Have Sarah Palin's whereabouts been accounted for all this time?

The best outcome for him could actually be a bimbo eruption. Otherwise, just disappearing due to some sort of instability brings into question whether the man is a danger to himself. And as such, is he fit to govern?

gotta love this - what a psycho! Sanford refused federal bailout money for SC, so I hope he wasn't using state funds to finance his bizarro little junket. Maybe he's in love with a black bear up on the App Trail, cuddling up in a hollow log full of tasty grubs.
Happy father's Day, guv!

and the fringe gets fringier. It looks like another victim of Obama obsession disorder.

I was at an online forum where a woman claims a friend of hers who works for a certain airline told her that Sanford was on his plane - to Buenos Aires.

Strange - If he was attending an Eastern Diamondback Rattler Convention, why didn't De Mint attend? Or does he only go to the Cottonmouth whoopsies?

Sanford was undoubtedly on a top-secret diplomatic mission - possibly Iran, possibly Iraq or Afghanistan. The liberal MSM should stop reporting on this. To do otherwise could endanger Sanford, and endanger US interests.

I find it funny that some folks are outraged Sanford wasn't at home for Father's Day. But it's not Family's Day, it's Father's Day. For a lot of dads, getting some time away from the kids might be the perfect Father's Day gift.

This makes no sense at all. If the guv was using state funds, (State car, state gas, etc) for personal use, then even that, given his "I am SO-O-O fiscally responsible that I refuse federal money to help my schools and my state's unemployed.", is a pretty BIG story. And it just starts there. What kind of responsible 'family values' guy disappears from his family ON Father's Day when he has 4 small boys at home, and doesn't tell his wife where he's going, for how long, or what he's doing?!! And then reappears FOUR days later and says, "Hey, what's all the fuss and questioning about? I was hiking man, c'mon. I do what I want!!" What a hypocritical bozo.

He was probably sneaking around because he's being secretly vetted for a position in the administration.

So now he was in Argentina,wonder what he was doing there, this man seems unhinged to me. Is it legal for him just to take off in a state official vehicle? Don't they pay him enough to have a personal vehicle just like we have to use?

I'm with Al. Sometimes you have to go with the simplest solution. Rehab would be too obvious.

Perhaps the worst part was in depriving his son the useage of their trash truck for four days.

He was spotted in Arlington va
at the Jesus camp at the fellowship foundation
compound.

Popcorn for everyone!!! :D

"...a federal agent spotted Sanford in the [Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in Atlanta] boarding a plane."

Which plane to where? Details, Mr. G-Man, Details!

(berttheclock you always make me spit my morning coffee - stop that!)

Technically, Sanford didn't say he was driving around Buenos Aires, he said he was cruising there.

Buenos Aires? He's got some splainin' to do...

I hear Buenos Aires is faaaaabbbbulous.

He claims he was alone, driving around Buenos Aires since Thursday.

Whu-huh?

Yeah, when I think getaway, I think of driving around a sprawling Latin American metropolis. Not driving in the Rocky Mountains, or the California coast, or the Loire Valley, or even just sitting still on some boring-ass beach. Nope, it's figuring out traffic signs in foreign country while piloting an unfamiliar car. Alone.

First, get off the HALLMARK HOLIDAY crapola...just another day hyped by our 24/7 celebrity news services...the STORY here is the quite obviously irrational behavior of another REPUG hypocrite who hollers and shouts about being RESPONSIBLE to the taxpayers and then just goes on his way satisfying whatever HIS NEEDS are! Either way he has discredited himself UNLESS Al is right (this one time) and he was on a "TOP SECRET" mission...that was my first guess, NOT!

Was the trip paid-for with state money? Hmmm...

Dude went to Argentina without telling his wife? Without telling his staff? Without telling his security detail?

And his story is that he was just driving around Buenos Aires?

OK. I'm convinced that there's something wrong with the guy.

He was probably doing something he shouldn't have done, probably financial stuff, but maybe drugs, sex or other.

But if he can't come up with a better cover story than driving around Buenos Aires he's got something wrong with how he's thinking.

Clearly the Argentine thing is a quickly fabricated cover story. It was a secret diplomatic mission. Let's drop it, liberals. Our national security is at stake.

Don't cry for me, South Carolina................I kept my promise, don't keep your distance.

He probably just got a new Speedo and needed a safe place to try it on -- one in which he wouldn't be courting impeachment.

Anyone who is going to defend Sanford now has to have a plausible explanation for why he left the country without telling anyone, including his staff and wife. And "driving around" as a list of activities sounds like a teenager's dodge. He doesn't leave possible defenders much to work with. But the usual gang of idiots will make up something, I am sure.

"I don't know how this thing got blown out of proportion," Sanford said.

Sure.

