Sanford returns to SC as Republicans mull his fate

If Republicans want to have any credibility on the family values issue, they have no choice but to call for Sanford's resignation.

Elly July 6th, 2009 11:07 am ET why should he resign? Clinton carried on affairs for years and he nevere resogned Um, Elly, who was one of the most outspoken critics of Clinton? (hint-Sanford) Who insisted that Clinton step down as he could no longer be an effective leader ? (hint-Sanford) . Who is a member of the self righteous "family values" party (hint-Sanford). He needs to practice what he preaches

He should do exactly what he demanded of Clinton: Resign.

[...] missing Father’s Day, I guess. Anyway, state Republicans are keeping busy deciding whether to impeach Sanford now or later. [...]

Luanne You are missing the point..HE LEFT THE STATE without leadership for 5 days...........You think that is OK? WOW

Bella Downell July 6th, 2009 11:02 am ET Aw, just do the democrat No-morals thing and move the family and the mistress all into the governor's mansion and be done with it. According to democrats, it's only bad if you have morals and standards. Aw sweetie, but itt's the Republican thing to do to run around preaching morals and virtue, all the while doing just the opposite yourself.

Gov. Sanford and Sarah Palin need to get together and found a new organization..." Promise Breakers " ....for true Republican Americans.

Ridiculous. Is there nothing people won't organize a protest for in this country? Go to work and shut up. WOLF!!! WOLF!!! A wayward wang is not grounds for resignation or impeachment. If one of these idiots would at least cite the substantive reasons OTHER than him cheating on his wife...such as going AWOL for 5 days and not telling people where he was...then it would all have some credibility, but no...all anyone seems to be concerned about is his inability to resist following his divining rod. Tabloid politics at its best.

How come conservatives have no problem going after Sanford, but Palin is still a saint? I would like it if just one conservative would have the guts to admit that Palin is a moron, and move on. Partisanship is all fine and good, but what is wrong with calling a spade a spade?

This pathetic wad has nothing further to offer as the governor of SC ... he's an embarassment to all the men who take commitments and oaths seriously. He should step down and go write Harlequin Romance novels.

It's no wonder our Senate gets nothing done - they're too busy bible-thumping and running all over the country sticking their noses into State business. Let SC handle the problems they have at the next election.

I just read that Sanford was one of the leaders of the effort to go after Bill Clinton after the Monica Lewinsky affair...if true, such Pharisee-like hypocrisy from a Conservative Christian Republican does not surprise me in the least.

If one woman is ok with his cheating wife, that doesnot qualify him to stay as a governor this is bull crap people.

SLAMMER!!!! Karma is a wonderful thing!

In the words of Donald Trump..."You're Fired!"

This guy needs to get the heck out. What a mess the GOP has become.

who would ever trust this man now?

why should he resign? Clinton carried on affairs for years and he nevere resogned. How about Kennedy? How many affairs did he have and why did he leave the site of the accident all those yrs ago in Chappaquidick? He never resigned or was ever forced to resign.

Send him back to High School. He is emotionally a teen-ager in an old man's body. What a joke!

Take a look Sanford, then picture in your minds eye the image of South Carolina's serial killer. Busted!

Really they need a conference call under the cover of night to grow a pair and tell the Governor to resign or face impeachment. Affair aside the guy walked out on his duties to the state for 5 days. In the real world where most of us live thats a case immediate dismissal, not a rambling press conference. How effective a representative could he be at this point?

Aw, just do the democrat No-morals thing and move the family and the mistress all into the governor's mansion and be done with it. According to democrats, it's only bad if you have morals and standards.

The governor should resign.

If you think he's going to resign you're crazy! Look what happened in Minnesota. Republicans are quick to forgive each other, but no one else.....coz the bible tells them so....

This is another story I am sick of being in the news. Why is this guy still in office? The Republican Moral Majority Party should have throw this guy out by now if he has not resigned. They tell everyone else how to live their life, but condone it as long as it is one of their own.

He may very well continue on as the Governor of South Carolina, but his presidential aspirations are ended. The marital problems are between he and his wife. The travel to Argentina without notifying staff or family is between he and his public. I for one do not want a leader that thinks it's OK to disappear. I for one do not want a leader who allows himself to be so distracted by an affair that he completely ignores his responsibilities. I'm sure there are millions of Americans with the same opinion. Mr. Sanford, you should retire and write a book. Your career is over.

