Mark and Jenny Sanford have been living apart since he revealed an affair last summer.

(CNN) – Will South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford be watching Wednesday night when his wife Jenny sits down with Barbara Walters in her first television interview since her husband admitted to an extramarital affair in June?

The governor isn't saying.

Speaking to reporters in Charleston shortly after a House panel rejected an impeachment measure against him, the Republican was asked his thoughts on Jenny's TV appearance. He chose his words carefully.

"She has been real grace under fire," he said of his wife. "And I think she has made a lot people in this state and this country quite proud."

Pressed on whether he plans to watch, Sanford grinned.

"You will never know," he answered.

Mark Sanford and his legal team won a big victory on Wednesday.

(CNN) – A South Carolina House panel voted down a resolution Wednesday to impeach Gov. Mark Sanford, but the embattled Republican faces one more procedural hurdle before his survival in office is guaranteed.

In their final meeting to consider the impeachment resolution, members of the special House subcommittee called Sanford's behavior "reprehensible," "arrogant" and "indefensible" - but six of the seven lawmakers on the panel concluded that the Republican's behavior does not rise to the constitutional level of impeachment.

Sanford has been under scrutiny since June, when he left the country for five days to visit his Argentine mistress without informing his staff or the Lieutenant Governor of his whereabouts.

Under House rules, the measure will also be considered by the full Judiciary Committee, but it's unlikely the committee would come to a different conclusion than the subcommittee.

Lawmakers will still considering a bill to censure Sanford.

Sanford's legal team scored a victory on Thursday.

(CNN) – A special House panel considering an impeachment measure against South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford decided Thursday that their review will not include most of the state ethics charges filed against the governor last month.

South Carolina state lawmakers voted to throw out 28 of the 37 civil charges filed by the state Ethics Commission, most of which involved Sanford's purchase of business class tickets with taxpayer money and his use of campaign funds.

State House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Harrison, who is overseeing the special impeachment panel, said the ethics charges do not rise "to the level of serious misconduct or a serious offense" that would merit removing Sanford from office.

Harrison's subcommittee is still evaluating Sanford's use of state-owned aircraft along with the original impeachment resolution, which focuses on whether Sanford broke the law by secretly leaving the state in June to visit his mistress.

One of Sanford's attorneys, Ross Garber, applauded the decision.

"It is appropriate that the committee dismissed the bulk of the allegations against the Governor," Garber said in a statement released by the governor's office. "These allegations clearly did not rise to the level of serious crimes and serious misconduct in office required to justify impeachment of a governor for the first time in the history of South Carolina."

Harrison said the panel will meet again next Monday to decide whether to send an impeachment resolution on to the full Judiciary committee.

South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster, a Republican who is running to succeed Sanford next year, is still evaluating the Ethics Commission report to decide whether the state will pursue criminal charges.

UPDATE: Sanford's personal attorney Butch Bowers said he is "pleased" with the vote.

"This decision confirms that Governor Sanford has followed the letter and spirit of the law," Bowers said in a statement. "We look forward to resolving this matter quickly and showing, as the Committee's actions today demonstrate, that this administration has been a consistent ally of the taxpayer."

Democrat Chad McGowan is hoping to unseat Republican Jim DeMint next year.

(CNN) – The Democrat who wants to be South Carolina's next United States Senator might not see eye to eye with President Obama if he's elected next November.

In fact, Chad McGowan - a Rock Hill trial attorney who national Democrats see as their best hope to unseat conservative Republican Jim DeMint - appears to oppose the bulk of the White House's economic agenda, including the stimulus package and "a government takeover of healthcare."

McGowan's campaign outlined those stands Tuesday in a statement disputing the DeMint team's claim, made Monday, that McGowan supports Democratic health care reform legislation in Washington.

"DeMint's folks get their facts from the same place they've gotten their imaginary economic figures," McGowan spokesman Tyler Jones said in an e-mail to CNN. "The accusation that Chad McGowan has endorsed President Obama's health care plan is blatantly false. And Chad is on the record opposing the stimulus, opposing the bailouts, and opposing a government takeover of healthcare.

"This is the second time in as many months DeMint and his folks have outright fabricated Chad's positions," Jones continued. "Those games may work in Washington, but they won't work here in South Carolina. Instead of making up positions, Chad will continue to present real ideas to fix our economy, create jobs and help South Carolina's hard working middle class families."

That McGowan might not march in lockstep with other Democrats in Washington isn't exactly a surprise: He told CNN in October that he was once registered as a Republican and voted for Lindsey Graham in last year's Senate election. McGowan also called himself "a gun person."

South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint has earned a national following among conservative Republicans.

(CNN) – The Democrat hoping to unseat Jim DeMint next year took direct aim at the conservative South Carolina senator for the first time on Monday, accusing him of putting "personal political ambitions" ahead of his constituents.

Chad McGowan, a trial attorney who formally entered the 2010 race in October, pounced on a remark DeMint made on a recent conference call with supporters that was printed Sunday by McClatchy newspapers.

"All of you all over the country - please remember that Senate seats are not about a particular state," DeMint said on the call, according to McClatchy. "They're about our country. Every vote I take is not about South Carolina. It's about the United States of America."

McGowan has avoided confronting DeMint directly since jumping into the race, but he said in a statement he was "disappointed" by the comments.

"It's the same story over and over," McGowan said. "Jim DeMint and his personal political ambitions come first. In times like these, we need TWO Senators who care about South Carolina, who advocate for South Carolina, and who produce for South Carolina. If we had that, we would be making real progress on some of the problems we face in our schools, employment, and crime."

He also knocked DeMint for spending time making endorsements in prominent Republican primaries around the country. The Republican has thrown his support behind conservative Senate hopefuls Marco Rubio in Florida and Chuck DeVore in California.

"An election in California or New York doesn't matter to the man or woman in South Carolina who can't find a job," McGowan said. "This is a question of priorities."

DeMint response after the jump

UPDATE: DeMint campaign manager Luke Byars responded to McGowan in an e-mail to CNN.

"Senator DeMint votes for freedom and what is in the best interest of the United States of America and that is always in the best interest of South Carolina," Byars said. "While Senator DeMint put forward a jobs plan that would have helped thousands of South Carolina businesses and families by lowering taxes, this personal injury lawyer would have joined his liberal friends in Washington on the failed stimulus that have left South Carolina at record high unemployment.

"And he just announced his support for Obama's government takeover of health care that would kill more jobs, raise taxes, raise health premiums, and put Washington bureaucrats between South Carolinians and their doctors."

Mark Sanford, a Republican, has refused to resign in the face of criticism from his own party.

(CNN) – A panel of South Carolina lawmakers who gathered Tuesday to formally consider impeaching Gov. Mark Sanford voted to broaden the scope of their inquiry to include 37 new ethics charges against the Republican.

Those civil charges were revealed Monday by the South Carolina Ethics Commission, which had conducted a three-month investigation into Sanford's use of state finances. The governor and his legal team now face a hearing before the Ethics Commission to determine if Sanford broke any state laws by charging the state for first- and business-class flights, using state-owned aircraft for political travel and tapping into campaign funds for personal use.

The lawmakers, members of a special subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee that met for the first time Tuesday, decided to include the ethics charges in their review and scheduled four more meetings of the subcommittee for December.

The group will review the Ethics Commission report over Thanksgiving and decide if the charges should be included in the impeachment resolution, which accuses Sanford of "serious misconduct" for leaving the state in June to visit his Argentine mistress without leaving in place a chain of command.

The seven lawmakers - four Republicans and three Democrats - listened to sworn affadavits from key players in the scandal and entered into the record news reports from June highlighting Sanford's absence from the state.

Rep. Greg Delleney, one of the Republicans who drafted the impeachment measure, appeared to warn Sanford against fighting an impeachment effort, should the subcommittee decide to move forward.

"Impeachment is a political process, it's not a legal process," Delleney said at the meeting, which was attended by Sanford's attorneys. "There is no appeal from an impeachment process. Impeachment is final. Impeachment is solely the constitutional power, duty and responsibility of the South Carolina House of Representatives."

Delleney said governors can be impeached regardless of whether a crime was committed.

Ross Garber, one of Sanford's attorneys, called the impeachment hearing "an extraordinary and extremely rare process. In a statement released after the meeting, Garber said that the governor's "temporary absence from the state in June" does not merit his removal from office.

"As was pointed out in the hearing this afternoon, the state Constitution ensures that the chain of command in state government is not threatened because the Lt. Governor is automatically transferred command in the event of an emergency during the governor's temporary absence," Garber said.

Former Sen. Rick Santorum will visit the crucial primary state of South Carolina in December.

Washington (CNN) – Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum doesn't appear to be shy about his 2012 intentions.

The Republican, who was thumped by 18 points in his 2006 re-election bid, has met with conservative activists in Iowa, delivered a speech to a Right to Life dinner in Michigan and has stepped up his public criticism of President Obama.

Now he's headed to another early primary state: South Carolina.

Santorum will campaign for Republican gubernatorial candidate Gresham Barrett in Bluffton, Spartanburg and Greenville on December 8 and 9. Barrett, currently a member of Congress, is one of five candidates seeking the GOP nomination for governor.

"I'm also looking forward to visiting with South Carolina families to discuss the issues that matter to them and the future of this country," Santorum said in a statement announcing the trip. "Too much is at stake to sit back and not participate in the critical discussion of how to address these issues."

Sanford is also facing a possible impeachment effort.

(CNN) – The South Carolina Ethics Commission has charged Gov. Mark Sanford with 37 counts of violating state ethics laws, according to a complaint released by the commission on Monday.

The complaint follows a three-month investigation into Sanford's use of taxpayer money.

Sanford is accused of using tax money to purchase business-class airfare on domestic and international flights, flying on a state-owned aircraft to political gatherings or events "which involved no official business," and spending campaign funds for personal use such as purchasing a ticket to attend President Barack Obama's inauguration in January.

South Carolina law requires state officials to purchase the lowest fares available for flights, and bars the use of state aircraft for personal use.

Sanford's office did not respond to requests for comment about the charges.

The governor, once a rising star in the Republican party before he revealed an extramarital affair in June, will now face a hearing along with his legal team before a three-member ethics panel. Cathy Hazelwood, general counsel to the state Ethics Commission, told CNN that no date has been set for the hearing.

