Sounds like he's a dope addict. Good. All these sleazy Republican sex scandals are getting boring.

im sure he has a good reason for his absense, and i can't wait to hear it. i need a good laugh.

Is there a woman involved?

Hmm. Sounds like he's got a boy-toy on the side.

With whom he does drugs. To forget about the man-on-boyness of it all. And at the same time, to revel in it.

Just innocent supposition, of course. (It would be irresponsible not to.)

He looked 18, I swear.

Hope he is OK but I suspect his job performance is peeking right now.

Wait a minute - It's certainly debatable whether Gov Sanford was EVER actually doing the job.

Too bad he isn't an attractive young blond, the MSM would be lit up ..stop the presses Nancy Grace is on the way ..here comes Geraldo. Governor? ...ho hum not so much.

Sounds fishy. Going to write something but didn't tell the wife where if in he did she didn't feel the need to be more specific though generic with a "I know where he is but...."? Sounds like trying to hide something to me.

Maybe he was up on Long Island watching the US Open.

He's probably writing the great American novel.

Sanford has frequently been eluding SLED agents and disappearing at odd times....

Genius fucking agents. Who trains these guys?

My dad used to work for Elliott Spitzer, when he was AG. After the scandal broke, my dad told me that Spitzer used to regularly break away from his guard detail for afternoons. They'd have no idea where he was and then he'd stroll in and say something like "I just went out for a haircut". At the time no one thought anything about it.

Maybe he was up on Long Island watching the US Open.

Going to Long Island from S Carolina by way of Atlanta? That's an odd route.

I bet if he were a peace activist or Quaker, they'd know exactly where he was. It would be a national security issue to lose one of them. A Republican Governor? Not so much.

I can see ditching a wife, even though I don't approve. But how do you ditch a security detail? Isn't their job supposed to be to know where he is? Those SLED guys should be ashamed of themselves. Maybe Sanford needs a GPS implant.

Sounds like a good opener for a movie or book.

Well geez, I hope the guy is okay...I'll hold off on the snark until I'm sure he's not dead in a ditch somewhere...

man, that's kinda weird.

Secession! Wolverines 4Ever!

South Carolina has had a FOIA act for many years. The most likely explanation is that he is avoiding some type of meetings that would be discoverable if the SLED records are formally requested by a news agency (or blogger!!!1!). And I'm having fun imagining all the reasons he would want to keep multi-day meetings secret.

He's hiding to make sure that Obama doesn't even try to give him any of that evil stimulus money!

I think he's having secret meetings with South Carolinian secessionists. Remember Fort Sumter!!

Ran off with Ensign's old girlfriend, now that Ensign dumped her?

Jesus camp?
A "Family" meeting?

I've got two words for this mystery:

Boats and Ho's baby, boats and Ho's.

I'll bet he shows up all bruised, with a backwards "B" scratched into his face.

he probably had an affair and now he had to repent to his minister.

for rethugs this is just fine, God forbid a Dem.

Personally, I'm not going to joke about this until we find out where the hell he is. After all, it could be something bad, God forbid.

Gone Galt?

I think he has a hot little honey he is seeing on the side. hint hint

Chris Cillizza added, "[P]ulling a disappearing act like this -- whatever the reason -- is a decidedly odd move for someone who is seen as a likely presidential candidate in 2012."

If prospective GOP Presidential candidates want to torpedo their own candidacies, I'm good with that.

I'm holding my fire.

It would be irresponsible to speculate.

. . .

Oh, what the hell:

This twitter just in from Tehran.

"Send money, guns, and lawyers. Dad, get me out of this!"

Stanford is checking on his still? Demanding some poor wretch to "squeal like a pig"? (I wouldn't say this except for all the recent racist stuff coming from the GOPers lately, like gorilla, aspirin, spook eyes, etc. - not to mention violence.)

