(CNN) – South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, just back from a secret trip to Argentina unknown to his staff or his wife, admitted Wednesday he has carried on an extramarital affair.
"I've been unfaithful to my wife," Sanford told a news conference in Columbia, the state capital. "I developed a relationship with what started as a dear, dear friend from Argentina."
His voice choking at times, Sanford apologized to his wife and four sons, his staff and supporters, and said he would resign immediately as head of the Republican Governors Association.
The affair was discovered five months ago, Sanford said.
From CNN Politics
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boys will be boys
For all of you ripping him as a person of faith, we are all just human and we make mistakes. Clinton and Edwards are men of faith and we know what they did, so get off your high horse.
You know what would be a truly startling press conference:
A politician standing before the cameras to announce that he/she is not cheating on their spouse.
Let's hear it for Eliott Spitzer, John Edwards, John Ensign, Ted Kennedy, Gary Condit, et al.
This is so fun to watch the GOP implosion. Two republican 'leaders' in one week admitting to an affair. Fantastic!
It is time for Sanford to resign. Inexcusable.
What a maggot. I have less than no respect for people who are unfaithful to their spouses.
Next we'll here from his wife that he came clean and it has actually made their marriage stronger. That's what Senator John Ensign said last week too. That seems to be the standard line for the party of family values.
This just keeps getting better and better.
Are any of these clowns doing the jobs they're getting paid for? Or is it just playtime at the office.
No surprises here. Hopefully he is as much man as Spitzer and resigns his position. It is apparent that he is more concerned being with the other women than paying attention to the responsibilities of the SC Governors Job.
Of course he's being honest! He got caught.
To all of your calling Sanford a hypocrit, that's your right! Were you just as outraged when it was Spitzer, Edwards or Clinton? Or could it be you are just trying to politicize this because he is a republican? Either way another family being torn apart! Nothing political about that!
I feel sorry for his wife, children and the hard working, tax paying people of South Carolina.
Gotta love those Southern Christan Family Values those Republicans are always bragging about huh!
Soon CNN will have to start reporting who's actually faithful to his wife instead of who's cheating. Who's cheating is pretty much everyone with money and power
Even though it's fun for me to see another preacher of morality get caught.. I still don't believe this should be anyone's business but his family's.
I had a feeling it was either re-hab self-check-in or an affair. It's just classic hypocrisy that a "Family Values" pushing Repug would miss the opportunity to spend Father's Day with his four sons to be with his mistress. HA!!!
Add another to the GOP Hall of Shame! Move over, Ensign. (GOPers: let us make this clear, his shame is his *hypocracy* so don't even THINK about handing us that "What about Bill Clinton" crap)
This get more comical by the day. Where are the Republican cries for his impeachment, or resignation? What's the matter governor GRITS aren't good enough for you? Did you take the state jet on this international hike?
The governor's indiscretion has nothing to do with his party affiliation. Dems are just as bad as repubicans on such matters. Unfortunately, at this time republicans are looking worse and worse. We need strong drama free people running the government–repubicans and dems– working together to fix this country. I'm a democrat, but it's dangerous to have just one party running everything.
I feel bad for his family though. He's in the public eye and what should be dealt with in private has now become everyone's business. Hopefully, this scandal won't take away from the real and important issues that actually impact the country.
Honestly there needs to be more women in politics than men since women take their jobs and marriages more serous than alot of these men and marriage vows are held to a higher standard with women than some of these men running our goverment
I know both parties have these kind of people but Republicans, Consevatives / Right wingers are the most hypocrites in doing these act in private before they are caught. Democtrat tend not to profess moral rightness in this social acts!
Is an extramarital affair now a prereq for running on the Republican ticket?
Infidelity knows no boundary between the political parties. Cheaters are cheaters, no matter which party they are in. Power corrupts. I think it is high time we as the general public clean house on the state and federal gov't. The vast majority of Americans are moderates in both parties, but the extremes of both parties are the ones who get the most press. Elementary school students could do a better job of making decisions and compromising with each other than our gov't does.
Oh the trouble we make when we let our little governor do the thinking.
ummmmm so does this mean he wasn't really hiking?
Just a sad, sad story. But anyone who knows politics of South America – there this would be juicy talk, but people would just shrug their shoulders.
The fact that he cheated is a non issue. The fact that he was irresponsible is. The fact that he disrespected his wife and his four sons is. His arrogance is. The fact that he took off and didn't delegate someone to be in charge is. What an idiot. Typical Re-pug.