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UPDATES, Jump to: emails or Maria Belen Chapur
So, we all know where he was when he was missing since Thursday. Just in case you haven’t heard. Mark Sanford of South Carolina, disappeared for for days without letting his wife, kids, and state knowing where he is. Today in a serious press conference, semi-confirmed by my string of tweets on twitter, he let us know he has cheated on his wife with a woman in Argentina.
Honestly, the press conference was very touching and though I rarely forgive a cheater, I kind of feel sorry for him. The press conference started with him seriously apologizing to his wife, children and staff. He apologized to people of faith and god. He announced that he is resigning from the Republican Governors Association. Yet, he didn’t resign as governor. He said, when asked that he was not formally separated from his wife. He was very frank in describing his relationship with this woman. Apparently he had a conversation with the woman a while ago about being with her children and getting back with her husband, then they swapped e-mails and connected throughout the year. He knew the woman for 8 years. This was a surprised, though I have typed my concern that his disappearance might have something to do with his marriage, I was still surprised. He definitely gets kudos for admitting this the way he did. Even though I don’t like his policies and thought he was stupid at times, I definitely have respect for a man that owns up to his mistakes like this. I definitely think others will feel the same way and he’ll continue his career in politics. The press conference video of his opening statements, the question and answer section starts in the second video at 1:30.
On another note, Fox News labeled Sanford as a democrat. They are trying too hard to exploit the possible ignorance of their viewers, shame on them. Picture, via Daily Kos
UPDATES
The State obtained and released some e-mails that were exchanged between him and his mistress,
From Gov. Sanford,
Date: Thursday, July 10, 2008, 12:24 a.m.“One, tomorrow leave at 5 a.m. for New York and meetings. Will think about you on its streets and wish I was going to be there later in the month when you are there. Tomorrow night back to Philadelphia for the start of the National Governor’s Conference through the weekend. Back to Columbia for Tuesday and then on Wednesday, as I think I had told you, taking the family to China, Tibet, Nepal, India, Thailand and then back through Hong Kong on world wind tour. Few days home then to Bahamas for 5 days on a friend’s boat for the last break of the summer. The following weekend have been asked to spend it out in Aspen, Colorado with McCain – which has kicked up the whole VP talk all over again in the press back home …
Two, mutual feelings …. You have a particular grace and calm that I adore. You have a level of sophistication that so fitting with your beauty. I could digress and say that you have the ability to give magnificent gentle kisses, or that I love your tan lines or that I love the curve of your hips, the erotic beauty of you holding yourself (or two magnificent parts of yourself) in the faded glow of the night’s light – but hey, that would be going into sexual details …
Three and finally, while all the things above are all too true – at the same time we are in a hopelessly – or as you put it impossible – or how about combine and simply say hopelessly impossible situation of love. How in the world this lightening strike snuck up on us I am still not quite sure. As I have said to you before I certainly had a special feeling about you from the first time we met, but these feelings were contained and I genuinely enjoyed our special friendship and the comparing of all too many personal notes …
Lastly I also suspect I feel a little vulnerable because this is ground I have never certainly never covered before – so if you have pearls of wisdom on how we figure all this out please let me know… In the meantime please sleep soundly knowing that despite the best efforts of my head my heart cries out for you, your voice, your body, the touch of your lips, the touch of your finger tips and an even deeper connection to your soul.”
——————–
From Maria,
Wednesday, July 9, 2008 8:14 p.m.“As I told you I shouldn’t have done this trip but I would have felt worst if I wouldn’t have come because it was too over the date, he is a very nice guy, great heart … but unfortunately I am not in love with him … You are my love … something hard to believe even for myself as it’s also a kind of impossible love, not only because of distance but situation. Sometimes you don’t choose things, they just happen… I can’t redirect my feelings and I am very happy with mine towards you.”
——————–
From Gov. Sanford,
Tuesday, July 8, 1:42 a.m.“Got back an hour ago to civilization and am now in Columbia after what was for me a glorious break from reality down at the farm. No phones ringing and tangible evidence of a day’s labors. Though I have started every day by 6 this morning woke at 4:30, I guess since my body knew it was the last day, and I went out and ran the excavator with lights until the sun came up. To me, and I suspect no one else on earth, there is something wonderful about listening to country music playing in the cab, air conditioner running, the hum of a huge diesel engine in the back ground, the tranquillity that comes with being in a virtual wilderness of trees and marsh, the day breaking and vibrant pink coming alive in the morning clouds – and getting to build something with each scoop of dirt.”
