Betty Blog

Gov. Sanford is an Ass

Honey? I'm Off to Argentina! Wish the Boys a Happy Father's Day For Me!

-Candace Buehner

My husband is an independent sort. He has been known to go off on the occasional trip to Best Buy or maybe an extended bike ride without letting me know exactly where it is that he's headed. He will show up home again after a couple of hours with a new ceiling fan, I ask no questions, we have a happy state of existence, largely because I know that in spite of our close proximity to Canada, the chances of him actually taking a trip outside the country on one of these little sojourns are slim to none. I also trust him.

The wife of Mark Sanford, the governor of the currently very un-happy state of South Carolina? What did she think when she learned that shortly after she gave birth to their fourth son eight years ago, her husband met a woman from Argentina that started off as a "very good" internet friend, but by the time that he completed his super-secret six-day trip to Buenos Aires yesterday had become, per his own press conference, "something much more" (sniffle, sniffle).

We also learned in this very enlightening press conference that Mr. Sanford a) is "deeply sorry" for his indiscretion; b) cried for the entire six days he was in Argentina (THAT couldn't have been good for the whole romantic vibe); and c) is not really sure where this whole crazy extramarital thing is headed, but he asks the press to "respect his family" and let them work these issues out "privately". Oh, and he's not resigning as Governor. Sorry, South Carolinians!

The overall disgust rightfully being thrown Governor Sanford's way is frustrating on a lot of levels. This guy is a narcissistic idiot who clearly doesn't give a rat's ass about anyone but himself and, perhaps at this very moment, his hot little piece of Argentinean beefsteak (hear that sizzle!). However, the fact that Governor Sanford happens to be an outspoken Republican has sent the media into a feeding frenzy. Less than two weeks after Nevada's Republican Senator John Ensign admitted to the same sort of transgression (albeit he didn't outsource internationally, sticking to home-grown Americans for his extramarital fun), CNN and its left-leaning brethren (sistren?) is working overtime in convincing the American public that THIS sort of horrible unfaithful beast is what conservatives really ARE behind closed doors (when they're not coming up with nefarious plots at the Vatican).

Well, I'm afraid that there are asses in both parties, America. Change the nationality of the Other Woman, add in an infant with questionable fatherhood (and piercing blue plaintiff-attorney eyes), and you have John Edwards. Go back 15 years, or put "I did not. Have. Sexual. Relations. With. That. Woman." in any search engine and you have, of course, our former President. Maybe run "odd sort of foot step in the bathroom signal for I want sex, you hottie!" in that same search engine and you will come up with former Republican Senator Larry Craig.

There is no rhyme or reason - or party affiliation - associated with a Lack of Character. However, since we have a representative government, we expect that our politicians should at least make choices that reflect what most of us ourselves would do. We all ask, where there signs? Should Mrs. Sanford have SEEN this coming? Did she know he had such a moral failing when she married him? And where did the whole "hiking on the Appalachian trail on Father's Day" excuse come from in the first place (I'm thinking a well-intentioned staffer of the governor who realized over the weekend that his or her boss was in really, really deep doo-doo, and this seemed as good of a story as any (we can picture the emergency meeting, "....Who the hell would BELIEVE the whole Argentina thing, anyway?!!!")

But in the end, it doesn't matter: Governor Sanford did what he did because he exercised his God-given right to be, after all, an ass. By his actions, he betrayed the trust of his staff, his constituents, his family, and his wife. He also let down conservatives, who are being forced to explain that freedom of will does not always prompt people to make the choices that are morally or ethically acceptable, regardless of what side of the political fence their glass house might be located.

Candace Cavanaugh Buehner lives and works outside of Detroit, Michigan, where the governor is nothing to brag about, either.

Read Candace's last blog: My Greatest Fear?

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