SC Governor Mark Sanford Was In....Argentina?

I guess it's better than the speculation he was taking part in Nude Hiking Day.

I'm a big fan of Sanford's but this is, um, a little strange.

South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford was in Argentina during a dayslong unexplained absence, not hiking the Appalachian Trail as his staff told the public when state leaders raised questions about his whereabouts, the governor told a newspaper.

The State reported that Sanford arrived Wednesday morning at Atlanta's international airport on a flight from Buenos Aires.

...When The State asked Sanford at the airport why his staff said he was on the Appalachian Trail, Sanford replied, "I don't know."

Sanford later said "in fairness to his staff," he had told them he might go hiking on the Appalachian Trial.

...Sanford, a trim, 49-year-old former real estate investor and Air Force reservist, is typically drained at the end of a legislative session, former aides said. State Sen. Tom Davis, a Beaufort Republican and Sanford's former chief of staff, said he visited with Sanford last Wednesday and could tell the governor was ready for a break.

"It's not unusual to take off and kind of be by himself," Davis said. "It's part of what makes him him."

I get that people, even governors, need a break and the public doesn't have to know where they are 24/7/365 but you do have to leave a note and contact information with someone on your staff (or at least your wife) if you are a governor. Unexpected things happen that governors need to deal with all the time. This isn't the 19th century where government is a part time gig (unfortunately).

For a guy who may have presidential aspirations, having the word out that the SC legislative session leaves you drained and in need of going off the grid for a week is not a good way to introduce yourself to the country.

As I said, I really like Sanford and was looking forward to him running for the nomination in 2012 but he's going to need to be able to make this not seem as flakey as it does right now if he wants to make a go of it.

posted by DrewM. at 09:03 AM

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