I think he was out in the deep wilderness, burying that Federal stimulus money so it will never be able to hurt anyone ever again.

Argentina? It's not even summer down there now is it? The guy doesn't even have any sense when it comes to vacation planning. Or maybe it was too hot in Carolina.

he decided at the last minute to go to the South American country to recharge after a difficult legislative session

I.E. Have some exotic lap dances to get his mind off this governing stuff. It's hard work being an ass-hole.

Something weird is definitely going on, but let's not get too carried away here. Missing-person cases drive police crazy because they get a hundred bogus sightings for every real one, and it's impossible to pick that one out without following up on a lot of the false ones. (Has anyone seen Elvis lately?)

As for Sanford's Father's Day absence, I don't want to make too much of that either -- for several years running my Mother's Day gift has been a jaunt off on my own. (Mine last for six or seven hours max, though, not six or seven days.) And I'll bet Mrs. S has all the child-care help she needs. I feel bad for her, though: if she really doesn't know where he is, she must be frantic.

Note to self: always hit refresh before posting a comment.

Yes, it's winter down there ( today's high is 51 degrees).

Sometimes I like to think of myself as someone willing and able to do that sort of thing--go on a spur-of-the-moment trip to anywhere. But I don't quite have the responsibilities of a governor. Or a father of four.

There's much more to this, I fear...

He had a secret meeting with Francisco D'Anconia.

I've been saying all along. The GOP knows how to win an election, but, they sure as hell don't know how to govern.

This guy and his staff should be pulled under the carpet. First, his staff tried to lie for him by saying he went hiking.

People get lost while hiking, some die. Just saying.

Now, lets say something did happen to the guv, and his staff was claiming they spoke to him. That puts them in legal jeopardy - trying to provide an alibi.

This is wrong, they are suppose to answer to their constituents, and this is what they do!

Just like the good ol' days are over for most Americans, the good ol' days should be over for these type of Public Servant/Officials that behaves in this manner.

I took advantage of my newly created account on The State (Columbia SC) newspaper to apologize to The Fine Citizens of The Great State of South Carolina for thinking that nothing hilarious ever happens in That Great State.

Even more comical than the minute by minute account of events are the comments defending Senor Sanford, including the opinion that the whole thing was trivial since the GOP could run Spongebob Squarepants and still beat any Democrat.

And that's no doubt true.

Hey, if a guy wants to "clear his head" by driving around Buenos Aires, go for it.

However, a GOVERNOR is guilty of nonfeasance.

I'd like to put $5.00 towards the reward money for anyone to come forward that sat next to "Stinky" on his flight back to the U.S.

***He said he drove around the coast to clear his head.

One thing's for sure -- if I or any other professional had fucked off to Buenos Aires for a couple of working days without informing our place of work, we'd be summarily fired.

And if we'd done so without informing our spouse, that'd spell serious trouble as well.

I'm glad Sanford is okay, but this behavior simply isn't acceptable. His family should deal with his lack of responsibility and consideration to them, but especially in light of the speculation and concern his bizarre act caused, he owes the voters of South Carolina a better explanation.

I'm just wondering how his wife didn't know where he was? If he used personal funds for this 'recharge' then she should've been able to find out by calling the CC company or the bank to find out any charges to an airline or xpedia/etc. unless of course they have separate accounts which she didn't have access to...

this story seems to have enough possibilities to walk itself into the celebrity obsessed mainstream if a couple of details the wrong way for Capt. No Bailout

Have [strike]Sarah Palin's[/strike] Rush Limbaugh's whereabouts been accounted for all this time?

Fixed.

Reminds me of the time last year when Sarah Palin was in Ohio to be introduced as McCain's running mate. The morning of the announcement, her office said she was still in Alaska.

Do they do sex change operations in Argentina? Just saying!

I think he was out in the deep wilderness, burying that Federal stimulus money so it will never be able to hurt anyone ever again.

Funny!

Whether he was on the Appalachian trail or the Incan trail, the fact remains that no one in his state knew where he was. What if the plane he was on had gone down? (Air France, anyone?) Then what would have happened to the government in SC?

Who cares what this clown was doing (ok, I am curious to know if Mr. Conservative Values was with a hooker or on a Rush-like escapade...I loves me some good Republican hypocritical values)? But the fact remains that he left his security, got on a plane and no one knew about it.

Mr. Sanford has completely screwed the pooch for 2012 (except for the 11%ers). To which I say, THANK GOD.

The dude is gay. Wait for it.

He either spent cash or used a credit card. If he spent cash, when and where did he get it?

Now that reporters know where to look, there is going to be a paper trail that nails his movements, airline tickets, car rentals, restaurant bills, hotel bills, hottie bills...

