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Bill Clinton made it OKAY to screw around on your wife.
He is treated like a hero now.
No one in the Democratic party wanted to burn him.
Women (NOW) never had a bad thing to say about it.
Seems like it is okay as far as the Dems.

As the slogin goes, "Just Do It". Man up and resign like Spitzer did. Come on, it'll ba an elite club of the unemployed.

I think the people of South Carolina deserve to have a governor who will do something for them, not just serve his own interests.

He needs to step down. The alternative would be to stay and serve as a constant reminder of what is wrong with the republican party.

Looks like Ahmadinejad and Sanford have caught a huge break: The "Michael Jackson is dead story" means the repression abroad and infidelity at home have immediately fallen off our radar screens.

FRANK, NC.
Nice spin on the matter but you are completely wrong.
NO one is cheering for Ensign. Show proof or shut the heck up.
Sanford, just occurred.
Dont worry your boy Edwards will be back on top soon enough.
The Democratic women dont mind anyone screwing around on them. Look at Hillary, it was not going to stop her drive to the top.
We should eliminate all of them Dem or Rep, but it is funny how you would try to put a spin on it.
Unjustified and unsubstantiated. Stop making things up.

Clinton set the precedent that having illicet marital affairs is not grounds for leaving office. Sorry. As long as public funds weren't used for his escapades, let him deal with the consequences with his family.

Lets get this striaght, Sanford had an affair that he admitted to and his wife knew about. He has to resign but Rep Conyers' wife pleaded guilty to conspiracy to bribe people, she is an elected official. I'm waiting for the Newspapers in Detroit and Mich. to call for his resignation.....it may take a while but I have time.

@ LIP.......... BUT ......... Clinton did not leave his job for 5 days. That's the difference, Sanford left his job, no one knew where he was.

NO one keeps their job after being unaccounted for, for 5 days. Let's be realistic.

This is not about adultery, its about his failure to be at work as governor!

I agree, the guy should step down.
He is a mess.
Time to walk away from politics my man.
Get your self together, go to church, and find yourself.
All of these dirty politicians should step down.
Why do we all put up with this crap.

Seems to me there is a criminal offense here in a person stealing from his EMail and having it published. It should not be difficult to learn who that person is and punish them according to law.

I believe he ought to resign. It is not really about his affairs which I have no problem with, that at least makes him human although he has always acted above human, but his non-sense of duty. Even in his apologies, he cited his lover FIRST before his state, wife and kids. Clearly that is where his heart is. His party's governors' association which he stepped aside from is not bigger than his country. If he is wise enough to resign from an association, there is no reason why he cannot be frank enough to leave the State post. And of course follow his heart which is already with Maria.

Sanford should be fired like any of us would be if we were absent from work for 5 days without notice!

Its not about the adultery, its about his failure as governor. What an idiot to ruin his career for a 'skirt'!

There is something really interesting about all the scandals that we have had on both sides. Lets review in no particular order.

1. McGreevey (D)- forced to resign

2. Spitzer (D) – forced to resign.

3. John Edwards (D) – Campaign was faltering but now has been ostracized and has no political future.

4. Foley (R) – Forced to resign

5. Ensign (R) – Still in office and was cheered by the republican congressmen and Senators.

6. Sanford (R) – Still in office, no apparent consequences so far.

7. Vitter (R) – Still serving

8. Craig (R) – Served his term and lost elections.

9. Clinton (D) – Impeached but held on to office.

From a review of some of the candidates here is the conclusion.

1. Infidelity and marital dishonesty is not the exclusive realm of any one party. Both are gulity.

2. It seems from above that democrats seem to pay more harshly for their indiscretions than republicans.

When will men ever learn, there are consequences...Sort of like "pay-for-play". It is likely the consequences are not all behind the governor nor his playmate. They will both have to think up some really good answers for their children if not for their spouses.

Orangeburg Times and Spartanburg Herald-Journal – you don't run the state. You don't decide who holds office and who doesn't.

It's the people!

You don't like that he had an affair – live with it!

He left the state without notification – take it up with the legislature!