After arguments are presented, the panel will determine if Sanford broke any state laws. The ethics case involves civil charges that are punishable by fines, and Sanford can appeal decisions up to the state Supreme Court.

Only the state attorney general, Henry McMaster, can decide to pursue criminal charges against the governor. McMaster is currently reviewing the allegations to determine if any laws allegedly were broken.

The new charges compound Sanford's political problems, which have been simmering for months as investigators scrutinized his finances.

State legislators already have filed an impeachment resolution against the governor for leaving the state this summer to visit his Argentine mistress, without installing a proper chain of command or informing his staff. A special House subcommittee will meet in Columbia on Tuesday to formally consider the resolution for the first time.

State Rep. Greg Delleney, a Republican and one of the sponsors of the impeachment resolution, said he expects the subcommittee to look over the ethics commission results during the
Thanksgiving holiday and decide whether to adjust the measure to include material from the ethics complaint.

Delleney said he thinks Monday's report will give new momentum to the impeachment push.

"The sheer volume of the violations might be useful in bringing some more representatives over to the side of impeachment," Delleney told CNN.

If the special subcommittee decides to move forward with impeachment, the resolution will be passed onto the Judiciary Committee, which will then vote on whether to bring it to the floor of the legislature when lawmakers return to the state capital of Columbia in January.

For Sanford to be forcibly removed from office, two-thirds of the South Carolina House and and two-thirds of the state Senate must vote to impeach him.

Sanford impeachment measure to be formally considered.

(CNN) – A special House committee in South Carolina will formally consider an impeachment resolution against Gov. Mark Sanford for the first time next Tuesday, the Republican chairman of the committee told CNN Friday.

The resolution, filed by a handful of House Republicans earlier this week, will be examined by an ad hoc committee of seven lawmakers from both sides of the aisle.

The group will meet for the first time next week, after Sanford provides the legislature with the results of a state Ethics Commission investigation into the governor's travel expenses, Judiciary Committee chairman Jim Harrison said.

The first meeting of the special committee on Tuesday will likely focus on Sanford's infamous trip to Argentina this summer, which led to revelations of an extramarital affair and calls for his resignation. Harrison said the group will then spend the Thanksgiving holiday poring over the Ethics Commission report before meeting again in December to include any additional language in the resolution.

The measure currently states that Sanford committed "serious misconduct" by secretly leaving the state in June without informing his staff or establishing a chain of command.

Harrison said "the game plan" is for the four Republicans and three Democrats in the group to finalize the language in the resolution before passing it on to the full Judiciary committee, which will then vote in January on whether the measure should be sent to the full House.

Harrison noted that he spoke to House speaker Bobby Harrell, a fellow Republican, on Monday night to discuss the plan.

For Sanford to be removed from office, two-thirds of South Carolina's House and the Senate must vote in favor of impeachment.

Inglis said 'hard-right' conservatives have told him that they are willing to let people who don't have health insurance 'die on the steps of the hospital'.

(CNN) – A Republican congressman with a reputation for frustrating members of his own party is now saying he's exasperated with the "hard right" element of the GOP.

South Carolina Rep. Bob Inglis, who is facing a primary challenge from four Republicans, told the Greenville News on Thursday that the Reagan coalition of social conservatives, fiscal conservatives and moderate Democrats is "running on fumes." He described the struggle now going on within the Republican party as one between the "religious right" and the "hard right," and said he can't identify with the latter.

"I'm concerned about abortion," Inglis told the paper. "It's very much a concern to me. The hard right really doesn't care about abortion. They just want you, government, out of their pocketbook, by golly."

According to the paper, Inglis said "hard-right" conservatives have told him that they are willing to let people who don't have health insurance "die on the steps of the hospital" to make a point about the problem of "free riders."

"As a religious right guy, I'm thinking there was a guy named Jesus who had some things to say about these kinds of concepts," Inglis added. "And I don't want to live in a society that lets a few test cases die on the steps of the hospital. I can't go there."

In a letter making an endorsement for governor, South Carolina's first lady said her family was 'resilient' in the face of recent challenges.

(CNN) – In a letter released Wednesday, Jenny Sanford, the wife of embattled South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, said she and her family are persevering after a difficult year in which her husband admitted to an extramarital affair. And South Carolina's first lady endorsed Republican Nikki Haley's candidacy to be the state's next governor.

Haley, a South Carolina legislator and an ally of Gov. Sanford, is one of five Republicans who have formally announced bids to replace Jenny Sanford's husband.

In the letter to Haley's supporters, Sanford praised her husband's tenure as governor.

"I'm proud of the work Mark and his Administration have done over almost seven years now, trying very hard to move the ball forward on [growing the economy, improving public schools, and reforming government]."

Sanford also praises Haley as "principled, conservative, tough, and smart."

"So when I'm asked my wish for South Carolina's future, my wish is for a leader of state government like Nikki Haley," Sanford writes.

"And there's one other thing," Sanford writes before broaching the subject of her family's challenges in the last year.

"We all know this past year has been very difficult for our state on many levels. It's been hard for me and my family too. But our family is resilient, and we will be fine. And the people of our state are resilient too. I have no doubt South Carolina will get back on its feet. Nikki Haley would be exactly the kind of refreshing, inspiring, energetic, determined governor South Carolina needs to effectively lead our state to a brighter future."

In the wake of her husband's revelations that he was having an affair with an Argentine woman, Jenny Sanford has stayed largely out of the public eye but been candid about the challenges her marriage is facing.

"Now I think it's up to my husband to do the soul-searching to see if he wants to stay married," Jenny Sanford told Vogue magazine earlier this year. "The ball is in his court."

Updated: 4:10 p.m.

Texas Rep. Ron Paul will return to the early primary state next month.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Will Ron Paul give it another go in 2012?

The Texas congressman and hero of limited government advocates will visit the key early primary state of South Carolina on Nov. 9 to deliver a speech "on the future of individual liberty and the importance of the U.S. Constitution" at the University of South Carolina, student groups said Tuesday. The announcement comes a week after Paul scheduled a visit to Iowa on Nov. 13 to speak to students at Iowa State University.

The onetime Republican presidential hopeful finished in fifth place in last year's South Carolina primary, behind Mitt Romney but ahead of former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani.

Other potential 2012 candidates - including Mike Pence, Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee - have already visited South Carolina this year or have made plans to do so.

Paul's appearance was organized by the University of South Carolina Honors College, the Carolina Debate Union and Young Americans for Liberty, a student group of Paul supporters.

Sanford's job is safe for the time being.

(CNN) – A Republican legislator in South Carolina moved to introduce a resolution of impeachment against Gov. Mark Sanford on Tuesday during a one-day special session of the state legislature, but his attempt was ruled "out of order" by the Speaker of the House, who said the measure must be submitted at a later date.

Speaker Bobby Harrell, also a Republican, said that state Rep. Greg Delleney will have to wait to offer his impeachment resolution during a so-called "pre-filing" period in November, when lawmakers will be allowed to submit bills in advance of the regular legislative session, which begins in January.

Harrell would then decide which House committee would handle the resolution and potentially build an impeachment case against the governor.

Delleney claimed his measure still has "significant support" among House Republicans and predicted it will get out of committee and to the House floor for a vote in January.

But removing the governor from office ultimately requires a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate. Delleney admitted to CNN that such a vote "is not an easy thing to come by."

He also conceded that while the votes to impeach Sanford were there "early on," support for such a move may have faded over the last few months. He predicted that more legislators will support impeachment once a case can be made in committee that Sanford committed "serious misconduct" by leaving the country in June without informing his staff or the lieutenant governor.

The latest twist in the ongoing Sanford saga occured during a one-day special session of the legislature that brought lawmakers together for the first time since the Republican governor admitted an extramarital affair in June. The session was called to address payment of state unemployment benefits, but Delleney had hoped to introduce his resolution and have it referred to an appropriate subcommittee so he could get the "ball rolling" on impeachment before January.

Harrell, however, said that Delleney's measure was technically out of order under the terms of the resolution that brought lawmakers to Columbia for Tuesday's session and would have to wait.

State lawmakers are also awaiting the results of a State Ethics Commission investigation into Sanford's travel expenses, the results of which are expected to be released in the coming weeks. Delleney said his resolution can be amended if that investigation reveals further evidence of "serious misconduct" - a term the state constitution uses to describe impeachable behavior.

"I will do everything I can to win," Delleney told CNN. "We just have to see. At least Gov. Sanford is having to face an impeachment resolution for his conduct. His conduct is not going to be without consequences."

Huckabee's book tour will take him to two crucial primary states.

(CNN) – Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee will visit the key Republican primary states of Iowa and South Carolina next month during a tour to promote his new holiday-themed book.

The Fox News talk show host has planned a three-stop swing through Iowa on Nov. 8 - one day after another potential 2012 candidate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, is scheduled to speak at an Iowa Republican Party event in Des Moines.

Huckabee plans to visit book stores in Cedar Rapids, Davenport and Des Moines to promote the book, "A Simple Christmas: Twelve Stories that Celebrate the True Holiday Spirit." The former presidential candidate has returned to Iowa several times since his win in the Iowa caucuses in January 2008, most recently to raise money for Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Vander Plaats.

Later that week, on Nov. 13, his book tour takes him to the conservative South Carolina upstate, where he'll sign copies of the book in Greenville and Spartanburg.

Also on Huckabee's calendar: five stops in Florida and one stop in evangelical-heavy western Michigan

Rep. Joe Wilson's wife has swine flu.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Rep. Joe Wilson's wife Roxanne has been diagnosed with swine flu, the congressman's office confirmed to CNN on Thursday.

The South Carolina Republican who gained instant notoriety in September for shouting "You lie!" at the president told The Hill newspaper on Thursday that he plans to keep his distance from his wife when he returns home this weekend.

Wilson said he plans to get the H1N1 vaccination soon, but only after "the majority of the American people" receive it.

Rep. Greg Walden, R-Washington, is the only member of Congress to have contracted swine flu. He tweeted the news on Monday, revealing plans to head off to "seclusion for a while" while he recovers.

Rep. Joe Wilson's wife has swine flu.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Rep. Joe Wilson's wife Roxanne has been diagnosed with swine flu, the congressman's office confirmed to CNN on Thursday.