Last week I posted a line from Warren Zevon on this topic-(Send lawyers, guns, and money, dad get me out of this!)

It looks like it's time for an update:

"I was gambling in Havana. I went home with the waitress. . ."

How do we know he wasn't meeting with Mohammed Atta?!! (Well, OK, yes, Atta is dead, but still, why else would he secretly go abroad except to meet with al Qaeda terrorists?)

I say we send him to Gitmo and waterboard him until he tells us about his connections with al Qaeda and WMDs in South Carolina.

last-minute roundtrip flight to Argentina: $7000

gaining nationwide name recognition: priceless

I think he was out in the deep wilderness, burying that Federal stimulus money so it will never be able to hurt anyone ever again.

Posted by: John at 9:22 AM

As I believe the kids would post:

John, FTW!*

(For The Win)

Conversation in the Governor's Office.
Staffer One: Hey the press is starting ask questions about the boss's whereabouts. Whada we suppose to say?
Staffer Two: We'll I guess we could tell em where he is.
Staffer One: Well, do you know where he is?

Staffer Two: Oh, he did say somethin' about goin' ta....Oh, hell, where was it now....it's on the tip of my tongue...Damn...I know it began with an "A"...where was it? Oh, com'on...
Staffer One: The Appalachian Trail?
Staffer Two: That'll do!

One more lie:

Why did Sanford decide to go to Argentina? McClatchy decided to re-run a piece it originally published more than three years ago with the headline,"Americans flock to Argentina for the romance of tango." I don't think the Tango had anything to do with it. I'm guessing that Sanford like many a right wing leader before him was scouting out a location for exile for when those he rules throw him out of office.

Could have been worse. It could have been David Paterson disappearing out of state, and then Pedro Espada would have been Governor.

I think every legislator in SC, Republican and Democrat, knows exactly where Sanford was and what he was doing. Someone leaked the trip info in hopes that the media would dig into it and get the dirt.

I was so gobsmacked by the news that he went to Argentina that I didn't even think of how much worse this scenario is than the Appalachian Trail story. A sitting governor actually leaves the country without telling anyone. The cops find his car in an airport parking lot like some escaped convict.
And this nut acts surprised that his unhinged behavior attracts so much attention?

Not. Stable.

I think every legislator in SC, Republican and Democrat, knows exactly where Sanford was and what he was doing.

His Republican Lt. Governor apparently didn't know, he was on NPR echoing the same concerns as everyone else(a chief executive can't just disappear like that, what if there was an emergency, etc.). This simply can't be brushed under the rug, he just killed any chance he had of becoming president or even the Repub nominee.

Why did he fly into Atlanta? Do they not have airports in South Carolina? No, wait they do, because one of his cars was there.

Wait, why did he have a car at both airports? That strongly suggests he wasn't traveling alone.

Oops, forgot the rest to one more lie (AP) "Sanford told The State he was alone on the trip to Argentina. He declined to give any additional details about what he did other than to say he drove along the coastline.

Trying to make such a drive could frustrate a weekend visitor to Argentina. In Buenos Aires, the Avenida Costanera is the only coastal road, and it's less than two miles long. Reaching coastal resorts to the south requires a drive of nearly four hours on an inland highway with views of endless cattle ranches. To the north is a river delta of islands reached only by boat."

I'm calling it right now. When all is said and done, this will be the single most hilarious political story of the year. The humor will stem from the OBVIOUS answer to this question: "Why would a wealthy, powerful, married man fly to Buenos Aries for a week and not tell his wife?"

(Hint: The answer involves 2-3 17-year-olds, a midget, a pony, and several plantains.)

Anyone want to bet that there is a swarm of investigative reporters on their way to Argentina right now?

One step close to finding out what "Hiking the AT" means...

Anyone want to bet that there is a swarm of investigative reporters on their way to Argentina right now?

Accepting that he seems to have gone to the airport and probably flown somewhere, is there any proof that he was actually in Argentina at all? Because I don't see any; for all I can see from the story the "Argentina" thing could be just another layer of misdirection.

His Republican Lt. Governor apparently didn't know, he was on NPR echoing the same concerns as everyone else

I think that was for show. I suspect he and Jake Knotts and the others know a lot more than they let on.

Mind you, I'm not making excuses for Sanford's bizarre behavior. And he's been a terrible governor, completely worthless. I just think someone saw the chance to get him, and went for it.

My best guess is that he had some minor plastic surgery -- a touch-up before he really starts campaigning for 2012 -- but didn't want the public to know. I hope someone finds out when this trip was booked.

Yeah, KC, that makes so much sense. Sanford's opponents took away his phone, forced him on a plane to argentina, had someone in argentina to prevent him from calling SC to let his wife or his office know his whereabouts, but Sanford is too principled to reveal the truth about his disappearance, fearing that it will make him look vulnerable and weak if people find out his opponents were able to embarrass him this way.