Resign, not for cheating on your wife, but for cheating South Carolina for all these years.

He should have stayed in Florida.

Sanford is simply another of the self-righteous, Republican hypocrites that has cloaked himself in family-values and religion while using state funds to finance their "activities". Now rather than disappear into the night as he would have others do under similar circumstances, he is determined to stay in office. The disappearance without contact as he traveled out of the country and the spending of SC state funds for his affair are far more important crimes than adultery. That's between he and his wife.

This idiot needs to be booted from office...not now but RIGHT NOW!!!!!! Stop playing with him...get him out...he's disgraced himself, his state, his family, and the God he (Supposedly) serves...

Sanford should be impeached or at least censured for dereliction of duty - he left the country for a week without turning over governance of the state to the Lt. Governor or providing any means of reaching him in the event of an emergency. Any personal drama is irrelevant and would have never been a problem if not for the dereliction of duty.

What hypcrites this guy and Ensign are, they both said as they slammed others for infidelity they would resign if they ever found themselves in this predicament. They chose to use family values as a platform, so they both need to resign or shut up forever!

Republicans in SC can mull about Governor Sanford all they want for a photo op or some TV face time, but the only person who has control over his fate is Governor Sanford, and I hope he finishes his term. I believe that is what he will do.

At least Jenny wasn't standing behind him on the podium as the dutiful, long-suffering wife ala Vitter when Mark announced his adultery. He and Ensign should stop their hypocritical behavior and just resign. Family value indeed: do these guys havve any self-awareness or sense of decency?

Hey Mark ... Whether you INTEND to leave office or not, your time is over Get over yourself ... Admit to yourself, and to those you care about, just how rediculous your actions have been I will also predict, now that your future in politics is gone ... So is little Maria ... she can find a hundred guys in 5 minutes that out class you

Sanford's sins should speak for themselves. Ethically, we eye him as an enigmatically evil guy, tryin' to make others forget what his misdeeds were. We wonder how he can conduct business, with eye-to-eye conversations among his own staff. His mindset is mystifyin'.

Even when republicans are found guilty they still want to skirt the law. Funny how sanford called on Clinton to resign and demanded his impeachment for lying yet he did the exact same thing and he won't resign. I guess if your a republican it's okay to be hypocritical.

The people of South Carolina have the right to reponsible government, and should know who is running the state and where they are. Should they have to send out a search party whenever loves strikes? Get rid of this blathering fool.

Here in Teabag, S.C., we think he ought to resign because he's a socialist democrat atheist. And biased media.

Governor Sanford should follow the example of the other loser, Palin, and just resign.

Members of the South Carolina Republican Party Your kidding, what about everyone else, just because they can't count votes down here doesn't mean we're all republicans. I'm sure the Good old Boy club will do whats right ( for their party) in their own minds. Think you'll figure this out in 18 months? I haven't heard anyone here support this fool. Whats the delay?

What Govenor Sanford did is sad, but not the unforgiveable sin. Give the guy a chance, his wife has. Far worse things have been done on the Democratic side and swept under the rug. Move on to more important things such as getting us out from under this mountainous debt.

Interesting - it's a political party that is going to ask him to resign or censure him, *NOT* the duly elected reprentatives in the state legislature. I guess *party* is more important than the people of the state...

There are so many destractions by Sandford still staying in office that it might be better for him to leave. This affair disclosure is more distracting to South Carolina than Palin's ethics investigations to Alaska.

What is the penalty for job abandonment? He left the state high and dry with no transfer of power. Is that type of person to be trusted with the fate of the citizens of SC?

Governor Sanford is against clandestine immigration ... but is all for clandestine emigration....

Mark Sanford fell in love. He met "the one." What penalty should he pay for that? It is difficult to meet "the one" after you have married "another one"

I hope he spent his holiday weekend begging and pleading his wife and kids for forgiveness.

Hang on in there Gov Mark Sanford don't quit like Gov Palin. Dont' believe it for the good of the Republican Party. Republican and Democrat need to check themself on this.

Hooray for Peter King. It's about time some one brought this to the surface.