FORMER SOUTH CAROLINA GOVERNOR TO KICK OFF CONGRESSIONAL BID THIS WEEK
It’s official … Mark Sanford is a candidate for the United States Congress (again).
The former three-term U.S. Representative (and two-term South Carolina governor) told FITS he will formally announce his 2013 congressional bid later this week. Sanford is running in a March special election for the first district seat vacated earlier this year by newly appointed U.S. Sen. Tim Scott.
This news is no surprise, as senior aides to Sanford were confirming his interest in the seat back in December. Also this website published an expansive piece about Sanford’s comeback last August.
Sanford represented the first district from 1995-2001, during which time he registered one of the most fiscally conservative voting records of any member of Congress. He will no doubt be looking to remind voters of this record during the upcoming campaign.
What is Sanford hoping voters will forget? The tax dollars his gubernatorial administration spent (and later returned) in furtherance of an extramarital affair with his then-lover, now-fiancee Maria Belen Chapur (as well as all the embarrassing soul-searching that followed Sanford’s dramatic confession of the affair).
Does Sanford have a shot? Absolutely … in fact most political observers expect him to be one of the top two finishers in a large GOP primary field, which would qualify him for a spot in a runoff election.
Sanford also scored a major coup when S.C. Sen. Tom Davis (R-Beaufort) declined to run for the first district seat – and endorsed Sanford’s candidacy. Davis – whose favorability ratings in Beaufort (and across the newly drawn first district) are through the roof – was viewed as a strong contender for this seat. However the second-term Senator – who served as Sanford’s chief of staff during the governor’s first term in office – opted against running.
Who else wants this nomination? A ton of people, among them: S.C. Sen. Larry Grooms (R-Berkeley), S.C. Rep. Chip Limehouse (RINO-Charleston), S.C. Rep. Peter McCoy (R-James Island), S.C. Rep. Andy Patrick (RINO-Beaufort), former S.C. Sen. John Kuhn, Charleston businessman Teddy Turner, Charleston attorney Curtis Bostic and former Charleston County School Board member Larry Kobrovsky.
Former S.C. Treasurer Thomas Ravenel has also indicated that he is considering a bid.
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71 comments
he has proven that he is morally bankrupt so he will fit right in
I am glad sanford jumped in.
For a minute, I thought maybe, everyone that jumped into this race wouldn’t be a member of the Legion of Doom, but with him jumping in we get every possible option for super-powers of political-evil.
Sanford might have some money for Douch-a-hue Direct to spin with, and we might actually have to listen to sanford give a speech again…and maybe, just maybe the whole world might think he REPRESENTS us.
That will be great.
I guess you got to hit rock bottom to…blah, blah, blah.
Why not Sanfraud? He’s a dumb moron like Joe Wilson and he got elected. Seems like idiocy is a prerequisite to Congressional service. Sanford couldn’t be as bad as Joe Wilson.
So true.
“Democracy is the worship of jackals by jackasses.” -H.L. Mencken
LOL, nice. Love Mencken.
You’ve done it again with that Mencken quote.
Joe Wilson’s motto.
You will never find a congressional race in the history of the US filled with more self important assholes than this race.
Beg to differ. The Second District has Joe Wilson. An idiot AND an asshole.
“one of the most fiscally conservative voting records of any member of Congress”
Technically that may be true but voting no on a spending bill that is going to pass anyway means nothing. Tell me the spending that he stopped. His other favorite thing was voting against milcons in his own district.
“The tax dollars spent (and later returned)”
So in Sic Willie’s eyes this excuses his behavior? Do you think he would have returned it had he not be caught?
Sanford and Ravenel are both suitable representatives of the Republican Party, their philosphy, and values.
Dont forget Chip Limehouse!
Liar, adulterer, hypocrite–Sanford hit the GOP trifecta!
All we need to do is throw in Bob Peeler, or Richard Eckstrom, or Nikki haley and we have a gagging gaggling of cheating, lying, adulterer narcissist who could give a shit less about representing the taxpayer, being a faithful supportive spouse, or doing the right thing about anything.Sell their grandmother or mother for a vote and sacrafice their children for the same. Kind of reminds me of his royalness Barry O’bama.
Toss in Joe Wilson and the Wilson leeches, and Butch as well into that cesspool.
Don’t forget that outstanding morally bankrupt racist Jim Clyburn – he’s certainly one we can be proud of too!
I have no respect for anyone who supports that shirking SOB (who not only bailed on his wife but his military unit).
Let alone that shirking SOB himself.
I will move to Charleston to vote against this asshole if necessary. Hopefully the Lowcountry isn’t that stupid…
Sad, the “anti” government politician can’t seem to find a job that isn’t guvment work.
Excellent point….
I agree, my response below was for him Joe Blow.
Actually, you could say the same thing about Trey Gowdy and a host of others…..
Dont ask Joe Wilson to help with jobs unless you are his kin.mhe only gives a shit about himself.
You got that right. Hypocrisy knows no bounds.
Mark Sanford = deficit of trust.
The fact that he even entered the race and imagines that he has a chance to win shows his utter contempt for the intelligence and judgment of the voters of the First Congressional District.
“No one ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public.” – H.L. Mencken
Sorry about that. :)
I haven’t looked it up, but I thought the Mencken quote was “Nobody ever lost a nickel overestimating the vulgarity of the American public.” Charleston, with this cast of clowns, has forfeited any right to be snooty.
t’rav vs luv guv…or maybe that should be coke head vs pecker head??
When Sanford first ran for Congress, he pledged to only stay for 3 terms. Yet another pledge he’s conveniently forgotten.