The South Carolina Republican who gained instant notoriety in September for shouting "You lie!" at the president told The Hill newspaper on Thursday that he plans to keep his distance from his wife when he returns home this weekend.

Wilson said he plans to get the H1N1 vaccination soon, but only after "the majority of the American people" receive it.

Rep. Greg Walden, R-Washington, is the only member of Congress to have contracted swine flu. He tweeted the news on Monday, revealing plans to head off to "seclusion for a while" while he recovers.

Mark Sanford had been considering a White House bid before his affair was revealed.

(CNN) – Before an extramarital affair came to light in June that effectively ended his future political ambitions, South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford said repeatedly that he was not thinking about running for president in 2012, despite clear indications that he was working to build a national profile among conservatives.

But he admitted Thursday that his once busy itinerary was distracting him from his official duties as governor.

"My life before had become stupidly busy with all of my responsibilities - fundraising, speaking engagements across the country, a book deal," Sanford said in an interview with the Florence Morning News editorial board. "I haven't been this focused on my job in a long time because I don't have all those responsibilities anymore."

"I have my family and whatever's going to happen there," he continued. "And I have my job and whatever's going to happen there. You can drive yourself crazy sitting around thinking about 'the might have beens' of life. I'm here, because I think I can still make a difference."

Sen. Lindsey Graham is being attacked by a $250,000 ad campaign.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – An interest group supported by energy companies is attacking Sen. Lindsey Graham in his own backyard over his willingness to support cap-and-trade legislation.

The Republican has been collaborating with moderate senators to put together bipartisan energy legislation that would link a cap-and-trade program to expanded nuclear energy production and offshore oil and gas drilling. But many in Graham's party view a cap-and-trade program as a tax on energy companies that would be passed along to consumers.

Now the American Energy Alliance, a group funded in part by oil and gas companies that back offshore drilling, is launching a week of radio ads in South Carolina accusing Graham of supporting policies that will weaken the state's already suffering economy.

"So why would Senator Lindsey Graham support new energy taxes called cap-and-trade that will further harm our economy and kill millions of American jobs?" a narrator asks in the radio spot, which went up Thursday. "If that wasn't bad enough, Senator Graham's new energy taxes will have all of us paying more at the pump for a gallon of gas while seeing a 53 percent jump in electricity bills. Who can afford that in this economy?"

The quarter million dollar campaign against Graham will also include television and online ads in the coming weeks.

While he has made efforts to get fellow Republicans on board by advocating for provisions to increase nuclear power and offshore drilling, Graham has not signed onto the leading climate change bill in the Senate, sponsored by Sens. John Kerry and Barbara Boxer.

His office released a statement Thursday that focused on the Senator's support for nuclear energy and offshore drilling but made no mention of cap-and-trade.

"Energy independence will be a 21st Century job creator in South Carolina," Graham spokesman Kevin Bishop said. "Few states would benefit more from energy independence than South Carolina."

Jim Ulmer is the chairman of the Orangeburg County Republican Party.

(CNN) – After his words attracted national attention and drew condemnation from a Jewish state senator, a South Carolina Republican official is now apologizing for co-writing a newspaper op-ed that described Jews as penny-pinchers.

James Ulmer, chairman of the Orangeburg County GOP, said he made a "great error" in the op-ed, which he penned along with Bamberg County GOP chairman Edwin Merwin.

The piece, which ran Sunday in the Orangeburg Times & Democrat, was meant to defend South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint's position against congressional earmarks.

"There is a saying that the Jews who are wealthy got that way not by watching dollars, but instead by taking care of the pennies and the dollars taking care of themselves," the piece read. "By not using earmarks to fund projects for South Carolina and instead using actual bills, DeMint is watching our nation's pennies and trying to preserve our country's wealth and our economy's viability to give all an opportunity to succeed."

State senator Joel Lourie, a Democrat and one of South Carolina's two Jewish lawmakers, issued a statement on Monday rebuking the two Republicans, calling them "individuals who unapologetically espouse racist and stereotypical attitudes."

He also called on DeMint and South Carolina GOP chairwoman Karen Floyd to denounce the comments.

Floyd did so on Tuesday, calling the observation "an offensive and inappropriate comment" while also accusing critics of using the controversy for political gain. Aides to DeMint have not responded to requests for comment. (UPDATE: DeMint has also weighed in.)

The Republican Jewish Coalition also blasted the op-ed. RJC Executive Director Matthew Brooks said in a statement that Ulmer and Merwin "have done a tremendous disservice to their party."

Ulmer e-mailed his apology to reporters late Monday. He said he "quoted a statement which I have heard many times in my life, truly in admiration for a method of bettering one's lot in life."

"I meant absolutely nothing derogatory by the reference to a great and honorable people," he said in the e-mail. "I hope that anyone and all who were offended by my comment will accept my humble apology."

UPDATE: Merwin added his apology on Tuesday morning.

"At this time I wish to deeply apologize for any material included in that letter that would be considered antisemitic [sic] in any way," he wrote in an e-mail to reporters and other Republican officials.

"I have always abhored [sic] in the past, and shall continue to do so in the future, anti-semitism [sic] in any form whatsoever. I concur fully with the apology offered by my co-author, Jim Ulmer, and likewise beg that any and all who were offended will accept my deep felt apology."

South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint, a Republican, spoke out against the controversial op-ed on Tuesday.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint is denouncing remarks by two Republican officials in his state that were published in a controversial weekend op-ed which included a Jewish stereotype.

The piece, written by South Carolina County GOP chairmen James Ulmer and Edwin Merwin, was intended to defend DeMint's position against congressional earmarks, but it included a line describing Jews as penny-pinchers. Democrats have called on DeMint to denounce the comments.

"I just read the op-ed last night and the comments were thoughtless and hurtful," DeMint said in a statement to CNN Tuesday. "The chairmen have apologized as they should have."

The op-ed was published Sunday in the Orangeburg Times & Democrat.

"There is a saying that the Jews who are wealthy got that way not by watching dollars, but instead by taking care of the pennies and the dollars taking care of themselves," the piece read. "By not using earmarks to fund projects for South Carolina and instead using actual bills, DeMint is watching our nation's pennies and trying to preserve our country's wealth and our economy's viability to give all an opportunity to succeed."

Mark Sanford, a Republican, has refused to resign in the face of criticism from his own party.

(CNN) – A resolution of impeachment against Gov. Mark Sanford is likely to be introduced next week during a special session of the South Carolina legislature, but lawmakers said the governor's job is safe for the time being.

Republican state Rep. Greg Delleney told CNN his resolution lists three charges against Sanford: dereliction of duty for leaving the state to visit his mistress in Argentina in June; attempting to cover-up the scandal; and bringing "disgrace and shame and ridicule" on the state.

"If that is not serious misconduct in office, I don't know what is," Delleney said of Sanford's actions.

The one-day special session was not called to address the Sanford scandal, a point stressed by GOP leadership in both chambers. Instead, lawmakers are meeting to tweak a state law that will extend unemployment benefits for thousands of South Carolinians who began losing those payments over the weekend. The state has an unemployment rate of 11.5 percent.

But most Republicans in the legislature want the governor to resign and several are ready to begin the impeachment process, even as the results of a state Ethics Commission investigation into the governor's travel expenses are still pending.

Delleney said his goal is "to get the ball rolling" on impeachment in a committee before the legislative session officially begins in January, when he hopes the resolution can be quickly brought to the floor for a vote.

House Majority Leader Kenny Bingham, a fellow Republican, said Delleney's resolution will likely be read on the floor Tuesday and sent to a committee - probably Judiciary - for consideration until the lawmakers have a chance to convene again. He said a floor vote on impeachment technically cannot occur because the session was called to deal with unemployment benefits.

"We could not impeach the governor on Tuesday unless it's put on the agenda," Bingham said.

Besides, he said, most GOP lawmakers are awaiting the results of the ethics investigation before deciding how to proceed. "We don't anticipate that changing by next week," he said.

Mark Sanford, a Republican, has refused to resign in the face of criticism from his own party.

(CNN) – A resolution of impeachment against Gov. Mark Sanford is likely to be introduced next week during a special session of the South Carolina legislature, but lawmakers said the governor's job is safe for the time being.

Republican state Rep. Greg Delleney told CNN his resolution lists three charges against Sanford: dereliction of duty for leaving the state to visit his mistress in Argentina in June; attempting to cover-up the scandal; and bringing "disgrace and shame and ridicule" on the state.

"If that is not serious misconduct in office, I don't know what is," Delleney said of Sanford's actions.

The one-day special session was not called to address the Sanford scandal, a point stressed by GOP leadership in both chambers. Instead, lawmakers are meeting to tweak a state law that will extend unemployment benefits for thousands of South Carolinians who began losing those payments over the weekend. The state has an unemployment rate of 11.5 percent.

But most Republicans in the legislature want the governor to resign and several are ready to begin the impeachment process, even as the results of a state Ethics Commission investigation into the governor's travel expenses are still pending.

Delleney said his goal is "to get the ball rolling" on impeachment in a committee before the legislative session officially begins in January, when he hopes the resolution can be quickly brought to the floor for a vote.

House Majority Leader Kenny Bingham, a fellow Republican, said Delleney's resolution will likely be read on the floor Tuesday and sent to a committee - probably Judiciary - for consideration until the lawmakers have a chance to convene again. He said a floor vote on impeachment technically cannot occur because the session was called to deal with unemployment benefits.

"We could not impeach the governor on Tuesday unless it's put on the agenda," Bingham said.

Besides, he said, most GOP lawmakers are awaiting the results of the ethics investigation before deciding how to proceed. "We don't anticipate that changing by next week," he said.

DeMint is running for a second term in 2010.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint's sharp attacks on President Obama - including his memorable line that conservatives can "break" the president by blocking health care reform - have put him in the Democratic crosshairs.

Now national Democrats think they've found the candidate with the best shot at unseating the first term Republican: Chad McGowan, a 38-year-old trial lawyer from conservative York County who officially announced his candidacy on Monday.

Said one Democratic leadership aide in Washington: "Is DeMint more vulnerable than [Richard] Burr or David [Vitter]? Probably not. But McGowan is a self-funder and from the right part of the state. He could give a Republican a run for his money."