Steve, I just sent you an email about this. I must have been writing it as you wrote this post. Anyway, this is truly...what's the word? ....Oh I know, bizarre.

Riverborn @ 4:38 pm: HAH! Coffee on monitor/keyboard...

MMY, directly above that: Valid comment - yet, if this was a Democratic governor, would there be such restraint by the rightie-wingernutteroo's?

There was once a color fondly asked about. And orange was its name.

I am shocked by the rancid insinuations being made on this blog about a true American.

I am sure the Governor is, as you are insulting yourselves, on his way to Tehran to join the resistance.

Careful. If he were skipping out to have an affair he'd have a cover story and wouldn't be missing for days. At this point it seems likely that something happened to him.

The fact that they checked with the cell phone company to track him down doesn't look good.

Since we're speculating:

• Hookers
• Drugs
• Money, e.g., illegal funding
• Plastic Surgery
• Affair
• Homosexual Affair
• World of Warcraft
• Catching up on literary classics
• sub-blogger for Andrew Sullivan

Is there an online betting pool?

Possibilities:

1a. Affair with female (of age)
1b. Affair with female (under age)
2a. Affair with male (of age)
2b. Affair with male (under age)
3. Sexual encounter with more than one party, including group sex
4. Alcohol binge
5. Other drug usage
6. Had a mental health breakdown
7. Involved in some other criminal activity
8. Claims alien abduction

Other ideas?

I wonder if wetsuits are involved?

Uh, he's actually in a hippy commune enjoying free love, free food, reading Das Kapital, working in the communial garden and happily tripping his brains out while purging all the negative energy he has accumulated over the last six months or so.

I'm just annoyed he forgot to tell me this time otherwise I would also be MIA.

This is a strange group of comments for this website. A man with a family is missing. He has four children. Just take a moment to reflect before you send any more insensitive comments. Would you appreciate comments like these if it were your Democratic governor? Or you for that matter?

My personal theory is that Mark is "visiting" his alternate personality "Brenda" that allows him to indulge in all the passions that his everyday persona as an uptight priggish Republican otherwise represses.

One other possibility, given the level of intelligence he's shown (actually below most Repubs) -- he got lost on the way to the office, then forgot his home phone number.

Dannyshenanigan, in general your sentiment has value. However, the Governor is just "missing" in the sense of being inaccessible for awhile. We doubt he's really in any danger like a genuine "missing person." If he's up to shenanigans, Danny; that's worth taking pot shots at the possibility of.

But Sanford’s office told the lieutenant governor’s office Monday afternoon that Sanford has been reached and he is fine, said Frank Adams, head of Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer’s office on aging.

http://www.thestate.com/local/story/836552.html

Resume snark.

This is a strange group of comments for this website. A man with a family is missing. He has four children. Just take a moment to reflect before you send any more insensitive comments.

If his wife were anything but nonplussed about his absence your admonishment would be well-deserved. As it is, she said she is "not concerned." That points to either run of the mill delinquency on his part or impending scandal.

It's been my experience that when people go dark (no contact what-so-ever) they are drug binging. Has anyone checked his ATM withdrawals ?

dannyshenanigan - put down those pearls you're clutching. in addition to the governor having already been found, you overlook that this is part of a frequent pattern of eluding his own security agents and disappearing at odd times. That is an essential part of the hilarity.

Use Occam's razor, boy. He wasn't in danger, he was doing something he wanted hidden. We don't know what it was. Don't be so credulous.

dannyshenanigan, you are right. This is a strange group of comments, but you have to admit Mark Stanford is a strange governor. He decided not to accept Federal money badly needed to help the unemployed in his state because, because, because, . . . hell I don't know why. Do you? I guess so he could pander to the ever shrinking Republican base to help his chances in 2012. The man has been utterly humiliated for his slavish devotion to the dittohead guild.

Personally I think he needed a few days off and will reemerge later in the week. At least, for his family's sake, I pray he does, but having fun at the expense of the dunderhead isn't unexpected.

