Governor Goes Hiking, Sparks Political Frenzy
In South Carolina, somebody's gone off the deep end and it's not the governor. Mark Sanford went on vacation and wouldn't say where. That set off frenzied national speculation. The State newspaper in Columbia treated it like a kidnapping, providing this breathless report:
South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford
Sanford's last known location was near Atlanta late last week. A mobile telephone tower there picked up a signal from his phone, according to a source familiar with the situation.
Sanford's political enemies went ballistic. "I cannot take lightly that his staff has not had communication with him for more than four days, and that no one, including his own family, knows his whereabouts," Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer huffed. Senate Democratic leader John Land said, "It's one thing for the boys to go off by themselves, but on Father's Day to leave your family behind? That's erratic."
Turns out, his office said last night, Sanford went hiking somewhere on the Appalachian Trail. He needed a little time to himself after the legislative session. To political insiders, that makes Sanford crazy. Politico predicts he will become the butt of late-night humor because of this little outdoor adventure of his, which is "only the latest reminder of his eccentricity." It could hurt his presidential hopes, they say.
Meanwhile, Sanford's probably relaxing on a sunny mountaintop in the Smokies at this moment. What a nutjob!
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