McGowan said in an interview with CNN that South Carolina "can do better" than DeMint, but he refrained from any outright attacks against the Republican on the day he jumped in the race. "I don't want to get into bashing any sitting senators at this point," he said. "These races are marathons. I'll just try to keep it positive for now."

DeMint has nearly $3 million in the bank for his campaign, not to mention a loyal network of conservative activists in South Carolina and nationwide willing to support him. McGowan wouldn't say if he plans to contribute his own money to pay for the campaign, but promised to raise "whatever it takes" to win. The last competitive statewide campaign in South Carolina - the 2002 governor's race between Mark Sanford and Jim Hodges - cost more than $12 million.

McGowan said he was registered as a Republican in North Carolina before he moved to South Carolina in 2003, where party identification is not required, and said he has voted for a mix of Republicans and Democrats over the years. "I have always tended towards the person and not the party," he said. "I've never voted straight party in anything."

He told CNN he cast his ballot for Republican Lindsey Graham in 2008 and even chose to vote in the state's GOP presidential primary last January instead of the Democratic contest. He voted for John McCain in that primary, he said, because he was the "least objectionable" Republican, and he viewed a vote for McCain as "a hedge against extremists that I saw at the time" seeking for the GOP nomination. But McGowan voted in favor of Barack Obama last November, and for John Kerry in 2004.

He ultimately descibes himself as a "populist" who will fight for the middle class against special interests, a message he thinks will resonate in 2010 despite predictions that Democrats could face a strong headwind in the mid-terms. "This is not going to be about running for or against the president, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid," he said. "Some have characterized that as the as evil triumvirate. This is not about that. This is about South Carolina."

McGowan, a medical malpractice attorney, said tort reform should not be a required element of federal health care legislation because South Carolina has already enacted meaningful reforms, although he said "it's not a perfect system." McGowan also said he supports a health care bill "with or without a public option" as long as the final bill drives down costs, helps small businesses and prevents insurance companies from denying coverage.

But McGowan also holds positions that might be considered out of step with other Democrats. On immigration reform - one of DeMint's pet topics - he said law enforcement should focus on businesses that employ illegal immigrants instead of just cracking down on immigrants themselves. But he said illegal immigrants shouldn't be granted an automatic pathway to citizenship. "If you're here illegally you need to home and get in line and come back through normal legal channels," he said.

Calling it part of his southern upbringing, the Democrat described himself as "a gun person."

"I think gun control is being able to hit what you're aiming at," he said.

Another Democrat, former auto executive Mike Ruckes, is also seeking the party's nomination for the Senate seat.

Rep. Joe Wilson has raised $2.7 million so far this year, much of it as a result of his outburst.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Rep. Joe Wilson's congressional campaign spent nearly a quarter of a million dollars on an aggressive marketing and fundraising operation in the days after the South Carolina Republican shouted "You Lie!" at President Obama in early September, financial disclosure reports reveal.

So far this year, Wilson has collected about $2.7 million in contributions, most of which came in after the infamous outburst on Sept. 9 turned the little-known congressman into a household name. After the shout, his 2010 campaign organization set out to capitalize on the outpouring of support he received from conservatives around the country.

On Sept. 14, Wilson's campaign doled out $52,250 to the Virginia-based digital communications firm Active Engagement for web design and online advertising. On Sept. 16, the campaign paid $42,400 to retain the David All Group - a Washington-based Republican new media firm - to help boost Wilson's profile on Twitter and other social networking sites.

Piryx, a firm that processes online donations, received $72,007 from the campaign in September. Wilson's team also spent nearly $30,000 to rent a mailing list from the Richard Norman Company, a conservative fundraising organization in northern Virginia.

All told, the Wilson campaign spent roughly $235,000 on services related to fundraising and communications strategy.

Campaign disclosures show that the campaign owes another $157,424 to the David All Group and $65,633 to the Richard Norman Group.

Rob Miller, Wilson's Democratic challenger in South Carolina's 2nd Congressional district, raised $1.7 million over the same period - but his campaign spent considerably less on fundraising and marketing efforts.

The Miller campaign's largest expenditure in September was a $36,919 payment to the liberal fundraising site ActBlue for credit card processing fees, followed by a $4,576 payment to Envision Communications in Washington.

It should be noted that federal financial disclosures don't always outline how consulting firms spend the money doled by political campaigns. A source close to the Wilson campaign said, for instance, that three quarters of the money spent on Web strategy was then re-directed to online advertising efforts.

Story updated at 6:00 p.m. EST

Republican attorney Tim Griffin is running for Congress in Arkansas.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Tim Griffin, the former U.S. Attorney and Karl Rove aide now running for Congress in Arkansas, has "scaled back" his relationship with his own political consulting firm because of his campaign, according to an aide.

But Griffin has not completely cut his ties with the firm, which has recently taken in tens of thousands of dollars from at least one other Republican office-seeker.

The Bush administration veteran, who was once described by the late columnist Robert Novak as "a leading practitioner of opposition research," founded his Little Rock-based firm in 2007 after resigning his post as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas. Griffin's tenure with the Justice Department was rocky - questions surfaced as to whether Rove urged the dismissal of Griffin's predecessor and other U.S. Attorneys for political reasons.

Griffin, who also has a law firm in Little Rock, announced his bid to challenge Democrat Rep. Vic Snyder last month. Before jumping into the race, his firm, Griffin Public Affairs LLC, took in three payments totaling more than $30,000 from the campaign of Gresham Barrett, the South Carolina GOP congressman now running for governor in that state.

Emily Wood, a spokesman for Griffin, said the Republican "still has Griffin Public Affairs, LLC, but has scaled back his work because of his congressional campaign." She said the firm "generally provides communications and policy services," but does not disclose details of its work for clients.

Melanie Sloan, the executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, said there is nothing improper about doing consulting work for other candidates while also running for office.

Barrett spokesman B.J. Boling told CNN that the payments to Griffin's firm were for "policy research and backgrounders." Barrett is currently in the middle of a tough five-way fight for the South Carolina GOP gubernatorial nomination.

Wood, the spokesman for Griffin, confirmed that the firm did work for Barrett but is no longer doing so.

According to the Barrett campaign's most recent financial disclosure, the campaign made three payments to Griffin's firm this summer: $9,375 on July 1; $23, 871 on July 7; and $3,537.50 on August 6. The July 7 payment was the Barrett campaign's largest expenditure of the third quarter reporting period.

Sen. Lindsey Graham spoke at a town hall in South Carolina on Monday.

(CNN) – South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham has always enjoyed a little back-and-forth with belligerent audiences.

He was at it again on Monday night as he faced down an angry town hall crowd in Greenville packed with libertarians and Tea Party activists who accused at the Republican senator of ditching conservative principles by working with Democrats on issues like climate change and voting to send Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court.

But Graham stressed a mantra he's repeated many times since his friend John McCain lost the presidential election last November - that the GOP must reach out to different constituencies, or face extinction.

"I'm not going to leave the Republican Party," Graham said when one questioned asked him why he hasn't yet joined the Democrats. "I'm going to grow it. We're not going to be the party of angry white guys."

His comments were met with a salvo of boos and shouts of "Ron Paul!"

"I love this party," he responded. "I'm not going to be let it be hijacked by Ron Paul."

Graham emphasized his conservative bona fides - particularly his record of opposing abortion rights and support of gun rights - but said GOP needs to build a broader coalition. Otherwise, he warned, those trying to purify the party will turn Congress over "to the most liberal people in the world because somebody disagrees with you."

"I'm going to find people in Maine, Delaware, Illinois and other places that can win," he said. "And I'm going to help them, and we're going to move this party and this country forward. If you don't like it, you can leave."

Indiana Rep. Mike Pence might be eyeing a White House bid.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Indiana Rep. Mike Pence has given high-profile speeches to conservative groups and journeyed to the presidential primary states of Iowa and South Carolina, travels that have generated chatter among Republican insiders that he might seek the presidency in 2012.

Now Pence is heading back to South Carolina once again, this time to raise money next Monday for his fellow congressman Gresham Barrett, who is leaving his seat in the House to run for governor. Pence has also lined up a meeting with the Charleston County Republican Party executive committee, a visit that was initiated by the congressman.

"He was coming down here for Gresham, and as a result of being here he called and offered if he could stop by and say hi," Charleston County GOP chairwoman Lin Bennett told CNN. Asked if she thought the appointment means Pence is putting feelers out for possible White House bid, Bennett said, "It does, but that's okay."

"That kind of thing usually starts to happen this time," she said, describing past meetings with possible presidential contenders. "I just hope it doesn't happen as early this time as it did during the last cycle."

Pence made an earlier trip to South Carolina in May 2008 to headline the state GOP's annual "Silver Elephant Dinner," which offered the congressman a chance to meet some of the state's top Republican players. Another Palmetto State connection: Pence's direct mail firm is Lexington-based Starboard Communications, which is headed up by Walter Whetsell, one of the state's top political consultants.

Before Pence's meeting on Monday with local activists, Pence will attend the private fundraiser for Barrett at a waterfront restaurant in Charleston. According to Barrett spokesman B.J. Boling, the two men "have a close friendship through their service in the House" and have "fought together for the conservative cause."

Aides to rival gubernatorial candidates also seeking the GOP nomination were quick to point out that Pence and Barrett haven't always seen eye-to-eye on issues dear to conservatives: Pence voted against President Bush's bailout of troubled financial institutions last October. Barrett voted for it.

Barrett's opponents in the Republican gubernatorial primary are Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer, Attorney General Henry McMaster, state Sen. Larry Grooms and state Rep. Nikki Haley.

Rep. Gresham Barrett is one of five GOP candidates for governor in South Carolina.

(CNN) – One of South Carolina's Republican candidates for governor is open to talking with the NAACP about ending its boycott of the state for flying the Confederate flag in front of the Statehouse.

But the candidate - congressman Gresham Barrett - doesn't want the flag removed.

During a debate Tuesday between the five GOP candidates for governor, Barrett answered "yes" when asked if he would consider sitting down with the NAACP to revisit the flag issue and come to some sort of resolution about the boycott, which began in 1999. Barrett was the only candidate asked if he would meet with the group.