What a disgrace!
No
But it sounds like a hell of a Texas Cage Match Debate.
FITS needs to call for a debate which Will would moderate.
Hey, SC voted in droves for Newt Gingrich, a two time adulterer, and his whore of a wife. His “family values” when it comes to women makes Mark Sanford look like Ward Cleaver. But this is indeed a sad day for SC Republicans. What a tool.
Stupid is as stupid does. I hope he spends gazillions on his campaign. Bubba and I’ll vote against him twice.
Why, God? Why do You hate South Carolina so?
Oh well shitfire! With Mark in Washington and Davis in Sun City the mythical Jasper port with leap from the banks of the Savannah River faster than Mark’s pecker jumped from his pants. And never forget, his pal Tom was covering his ass all the way.
Hell, let him go. He can cause less damage to SC up there than if he’s here.
Joe Wilson is case in point.
Does anyone remember what this guy did as a congressman for six years before? I didn’t think so.
Are we sure South Carolina’s not too big to be an insane asylum?
Looks like it might come to pass more every day…..
Then again, D.C. voted in a crackhead mayor twice.
So maybe……
He has 1.8 million left over from his campaign for governor – that will make him competitive. I do not know if it is possible for a Democrat to win (at least not in a special when none of the base comes out), but I promise he would be the easiest to beat. The DCCC has nothing better to do than shake down national donors for a race that will be all over the cable networks (including Comedy Central), while the GOP has to relive a “family values” PR nightmare.
For me the choice is easy, I could care less about his personal life – I think he is incompetent and with exception to Nikki, the worst governor in SC history (Reconstruction included).
Heard Bill Clinton would be his Campaign Manager….
No, Dick Morris.
This is depressing – can’t one person give him an honest compliment?
He’s good with animals?
Right! Not many guys know how to handle a wild chapur!
I was thinking pigs.
:)
Hes not as stupid as Joe Wilson…..but comes close!
Now THAT’S a compliment!
He likes to hike nekkid through the woods. We’uns do that all the time! Got to be purty careful so’s you don’ get a dick-tick.
World Class Ego
Good for him. At least there will be somebody in Washington that will stand up to the spendocrats. The GOP leadership had no problem caving in to Obama. Sandford may not make a difference, but I have no doubt that he will make a statement. As far as his private life, at least it was interest in a female and that is more than I can say for some other office holders from South Carolina.
This bag of warm piss thinks people will forget that he abandoned his post and left the state with no concerns for leadership continuity. Nick Theodore got pasted for being on family vacation in Greece when Hurricane Hugo hit.
El Gran Cañón was elected and being paid to be there for South Carolina in the event of emergency. Hee couldn’t even perform that simple task.
Ripping up FAMILIES is at an epidemic in this country…It Damages kids for the rest of their lives becuase of Selfish People….
End of Story…
What the hell are you talking about? Sanford’s privileged boys?
Please tell us another one before bedtime.
Joe Wilson’s motto.
His motto is among others, “Stupid Is As Stupid Does. Just look at me!”
Sanford like Wilson is a joke.
With Sanford in the race the Republican Party remains a joke.He doesn’t care about anything but taking his girlfriend to Washington….PATHETIC.
You’re right. A congressional victory and a move to DC would be an answer to his housing issues with Belen Chapur and would neatly compartmentalize his old versus his new life. It’s a shame, he probably is deluding himself that he is doing this for his sons and/or his country, when nothing could be further from the truth.
Mark Sanford, his new song-and-dance:
“SC 1, por favor, another chance.
This time I’ll surely wear my pants;
Not toss them while I tango.
I swear by this–or send me Django.”
Mark Sanford is Lance Armstrong. He’s still in Da Nile….camping and ridin’ a by(e)ke. Why would anyone elect a man who abandoned his job twice? Nobody ever told him what he needed to hear and when they did he ignored the advice. When Jeb Bush runs for office in 2016, let us make sure Mark “pork & barrell” RINO does not go anywhere near a US cabinet position.
The SCGOP needs to tell this scuzzball that he needs to run as the Libertarian he is rather than further foul their name.
And, the SC press needs to be sure to ask him about all the cabinet agencies that have exploded after long term mismanagement in Nikki Haley’s 2 short years as governor with problems that were obviously festering for the Sanford’s 8 years before her, particularly SCDOR and SCDOT.
And even more importantly the press needs to ask him why he bailed on his reserve unit when they were activated for duty in the “Sandbox”
I sure as hell would not want a congressman voting on defense issues or when/where to send out members of the armed forces into harms way who turned tail and ran like that shirking SOB did.
Talking about officers “leading by example”
“Lt. Sanford: you are being activated for duty in southwest Asia”
Lt. “Shirker” Sanford: “I can’t go, I’m now govenor of
South Carolina and my primary duty is to the people of South Carolina.
The oath I took as an officer and fullfilling my duty as a member of the United States Air Force is secondary to my duties as govenor. You’ll have to find someone less important than myself to take my place. Oh, when I pubically announced for all to hear that I was entering the military, I said I wanted to set an example for my sons; I really didn’t mean that. You know how it is, things and priorities change. I’m sure my boys understand that duty to self is above all. That’s the ultimate example I can set for them and I live my life accordingly”
That my dear FITS readers/posters is EXACTLY how it went down.
Fuck a bunch of Mark “shirker” Sanford
Sparkle – that is very good!
He will likely be elected. All he has to do is repeat the Fox News talking points, and voters will send him to D.C.
For want of a better alternative, that is exactly what could happen.
SC will vote him in. He is Republican.