Sanford talk of town, but not of tea party

Politicians take great pains to avoid the subject

By RODDIE BURRIS - rburris@thestate.com

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Republican Gov. Mark Sanford was persona non grata at the Columbia Tea Party on Saturday, as none of nearly a dozen speakers ever uttered the beleaguered governor’s name.

About 1,500 people showed up at the Capitol for the four-hour, issue-oriented rally on a hot July Fourth holiday, where everything from the fair tax to the abolition of all public schools and a return to a gold-standard currency was pushed.

U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., and Rep. Nikki Haley, R-Lexington, who is a 2010 candidate for governor, headlined the event, which supporters billed as a grass-roots effort to get people more involved with limiting government.

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Developments

Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer also is spending his holiday weekend in Florida.
The S.C. officials aren’t in the same place. Gov. Mark Sanford has said he is working to reconcile his marriage with his wife and family at her father’s house in Hobe Sound, Fla., while Bauer was about 175 miles away in Daytona, Fla., for Saturday night’s NASCAR race.
Sanford spokesman Joel Sawyer said there are no plans for the men to meet while in the Sunshine State.
Staffers for Sanford and Bauer insist they can contact either man within moments in case of an emergency. In fact, Bauer answered his cell phone Saturday when a reporter called, saying, “I’m going to the race.”
— The Associated Press

Sanford wrapped up what some say was one of the most tumultuous weeks in South Carolina political history by journeying to south Florida, where his spokesman, Joel Sawyer, said Sanford was continuing to spend time with his family Saturday.

After dropping out of contact for five days and lying about his whereabouts, Sanford returned to Columbia from Buenos Aires, Argentina, 10 days ago, where he admitted he was carrying on an affair with Maria Belen Chapur, an Argentine businesswoman.

Sanford has been rousted with calls from lawmakers, newspapers and the public to leave office over the incident, which captured international attention.

Sanford has pledged to finish out the 18 months left in his second term, and his wife, Jenny, has offered to attempt to reconcile with the governor — key points for both DeMint and Haley, they said in interviews after Saturday’s rally.

“I think South Carolina will give him another chance if (Jenny) does,” said DeMint, who was out promoting his new book, “Saving Freedom.”

“It’s an encouraging signal.”

Haley, who like many state lawmakers has been critical of Sanford’s recent conduct, said the governor was not mentioned at the Tea Party because most people attending understood the “strength of their movement is not in a person.”

“I said last week, if he can stop talking about his personal life and talk about what he’s going to do for the people of this state the next 18 months, then stay,” Haley said. “Otherwise, go. We need to move on.”

Reach Burris at (803) 771-8398.

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