Maria Belen Chapur, here she is reporting in New York
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Sensico, you are way too kind. I for one am getting tired of Dr. Phil confessionals masquerading as press conferences. As usual, the cover up is worse than the original offense, and in this case (hiking) pretty laughable.
I have trouble feeling sorry for him. Just looks like some more life-as-a-reality-show.
One step we have to take is to recognize lots of guys cheat … the pols need to deal with it privately and keep us out of it.
Yeah, he probably would have been better off not saying he was hiking during the same time there’s naked hiking in the Appalachian, I think that made the search for him all the more important.
And he definitely brought the people into his life once he left his state unattended and lied about it, but I still feel sorry for him, or more so respect for admitting it the way he did.
Sensico, this is almost too good to be true for Democrats. The Republicans seems to be losing it completely — I hope this continue through 2012.
I am however saddened for Sanford’s wife and sons. They are victims of Gov Sanford’s affair and what seems like a meltdown.
Sanford handled this past 6 days poorly. How could he have not given his staff enough information so that they could have covered his ass? Then his ‘disappearance’ would not have had the intrigue it did and would not have created its own mystery series. Since Monday reporters have been asking “Where is Governor Sanford?” The story took on a life of its own that was so unnecessary. Sanford was sloppy and stupid.
I do love his wife’s response when she was asked where he was, she simply said: “I don’t know and don’t care.”
Good for her.
It definitely seems as if he had a breakdown of sorts, I mean, he went all the way to Argentina to cry about having an affair when he was already seperated from his wife so he could have just cried at home alone. Anyways, I highly doubt he was just crying.
His staff is probably pissed, I mean it has to be a shinning moment for them whenever they can cover up for a politician and this time Sanford just left them hanging.
Jenny Sanford was great throughout this situation. Even if she decides to stay with him, she’s probably the only cheated on wife of a politician that I can respect.
Spitzer? Clinton? Frank?
What is ironic is that if a Dem does it, no one thinks much on it, after all, its a Dem. Of course, when a Dem does, they seem to do it grand fashion, violating laws and such…
It’s called hypocrisy. Sanford blasted Clinton and tried to promote family values. And he goes and cheats on this wife and leaves his kids on father’s day. nuff said.
Joe, your reference to Frank puzzles me. Is it documented that Frank (I assume you mean Barney), a homosexual, has ever had a steady partner and if so, when did he cheat on him?
Bah!
This whole nonsense about not being in control of your feelings is BUNK!
Gov. Sanford is an adult, not a teenager.
“You don’t choose things, they just happen.” That applies when a tree falls on your car, the power goes out while you’re writing your opus, etc.. When you’re taking your clothes off with someone else’s spouse, rather than your own, you chose it!
He admitted this AFTER he left the state in a mess for the extended weekend … that’s not class, that’s being caught.
I stick with my BAH!
Ha! You’re right, the more I keep thinking about it, the less I feel sorry for him cause he did kind of do a “where’s waldo” type thing.
But he seemed so needed-to-feel-sorry-for(ish). I just like the fact that he did it this way instead of being caught first, though, I’m sure he would have eventually gotten caught. If the reports are true and he did this on tax payer dollars, then he’s done. That state is going through so much and using S. Carolinian’s money is a slap in the face for a guy that wants to reject stimulus funds because he’s a “fiscal conservative”
how dumb can you people be! He WAS caught! At the airport coming back from Argentina! He knew he was dead in the water about this affair and gave his stupid hypocritical press conferance AFTER being caught.
Joe,
Ummm … for the record …
Clinton was kind of a big deal. There was quite a bit of news coverage. He was impeached. Maybe you missed that.
Spitzer resigned, with quite a bit of media uproar.
Since I don’t know anything about Frank except that he’s gay, I can’t comment there.
The Republican Party, though, apparently in its support of traditional family values, seems to keep its people in place. There was pressure for Craig to resign, but that’s gone away. Vitter is still going strong. Gingrich is making a comeback. Dick Morris revived his career by becoming a Republican.
You’re reciting talking points, but the facts just don’t check out.
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