But later in the debate, the entire GOP field was asked if the flag should be removed from the Statehouse grounds. All of them, including Barrett, said no.

"I think we have dealt with that issue, and I'm not willing to take a look at it right now," Barrett said.

Barrett spokesman B.J. Boling confirmed that his candidate is willing to meet with state NAACP representatives about ending their boycott. But he stressed that Barrett opposes removing the flag from the Statehouse grounds.

"The congressman feels like this issue has been dealt with in a bipartisan fashion, but he remains open to talking to various groups about the issues that are of concern to them," Boling said. "Saying he's willing to talk to somebody but also saying he thinks the issue has been addressed, I don't see how that's contradictory."

Lonnie Randolph, the president of the South Carolina NAACP, said he would "absolutely" meet with Barrett about the flag if he becomes governor, despite the "wayward and disrespectful views" of all five Republican candidates. Barrett's GOP primary opponents are Attorney General Henry McMaster, Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer, state Rep. Nikki Haley and state Sen. Larry Grooms.

"I think you learn things by having conversations," Randolph said of a possible sit-down with Barrett. "It's obvious from his positions and his views that he is misinformed. I would be more than happy to share my views with him."

The Confederate battle flag was placed atop the Statehouse dome in 1962, but was removed from the dome in 2000 after a divisive political fight that spilled into national view. The flag was moved to a spot on the Statehouse grounds next to a memorial honoring Confederate soldiers.

But the flag still waves in full view of one of Columbia's main thoroughfares, and the state NAACP has remained vocal. In July, the ACC decided to move its conference baseball tournament from Myrtle Beach to North Carolina after objections from the civil rights group.

Jenny Sanford's memoir will be published in May 2010.

(CNN) – Jenny Sanford, the estranged wife of South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, is writing a book.

Sanford has sold the rights to her "inspirational memoir" to Ballantine Books, a division of Random House, the publisher told CNN Tuesday. The memoir is slated for release in May 2010.

Ballantine did not disclose the financial terms of the deal. Aside from a flattering interview with Vogue magazine, Sanford has remained mostly silent since June, when her husband publicly revealed an affair with an Argentine woman. In July, she and the couple's four boys moved out of the governor's mansion.

Gov. Sanford also had a deal to write a book about fiscal conservatism before the scandal short-circuited his political career. Sentinel Publishing was planning to publish "Within Our Means" in March 2010, but the company released Sanford from the deal in July, calling it "a mutual decision."

South Carolina congressman Joe Wilson has raked in more than $2 million since he shouted at President Obama.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – South Carolina Republican congressman Joe Wilson has now raised over $2 million in campaign contributions since he shouted "You lie!" at the president earlier this month.

A campaign aide confirmed that Wilson surpassed the $2 million mark on Monday.

Wilson and his 2010 opponent, Democrat Rob Miller, each raised more than $1.5 million in the week after Wilson's outburst, which occurred during President Obama's address to a joint session of Congress on September 9.

The House voted to formally reprimand Wilson last week, amidst an aggressive online fundraising effort by the congressman's staff.

Miller is scheduled to visit Washington on Wednesday for a pair of fundraisers on Capitol Hill.

South Carolina congressman Joe Wilson has raked in more than $2 million since he shouted at President Obama.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – South Carolina Republican congressman Joe Wilson has now raised over $2 million in campaign contributions since he shouted "You lie!" at the president earlier this month.

A campaign aide confirmed that Wilson surpassed the $2 million mark on Monday.

Wilson and his 2010 opponent, Democrat Rob Miller, each raised more than $1.5 million in the week after Wilson's outburst, which occurred during President Obama's address to a joint session of Congress on September 9.

The House voted to formally reprimand Wilson last week, amidst an aggressive online fundraising effort by the congressman's staff.

Miller is scheduled to visit Washington on Wednesday for a pair of fundraisers on Capitol Hill.

Rob Miller first challenged Republican congressman Joe Wilson in 2008.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Rep. Joe Wilson's Democratic challenger Rob Miller has collected more than $1 million online since Wilson shouted "You lie!" at President Obama, but next week Miller will be raising money the old-fashioned way.

The South Carolina Democrat, who has yet to make a public appearance since Wilson's outburst, will head to Washington for a pair of fundraisers on Capitol Hill.

A group of ex-staffers for former South Carolina Sen. Fritz Hollings and Rep. Jim Clyburn will host an event for Miller at a Capitol Hill restaurant on Wednesday, with a minimum suggested donation of $250, according to an invitation provided to CNN.

Later in the evening, Miller will head over to a Pennsylvania Avenue bar for a low-dollar meet-and-greet with "young professionals." The entry fee for that gathering is $20.10.

Wilson, meanwhile, continues to soak up online donations - the Republican has raised nearly $1.8 million since last Wednesday, including several thousand dollars since he was formally punished by the House on Tuesday for his outburst.

Follow Peter Hamby on Twitter @hambypCNN

Rob Miller first challenged Republican congressman Joe Wilson in 2008.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Rep. Joe Wilson's Democratic challenger Rob Miller has collected more than $1 million online since Wilson shouted "You lie!" at President Obama, but next week Miller will be raising money the old-fashioned way.

The South Carolina Democrat, who has yet to make a public appearance since Wilson's outburst, will head to Washington for a pair of fundraisers on Capitol Hill.

A group of ex-staffers for former South Carolina Sen. Fritz Hollings and Rep. Jim Clyburn will host an event for Miller at a Capitol Hill restaurant on Wednesday, with a minimum suggested donation of $250, according to an invitation provided to CNN.

Later in the evening, Miller will head over to a Pennsylvania Avenue bar for a low-dollar meet-and-greet with "young professionals." The entry fee for that gathering is $20.10.

Wilson, meanwhile, continues to soak up online donations - the Republican has raised nearly $1.8 million since last Wednesday, including several thousand dollars since he was formally punished by the House on Tuesday for his outburst.

Follow Peter Hamby on Twitter @hambypCNN

Wilson used a Web video last week to raise money after being criticized by Democrats.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – As House Democrats march forward with plans to formally reprimand Republican Joe Wilson for calling President Obama a liar during last week's joint address to Congress, Wilson's supporters back home in South Carolina have a straightforward response: Bring it on.

"I hope they do it," said Rich Bolen, who chairs the Republican Party in Lexington County, where Wilson lives. "The longer this story stays alive, the better it is for the conservative point of view. It means the Democrats aren't talking about health care and moving the ball forward. They're giving Wilson a ton of traction."

After Wilson rejected calls from Democrats to apologize on the floor of the House for his outburst, House leadership moved ahead with plans to vote Tuesday on a "resolution of disapproval" against the congressman.

But Wilson's supporters in South Carolina are hardly running from the resolution - they're embracing it.

GOP campaign operatives in the state argue that the vote will give Wilson yet another chance to raise money and rally party activists ahead of next year's election in the conservative-leaning 2nd Congressional District, which hasn't voted for a Democrat in 46 years.

Other politicians in the state are already sensing a chance to appeal to the Republican base by coming to Wilson's defense. South Carolina Rep. Gresham Barrett, who is running for governor next year and faces a crowded Republican primary, sent a letter to President Obama late Monday asking him to prevent House Democrats from taking action on Wilson.

"If the national Democrats want to make Joe Wilson a focal point, I can't imagine them doing a bigger favor for Joe Wilson," noted Richard Quinn, Wilson's Columbia-based political consultant. Quinn said if Tuesday's vote is successful, it will turn Wilson into "a martyr."

Both Wilson and his Democratic challenger Rob Miller have raised more than $1 million since the normally reserved congressman shouted "You lie!" at the president last Wednesday - a cash bonanza that will have both candidates on the airwaves and in mailboxes late into next year's campaign.

But several South Carolina Republicans said Nancy Pelosi and her Democratic allies in Congress are keeping the issue alive at their own expense, and at the expense of Miller, who isn't likely to embrace the polarizing House Speaker next year while running for Congress in a Republican-leaning district.

According to an Associated Press poll released last week, approval of Congress remains abysmally low. Just 28 percent of Americans approve of the way Congress is doing its job, while 69 percent disapprove.

"If one of the most unpopular politicians in Washington and her record low approval-rating colleagues want to come out against Joe Wilson, Joe ought to smile warmly and say, 'Yes ma'am,'" said Robert Cahaly, an Atlanta-based GOP strategist who works frequently in South Carolina.

Katon Dawson, the former chairman of the South Carolina Republican party, said Democrats will "secure Wilson's seat for the next two years" if they approve Tuesday's resolution. He said Wilson should welcome the resolution as an opportunity to nationalize the race by running against the "arrogant" Democratic leadership in Congress and forcing Miller to take positions on unpopular national issues.

"I think it would be a tremendous asset to Joe Wilson's re-elect for the Congress to try to censure him or do something to him," Dawson said. "I find it hilarious that they're spending so much time on him."

Top Democrats in the state, however, warned Republicans against being so self-assured, especially since Wilson's outburst turned his little-known Democratic rival into a well-funded challenger in a matter of days.

Miller has raised more than $1.5 million dollars in just five days, a substantial improvement from his last campaign. In 2008, Miller raised roughly $400,000 and gave himself another $235,000, but still managed to come within eight points of Wilson.

Dick Harpootlian, the former chairman of the South Carolina Democratic Party, said "the crazy folks, the right wing folks" are already in Wilson's camp, House resolution or not. He said Wilson needs to worry about independent voters instead.

"It's another crazy piece of conduct from a Republican in this state," he said. "I think the independent voter out there is saying, 'What the hell? Why is this guy screaming at the President of the United States?'"

Still, Harpootlian said House Democrats need to be cautious during Tuesday's vote. Any effort to punish Wilson, he said, must be done "in a somber, respectful way, instead of a gleeful crucifixion."

Scott Huffmon, a political scientist at Winthrop University, doubted that the resolution would have any sweeping impact on the 2010 race beyond rallying the party faithful. If House Democrats succeed in passing the resolution against Wilson, he said, the Republican would "wear that among his supporters as a badge of honor."

"If there’s any kind of censure vote, he will print that in his fundraising letters, mark my word," Huffmon said.

The South Carolina Republican Party voted to censure Sanford in July.

(CNN) – Just hours after Gov. Mark Sanford held a news conference Thursday to fight back against Republican legislators seeking his ouster, the South Carolina Republican Party dealt him another blow by formally calling for his resignation.