He left the country without notifying anyone.....The state of South Carolina was unknowingly without a governor for several days... He needs to resign

Sanford has admitted guilt in defrauding the people of South Carolina in using taxpayer money for his personal extramarital affair

AND he has called for "leaders" to be held accountable

It is time for him to be held accountable and law enforcement to arrest him and charge him with fraud

Do we let a bank robber just repay stolen money and go on his merry way?

How did all of these guys get his emails?

Hey – he didn't do anything that Sen. Ensign didn't do. They are both the same.

Ensign doubled his girlfriend's salary and paid her husband and son.

Call for his resignation too. Why is Ensign pushed to the back burner? He did the same things.

If William Jefferson Clinton could have numerous affairs and deny them to the American public with "I did not have sex with that woman, Monica Lewinsky" and then later recant and admit his guilt, but still stay on as President even though there were those that called for his impeachment or resignation, then why should Sanford step down when he did not deny anything, but stepped forward and admitted his affair?
What is good for one party is just as good for another. As the Democrats have said in the past, this is personal and their private life is their own business.

Why is CNN not allowing comments on all these other stories? Is it because they are trying to cover for the republican hypocrisy?

2010 is also heating up in New York, as the GOP has drawn its first gubernatorial candidate (and a famous one at that) while a new poll finds David Paterson and Kirsten Gillibrand are in trouble.

Seems to be the GOP's theme song when things go wrong...X out anyone who fumbles so we don't look bad anymore. If we X him now, no one will remember this incident. Good plan repubs...

Sanford in just three words: Mid-life crisis.

He's also a fool – the only reaons Ms. Argentina hooked up with a married man with four kids is for the publicity, power and money she thought she'd get from the situation. I'm betting she's already been approached with the offer of a book deal ...

He should not resign because of the affair, he should resign because of all the bad polictical judgements he has made over the years.

The affiar thing is bad enough, but Sanford really showed his lack of judgment and irresponsibility by leaving not only the state, but the country without telling anyone where he was going. What if there'd been an emergency in SC while he was playing footsie with his squeeze in Argentina? He's obviously an unstable person, unable to deal with the reality and consequences of his actions.

The good people of SC deserve better.

He ain't going to step down willingly. This guy has double standards.

GOP moral values............What hypocrisy.

I can just see the GOP dragging Bill Clinton out in the news again.

All I have heard lately from the GOP is "NO!" and I'm sorry"

This man supposedly "walked" the high moral ground, what a pitiful example he has set by talking one way and acting another.

Where is Fox News outrage on this guy?

This newspaper couldn't have said it better. People–even elected officails and other politicians–have a right to privavcy in their personal affairs. But when their personal affairs get in the way of their official responsibilities, they need to be held accountable. (And in another realm, politically, when your personal affairs are contrary to your and your party's professed beliefs, you also need to be held accountable. Hopefully, thoughtful Rebuplicans will be able to sort through this.)

Sick of hearing about this man's sex and lies, either fire him or leave him alone.

Again, in the meantime, the House of Representatives under the leadership of Nancy Pelosi and with the encouragement of our lying president who promised no new taxes on the middle class is about to pass the largest tax increase in history, Pelosi still has not apologized or come clean on her claims about CIA lying, Charlie Rangel is still under investigation for tax cheating. When is CNN going to pay attention to some of these stories?

Fair game. Didn't hypocrite Sanford call for his colleagues to step down? I still believe he was with a man. This needs to be investigated throughly. We already know that he's capable of deceit and lying.

It's a good thing newspapers are so objective. Imagine a world where newspapers tried to cover up for the most radical president and congress in the history of the nation while trying to undermine the conservative party. That would be a total disaster. Good thing that will never happen with our completely unbiased media.

Definitely he should go home and stay there with his conservative world.

Once the scandal is out, we wonder how Sanford can funcrtion as a gov. He should quit forthwith.

Not only should Sanford resign, but he should send a letter of apology to President Clinton for his hypocritical support of Clinton's impeachment. Of course, he won't write Clinton, and will only resign if the pressure to do so builds to a breaking point in South Carolina. Sanford represents all that is wrong with the Republican party. He is not the first Republican politician who sought President Clinton's impeachment to go down in moral flames. Only the latest in a long hypocritical list.

