Mark Sanford then…
This is “very damaging stuff,” Sanford declared at one point, when details of Clinton’s conduct [with Monica Lewinsky] became known. “I think it would be much better for the country and for him personally [to resign]… I come from the business side,” he said. “If you had a chairman or president in the business world facing these allegations, he’d be gone.” Explaining his decision to back impeachment articles against Clinton, he added, “I think what he did in this matter was reprehensible… I feel very comfortable with my vote [to impeach the president].”
Mark Sanford now…
A House panel has voted against a resolution impeaching Gov. Mark Sanford for abandoning his duties and abuse of power, all but closing the door on lawmakers removing Sanford from office. The seven-member panel, instead, voted unanimously to censure Sanford, which means the General Assembly would admonish Sanford for his behavior. But, Sanford would get to serve the rest of his term, which has roughly one year remaining.
The Republican General Assembly would rather have a philandering straight guy as Governor than have the “bachelor” Lieutenant Governor replace him.
But that’s not really the point, @1. The point is that Sanford is a hypocrite. By suggesting that Clinton should “resign” over his affair, he implied that that is the appropriate response for a politician in a position of power, when it is found that he has behaved “reprehensibly.”
Until, of course, the shoe is on the other foot, and it’s his own job on the line for “reprehensible” behavior.
I can’t think of a single current American politician who isn’t swine. It sucks. I’m going to stick to reading icanhascheezburger.
@2 – I don’t disagree. The same hypocrisy present in Sanford is also present in the South Carolina legislature who refuse to impeach him, though they no doubt would have agreed with the impeachment of Clinton by the US Congress if they were around at the time.
Had they chose to impeach Sanford, the very gay faced Lieutenant Gov. Andre Bauer would serve as governor in his stead during the process, and to the good ol’ boys in the Assembly, that would be even worse.
I have no doubt that had the Governor been a Democrat, those impeachment articles would have been drafted and passed by that same Republican-controlled Assembly within 2 weeks and the trial would have been completed in another 2. Or even faster. (And no, I’m not saying that Democrats in a similar situation would have been much better).
I live in SC and this is my take.
Sanford is a hypocrite, plain and simple. A democrat would have been run out on a rail months ago.
The real reasons impeachment isn’t going to happen:
1) He’s in the last year of his term and there is only a six month legislative session.
2) Andre Bauer is a candidate for governor and no one wants to give him a leg up.
3) Andre Bauer is also a complete dirtbag. I never heard the gay rumors until this year, but that doesn’t even enter into it. He has had a few instances of bad judgment in regards to speeding (in excess of 110mph) and using his office to avoid punishment. Then there is the other matter of him crashing a plane by taking off at too steep an angle with not enough airspeed and then suing the manufacturer of the airplane after the FAA found the pilot at fault. Then there is the stuff that doesn’t bother the legislature, like pandering to the religious right at every step of the way (see the Christian Themed license plate deal) which Sanford tended to avoid.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/André_Bauer
The quote from the judge throwing out the plates:
“The “I Believe” Act had its genesis in Lieutenant Governor Andre Bauer’s desire to do here what had been unsuccessful in the state of Florida–to gain legislative approval of a specialty plate promoting the majority religion: Christianity. Whether motivated by sincerely held Christian beliefs or an effort to purchase political capital with religious coin, the result is the same. The statute is clearly unconstitutional and defense of its implementation has embroiled the state in unnecessary (and expensive) litigation.”
Now Andre runs around the state talking about christians losing their first amendment rights.