Two-thirds of the GOP's executive committee voted to call for the governor's resignation at the end of an hour-long conference call organized by state Republican Party Chairwoman Karen Floyd.

Floyd sent a letter to Sanford after the result was announced informing him of the vote.

It is a stinging rebuke for Sanford from the grassroots wing of the party that has long been his base of support. Members of the party's executive committee are volunteers elected by their fellow political activists - the kind of Republicans who make phone calls, stuff envelopes and knock on doors during election years.

While Sanford has sparred publicly over his two terms with state GOP lawmakers, who have also called for his resignation, the state's grassroots activists have been dependably in his corner.

The vote was also a formal change of course for the state party: Floyd convened a similar conference call in July after Sanford revealed his extramarital affair, which resulted in a vote to censure Sanford for "repeated failures to act in accordance" with the party's core principles and beliefs. But at the time, the party did not ask for the governor to step down.

Sanford's spokesman Ben Fox immediately released a statement following the vote insisting "that working South Carolinians are ready to move beyond this political circus and media-driven distraction." He thanked the committee members who voted against the measure.

"We'd also thank those on the committee and others across the state who've cautioned against a rush to political judgment that would ultimately overturn an election before all the facts and indeed the 'rest of the story' is laid out," Fox said.

After a lawyer who joined Sanford at the governor's Thursday press conference in Columbia gave a four-minute legal briefing about the ethics investigation process and the powers of the South Carolina General Assembly, Sanford took aim at his political foes in the state legislature.

"We have a real problem if members of the General Assembly are going and trying to influence and truncate an ethics committee process so that they can get the intended result that they want and then use that for impeachment," he said. Sanford did not mention that several of his allies in the legislature signed onto a Wednesday letter asking him to resign.

Sanford told reporters that apparent efforts by some South Carolina lawmakers to obtain and use a preliminary report by a state ethics panel as the basis for impeachment would create a "kangaroo court."

If the preliminary report was used against him by some state lawmakers, Sanford told reporters he'd "use every tool in the tool box."

"In other words, we will bring legal action, if necessary, to say we have to have a full ethics committee report," he said.

In a statement issued after Sanford's press conference, the South Carolina House Speaker Bobby Harrell, a Republican, said that the ethics commission's executive director intends to give the report to the General Assembly at the same time it is delivered to the state's attorney general, who requested the investigation.

"Every day that we have to deal with these issues surrounding Governor Sanford," Harrell said in the statement, "is another day where it is incredibly difficult to focus on the issues that South Carolinians care about the most."

Saying his administration's conduct with regard to travel expenses is no different from that of past South Carolina governors in the past 30 years, Thursday Sanford also called the ethics panel investigation "fundamentally flawed."

"This is not an investigation," Sanford told reporters. "This is more of - something else."

Sanford's comments Thursday represented a slight change in tone from a radio interview he gave earlier this week. "I'm not looking for a fight," Sanford said during a the Tuesday interview, when asked if he's ready to hire lawyers to combat possible impeachment charges.

Asked during the radio interview if he believed he committed any sort of impeachable offense during his time in office, Sanford said only: "Well, that's for the General Assembly to decide."

–CNN Political Producer Peter Hamby contributed to this report.

The South Carolina Republican Party voted to censure Sanford in July.

(CNN) – South Carolina Republican Party Chairwoman Karen Floyd is expected to seek a party resolution calling for Mark Sanford's resignation, a source familiar with plans for the call told CNN.

Floyd is expected to make the request on on a conference call Thursday afternoon with members of the state GOP executive committee. The call is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m.

The South Carolina Republican Party convened a similar conference call in July, which resulted in a vote to censure Sanford for "repeated failures to act in accordance" with the party's core principles and beliefs - but the party did not ask for Sanford to step down. At the time, Floyd issued a statement saying, "Now is the time for healing for our great state."

Thursday's conference call comes one day after 61 Republicans in the South Carolina House of Representatives wrote to Sanford demanding his resignation. But the governor has repeatedly rejected the onslaught of calls for him to resign, instead vowing to stay in office to fight for his fiscally conservative beliefs.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – The Democrat hoping to unseat South Carolina congressman Joe Wilson in next year's midterm elections quickly seized on the Republican's shout of "You lie!" during President Obama's health care speech on Wednesday.

"Representative Wilson's behavior tonight exemplifies everything that is wrong in Washington," Democrat Rob Miller said in a statement provided to CNN. "Instead of engaging in childish name-calling and disrespecting our Commander-in-Chief, Joe Wilson should be working towards a bipartisan solution that makes quality, affordable health care available to each and every South Carolinian.

Miller added: "He owes both the President and the people of this district an apology for his embarrassing behavior during tonight's speech."

Wilson apologized to the president after the speech, calling his comments "inappropriate and regrettable."

Miller, a 13-year veteran of the Marine Corps, gave Wilson the toughest re-election challenge of his career last year in one of the country's most conservative congressional districts. Miller lost by eight points, and decided to challenge Wilson again next year.

National Democrats are also looking for a win: Wilson is on the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's 2010 hit list.

Wednesday's commotion is likely to give both candidates a financial boost. Miller's supporters quickly took to Twitter and urged Democrats to support the campaign, while Republicans on the Web urged their readers to donate to Wilson.

Erick Erickson, the conservative voice behind RedState.com, called Wilson a "great American hero." South Carolina Democratic party chairwoman Carol Fowler, meanwhile, said Wilson gave the state yet another black eye.

"Once again a South Carolina Republican has embarrassed our state," Fowler said in a statement, making a nod to scandal-plagued governor Mark Sanford. "Never has any member of Congress shown such disrespect for the president during a speech."

UPDATE: Miller's campaign says they have raised $40,000 since Obama's speech ended tonight.

Mark Sanford called the letter 'unpersuasive and unsurprising.'

(CNN) – An overwhelming majority of Republicans in the South Carolina House of Representatives called on Gov. Mark Sanford to resign Wednesday, saying in a letter hand-delivered to his office that the governor's actions "have been destructive to our state's image on a worldwide stage."

Sixty of 72 Republicans endorsed the letter that was signed by House Majority Leader Kenny Bingham on behalf of House GOP leadership.

The letter has been in the works ever since House Republicans met in Myrtle Beach last month during their annual retreat. At that meeting, not a single member of the GOP caucus spoke in support of Sanford and at least one legislator provided an outline of possible impeachment charges against the governor.

"The general sense of the Caucus is that the people of South Carolina have suffered enough as a result of your recent actions and the current allegations against you," the members wrote to the governor, referring to his disappearance from the state in June and subsequent investigations into his travel expenses.

The 60 members calling for the governor's resignation include a coalition of Sanford critics and allies, along with several legislators who would play key roles in the impeachment process if the House decides to try to remove the governor when the legislative session begins in January.

The letter was delivered one day after House Speaker Bobby Harrell broke his months-long silence and publicly called on the governor to step aside, making him the second-highest ranking elected official in the South Carolina to do so.

Despite the growing resignation drumbeat, it's unlikely that the letter from House members will do much to change Sanford's mind.

"The reality is King Herod's heart is hardened and Mark Sanford is not going to change his mind," one well-connected South Carolina GOP strategist said of Sanford's thinking.

The governor's office called Wednesday's letter "both unpersuasive and unsurprising" and pointed out that many of his longtime critics signed onto the letter, even though several allies - including Rep. Nathan Ballentine - added their names to the note.

"What this letter does provide is further evidence of a disconnect between the people of this state who want to move forward and many politicians in Columbia who see the current situation as a way to achieve political payback," Sanford's spokesman Ben Fox said in a statement.

Among the GOP House members not signing onto the letter: state Rep. Nikki Haley, an ideological ally of Sanford's who is running for governor in 2010.

Haley said in a statement that she decided not to support the letter because the governor has already made clear he will not step aside and any efforts to encourage him to do so amount to little more than political posturing.

Sanford acknowledged the state legislature will decide his fate.

(CNN) - South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford - facing a growing impeachment threat over his secret trip to Argentina in June - said Tuesday he's not preparing for a legal battle with state legislators who want to remove him from office.

"I'm not looking for a fight," Sanford said during a radio interview in Columbia, when asked if he's ready to hire lawyers to combat possible impeachment charges.

At the same time, the embattled governor acknowledged his fate rests in the hands of the state legislature, which by many accounts is set to begin the impeachment process when it re-convenes in January, pending the outcome of a state ethics panel investigation into Sanford's travel expenses.

Asked if he believes he committed any sort of impeachable offense during his time in office, Sanford said only: "Well, that's for the General Assembly to decide."

The governor, however, suggested that actions related to his June disappearance did not rise to the level of offenses committed by other state executives who have been impeached in the past.

"There have been eight governors impeached in the history of this nation," he said, describing the actions of those governors as "heinous."

"And so I would say there is certainly a world of difference between what happened in those instances and what happened here," he added.

Sanford took questions from several callers, none of whom called on him to step down.

He said it was "unfortunate" that Republican House Speaker Bobby Harrell called for his resignation on Tuesday and said he wants critics to wait for the outcome of the ethics investigation.

The governor spent most of the interview touting his administration's record on fiscal matters, arguing that he should remain in office because he is "a voice for fiscal sanity" and "an advocate for restructuring" in government.

"We all want do-overs," Sanford said. "That is the nature of being human. And so I apologize as I have so many times before. But I am human and I make mistakes. But I also believe that God can use imperfect people to perform his will."

Sanford also rejected the suggestion that he might be a drag on the Republican ticket in next year's governor's race.

"The Republican Party is not me and I am not the Republican party," he said. "So I don't think that what happens in the next election cycle is based on what does or doesn't happen with Mark Sanford."

Sanford received a letter from the South Carolina House Speaker on Tuesday.

(CNN) – After remaining relatively quiet on the matter for more than two months, South Carolina's Speaker of the House is now calling for Gov. Mark Sanford to resign.

The Charleston Republican delivered a letter to Sanford on Tuesday telling him that his actions "have forced unnecessary suffering on the people of South Carolina."

Harrell leads 73 members of the House GOP caucus and now becomes the second-highest ranking elected official in the state to ask Sanford to step down. Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer called for the governor to resign last month - a request Sanford quickly rejected.