So when he comes back, will we get to know where he was? Will the press pressure him to reveal his hiding place(s)? Enquiring minds want to know. ...

Otherwise we will invent something: SC GOVERNOR LOVE TRIST WITH ALIEN AND ELVIS!

For reasons that are a long story not worth telling now, when I was about 14 my best friend had Secret Service protection for about a month. She absolutely hated it, and discovered that the way to evade them was on a bike (on foot they were too slow to catch her; in cars, too fast.) Where was she on all those missing afternoons? At my house, doing her homework and hiding out.

Has he been on any meds?
Does he have gambling debts?
Does he have any friends who have heard from him?
Does he have any second homes he could be at?

Would his wife want the gov't to do anything or is she a Libertarian?

All the speculation is far too conspiratorial. Better bets include:

Remedial reading classes/GED workshop
hemorrhoid surgery
lost in supermarket aisle
gone fishin'
enhancement surgery
stray cat he's been taking care of gave birth
reporting to his evil alien overlord
Bond marathon

I'm guessing Hilzoy's friend was more mature than Sanford. Most 14 yr olds are, you know.

I'm from South Carolina. I hate to speak ill of the dead, but Janet Evans, the top prosecutor for the Attorney General's office died at the age of 41 this past weekend. No information has come out on that.

I know of no connection, but it's interesting that it happened the same weekend that the Governor disappeared and turned off personal and professional cellphones that could be tracked *and* slipped his security detail.

Sounds like the beginning of a Grisham novel.

This undisclosed location business is out of hand.

Probably just wanted to spend Father's Day with his other family; probably does it every alternate year. Kind of like people spend Christmas with "his" family and Thanksgiving with "hers" one year, and t'other way 'round the next... It would explain why his wife was unconcerned. That, or else she knew -- having put him there herself -- that he was 6feet under the roses in the back yard.

Dave@6.02p - Just curious who Janet Evans was and why the Charleston newspaper website doesn't have anything on her death.

Of course, they don't seem to have anything at all on Sanford's "disappearance", either.

Has anyone checked the stalls at the Minneapolis Airport?

http://www.thestate.com/local/story/835842.html

My mistake. It was Jennifer Evans. She was in Columbia. Here is the text of the article.

One of South Carolina’s toughest prosecutors — a woman who sent con men, drug dealers and dog fight breeders to prison — has died at 41.

Jennifer Evans, head of the state attorney general’s criminal section and chief prosecutor for the state grand jury, died suddenly in North Carolina over the weekend, Attorney General Henry McMaster said Sunday.

“It was completely unexpected,� said McMaster, who confirmed her death to The State, saying it was a health issue, but didn’t confirm any details. He had talked to family members.

Jennifer Evans, 41, died over the weekend in North Carolina.

Describing himself as “crushed,� McMaster said she was an almost irreplaceable person in his 200-plus staff, which has 70 lawyers. She handled some of the state’s most notorious cases, he said.

“If you wanted a class on some area of criminal law, you would go to Jennifer,� McMaster said. “There was nothing too big, too hard for her. I never heard her say anything was too difficult or it would take a lot of work. That wasn’t in her vocabulary.�

Among other cases, Evans prosecuted white-collar swindlers in the Home Gold securities fraud scandal, and drug cases including a sprawling upstate Mexican methamphetamine ring. She was an expert on gang laws.

She also helped win a guilty plea that netted a 30-year jail sentence for North Charleston pit bull breeder and illegal dogfighter David Tant. After Tant’s 2004 guilty plea, the Humane Society of the United States hailed the prosecution as having sent a message to dogfighters nationwide.

Word of her death spread by cell phone and text message throughout the state’s law enforcement and legal communities Sunday.

“Everybody’s in shock right now,� said SLED director Reggie Lloyd, a former U.S. Attorney.

Evans, known for her energy and wit, was a courtroom warrior liked and respected by opposing lawyers, said attorneys who had fought against her.