He needs to resign. He spent public money for private expenses. It is not sufficient to offer to pay it back. If I steal a 6 pack of beer from the grocery they will not let me go when I offer to pay it back since I got caught. Men all over this country are in jail for stealing less than $100 dollars. These politicians get to the point of thinking they deserve special treatment. Public office is a public trust.

As I understand it, if I were to leave my work position open with no one person designated responsible while I go off on personal business, my employer would consider that grounds for termination and I would be terminated upon my return to work.

Is it different if the person is of a higher pay grade than me?

I think they are right. Even if he had dodged off to Argentina for a trip to a museum, leaving the country with no contact information for his office was completely irresponsible. They are also right that if he feels that he can no longer be an effective leader of the RGA, how is it that he feels he can still be effective as the state's governor?

This sordid affair makes Sanford a dishonest scumbag, but it does not rise to the level of removing him from office, and it really has no bearing on his job as governor. Moreover it is really between him and his wife and really none of our business.

Well, that's what I said about Clinton, so I guess I'd be a huge hypocrite if I said anything different.

Mark step down and work on your family. It is impossible to believe you are not going to be with that other women if you can travel at the taxpayers expense. It would be in your best interest to resign. Go home and comfort your family if you have a family left to help you get over this mess. By staying in office will not help you only hurt.

As an older woman who has often questioned the motives of females who "stand by their man" in today's political climate, just wanted to say that I am really admiring Mrs. Stanford so far. She is showing real strength, in admitting that she is not sure whether she will remain with her husband who is obviously in love with another woman. The thing that life has taught me is when a man or a woman is head over heels in love with someone else, and judging from Gov Sanford's actions he is, there are few occasions when that can be overcome. No matter how much people pretend, when love is gone, love is gone. They and their children will be fine, and everybody will eventually be happier. Life is too short to waste it trying to recapture the past, afterall, we are all just human beings.

Bye bye and dont forget to take TCM with you.

I totally agree with the calls for this sleaze to step down. He " screwed the pooch", got caught and furthermore traveled to see his paramour on that states' taxpayers dime.A criminal investigation is also in order for that alone. Too bad he doesn't want to see the Lt Gov assume the governorship he should have thought about that much more instead of what he did

Besides the fact that he must step down since he lied to his constituents and show a clear lack of judgement (he also demanded that Clinton step down for lying too) he clearly is unstable. But I guess following the republican ideology would make anyone a little nuts.

Remeber is this the same person who voted to impeach President Clinton. Also stated he should resign when he was caught is a sex scandal too. Then he gets in front of the camrea and preaches "Family Values"

Now 10 years later why does he not practice what he preaches!

Maybe the GOP should change there name to the GSP. I am sure readers can know what the "S" stands for.

They should have asked him to step down for refusing the stimulus package. Instead, its the "moral failing" thing. Didn't this guy voted for impeachment based on his "moral supiriority". As far as Im concerned he did two things he should resign over. 1 the stimulus refusal and 2. leaving his state (hurricain season?) without a gov.

The rest is personal.

Mr. Family Values.

Please step down in the best interest of my home state South Carolina and the good of our country!! You're the worst hypocrite EVER!!

I only have to say, Mr. Spitzer resigned, that showed you, even so he was a cheater, he has a lot more character as the Governor from S.C.. It shows you republicans are without shame. You see it at Mr. Cheney, he has no shame either. He, in my heart I believe this, ran this country into oblivion, Mr. Bush was his puppet. Mr. Sanford voters should ask for him to resign.

Sanford is waiting to be fired, so he can collect unemployment while sitting on a beach in Sao Paulo sipping mojitos with "Maria."

Compared to this guy,, Elliot Spitzer seems to be a bit more ethical – at least, he was using his own money while he was out to play. Nor did he, it would seem, leave his state headless while out getting some.

So, what it will take for the conservative folks of South Carolina to boot this guy out of his job?

Why does that matter? Is there someone there that read?

AWOL? Got to go.

Agreed, it's time to step down.