Meghan McCain: Sanford’s Affair Was A “Private Matter”

Proof • June 30, 2009

I disagree:

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Meghan McCain wrote Monday that South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford’s revelation that he had an extramarital affair “isn’t relevant to his role as a public official” and called on her fellow Republicans to forgive him.
McCain, the daughter of Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, said that she is “mad” about the “hypocrisy of it all,” and doesn’t condone Sanford’s actions, but added that the public needs to “stop requiring that our politicians live at such a high level of moral superiority.”

Not surprisingly, Meghan’s reaction is superficial and ill-thought-out. Which befits her status as a not-terribly-bright media darling the liberal reporters love to go to because she’s ostensibly a Republican but the not-very-conservative flavor of Republican they love.
Marital disputes are, normally, private business. But in Sanford’s case we’re talking about a governor who traveled to Argentina on the taxpayer’s dime – leaving even the highest-ranking officials in his state and even his family and closest aids unable to reach him – to visit his mistress.
I’m sorry, but that sort of deceit, misappropriation of public resources and dereliction of duty is an issue for the public to be aware of.

Tags: Asshats, Domestic Issues, Politics

http://Array robert108

Anna: If that’s a true and accurate description of what he did, now that the argument has shifted away from his infidelity, then why do you have a problem with him getting due process? Why the lynch mob mentality?
Mickey

OK, so fine him for skipping work for a week. For cripes sake, he fell in love. He will spend the remainder of his married life regretting he didn’t divorce his wife because she will never let him forget this. Is that going to help him govern better? Two months ago he was a darling of the Republicans, now he is dirt to you. Don’t throw away that valuable experience just because of puritan contempt for his need to be loved. It usually takes two people to kill a marriage. Why not beat up on his wife for a change? Maybe she drove him away.
http://sayanythingblog.com/readers/entry/homosexuality_is_wrong_-_a_compendium move_zig

Name one?

Bob Packwood

Clinton is one of only two presidents in U.S. history to face impeachment, but he refused to resign.

Clinton kept his job. Barry was re-elected as DC mayor. Ted Kennedy never saw a day in a jail cell. Murtha was not questioned after AMSCAM, after being on tape.. Dodd, Frank, Shurmer(?) are not under investigation for the housing crash. Blago’s investigation was stopped way too soon. And no one is asking why. What is the big deal!!?? Or is this another liberal double standard?
http://sayanythingblog.com/readers/author/Anna/ Anna

Why the lynch mob mentality?

Not at all. I just think the guy acted extremely irresponsibly by secretive absence. Even if he wasn’t hiding something … who goes off and hides his where abouts? (REGARDLESS OF WHAT IT WAS FOR) The guy negated his responsibilities by not being in contact with his office. To me his actions just show that maybe he’s not capable of handling a high powered position.
robert108

It is his absolute dereliction of his duties as Gov. that is the issue, not his hypocritical whoring around on his devoted wife and family.

You continue to lie and spin, little parrot; the big issue was his infidelity, and since that has run out of steam, since it’s completely hypocritical for any Dem to whine about it, now you leftie liars are trying to change the subject.
I have already covered this, when I said that if he has done anything illegal or politically corrupt, there is the impeachment or recall process. My main point here is a Constitutional one; he shouldn’t be subject to your lynch mob mentality; he should get due process.
http://insanereindeer.blogspot.com/ Kenny

Anna: My reference to lynch mob mentality was very specific and not personally directed at you, but to those who wish to deprive him of his office without due process. Thought I made that clear, but here it is again.

No one is depriving him of anything, as they’re telling him to stop being an embarassment and step down. Save the state the trouble of impeaching him.

The real question should be, once the subject is changed from his infidelity to his brief absence is: Was there any damage resulting from that absence? Part of due process is specific charges, not just generalized complaints. This is because the accused must be able to defend himself, and one cannot defend oneself from generalized complaints, whereas specific charges may be either provable or may be disproved.

Being charged criminally is not the same as being found unfit for office. And being told to quietly step down is not the same as being denied due process.
Lioncourt

Does the hypocrisy of him running on a family values platform and coming to prominence by decrying somebody elses infidelity mean anything?
J.R.

I agree. there is no excuse for using taxpayers funds to travel anywhere for private business. If Sanford was meeting this woman in South Carolina while in contact with his staff this wouldn’t be an issue.

