Wouldn't the GOP do themselves a big favor if they just shut up about the family values stuff ? That way they wouldn't look like such hypocrites when yet another one of their ranks was caught with pants down, so to speak.......they could just argue that they were ordinary, fallible humans like rest of country if they weren't the self-styled 'upholders of moral values'.

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Someone was arguing here, the other day, that today's politicians being, from the moment they leave their education,, career politicians, know nothing other than politics, they have never achieved anything themselves and because of this don't know how to get things done nor have they any idea about 'normal' life, they think that they are above us all, some call us 'civilians'.

I miss the older, elder politicians who had had a life.

And yes who cares who they 'bed' The French way was best, they never cared ...... well not before horrid Sarkozi..

Ideals? One must have ideals, even if one can't live up to them?

I've been down here for 10 months now and this guy keeps a pretty low profile. He's a little weird, does the occasional off the wall something or other, but mostly pretty boring, otherwise. At least it shows he actually has a personality. I was beginning to think he was some kind of Stepford husband. I think his wife is kind of scary...

Like most people in this situation, he probably could have handled it better, but, what the hell, you do what you can with what you've got. Makes you wonder who's writing these speeches, though, these mea culpa, "oops, I screwed up speeches". It can't just be the guy who screws up because they all sound the same and by the time they do them, the "scandal" has already traveled round the world. I think there's too much waiting to figure to public/political climate and then tailoring the speech to that. The problem is with these sorts of things, people's opinions change fairly rapidly (as in moment to moment), going through a whole range of emotional stages in quick succession and it seems to me that often, the mood of the public at the time the speech is written has changed significantly by the time it is delivered, so it's not hitting the mark.

What should the GOP do about it? Not let anyone say anything about it for at least a week after the story breaks...that would be my suggestion.

"they could just argue that they were ordinary, fallible humans like rest of country"

A successful man getting some strange on the side after his menopausal wife goes comatose from the neck down isn't fallible, he's normal and should be admired. Sanford claiming to be otherwise is what is abnormal.

" if they weren't the self-styled 'upholders of moral values'."

They play to 55 year old women, which got them into this in the first place :) They should leave the So-Con stuff to the Muslims and concentrate on slightly more important issues, like the imminent collapse of the economy and the US becoming a regional power.

Dang, dude, a little compassion already! I hear that whole menopause thing ain't no bowl of cherries.

Besides, I think Sanford qualifies as abnormal even without his claims. I'm telling you, the man is weird, and it's not the kind of weirdness one can keep under wraps for very long unless one has a hearty measure of self control (and I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that Sanford has not), or someone else has been doing the controlling. That weird dude has a scary wife...I expect there's a reason why she's not all tears and sadness. I'm pretty sure she's the one who's been in control and lost control, hence the excessive anger. As for his abnormal claims, I expect that's the political machine doing most of the talking.

Of course, we'll all know for sure once his book is out and he hits the talk show curcuit.

"That weird dude has a scary wife...I expect there's a reason why she's not all tears and sadness. I'm pretty sure she's the one who's been in control and lost control, hence the excessive anger."

Reminded me of Law and Order's season finale; a corrupt, philandering governor, a conflation of Blago and Spitzer, and his conniving, manipulative wife.

I've known a few political wives and Sanford's is not a stretch, but she seems less in control that Spitzer's or St. Bill's.

I didn't see the season finale. But I think her loss of control is fairly recent - within the last year or so. Seems to me like Sanford's finally grown some marital balls and I wouldn't be surprised if most of what he's doing now is just to spit in her face. It doesn't seem to me like he's much of a governor and I can't see that he'd want to stay in that position except just to spite her. Unless, of course, he thinks that the loss of power would compromise his relationship with the Argentinian hottie - he might think that losing his job would make her think less of him. But, really, I reckon the Argentinian would be just as happy with him writing a book and becoming the talk of the town for that...not to mention the millions he could make.

He really needs to watch out, though. His wife is going to crucify him one way or another, you can see it on her face.

"Seems to me like Sanford's finally grown some marital balls and I wouldn't be surprised if most of what he's doing now is just to spit in her face."

Makes sense, Sanford having an act of rebellion against the driving spouse. I thought that may have been part of St. Bill's thing, then decided that he was just a normal man.

"But, really, I reckon the Argentinian would be just as happy with him writing a book and becoming the talk of the town for that...not to mention the millions he could make."

