor, it serves as a sign that even many of Sanford’s enemies among the state party establishment may no longer have the will to continue calling for his resignation, barring any unforeseen or additional disclosures about the governor’s personal life.

For Sanford, it was an improbable outcome after events last week left him with a tenuous grip on the governorship. In a tell-all interview with the Associated Press last Tuesday, he referred to his Argentine mistress as his “soul mate” and confessed having “crossed lines” with a handful of other women, admissions that proved so damaging that more than half the Republican state Senate caucus called for him to step down in the aftermath.

But the party vote Monday night and a series of other factors have provided him with some breathing room, if not ensured his outright political survival, according to top South Carolina Republicans.

First, there is his obstinate nature. Sanford has long bucked the political establishment and made plain that he has no intent to resign, no matter what his fellow Republicans think is best for the party and state.

“He can dig in and take a pounding,” said former state GOP chairman Katon Dawson.

A GOP state legislator recalled that the iconoclastic Sanford has never feared being a lonely voice, whether as the sole opposing vote in Congress or as governor.

“He does not mind being the one guy,” said this legislator. “He doesn’t care, just doesn’t give a hoot.”

And, after divulging too much to the AP, Sanford has wisely clammed up. He didn’t appear at a press availability on port security Monday near Charleston with Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and his office would only issue a statement reiterating his plan to stay in office.

Widespread concern about the most immediate consequence of Sanford’s resignation also worked to his advantage. While many Republican officials would like to see the governor save the state any more embarrassment, they worry about elevating Lt. Gov Andre Bauer, a fellow Republican with a record of his own erratic behavior in the past.

"It appears that the Republican establishment is more concerned about the next election than they are the next 18 months," said one prominent state politician and a Sanford critic. “They seem mor focused on keeping Andre Bauer from assuming the governorship than ensuring that someone serves effectively.”

Even those close to Sanford recognize that apprehension over the prospect of Bauer - never an ally to the governor - are part of the reason there haven’t been louder and more strenuous calls on him to resign.

And no two voices have been more noticeably absent than those of the state’s two Republican senators, Jim DeMint and Lindsey Graham.

Both have had candid private conversations with the governor about his political standing and DeMint said last week on television that Sanford needed to “do the right thing.”

But neither has said publicly that Sanford ought to resign - a golden silence that those advising the governor believe has prevented a critical mass of Republicans from forming to force Sanford out.

Then there are the procedural hurdles. Even if there was a critical mass calling for his departure, Sanford has an ace in the hole: absent a felony, it’s very difficult to force a South Carolina governor to resign.

The legislature is out of session until January, for one thing, and lawmakers have not yet indicated any real appetite for impeachment.

[babooph]

No need to resign,like ole "wide stance " & others he should be left as a reminder for the next elections of the "Christian" supported family values guys-the US south is great fodder for the late night comedy guys too!

[toldyouso29]

Details of the emails about Argentina and the Governor's travel plans are now surfacing. he already reimbursed the state for mistress time spent at taxpayer expense. Now emails show there are a bit more with him not ending a trip in Cordoba and stopping in Brazil but insisting on going alone to Argentina even though his delegation stopped with Brazil, these same emails show that he refused an organized Argentinian trip in lieu of him on his own and maybe that was so he could be with his sweetie. Sanford also requested one day in Argentina open.

The REAL question that no one is asking is what Business does South Carolina have with S. America or Argentina? What are the exports/imports or business deals? Or are these all junkets so Sanford and his staff can dip their wicks at tax payer expense? Usually such business deals are the purview of federal government and exports or imports not the purview of individual states--so what Business did SC EVER have with Argentina or Uruguay or Brazil in the first place and what are the net results for SC since that is one of the poorest, most illiterate states in the US?

Jobs coming to SC? Outsourcing? Everyone is talking about misspending a night or two at the taxpayer expense--perhaps the ENTIRE trip--all of them EACH year were a waste and just a chance for some vacation time for government employees. Maybe each male in SC gov has a little bit on the side in the Latin Continent, eh? Certainly, if any other person had used company money to see a mistress or mister--they would be out of a job and would most likely face criminal charges--but governors...like Presidents and VPs, and Congress and Judges and Lawyers are SPEICAL people--too good and too far above the law to get any thing except a little "rebuke or censure" and get to keep their job--and we say all men are equal above the law? In SC if anyone embezzles funds--let them invoke the "Sanford clause" and if a man lies to his employers and has sex on company time--let him invoke the Clinton, Gingrich, Guiliani, Vitter, SAnford, Spitzer, Foley or other clause that is applicable.