His misuse of funds and lack of notification of his whereabouts are the reasons he should resign or be impeached. the affair has nothing to do it.
http://ndgoon.blogspot.com/ goon

Every time I hear Megan McCain talk all I hear is blah, blah, blah, blah, blah…
Hannitized

OK, so fine him for skipping work for a week. For cripes sake, he fell in love. He will spend the remainder of his married life regretting he didn’t divorce his wife because she will never let him forget this. Is that going to help him govern better? Two months ago he was a darling of the Republicans, now he is dirt to you. Don’t throw away that valuable experience just because of puritan contempt for his need to be loved. It usually takes two people to kill a marriage. Why not beat up on his wife for a change? Maybe she drove him away.

Yeah, cheating is just falling in love, it’s not demeaning the vows of marriage in any way. And let’s beat the wife and victim down on this, because, it is probably her fault!!

Sound about right Mickey???

No woman, should ever consider you a decent guy. That excuse sucked.

His private matter is his private matter, but your excuse making for him is disgusting.
robert108

Anna: If what you say he did is a crime, or if it represents political corruption, there is the impeachment or recall process to remove him. It’s inappropriate to use Dem “lynch mob” methods here, IMO.
Would you want to be removed from your job if you were discovered fooling around?
http://forums.kikizo.com/ Eddie_the_Hated

I find the lying more telling. To an extent, this is his life. If I don’t agree with his family values, I’ll kick him out after his term’s up, but to lie to your constituents, and shirk your duty as the leader of an entire state and then expect to sit out your term in office is ridiculous.

Which, I suppose from an emotional standpoint I can understand. I think in the long run, his political enemies will use this against him, but his long-standing reputation has more on the line if a marital affair is the end of his career, instead of a “speed-bump” in it.

Couple open questions to stir thought: Do we know how his constituents feel about him remaining in office?

Would you rather an untrustworthy conservative be in his position, or a more liberal (though fully accountable) governor?
robert108

Chief: Demonizing on the basis of generalized complaints is a typical leftie tactic, and I’m just sad to see it being used by those who generally consider themselves conservative.
carrick

All that said, Chief.

There is a price one pays for one’s errors.

He can be forgiven for his error, but that is different than saying the books get wiped clean.
http://magyartruth.blogspot.com/ Chief RZ

It does appear that some people are attempting to change the argument. States are run on a 9-5 M-F, off summers basis. Some state legislatures only convene every other year.
We have a Lt. Governor. LBJ used to take similar junkets on his yacht out of communications for some time. In this age of instant communications, an invasion of SC or natural disaster has SOPs set up and our TAG is well equipped to handle minor emergencies along with the SCEMD.

Even when we were at war in 1991, 1996-97, 2002-2009, many military offices and even government offices do not operate 24/7 and are mostly off on weekends.
http://insanereindeer.blogspot.com/ Kenny

Name one?

Tom Delay. Never proven of wrong doing. Stepped down.

Duke Cunningham. Pled guilty and went to jail.

Richard Nixon.

There’s your one and I saw you two more.
http://magyartruth.blogspot.com/ Chief RZ

Gov. Eliot Spitzer, who resigned after he was linked to being a participant to a prostitution ring. A bit more than one, legal, consensual affair by two adults.

Bill Clinton was accused of multiple acts of sexual assault by numerous women, including at least one who accused him of rape. He lied to a grand jury. Did not step down. Lawyered up. Issued the now infamous “depends on what your definition of is is” statement.

Speaker-Designate of the House, Bob Livingston, Resigned After Admissions of a Extra-Marital Affair in December, 1998.

On Democrats: It is a bit more difficult to search for them because of the bias in the media. Here is one example. I had to read down quite a bit to get a clue of this person’s affiliation

In 2000, he addressed the Democratic National Convention

(Democratic — see above quote) Mayor Ron Gonzales rejected calls to step down after he was booked on fraud, bribery and conspiracy charges from a grand jury probe into a secretly negotiated garbage contract. Booked.
Pilgrim

I stick to my original view, which is that he should resign not because of the affair. As I said, after swallowing Listerine and banging my head on my desk – the John Edwards thing really boiled down to an issue betweem he and his wife.

He should resign becuse he left the ship without a captain and when you’re in that position you simply do NOT have the option to do that, no matter you political or romantic motives.

All that aside, yeah, the rest is between he and his wife.
http://magyartruth.blogspot.com/ Chief RZ

Sen. John Ensign of Nevada resigned his Republican leadership post Wednesday, one day after confessing marital infidelity.

Tom Delay. Craig, and even one after just a joke.

Not so for Charlie, William Jefferson “cold cash”. The voters did throw him out.

