Mark Sanford Pleads Case on the Radio; Critics Turn Up the Volume

2 years ago

0 Comments Say Something »

Text Size

Mary C. Curtis

National Correspondent

Author Bio »

Contact Author »

Subscribe :

At least he's not Illinois' Rod Blagojevich.

In an interview Tuesday with a Columbia, S.C., radio station, Gov. Mark Sanford compared himself to governors from across the country who have been impeached. They did some "fairly heinous things," he said. "There's certainly a world of difference between what has happened in those instances and what happened here."

Sanford took questions from listeners on WVOC-AM's "Afternoon Drive Show With Keven Cohen," broadcast live.

It was the latest stop on what has been called Sanford's "apology tour" after he confessed to an extramarital affair with an Argentine friend after leaving the state for five days in June. Through the storms that have followed -- including an investigation by the state Ethics Commission for Sanford's use of state and commercial planes, media questions on his use of campaign funds and calls for him to resign by foes and former friends alike -- the governor has insisted he will stay put.

He said on the radio show that he's answering to a higher power:

"God can use imperfect people to perform his will, and . . . there are imperfect people that perform in all walks of life – whether in the media world, whether in the body politic, whether in the world of business. We have to get up each day and not call it quits based on the mistakes we make in life."

In his comments to a generally sympathetic host and mostly supportive callers, Sanford's optimism about his future extended to his projections about South Carolina's unemployment rate. (At about 12 percent, it is among the highest in the country.) He also dismissed the idea that his troubles will taint the state's GOP in next year's elections.

But while Sanford appealed to the public, one of the most powerful Republicans in South Carolina joined the list of legislators calling on him to resign. In a letter released on Tuesday, S.C. House Speaker Bobby Harrell said:

"Your actions have amounted to a self-inflicted wound that has forced unnecessary suffering on the people of South Carolina. This has placed tremendous stress and uncertainty on the citizens of our state at a time when we need to be focused on more important issues. South Carolina is currently facing a severe economic downturn and we should be focused on job creation, education, the state budget and health care. It is time for you to step aside so that we can get back focused on dealing with the important issues facing the state."

Harrell did not suggest impeachment, and opinion is divided on whether Sanford's absence constitutes the "dereliction of duty" such a charge would require.

With a majority of Republican lawmakers now calling for his resignation and a continuing ethics investigation, Sanford -- though many South Carolinians might wish otherwise -- is hardly done talking.

Filed Under: Democrats, Republicans, Scandal

Tagged: breaking news, BreakingNews, Daily Guidance, DailyGuidance, mark sanford, MarkSanford

Our New Approach to Comments

In an effort to encourage the same level of civil dialogue among Politics Daily’s readers that we expect of our writers – a “civilogue,” to use the term coined by PD’s Jeffrey Weiss – we are requiring commenters to use their AOL or AIM screen names to submit a comment, and we are reading all comments before publishing them. Personal attacks (on writers, other readers, Nancy Pelosi, George W. Bush, or anyone at all) and comments that are not productive additions to the conversation will not be published, period, to make room for a discussion among those with ideas to kick around. Please read our Help and Feedback section for more info.