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Sanford To Hold Live News Conference. Question: Did He Lie To His Staff?

Now that we’ve all learned that Mark Sanford was actually in Argentina, and not hiking on the Appalachian Trail, it looks like he’s going to do his best to explain it all to the national media at a news conference this afternoon. David Shuster tweets:

SC Gov. Sanford will hold a live “news conference” today at 2pm. MSNBC will carry it live… reaction/analysis throughout the afternoon.

Here’s a question someone might ask. There’s a curious detail buried in the interview with Sanford that The State published today about his reappearance:

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

Sanford later said “in fairness to his staff,” he had told them he might go hiking on the Appalachian Trial.

Did Sanford mislead his own staff by telling them he might go hiking before picking up and jetting off to Argentina instead? Why? Should be fun to hear his explanation, unless of course he pulls another Houdini between now and this afternoon.

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Posted by Greg Sargent | 06/24/2009, 10:52 AM EST | Categories: political media

15 Responses

  1. sgwhiteinfla | June 24th, 2009 at 11:00 am

    Greg. But his staff said they talked to him yesterday which some in the MSM ran with. So why wouldn’t they reveal where he was really at then or did he lie to them then as well? This story won’t end well. At least not if MSM journos do their job.

  2. Greg Sargent | June 24th, 2009 at 11:01 am

    Right: the question is twofold: Did he lie about where he was going, and then did he lie again about where he’d been?

  3. sgwhiteinfla | June 24th, 2009 at 11:04 am

    Great clip from a Republican official in SC. Gotta love the guy’s deep south accent. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJNQchhvd-o

  4. Sarah | June 24th, 2009 at 11:29 am

    His wife said he went off to do some writing. At one point, staff said that he had projects to work on.

    Was any of that true?

  5. LT | June 24th, 2009 at 11:37 am

    I want to watch the press conference, but then I again I don’t know if I’ll be able to stomach it.
    Sometimes these reporters are just so clueless!
    There are so many wholes in his story… and it just doesn’t make any sense (anyway you look at it) why he would leave for days and not tell his family.
    For the most part Sen. Ensign has gotten a free ride, and I have the feeling the same will happen with Sanford.

    Not unless it’s something so outrageous… Like having an affair with a coyote and having baby “Boyoties”! LOL!!
    ****(Those of you who caught the Daily Show last night will get the joke! Lol)

  6. mike from Arlington | June 24th, 2009 at 11:39 am

    Somebody down there must have seen him. I’d imagine some investigative journalism is in order. I mean, who goes down there, on Fathers day weekend mind you, wife doesn’t know where you are, kids don’t know, apparently his staffers didn’t. Is this another Ensign type scandal in the works? Inquiring minds want to know.

  7. mike from Arlington | June 24th, 2009 at 11:44 am

    That video clip is class. “He ain’t accomplished nothin’ in seven years…eight veto’s with no support.”

  8. PJ | June 24th, 2009 at 11:45 am

    “Should be fun to hear his explanation, unless of course he pulls another Houdini between now and this afternoon.”

    Actually, he would pull another Sanford.

  9. Chris | June 24th, 2009 at 11:46 am

    There’s lies all over this one. Check out FitsNews.com for the best local coverage. Fits is a former communications director for Sanford and it turns out, Sanford’s staff even lied to him about his whereabouts. And now Fits is reporting the Sanford’s have been having marital troubles and attending counseling for weeks.

    Like I said on my blog, there’s only a few things you can do in “exotic” Argentina without your wife. None of which are good for a rocky marriage.

  10. Tena | June 24th, 2009 at 12:00 pm

    “Did Sanford mislead his own staff by telling them he might go hiking before picking up and jetting off to Argentina instead? Why? ”

    Hee hee hee!

    I said it once – Cherchez la femme.

  11. BGinCHI | June 24th, 2009 at 12:10 pm

    Remember when Sanford was asked what the difference was between McCain and Bush before the election and he just stammered and couldn’t think of anything?

    Sanford is stupid and privileged and it is no surprise that he’s in this mess and the others that precede it.

    News flash: stupid people do stupid things and they get found out. Stupid GOPs are no different, except that they drag people down with them.

  12. mike from Arlington | June 24th, 2009 at 12:11 pm

    So, I’ve done some of my own investigating on The Googles and came up with this. I googled “buenos aires for men” and came up with a few ideas as to what he was up to.

  13. karen marie | June 24th, 2009 at 12:17 pm

    What I don’t understand about Sanford’s claim that the report that he was hiking is the claim was made on Monday, after someone had supposedly spoken with him and reported that he would be returning today.

    Did his actual whereabouts not come up in that phone call?

  14. CDW | June 24th, 2009 at 12:32 pm

    Wherever he went and whatever his excuse, he has shown a shocking lack of judgment on everything from the stimulus standoff to his disappearing act. You have to assume that neither he nor the republicans think he has a career in politics outside of S.Carolina. If they want him, they’re welcome to him. He’s good entertainment for the rest of us.

  15. lamh31 | June 24th, 2009 at 02:00 pm

    I still think that Stanford will get away with whatever, unless the “reporters” at this press conference ask some real good questions. What this one is gonna need is some National Enquirer type young hungry reporter who wants to make a name for themselves.

    Until/unless this happens, ain’t nothing gonna happen to Sanford. Though he definitely shouldn’t be running for Prez in 2012, but you never know with these wingnuts.

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