"The daily trickle of allegations against you has shown that there is no end in sight to the constant distractions caused by you remaining in office," he wrote. Harrell said the governor is destined to be an unnecessary distraction when the state legislature re-convenes in January.

Several Republican members of the legislature favor impeaching the governor, but Harrell said he would avoid talking about possible impeachment charges until the State Ethics Commission concludes its recently-launched investigation into Sanford's travel expenses.

The House Speaker has clashed publicly with Sanford over the years, most recently over the governor's refusal to take $700 million in federal stimulus funds.

Harrell was one of few top officials to keep quiet after revelations of Sanford's affair in June, instead choosing to let the saga play out before making any public statement.

However, Harrell got an earful from members of the House Republican caucus at their annual retreat in Myrtle Beach last month, when a majority of House Republicans said the governor should either resign or be impeached.

A spokesman for Sanford did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Harrell's letter, but the governor will likely address the matter when he appears on a Columbia radio show later Tuesday.

UPDATE: Unsurprisingly, Sanford declined Harrell's invitation.

In a statement, the governor said, "I think the Speaker was originally right in his view of a couple of months ago that people should withhold judgment until after the Ethics report. It's unfortunate that he, by this action, seems to have joined the ranks of some others who would attempt to politicize what has gone on."

Knotts accused Sanford of spreading rumors that Bauer is gay.

(CNN) – An outspoken critic of Mark Sanford is accusing the embattled South Carolina governor of orchestrating a smear campaign against Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer.

Republican State Sen. Jake Knotts wrote to fellow members of the state legislature on Wednesday accusing Sanford and his allies of spreading rumors that Bauer is gay - a claim that was reported earlier this week by a blogger who seeks to out closeted conservative politicians.

"As a former target of a false rumor started by the Sanford Camp I can tell you with absolute certainty this attack was orchestrated on behalf of Mark Sanford, either directly or indirectly, and financially subsidized by him or one of his many 'front-groups,'" Knotts wrote. The letter was first reported by "The Palmetto Scoop," a South Carolina political Web site.

Knotts, an ally of Bauer and a fierce opponent of Sanford, said there is no truth to the gay rumors that have dogged Bauer for years.

"I have known Andre since he was eight years old," Knotts told CNN. "Ain't a homosexual bone in his body. That boy is a good boy. It's a just an attempt to prevent Andre from become governor."

Bauer publicly called on Sanford to resign last week, a request that was promptly rejected by the governor. Bauer is also planning to enter the crowded race to succeed Sanford next year. If Sanford resigns or is forced from office before his term expires, Bauer would assume the governorship, a move that would allow him to run as an incumbent in 2010. Bauer said if Sanford resigns within the next month, he would bow out of the governor's race.

Bauer himself addressed the gay rumors earlier this summer, telling The State newspaper: "One word, two letters. 'No.' Let's go ahead and dispel that now."

"It's an absolute effort by Sanford's people to discredit Andre," Knotts said of the rumors. "Sanford hates Andre so bad it's pitiful."

Knotts said allies of the governor shopped the rumor because "they dont like that Andre is young, Andre is smart, and they see Andre as a threat to them."

"Every time I have seen Andre and as long as I've known him, he's always had a pretty girlfriend," Knotts told CNN. "They love him, he treats them well, he treats them nice, he treats them with respect. He doesn't hang out in bars and go from woman to woman. Everybody that knows Andre knows for sure he ain't been seen hanging on to no damn man."

Sanford's office pushed back hard against Knotts' allegations.

"This letter is simply wrong - and in that regard, as bizarre as many of the other claims and attacks of recent weeks," said Sanford spokesman Ben Fox. "Some have even argued this indeed points to an obsession with slandering anyone who tries to change the 'good ol' boy' system of politics in Columbia.

"South Carolina is facing serious challenges, and the Governor is dedicated to addressing these challenges alongside other members of the legislature committed to the same," he said. "We have a state capital with too much spending, too little transparency, and as shown by this letter, at times too many political attacks."

Knotts is the state senator who first raised questions about Sanford's mysterious absence from Columbia in June, before it was revealed that the governor had left the country to visit his mistress. In the letter to fellow legislators, he repeated his demand that Sanford step down or be impeached.

Follow Peter Hamby on Twitter.

(CNN) – South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford lashed out at the media on Friday, admonishing reporters at a press conference for their coverage of the multiple investigations into his travel expenses.

"One of the frankly disappointing things I've seen in several instances here over the last 60 days of my life since I've been through this thing is that in some cases it's not been about objective journalism, its been about advocacy journalism with an agenda," he said.

Sanford was in the town of Conway revealing his plans to waive confidentiality in a state Ethics Commission investigation into his use of state airplanes and taxpayer-funded travel, a move that will allow to the public to view the results of the probe.

But the governor, who has adopted an increasingly combative tone in recent days, also blasted members of the state legislature for being hypocritical, accusing them of spending state money on travel as well. He called on members of Senate and House to make their travel documents public.

Then he turned his sights on the South Carolina press corps, with whom he had a largely cordial relationship before he turned the state's political world upside down in June by copping to an extramarital affair with an Argentine woman. He chided the media for its coverage of his travel record and said he has been an excellent steward of taxpayer money, unlike previous administrations.

"Let me say to my friends in the press - some of your are friends, some you are debatable - but we'll come back to that," he began. "What happens is really going to be in y'all's hands. In other words, the way it gets reported, it can be made into circus, it can be made into a Mickey Mouse court if that's the way you choose to report it. That really is y'all's responsibility."

"I would challenge my friends in the media to really look at, 'What are the real facts in this case?' What is the larger contest in this case?'" he said, referring to the Ethics Commission investigation.

Sanford singled out John O'Connor - a political reporter for South Carolina's largest newspaper, The State - and accused the newspaper of covering the political back-and-forth over the travel controversy while skimming over Sanford's arguments defending himself.

Sanford took one question, but refused several others. But when O'Connor asked a question about private flights that Sanford failed to report on public disclosures, the governor became irritable.

"John, we're not going to play your game," he said, jabbing his finger in the reporter's direction. "I don't work for you."

Follow Peter Hamby on Twitter @hambypCNN

Joel Sawyer, Mark Sanford's former spokesman, is seen here behind the governor in June.

(CNN) – Mark Sanford's former communications director Joel Sawyer - who resigned in July in the weeks after the South Carolina governor admitted to an extramarital affair - announced the formation of a new communications consulting firm on Thursday.

Sawyer said his firm - New Level Strategies - will offer public relations advice, message development and crisis communications consulting to companies and Republican political clients.

After Sanford mysteriously disappeared from Columbia in June, Sawyer famously told reporters that his then-boss had gone hiking on the Appalachian Trail to clear his mind after a bruising legislative session. Sanford was actually visiting his mistress in Argentina. The governor later admitted that he misled his staff, including Sawyer, about his whereabouts.

Sanford fought back against one of his critics on Thursday.

(CNN) – South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, taking the offensive for one of the first times since admitting an extramarital affair in June, staged a press conference Thursday across the street from the office of a state senator who is investigating his travel expenses and accused his critic of "selective outrage."

Sanford said state Sen. David Thomas, a fellow Republican, is using the travel probe to raise his profile in advance of a 2010 congressional run and claimed he isn't running "a serious investigation."

"If there was a serious investigation going on, what he would have discovered was that over the last 25 years, there have been a full 230 business class tickets purchased by the Department of Commerce or by difference state entities," Sanford said.

Thomas - who chairs the senate subcommittee charged with investigating constitutional and administrative questions related to the governor's office - has been looking into Sanford's travel records since June, when the governor admitted he left the state to visit his mistress in Argentina.

He has accused Sanford of violating South Carolina law by booking first-class and business class seats on overseas trips and said the governor needs to be impeached. Thomas said state regulations require that officials purchase the cheapest available seats.

But Sanford sought to cast doubt on the senator's motivations.

"This idea of running for Congress and building up a name ID in this fashion is no way to run for Congress," he said. Thomas is mounting a primary challenge against Rep. Bob Inglis in South Carolina's 4th Congressional District.

The governor accused Thomas of hypocrisy, claiming that members of the senator's own subcommittee have flown business class on the taxpayer dime.

"There is something wrong with selective outrage," Sanford said of the investigation.

Top Republican leaders in state, including Senate Pro Tempore Glenn McConnell and House speaker Bobby Harrell - have distanced themselves from the probe, saying instead that the state's Ethics Commission should take the lead on looking into the governor's actions.

Sanford did not take questions from reporters and did not comment on other investigations conducted by the media that showed he used state aircraft for political and personal use, and failed to officially report flights provided to him by friends and political allies.

The press conference occurred one day after Sanford rejected a call from his lieutenant governor to step down, and one day before House Republicans gather in Myrtle Beach for their annual retreat, where the question of impeachment is certain to be a hot topic among members, who have not been together since the scandal broke earlier this summer.

The impeachment process in South Carolina must begin in the House, and multiple GOP legislators in both parties have told CNN they support introducing a motion to impeach the governor. However, no action can formally be taken until the legislative session begins in January.

House Majority Leader Kenny Bingham told CNN it's difficult to know how House Republicans will proceed until all the facts about Sanford are known.

"I believe that a majority of the House Republicans are very, very, very concerned," he said. "This is a gray area where we're at today. I don't think it's over the top, and every one supports impeaching the governor, but at the same time, we can't just dismiss it."

(CNN) – South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford forcefully rejected his lieutenant governor's request that he resign for the good of the state, telling reporters Wednesday: "I am not going to be railroaded out of this office by political opponents or folks that were never fans of mine in the first place."

Sanford called a press conference to respond to Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer, who said earlier in the day "that the best interests of the people of South Carolina can no longer be served by the current administration." Bauer also promised voters that if Sanford resigns and he assumes the governorship, he will not go through with his long-held plans to enter the 2010 governor's race.

But Sanford dismissed Bauer's offer - which was made formally in a letter sent to Sanford's office - and accused Bauer and other critics of cynically trying to exploit his weakened political position in the wake of recent investigations into his travel expenses.

"A lot of what's going on is pure politics, plain and simple," he said.

Bauer and Sanford were elected separately to their offices, and they are not politically or personally close.