“She was tough and hard-hitting without being mean-spirited or ever landing a blow that wasn’t fair,� said Joel Collins, a Columbia defense lawyer who represented Earle Morris, a former lieutenant governor and state comptroller general.

In 2004, Evans was part of a prosecution team that got Morris convicted of securities fraud for lying to investors. In 2007, as chief prosecutor, Evans successfully worked to make sure Morris — who had delayed imprisonment by appeals — was finally sent to prison over Collins’ objections.

Dick Harpootlian, a defense lawyer and former 5th Circuit solicitor, said Evans was expert at all facets of the law, from appeals to cross-examination.

“Anyone would have been lucky to have her on their team,� said Harpootlian. Evans was fast to respond creatively and accurately to changing courtroom situations, he said.

In 2004, Evans helped orchestrate a prosecution that landed Harpootlian’s client, Columbia con man Tracy McGee, in prison. McGee had fleeced Columbia-area doctors and others out of more than $1 million.

Columbia defense attorney Jim Griffin said, “I’ve worked with her, and I’ve worked against her, and believe me, it’s a much more pleasant experience to work with her.�

In 2007, Evans was the lead prosecutor on a team that got one of Griffin’s high-profile clients, Ronald Sheppard, 20 years in prison for his role in the Home Gold securities fraud case. Some 8,000 investors lost $277 million; Sheppard was Home Gold CEO.

Griffin, 47, said Evans’ great skill was with people. “She had a way of getting people to open up to her in a way that maybe they wouldn’t to others. There’s a whole lot more to being a lawyer than just looking at books and arguing the law.�

Griffin said he gave Evans a job in his defense law firm just before she graduated from USC law school in 1996.

After working with Griffin, she joined the solicitor’s office in York County as an assistant prosecutor, then came to the S.C. attorney general’s office.

Three years ago, when she was in her late 30s, McMaster promoted her to head his office’s criminal prosecution team.

“This certainly leaves a big hole — not only in office operations but in our hearts,� said McMaster.

Thanks, Dave.

Sanford is planning a run for President in 2012, so he had to report to an undisclosed location in Atlanta, home of one the world busiest international airports with several flights to and from China, for Manchurian Candidate training.

I wonder if any super secret Chinese dipomats have arrived in the last few weeks.

Gregory McDonald wrote this plot over 25 years ago in Fletch and the Man Who. Maybe Sanford is a fan?

I can't be the only one who's reminded of the last 17 months of Woodrow Wilson's presidency.

You mean Mr. Family Values and father of four was not at home yesterday on Father's Day ?

Hmmmmm.

He was on a pilgrimage to the grave of Ronald Reagan. The Gipper appeared to him as a burning football wearing a white cowboy hat and handed down the principles of the new conservatism. Just like the principles of the old conservatism, they were encoded in the serial numbers of 100 dollar bills, and only true conservatives can read their meaning.

Teabagging Rush...

GOLDEN SHOWERS IN THE GOV'S MANSION

Sanford was gone for several days learning to Twitter. As a prospective Republican 2012 candidate, he saw the problems that technophobe McCain had against the Obama. And he wants to know, really know, what's going on in Iran.
He remains, as do most Republicans, indifferent to the other 148 countries.
All in good time.

Wow, this is so weird. I'd like to know why the GOP touts family values? This guy didn't come home for Father's Day. His wife wasn't concerned, and probably didn't care.

Ensign cheated on his wife.

Vittor cheated on his wife.

McCain cheated on his wife.

Craig cheated on his wife with a man.

Foley like LITTLE BOYS.

I could go on and on.

Now, there's a lady from Missouri that sits on a childrens committee saying, "kids should not get free lunch, they should get a job at McDonald's, McDonald's feed them for free."

First of all, McDonald's feeds no one for free, it is taken out of pay.

Secondly, if an adult can't get a job, what makes her think a "kid" could get a job.

