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Just when you thought the actions of South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford couldn't get anymore controversial - think again.
At a press conference held Wednesday at the State House to explain his five-day absence and unknown whereabouts, the governor confessed he had been in Argentina, where he was visiting a woman with whom he had been having an affair for the past year.
"The bottom line is this," Sanford said. "I have been unfaithful to my wife."
In an emotional and seemingly scattered speech, Sanford then went on to explain the details of the affair he's been having with a woman who he says has been a "dear friend" for nearly eight years. He said it was in the past year that the friendship had turned into more.
His wife, Jenny Sanford, had known of the affair for the past five months, and they have since been in counseling, he said.
The governor, enervated and red-eyed, painfully apologized in front of a large assemblage of cameras and press, saying that he let down his wife, four children, his party, people of faith and all South Carolinians.
"I let down people that I represent across this state," Sanford said. "I want to apologize to anybody who lives in South Carolina for the way that I let them down on that front."
The press conference delivered by Sanford was the climactic windup of the five-day absence that began last Thursday when Sanford left Columbia without notice. On Monday, questions were raised concerning his whereabouts after SLED, the agency in charge of the governor's security, could not find him.
His staff reported he was hiking the Appalachian Trail; but when he was found at the Atlanta-Hartsfield airport Wednesday morning by reporters from The State newspaper, it was revealed he was returning from Argentina.
He announced his resignation as chairman of the Republican Governor's Association at Wednesday's press conference, but said he would not resign as governor of South Carolina.
Although Sanford has likely severely damaged his national political aspirations, political science professor Robert Oldendick said the development probably will not have a lasting impact on South Carolina politics because the governorship is term-limited and Sanford can not run again when his term ends in 2011.
"I don't think a personal situation like this will have an impact on the race for governor next year," Oldendick said.
Oldendick also said he didn't hear anything that gave indication that Sanford will resign as governor, and that he can probably weather this particular situation.
Tyler Elmendorf, a public administration graduate student, thinks the scandal will have a more harmful effect on the Republican Party on the national level than in South Carolina.
"This is another hit on the Republican Party," Elmendorf said. "It's another distraction for the Republicans, who are trying to push forward their ideologies and values."
He also said that the press conference seemed haphazard and that Sanford should have left out some of the detail.
"It was good that he told the truth, but he should have prepared himself more for the damage control."
Gregory Wilkins, a fourth-year international studies student, felt ashamed about what happened.
"It's sad to see the leader of our state do something like that," he said.
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