Yeah, that must be it.

I'm just gonna put it out there: I think he had an abortion.

Kos links to another report which indicates that Sanford never reported to the U.S. embassy in Buenos Aires--they say it's highly unusual considering Sanford's status.
Maybe not so unusual if you don't want anyone to know what you're doing. I think Sanford actually believed that he could get away with this and no one would notice or it wouldn't be a big story. If so, it's just further evidence of his unfitness for higher office.

Any thought of Sandford running in 2012 is doa - and his wife sure needs to ask him a bunch of questions.

Or does her husband's behaviour fall under the boundaries of what evangelicals consider marital submission by the wife?

Learn to read, karen marie.

Kos links to another report which indicates that Sanford never reported to the U.S. embassy in Buenos Aires--they say it's highly unusual considering Sanford's status. Maybe not so unusual if you don't want anyone to know what you're doing.

And even less unusual if you aren't even in the country at issue in the first place.

"I'm just gonna put it out there: I think he had an abortion." - Hilarious.

Is anyone else hoping that Zach Galifinakis will come out at the end of the press conference with a digital camera? "Mark, some of it is worse than we thought."

To be clear, what I think is that Sanford snuck off, as he is wont to do, either not telling his staff where he was going, or lying to most of his staff (most likely, imo), OR telling his staff but instructing them to cover for him.

And this time, someone got wind of it, leaked enough to put the press on the trail, and there ya go. He's busted. Finally.

I think Bauer, Jake Knotts, and some of the rest of them know a whole lot more than they're letting on. They just don't want to be caught putting it out there, because they want to look all innocent and shocked. They're hoping the press will dig up the rest.

Yes, this is all speculation on my part. But, really . . . wouldn't it be irresponsible not to speculate? [/Noonan]

Why would they impeach him? He's a Republican in SC. Now, if old Governor Riley had pulled this stunt....

I'm just gonna put it out there: I think he had an abortion.

Posted by: doubtful

Hahaha, I'm totally stealing that. ;

I must say his wife's behavior indicates that she's mightily pissed at him. First telling the AP she has no idea where he is and then yesterday's quote -- "I am being a mom today. I have not heard from my husband. I am taking care of my children" -- have the sound of someone who was fed up long before this particular event. Political spouses, particularly Republican political wives, are trained to always get their spouses' backs and provide cover, no matter what. She's blatantly refusing to do so.

Wherever he went and with whom, this has the sound of a major marital disagreement that ended in him storming out and damning the political consequences. He will repent that decision at leisure.

"When asked why his staff said he was on the Appalachian Trail, Sanford replied, "I don't know."

Normally, I'd be the last person to defend Sanford, but I must say that on a bad cell phone connection, one could mistake "Argentina" for "Appalachian" and then just assume he meant the trail, him being such a big hiker and all.

Not that it matters.

The gig is up, you guys and gals are all trolls for the monitor & keyboard replacement industry. (A line item snuck into the Stimulus(tm) gone un-noticed.) I've tried to repair and coffee infected keyboard and it can't be done.

Srsly though, I have it on good authority he had clear instructions on where the campaign trail started and he would recognize it because it would be lined with large sums of currency. Credible?

(Hint: The answer involves 2-3 17-year-olds, a midget, a pony, and several plantains.)

Damn, my secret is finally out.

Well, he certainly is not as boring as he used to be.

shortstop at 12:23 - your last graph makes more sense than any other explanation I've read. It neatly wraps all the known facts together. Some folks up-thread were mocking the importance of Father's Day, but for almost all the dads I know (including my husband), being with family on Father's Day is really important. Serious marital strife is the only thing I can think of that would keep MY husband away on Father's Day. That, or a prearranged and agreed upon gift of some down time (a few hours at most), which this obviously wasn't.

Impeach him?

For boinking???

When did Steve go all "Henry Hyde" on us?

I must say his wife's behavior indicates that she's mightily pissed at him.

And rightly so -- if I'd nicked off on a weekend trip -- over Father's Day no less! -- and didn't even tell my lovely wife I was going, or where I was the whole time, there'd be hell to pay, and I'd deserve it for being so thoughtless.

If he really didn't tell his family, regardless of what Sanford did on his little sojourn, he's a Class A jerk.

But then, we knew that.

Impeach him?

For boinking???

No, for abandoning his post and duties in the most irresponsible manner.

Yeah, but irresponsibility and being a jerk ain't against the law.

As it turns out, apparently adultery IS against the law in South Carolina, so technically, they could impeach him on those grounds, but somehow, I doubt that many in teh state legislature will want to selectively enforce an anachronistic law that many of them have doubtless broken numerous times themselves!

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