You can search for others. I am trying to find some Democrats. Remember, I did say almost always.
http://magyartruth.blogspot.com/ Chief RZ

WOOF. What??? A loan is not a debt? You mean that in your concept of a loan, it does not include the obligation to repay the loan? I heard this sometimes from my middle school students. They asked me to loan them a quarter, then “forgot” about it a few days later.

I finally got them to repay it with jokes and constant reminding. I never again loaned money to certain people who seemed unlikely to repay.

A loan means that you are obligated to repay the advance in principal and interest.

http://www.investorwords.com/2858/loan.html

Governor Sanford detailed this obligation in his reply to the legislature. There was no argument about what it meant at the time.
http://sayanythingblog.com/readers/author/Anna/ Anna

He should resign because he left the ship without a captain and when you’re in that position you simply do NOT have the option to do that, no matter you political or romantic motives.
All that aside, yeah, the rest is between he and his wife.

Exactly! Just what I’ve been saying… a person in his political position can’t just up and disappear. Regardless of what he was doing between the sheets and to whom he was doing it with.
How do we know if he’s even capable of controlling his peepee from interfering with future thought processes?
As of right now the guy isn’t trustworthy
Hannitized

…. but to lie to your constituents, and shirk your duty as the leader of an entire state and then expect to sit out your term in office is ridiculous.

Exactly. And this sort of attitude is exactly the same attitude he displayed while cheating on his wife all this time.

This guy thinks he can do what ever he wants and suffer no consequences. That is not so.
Mickey

I’ll gladly trade my liberal Governor for this guy any day.
Lioncourt

Republicans and conservatives almost always step down voluntarily from positions of leadership.

Name one?
http://magyartruth.blogspot.com/ Chief RZ

Anna. I agree that his admitted adultery is a sin and brings to question a few other decisions. However, what is his crime? Lying before a grand jury? Rape? Traveling on the public dime? (repaid that portion) Who is free from guilt.

As I said, I would invite an adult conversation on this question.

Please read by previous posts first.
robert108

And being told to quietly step down is not the same as being denied due process.

Actually, it is. It’s like being deposed instead of being voted out of office. You just don’t get the Constitution thing, I guess. You think making unsupported accusations is all you have to do, and everyone should just do what you tell them, just like a big govt liberal does.
robert108

Anna: My reference to lynch mob mentality was very specific and not personally directed at you, but to those who wish to deprive him of his office without due process. Thought I made that clear, but here it is again.
The real question should be, once the subject is changed from his infidelity to his brief absence is: Was there any damage resulting from that absence? Part of due process is specific charges, not just generalized complaints. This is because the accused must be able to defend himself, and one cannot defend oneself from generalized complaints, whereas specific charges may be either provable or may be disproved.
Maybe I should have used the term “rush to judgment” instead.
http://magyartruth.blogspot.com/ Chief RZ

The stimulus money offered (and forced) upon us must be repaid in two years. It is a loan.
It is or was not a free gift. It is not a stipend. It also comes with certain strings attached.
This is why several banks recently repaid their stimulus money. Many were forced to accept this money. Filthy lucre.

Now we are getting into even more speculation with “potential” for harm.

In that case, every executive would have potential for harm when they do anything.

I was sort of waiting for a reply on the call-up question. This actually came up in our Governor’s first term. Any replies? I will check back here in a while, then tomorrow.
http://ndgoon.blogspot.com/ goon

Chief said: Carrick. Yes, there is a price to be paid. Conservatives pay and admit their sins and crimes, liberals “lawyer-up”. Who knows what the eventual price tag will be. The wages of sin is death, but for the price paid on the Cross for all our sins.

That is so true, then the Republicans have to resign while he dems can go about committing all kinds of ethical blunders while not having to pay for their sins.
http://magyartruth.blogspot.com/ Chief RZ

He reimbursed the State of SC for the private portion of the trip. Others, like Bill Clinton, Hillary and Chelsea globe trotted the World on the US dollar. To Africa, etc. I know, I was asked to validate a VFR trip there. No reason, “just because”.

He publicly confessed and asked The Lord and his voters for forgiveness.

Others danced on the definition of an intransitive verb.

All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

The difference is in admitting his sin. Others do not even recognize sin.
http://magyartruth.blogspot.com/ Chief RZ

Or, in this case, being called up for mobilization (active duty) and sent to Iraq (a war zone)!
Bat One

Does the hypocrisy of him running on a family values platform and coming to prominence by decrying somebody elses infidelity mean anything?

