Sanford ally in South Carolina Senate calls for resignation
COLUMBIA, South Carolina (CNN) – One of Mark Sanford's conservative allies in the South Carolina state Senate is now saying the governor should step down.
Republican Larry Grooms, who is also running for governor in 2010, told CNN Tuesday that Sanford "is incapable of leading because of his behavior."
Unlike many of his colleagues in the chamber - most of whom have remained silent on the resignation question - Grooms has been a supporter of Sanford's fiscally conservative agenda in the senate. But Grooms said he told Sanford by phone last Thursday that he thought the governor should resign. Sanford said he disagreed.
"He indicated he believed that his only chance for redemption was to stay in office," Grooms said. "To me that doesn't serve any purpose well. That doesn't serve the people. It's not about him, it's about governing the people of the state."
Another Sanford ally running for governor next year - state Rep. Nikki Haley - said last week that the governor should stay in office because otherwise, Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer would assume the top office. Haley said that would be a step backward for the conservative reform movement in the state.
Bauer is also interested in making a bid for the governorship in 2010. Bauer, in a CNN interview Monday, suggested that he would give up a 2010 gubernatorial bid in exchange for taking over the rest of Sanford's term. Sanford is term limited and can't run for re-election next year.
But Grooms said he isn't yet thinking about the implications of Bauer assuming the governorship. He said his primary concern is that Sanford's actions have made him irrelevant as an executive. "He has given his opponents the opportunity to stop any reform agenda from passing," he said.
"As long as the governor stays in office, we start losing a bit of our advantage over the Democrats in the next election cycle," Grooms said.
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Mark Sanford Admits Additional Liaisons, Contradicting Public Confession
Fair is Fair – Meanwhile, Hawaiians are expecting a fireworks show like no other this 4th of July, courtesy of the DPRK's Chia Head in Chief, Kim Jong-Il. When asked of their lack of coverage, a CNN spokesperson, under condition of anonymity, said "Well, there's Sanford thingy… and you just never know what that there Palin might spring on us".
Uhhhhh.....they threatened the same thing back in 2003, where were you? Out to lunch?
If they do, we have it covered, have had since before the first threat.
Get rid of Sanford, in 2010 he'd lose anyways...
Sanfornd needs to resign. What if the people of South Carolina that elected him NEEDED him when he was "out of pocket"? He left not even his staff new his wherabouts, what if God forbid there had been a major crisis in SC? Wouldn't be nice to have a Gov you could count on to be reachable? MAN UP GOV!!
You can forget it. He's not giving up his salary, his latin lover, or his family. He has it all and should be celebrated by all. Who amongst us wish that they too could have it all. Mark Sanford, 2008, pimp-daddy of the year!
Sanford needs to resign. What if the people of South Carolina that elected him NEEDED him when he was "out of pocket"? He left not even his staff new his wherabouts, what if God forbid there had been a major crisis in SC? Wouldn't be nice to have a Gov you could count on to be reachable? MAN UP GOV!!
I do think the calls for his resignation are overblown, however, this is a story because Governor Sanford represents the GOP, a party that relies heavily on a conservative Christian base. Can he truly be a member of the party in good standing with an extramarital affair on his resume? I think it's about time that the GOP moves beyond their (false) 19th century ideals and starts pitching in to get this country out of it's current mess.
This adulterer that abandoned his state, and is still getting caught up in lies, should be ousted from office now.
hohum. I'm in sc. the gov misstepped right into it. love is blind. politics ain't. he will live with this from now on. look at Clinton. moral foolishment and politics don't mix. we are all human. don't cast stones my friends you may be next!!
Fair is Fair – Hawaii is an American State, it has senators and representatives in Washington DC, got it? Stop trying to divert our attention from the subject at hand with a pityful stupid post like that one.
Kim Jong-Il is nuts, completely lost in his own small world where he is God and all of his wishes are Divine Rights. This small world is called North Korea, and if he becomes way too delusional to attack US soil, pity of the North Koreans for they will have to pay for living under such lunatic tyranny at the time it falls (and it's better for China and Russia not to stand in our way supposing that this worst case scenario happens).
Back at the issue at hand... WHAT ESLSE IS LEFT FOR THE SC GOP?
Sanford betrayed their trust and votes, so they only can still profess their values by throwing him to the wolves/lions/Justice...
That's it thro him under the BUS!! You know what's been missing from ALL this Sanford crap? Nothing from Fat Boy RUSH. What's his spin??? Or is he back on the meds again??? We'll see his next scandal come out soon.