After this he can get a girlfriend a little closer, play the field, enjoy himself. Lots of potential trophy hunters at book signings.

"He really needs to watch out, though. His wife is going to crucify him one way or another, you can see it on her face."

Her book will be the more interesting of the two :) She does have kind of a ferret face.

"Her book will be the more interesting of the two"

Oh, I doubt that she'll do a book or that it would be very interesting. What's so interesting about not being able to make your man do what you want? His will be full of all the pathos of the rejected spouse, sexually, socially emasculated, enduring under the oppressive thumb of the sadistic, manipulative dominatrix - a political and male version of "Story of O".

She looks like she was never in it for the sex or for love. She looks like she liked the power and the control, and now that it's gone, she's a bit of a cranky bitch.

"Oh, I doubt that she'll do a book or that it would be very interesting. What's so interesting about not being able to make your man do what you want?"

Her pov will be that he did everything she wanted, she took a spineless loser and made him governor and mentioned for a run in '12, but he was such a nutless mommy's boy who couldn't control his cravings for sick, perverted sex that he blew it. She'll look like the fairy godmother who made all Cinderfella's dreams come true out of love and devotion.

"She looks like she was never in it for the sex or for love. She looks like she liked the power and the control, and now that it's gone, she's a bit of a cranky bitch."

Sounds like most ex's I've known :)

"She'll look like the fairy godmother who made all Cinderfella's dreams come true out of love and devotion."

Most definitely not out of love and devotion - more for greed, status and self gratification.

"Sounds like most ex's I've known :)"

The reason why your idea for her book would be totally baseless fabrication and everyone on the planet would know it. She doesn't have the sort of story anyone really wants to read. We like the romance and the perverted sex, especially when it leads to the suffering of the story's protagonist...and said protagonist's eventual redemption and triumph. The redemption and triumph always come after true love, it's the way of the world, it's what the public wants. And Mrs. Sanford doesn't look to me like a person suffering the ill effects of true love... ;)

He'll even be able to get a song or two out of it in addition to a book! ;)

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What's that you say girl?
You did it all for me?
But you didn't want to
Lose your nobility

It sounds so wrong when you say it
It sounds so wrong when you say
I'm not playing your fool
But that's the story of love

(Repeat three times)

Yeah, that's the glory of love

G'night darlin', my arm hurts, my eyeballs are bleary and I need to get some sleep so I can get up and get back at it tomorrow. xxoo

"The reason why your idea for her book would be totally baseless fabrication and everyone on the planet would know it."

But a much more interesting story-line than just another emasculated politician confessing on Oprah in exchange for a hug.

"She doesn't have the sort of story anyone really wants to read."

I would think that hearing from the real power moving the sock-puppet's lips would be more interestin than hearing the sock-puppet.

"We like the romance and the perverted sex, especially when it leads to the suffering of the story's protagonist...and said protagonist's eventual redemption and triumph."

Bodice rippers, AKA "Mommy Porn," per a columnist I read awhile back. I just don't see Sanford in a kilt wielding a Claymore.

"The redemption and triumph always come after true love, it's the way of the world, it's what the public wants."

Fiction usually outsells non-fiction. Not sure we'll be able to find anything in this that could be described as true love.

"And Mrs. Sanford doesn't look to me like a person suffering the ill effects of true love... ;)"

Depends on who has been doing her while the gov has been away :) Sweet dreams.

"I would think that hearing from the real power moving the sock-puppet's lips would be more interestin than hearing the sock-puppet."

Not at all, not at all. The power behind is always the same - greed, selfishness, status, power. The rebellious puppet is where all the interest lies.

"I just don't see Sanford in a kilt wielding a Claymore."

He doesn't have to wear a kilt, we've got the romantic emails. Sure, not quite the pervert Bonnie Prince Charlie was (what with the tampon and all), but not bad.

"Not sure we'll be able to find anything in this that could be described as true love."

Maybe, maybe not, you never know, but his is still the more romantic of the two stories.

"Depends on who has been doing her while the gov has been away :)"

Since your original contention was that it is perfectly normal for a man such as Sanford to go off travelling the world in search of poontang when his menopausal wife "goes comatose from the neck down", I would assume that Mrs. Sanford hasn't been doing anyone since the gov. has been away hiking the Appalachians.