Only to the citizens of South Carolina. The opinions of the rest of us are irrelevant.
http://magyartruth.blogspot.com/ Chief RZ

Not a prophet. Does anyone want to seriously engage in this thread?
http://magyartruth.blogspot.com/ Chief RZ

Anna. Certain people were able to contact him. I agree that it was extremely irresponsible.

But. Do you remember a certain US representative who killed himself skiing down a snow covered hill?

Or another US Senator who killed a woman, leaving her to drown?

Or another US Governor who was almost killed without wearing his seatbelt?

Many others have done similar things, some silly, some dangerous, some irresponsible.

I would like to discuss this. Would it only include the executive branch(es) of government, the legislature or judiciary? How about appointed officers?

How about driving drunk and hitting the barriers in front of the White House?

Spending a weekend with family in the mountains? or at the beach? or taking a trip to Bermuda?
http://magyartruth.blogspot.com/ Chief RZ

WOOF. Here is the official position of the Governor. He has explained it quite well.
My points were, and still are that we must offer a balanced budget.

http://www.scgovernor.com/news/releases/3-20-09.htm
Mickey

What a bunch of old hens some of you are. And HandJob, you treat women like sex objects,( at least in your posted fantacies ), your opinion carries zero value.

Sandford’s biggest mistake was not getting a clean divorce.

Egad’s, what do you expect from a politician? Jesus Christ maybe? We already have a messiah for president.
Bodhi

If he wants to have an affair on his own dime, then that’s between him and his wife and his maker.

If he wants to use taxpayer money to fund an affair, that’s misappropriation of funds and fraud. Prosecute his ask AND make him pay it back.
http://insanereindeer.blogspot.com/ Kenny

Actually, it is. It’s like being deposed instead of being voted out of office. You just don’t get the Constitution thing, I guess. You think making unsupported accusations is all you have to do, and everyone should just do what you tell them, just like a big govt liberal does.

No, actually it isn’t.

This is so ridiculous on multiple levels I don’t know where to begin..

1. You dom’t get this Constitution thing I guess…
The constitution guarantees freedom of speech. So by defending people who speak their mind, I’m obviously in favor of that, while you are not. Hmmmm…
2. Unsupported accusations…
There are none. Everything said about him is by his own admission. Oops.
3. And that’s all it takes…
There’s this nifty concept called freedom to ignore. I can tell you to kill yourself and you have this awesome option to tell me no. It’s a concept every 6 year old understands.
4. It’s like being deposed…
Except it’s not. It’s like everyone saying he should step down and he can say no. It’s completely UNlike being deposed.
5. You’re a big gov’t liberal.
Yea, you of all people don’t get to question ANYONE’S left leanings.

After all, you’re calling free speech lynching. Eye roll.
http://forums.kikizo.com/ Eddie_the_Hated

However, what is his crime?

Dereliction of duty.
http://www.dartemis.net/blog/ sayanything-42

Misappropriation of government funds (the travel).
http://magyartruth.blogspot.com/ Chief RZ

Pilgrim. Read my post above yours. Unless we are at war, and even then people sleep and do not work on weekends, but are “on call” so to speak, there is some provision for going on vacation or even engaging in adventurous behaviors. This one was sinful. He admitted it. Every one of us has probably been on a business trip and went to a restaurant when we could have stayed in our motel rooms or tents and may have engaged in some personal adventures. Even if it were looking at TV, reading a book, blogging, chatting, dancing, playing pool, pinball, swimming, riding a bicycle, volksmarching, etc.

Do you really want to exclude all of the above personal activities that could happen after a meeting?
http://proof-proofpositive.blogspot.com/ proof_positive

I think it stopped being a personal matter and became a matter of political judgment and leadership when he left the state (and the country) and was unavailable to fulfill his duties should something catastrophic have taken place.
2Hotel9

r108? Where is the “unsupported accusations” part of the Sanford fuckup?

Sanford is now officially a Democrat, just like McC and his twit daughter.
http://magyartruth.blogspot.com/ Chief RZ

Carrick. Yes, there is a price to be paid. Conservatives pay and admit their sins and crimes, liberals “lawyer-up”. Who knows what the eventual price tag will be. The wages of sin is death, but for the price paid on the Cross for all our sins.
http://magyartruth.blogspot.com/ Chief RZ

Lioncourt. You are extending the premise. David was caught after the fact. He had his friend killed on the battlefield. My argument was that when most liberals, democrats, communists actually get caught, they do not admit guilt in the literal or figurative way.