Lastly, she should be voted out of office. How could this lady be a public servant, when obviously she has no empathy - no, she doesn't care there's a recession out there.

Personally, I think these people need to have psychiatric evaluations done on them before taking office.

It's like "what the hell."

Hmmmm... The governor goes missing and one of the state's top prosecutors dies suddenly...

He had to return some video tapes.

Benen has outdid himself.

this is the proverbial "jump the shark" moment for Washington Monthly.

What's the Democratic agenda again?

the comments here are pathetic.

[Maybe you would be happier if you found a different site to visit and complain about? Several regulars have made the suggestion because they apparently have grown tired of your incessant complaining. I know I certainly have. --Mod]

grinning cat - indeed, we who are occasionally aligned with the Democratic party would like to heartily beg your pardon for not mentioning or elaborating our agenda as we commented on a prominent GOP governor who abandoned his family and job without notice for several days. This is normal; it would certainly not provoke any comment if you I were to take that type of sudden leave. I feel wretched for furthering that kind of a double standard in your presence, and arousing your withering scorn.

Can you ever forgive us? This story is, as all things are, excellent news for Republicans.

I lived in SC for 16 1/2 years and I would put NOTHING past Republicans in that state.

Okay now, we need to let this go. At this point, we're just burnishing his manly man credentials. He's HIKING. ALONE. Right up there with brush clearing. He's setting up the narrative of himself as independent, bold loner for the 2012 race and the more Dems make of this, the more they overplay it.

Look the guy is governor of one of the smallest, poorest states in the country and the only reason he even needs a security detail is because every other governor has one and by God he's going to have one too. If he was anyone else, we wouldn't care, and just because he's governor doesn't mean we should care either. The rest of the Republicans in the state are perfectly capapble of running it further into the ground without his help. Trust me, I live here. I know.

.
Breaking news: "SOUTH CAROLINA GOVERNOR FOUND IN GAY LOVE NEST!!!"
.

Finally, I have found others wondering if there is a connection between the governor's sudden disapearance and the sudden death of Jennifer Evans. I have searched all over the web, shocked there was no mention of this coincidence. Both did occur at the exact same time, and when you read about her death, it seems a bit odd, as though there has to be more to it.

sanford has no one but himself to blame for all this speculation. it doesn't add up, and it is only normal to wonder if the death of jennifer evans is the missing link

Governor Sanford was hanging out with Senator Craig for four days (including Father's Day), for his wife and four sons did not deserve him! --Rush Limbaugh

Reports are he was Buenos Aires NOT on the Appalachian Trail. Difference of a lot of miles between those two destinations!

It's obvious that this guy was up to something that he didn't want his family or his constituents to know about. Imagine his surprise upon learning he'd been found out and now had to come up with a cover story!

So much for his "family values". If they mattered to him seems like he would have spent Father's Day with his 4 sons. Or at the very least his wife would know where he was.

If the Lt Gov wasn't given control of the State and the Gov's cell was off how exactly would they have handled an emergency in SC??

Turns out he was busy cheating on his wife... He just announced it.

Jennifer Evans was memorialized tonight at a courthousen in Columbia, SC. She was a White Plain, NY, native, whose tenacity and fearlessness, earned her the top prosecutor tole in the SC Attorney General's office. In this epitome of old boy meccas, Evans went after corrupt officials, gangs, financial frauds --- big ones --- and was wrapping up and forging other investigations into corrupt public officials (see Jim Miles and MUSC Pres. Ray Greenberg, among others); and she may have died with information only she had the guts enough to expose. At 40, there could have nothing "natural" as to the cause of this woman's untimely death. The absense of an autopsy or any follow-up reports from any of the news outlets in South Carolina leaves anyone of us living in this state feeling horribly hopeless. And, yet, we have a horny governor whose escapades have diverted the media. How predictable. We have have lost our quarterback in Evans.