Sanford sarcastically said that while "it would represent heaven on earth" to take Bauer up on his offer, he'd rather focus on solving the state's problems for the remainder of his term.

The governor, whose office sits just feet from Bauer's in the state House, responded to his number two with his own sharply-worded letter. "I most humbly decline your offer," Sanford wrote, "but thank you for it nonetheless."

The embattled governor claimed that most South Carolinians have moved on from his admission in June that he had an extramarital affair with an Argentine woman, a disclosure that sparked investigations into his use of state resources. But Sanford said political rivals continue to stir up controversy for "payback" and that the media keeps covering the story "because it helps sell papers."

Sanford continued to defend his administration's "incredible record" of using taxpayer money wisely for international and domestic travel.

House Republicans are meeting this weekend in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, for their annual retreat, and the topic of impeachment is likely to dominate the agenda, according to those planning to attend. Members of the House Judiciary Committee have told CNN there are enough votes on the committee to send an impeachment motion to the floor of the House.

The power of impeachment in South Carolina, according to the state constitution, is reserved for "cases of serious crimes or serious misconduct in office."

(CNN) – South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford forcefully rejected his lieutenant governor's request that he resign for the good of the state, telling reporters Wednesday: "I am not going to be railroaded out of this office by political opponents or folks that were never fans of mine in the first place."

Sanford called a press conference to respond to Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer, who said earlier in the day "that the best interests of the people of South Carolina can no longer be served by the current administration." Bauer also promised voters that if Sanford resigns and he assumes the governorship, he will not go through with his long-held plans to enter the 2010 governor's race.

But Sanford dismissed Bauer's offer - which was made formally in a letter sent to Sanford's office - and accused Bauer and other critics of cynically trying to exploit his weakened political position in the wake of recent investigations into his travel expenses.

"A lot of what's going on is pure politics, plain and simple," he said.

Bauer and Sanford were elected separately to their offices, and they are not politically or personally close.

Sanford sarcastically said that while "it would represent heaven on earth" to take Bauer up on his offer, he'd rather focus on solving the state's problems for the remainder of his term.

The governor, whose office sits just feet from Bauer's in the state House, responded to his number two with his own sharply-worded letter. "I most humbly decline your offer," Sanford wrote, "but thank you for it nonetheless."

The embattled governor claimed that most South Carolinians have moved on from his admission in June that he had an extramarital affair with an Argentine woman, a disclosure that sparked investigations into his use of state resources. But Sanford said political rivals continue to stir up controversy for "payback" and that the media keeps covering the story "because it helps sell papers."

Sanford continued to defend his administration's "incredible record" of using taxpayer money wisely for international and domestic travel.

House Republicans are meeting this weekend in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, for their annual retreat, and the topic of impeachment is likely to dominate the agenda, according to those planning to attend. Members of the House Judiciary Committee have told CNN there are enough votes on the committee to send an impeachment motion to the floor of the House.

The power of impeachment in South Carolina, according to the state constitution, is reserved for "cases of serious crimes or serious misconduct in office."

South Carolina Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer said he won't seek the governor's office in 2010 is Sanford resigns in the next month.

(CNN) – South Carolina's lieutenant governor on Wednesday accused Gov. Mark Sanford of "serious misconduct" in office and said the time has come for the embattled governor to resign.

Andre Bauer is the highest-ranking official so far to call on Sanford to step down. He said he tried to remain supportive of the governor after he admitted to an extramarital affair in June, but subsequent investigations into Sanford's foreign and domestic travel expenses have become too much of a distraction for the state.

Several GOP lawmakers have said that Sanford, also a Republican, violated South Carolina law by paying for pricey seats on international flights and using state aircraft for personal and political purposes.

"Regrettably, we have reached a point where we must all put the interests of the people of South Carolina first," Bauer said at a news conference inside the state house in Columbia. "It is my opinion that the best interests of the people of South Carolina can no longer be served by the current administration."

Sanford has scheduled a news conference for 3:30 p.m. ET to respond to Bauer's comments.

If Sanford does resign, Bauer would become governor for the remainder of Sanford's term, which expires in January 2011.

But the lieutenant governor, who was elected separately from Sanford and is not a political ally of the governor, offered Sanford a deal: If the governor resigns and Bauer takes office, he said he will put aside his own political ambitions and not move forward with the 2010 gubernatorial bid he has long been planning.

Bauer's rivals for the 2010 Republican gubernatorial nomination have been uncomfortable with the prospect of Bauer assuming the top office and running as an incumbent in next year's GOP primary. Bauer and his team have accused rival Republican candidates and their political allies in the legislature of dragging their feet on the Sanford issue, in order to prevent Bauer from being promoted to the governorship.

"If taking me out of the governor's race makes this happen and we move forward quickly, then yes, I am willing to forgo the opportunity I may have to be governor for the next four to eight years," he said, describing his proposal as "selfless.

However, Bauer said his deal - which he first revealed to CNN in June - would only be on the table for the next month. If Sanford does not resign in the coming weeks, Bauer said, he will move forward with his plans to run for governor, even if Sanford is impeached and removed from office.

Investigations into the governor's travel expenses revealed that he spent thousands of dollars on business and first-class airline tickets for overseas flights, and used state aircraft for personal and political travel. Those probes were prompted by Sanford's disclosure in June that he had an affair with an Argentine woman.

Bauer called on the state legislature to take action on Sanford before the end of the year if he does not step down. Lawmakers will not be able to take formal action until the legislature re-convenes in January, unless a special session is called before then.

Members of the House Judiciary Committee have told CNN there are enough votes on the committee to send an impeachment motion to the floor of the House.

House Republicans are meeting this weekend in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, for their annual retreat, and the impeachment matter is likely to dominate the agenda, according to those planning to attend.

The power of impeachment in South Carolina, according to the state constitution, is reserved for "cases of serious crimes or serious misconduct in office."

Impeachment requires a two-thirds vote in the House followed by a two-thirds vote in the Senate.

On Tuesday, Rep. Nathan Ballentine - a Sanford ally in the legislature - met with the governor privately and warned him that unless he steps down, House Republicans are likely to impeach him. Sanford rejected his plea.

"Barring some swing of momentum in his favor, I told him the writing is on the wall," Ballentine told CNN.

Sanford has said he and his family were working on healing after his admission about the affair. His wife, Jenny, and the couple's four sons recently moved out of the governor's mansion and back to their private home in Charleston for the beginning of the school year.

South Carolina Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer will call on Gov. Mark Sanford to resign in a press conference scheduled for Wednesday.

(CNN) – South Carolina Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer will call on Gov. Mark Sanford to resign in a press conference scheduled for Wednesday at noon, making him the highest ranking official in the state to do so, according to a source close to Bauer.

But Bauer - who has been plotting his entrance into the 2010 governor's race - will also pledge in the news conference not to seek the top office himself if Sanford does decide to step down in the coming weeks.

The lieutenant governor will send a letter to Sanford later today asking him to step down, a move that would elevate Bauer into the governor's mansion for the remainder of Sanford's term.

That prospect is an uncomfortable one for rival Republicans in the governor's race, who believe Bauer would gain an upper hand in the 2010 race as an incumbent. And because he stands to benefit directly, Bauer also risks appearing nakedly ambitious by asking Sanford to go.

But Bauer is promising not to enter the race if he assumes the governorship - a scenario he first floated to CNN in June after Sanford revealed an extramarital affair and came under fire from members of his own party.

"What it would do is it would get the politics out of it," Bauer told CNN about his proposal at the time. "The people that are so concerned for their own political future about running for governor, would no longer be worried if I came in and became governor, because I would just say.'You know what? This is bigger than politics. I will go and lead in for the next 18 months and not run for re-election.'"

Rivals to Bauer have noted that this isn't the first time he has promised to avoid future campaigning. In 2006, Bauer told The Greenville News that if were to win re-election in that year's campaign for lieutenant governor, he would not seek the governorship in 2010.

Bauer and Sanford did not run as a ticket and were elected separately in past elections.

The other Republicans running for governor are Attorney General Henry McMaster, Rep. Gresham Barrett, state Rep. Nikki Haley and state Sen. Larry Grooms.

Two Republican lawmakers told Sanford to resign Tuesday.

(CNN) – Two Republican legislators met privately with South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford Tuesday and told him to resign - but the governor rejected their advice.

Rep. Nathan Ballentine - a Sanford ally in the legislature - and Rep. Gerry Simrill met with Sanford in the South Carolina state House for about 40 minutes and warned him that unless he steps down, House Republicans are likely to impeach him.

“Barring some swing of momentum in his favor, I told him the writing is on the wall,” Ballentine told CNN. “I thought there could be a change in scenery and he could put an end to it all, but if he doesn’t, members of the House will take things into their hands.”

House Republicans are meeting this weekend in Myrtle Beach for their annual caucus retreat, and the impeachment matter is likely to dominate the agenda, according to those planning to attend.

Sanford has come under a new round of scrutiny after investigations into his travel expenses revealed that he spent thousands of dollars on business and first class airline tickets for overseas flights, and used state aircraft for personal and political travel. Those probes were prompted by Sanford’s disclosure in June that he had an affair with an Argentine woman.

Members of the House Judiciary Committee told CNN there are enough votes on the committee to send an impeachment motion to the floor of the House when the legislative session begins in January.

“I would be surprised if impeachment articles weren’t being drafted by someone,” said Rep. Jim Harrison, the Republican chairman of the Judiciary Committee.

But Ballentine said the governor rejected the idea of resigning instead of facing impeachment - even with the message coming from a friend.

“I think he wants people to sit back take a deep breath and see what other information is out there,” Ballentine said.

“I’m tired of the distraction, honestly,” Ballentine continued. “We need to be focusing on stuff that’s important to everyday folks, and unless there is a change in the situation, we are going to be distracted for the next 16 months.”

But, Ballentine said of the governor: “He’s a fighter. You got to admire that.”

Sanford’s office said the governor is ready to get back to work.

“We wouldn't presume to guess what political detractors or foes, or for that matter the House Judiciary Committee, may or may not decide to do this next year, but we do know that there are real issues facing South Carolina tied to economic development, job creation, restructuring and spending - and we're committed to working on these with the Legislature over the weeks and months ahead,” said Sanford spokesman Ben Fox.