Republicans and conservatives almost always step down voluntarily from positions of leadership. Democrats and liberals are celebrated and rewarded for their sins. Look at Barnie Frank and his co-hort, running an underaged homosexual house of prostitution.
They did not admit their sins, nor asked for forgiveness. They do not acknowledge The Law.
Lioncourt

Conservatives pay and admit their sins and crimes, liberals “lawyer-up”.

Name one who came clean before being caught. It is easy to admit you sins and fall on your sword when your wife has already thrown your ass out of the govenor’s mansion and the local paper has your e-mails and spotted your car at the airport when the story was you were hiking. Owning up to his sins would have required he offer his penance before being caught.
http://sayanythingblog.com/readers/author/realitybasedbob/ realitybasedbob

Once again r180 McCain voter doesn’t get it.

It is his absolute dereliction of his duties as Gov. that is the issue, not his hypocritical whoring around on his devoted wife and family.
http://sayanythingblog.com/readers/author/Anna/ Anna

The guy up and disappeared for days while actively possessing an authoritative and political position. I don’t care what he was doing ..well, ok I do care, but it’s beside the point. The guy is irresponsible and can’t be trusted. PERIOD!
http://magyartruth.blogspot.com/ Chief RZ

Robert108. Good focus on specific charges vs. generalized complaints. For those not from SC, these complaints are political. There are at least four persons who have indicated their interest in being the next Governor. Some in the present administration campaigned against a certain SC Senator. He has been a bit more vocal than some on this issue.

/sarc/ I am sure no one here has ever heard of this type of sniping before /sarc/
carrick

Pilgrim:

He should resign becuse he left the ship without a captain and when you’re in that position you simply do NOT have the option to do that, no matter you political or romantic motives.

My position too.

People can be forgiven for being human.

But that doesn’t mean they don’t pay the price when their errors affect their job performance.
Pilgrim

Eddie asks:

Would you rather an untrustworthy conservative be in his position, or a more liberal (though fully accountable) governor?

Think that one over.

Good job, Eddie.
http://sayanythingblog.com/readers/author/Anna/ Anna

Was there any damage resulting from that absence?

Isn’t the potential for damage enough for concern?
http://insanereindeer.blogspot.com/ Kenny

Yeah, cheating is just falling in love, it’s not demeaning the vows of marriage in any way. And let’s beat the wife and victim down on this, because, it is probably her fault!!

I actually have to agree with H.

It doesn’t take two people to ruin a marriage. (Though it can.) One party can be acting in good faith, and the other be a filthy scumbag…like here.

What a dispicible defense of Sanford.
http://magyartruth.blogspot.com/ Chief RZ

WOOF. Our constitution calls for a balanced budget, not one that includes borrowing money. The legislature refused to cut fat from the budget. That was the issue.

Two years from now, what will be the issue when the IOUs become due? Same thing that happened 30 years later from Jimmy Carter’s 1977 decision.
robert108

Chief RZ, stimulus money is not a loan, not a debt.

Wrong again! It’s non-economic debt, to be paid back over many generations. Economic debt earns more money than it costs, which makes it self-sustaining through producing profit. Obama’s wasteful political payoff spending will never produce anything except more costly and wasteful spending.
Being ignorant of real economics, Obama doesn’t know how to make an honest profit.
WOOFX

The catastrophe was his returning.
WOOFX

South Carolina was better off when the doofus was gone.
Refused stimulus money for schools and the unemployed.
S/C. Republicans in open revolt against the rigid ideologue.

Run him for President?
WOOFX

The words of the Prophet

You can’t leave, ’cause your heart is there
But you can’t stay, ’cause you been somewhere
You can’t cry, ’cause you’ll look broke down
But you’re cryin’ anyway ’cause you’re all broke down

It’s a Family Affair
Prophet Sly
WOOFX

Chief RZ, stimulus money is not a loan, not a debt.
WOOFX

Link Chief ?

The stimulus money offered (and forced) upon us must be repaid in two years. It is a loan.
http://sayanythingblog.com robport

The affair has something to do with it for me. If he can’t keep his vows to his wife why would he keep promises made to the public?

But that’s my personal feeling. It’s something to be settled at the ballot box.

But I don’t buy the “it’s their private lives” nonsense. They want the power. They put themselves in the public’s eye to get that power.
WOOFX

Thanks for the lesson Chief RZ.
But,

stimulus money is not a loan, not a debt.

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