South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, who became the butt of jokes for "disappearing" for five days, returned to the Palmetto State yesterday only to get caught lying about his whereabouts (hiking in Appalachia was the first explanation). The scrutiny forced him to admit he was actually in Argentina, cheating on his wife with a woman who lives there that he met eight years ago. You cannot make this stuff up.
But the personal adventures of SC leaders has kept things interesting for years. It was just three years ago when then-South Carolina Treasurer, Thomas Ravenel, who had a fondness for the the phrase "that's just how I roll", was federally indicted on charges of dealing cocaine and forced to resign. That's how he rolled.
Before that, we had Lt. Governor Andre Bauer and his racy antics. I say "racy" literally -- Bachelor Bauer, who's known around SC as a sometimes-freewheelin' ladies man, got caught speeding in his Beemer at more than 100 m.p.h but avoided any official reprimands by using the state radio installed in his state vehicle to talk troopers into letting him go. Shortly thereafter, he accidentally crashed his single engine plane into the woods of Upstate South Carolina.
The interesting twist in all of this is that the beneficiary of the Sanford scandal may just BE Andre Bauer. He's actually the one who South Carolinians would most expect to be having an illicit affair with an Argentinian woman.