Tell them, they can't fire you--but only censure you and if they fire you anyway--take it all the way to the Supreme Court citing the treatment of Sanford, Ensign and others--either all men are equal or they are not--but it appears there is an elite group in America above the rest of us--and there also appears to be a % of Americans ignorant and weak enough to accept and defend this inequity.

[earlysaid]

Whatever. The scorn is always worse for republicans who cheat because this is the party of hypocrites with their noses in the air. Democrats don't like cheaters, but we do care more about other things like their doing a good job and never having been a snob who acted holier-than-thou.

[toldyouso29]

That is just not true. Barney Frank, Reid's scandal, the Clinton's scandal, Murtha..the list goes on and on . Both sides manage to keep their key players afloat no matter what. On the Republican side--DeLay was drummed out of office, so was Guiliani, Gingrich, Foley, Cunningham, and others tied to Abramoff. The real deal is that power corrupts--and when it does, no matter if the emblem is the elephant or the donkey, key persons move in to defend, deflect and protect other key members. That is why there should be term limits--so people do not get so chummy and comfortable nor accrue so much power that they can stay in office no matter what they do.

I would bet that another reason Sanford will not be impeached is that he has the goods on some of those Senators who probably have their own mistresses in the wings and do not want to be called out--and Sanford is crazy enough and brazen enough to call them out.

[cbsantispin]

This is one area where Republicans have Democrats beat hands down, Republicans always seems to survive scandals and in most cases survive unscathed, whereas scandals seem to be a political death sentence for Democrats, therefore Republicans do have something to cheer about.

[rednomo]

Since Senator Ensign's unrelenting affair with a woman on one of his staffs married to a man on another of his staffs became public, much attention has been drawn to the Skull and Bones like secret society of self-appointed "Christian Super Men" who are part of the Ubermensch "Family."

Ensign may eventually face legal charges for financial transactions related to his affair -- as well as sexual harassment charges -- but in his "C Street Family" sanctuary, he is a welcome man. Even Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, who believes that doctors who perform abortions should be executed and lesbianism is rampantly "afflicting" grammar school girls, "allegedly" counseled Ensign on how to cover up his prolonged and unrepentant sexual dalliance that was virtually incestuous. Coburn too, is a member and resident of "The Family" home, which is religiously incorporated, near Capitol Hill.

Of course, Mark Sanford is a regular guest at "The Family" residence and "worship" center when in D.C., seeking guidance on how to be a "King David" (as he recently called himself) who was allowed his sins because he, "The Family" members believe, has been chosen by God, in the name of Christ, to lead the ignorant masses.

The members and residents at the "C Street Family" home and spiritual warrior center forgive each other all sins, because they believe themselves supermen. They are the Leopold and Loebs of modern evangelical fanaticism, which absolves individuals who believe that they have been absolved by God from responsibility for their behavior.

In fact, they even consider that they suffer for their sins because they are attacked for simply living the life without limits that God allows them in turn for their "enlightened-divine" leadership of "strength and conviction."

On her MSNBC program, the brilliant and endlessly insightful Rachel Maddow this week featured skilled journalist Jeff Sharlet, author of "The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power," and his revelations were about as frightening as reading "Mein Kampf."

The jig is up for democracy if any of these men who use religion to allow for being above the moral and actual law becomes president; Bush, after all, thought he was chosen by God, when it was just the ethically defective and arrogant Antonin Scalia who put him in the White House.

America's always had a streak of charlatan religious hucksters run a mile wide through its history, but men of power who think that they are accountable to no one because God has annointed them to be almighty -- in rule and sin, these are political terrorists to democracy in our midst.

They are just self-righteous, hubristic, terribly flawed and lacking men with clay feet.

But so were so many tyrants and enemies of democracy throughout history.

We endure them in elected office at grave risk to our Constitutional foundations.

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