Polls say it's time Sanford resigns

But signs say he’s likely to stay on as governor

By GINA SMITH - gnsmith@thestate.com

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Jeff Neipp of Greenwood campaigned for Mark Sanford during both of the Republican’s races for governor.

Now, Neipp wants Sanford — caught in a scandal after disappearing from the country to secretly visit his lover — to resign.

“He left our state without any chain of command,” Neipp said. “That is totally unacceptable. I would like to see him resign with some dignity left. But if that’s not possible, he needs to be impeached.”

Sanford watch

Developments in the scandal surrounding Gov. Mark Sanford:
A rally of those calling for Sanford’s resignation or impeachment is planned for today from 5:30-6:30 p.m. at the State House.
Why he’s still in office

Reasons that embattled Gov. Mark Sanford could weather the scandal and finish out his term:
• The S.C. Constitution makes it difficult to impeach a governor. Two-thirds of House and Senate members would have to agree that Sanford is guilty of “serious misconduct” or a “serious crime.” Republican Sanford has some GOP supporters. And some Democrats think they can profit most in the 2010 election by allowing him to remain in office.
• Lawmakers don’t come into session before Jan. 1. Leaders say there is no money to call them back sooner. The prospect of a special session to discuss the governor’s sex life also makes some legislators squirm.
• Some lawmakers question whether Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer is mature enough to serve the final 18 months of the governor’s term. Also, Senate President Glenn McConnell, R-Charleston, does not want to be demoted — effectively — to lieutenant governor, as the line of succession requires.
• An investigation found that Sanford — who repaid the state $3,300 — did not misuse state money during trips to see his lover. And first lady Jenny Sanford has said she is willing to forgive her husband.
• The revelations about Sanford’s affair trickled in over several days, limiting the momentum for his resignation. The death of pop star Michael Jackson also took some media focus off the governor.

Other politicians’ agendas, the 2010 election and a state Constitution that makes impeachment difficult all mean Sanford is likely to stay on. But many S.C. residents believe that the governor no longer is fit to lead.

Two recent polls reflect the public unhappiness with Sanford:

• In a recent SurveyUSA poll, 60 percent of S.C. residents surveyed thought Sanford should resign.

• A Rasmussen Reports poll found most S.C. voters think Sanford’s ethics are the norm for politicians. Still, 46 percent said he should resign. (Thirty-nine percent said he should stay on the job; the rest were undecided.)

Sanford is not quitting, his spokesman repeated Wednesday. Instead, following a SLED investigation that determined last week that he did not misuse state money to visit his lover, the governor is committed to regaining the people’s trust.

“The governor recognizes that there’s going to be a process for building back the trust of South Carolinians, and that’s something he’s committed to,” said spokesman Joel Sawyer. “It doesn’t happen over night. You do it one day at a time.”

Sawyer said Sanford will focus on the need for government restructuring, job creation and budget reform his final 18 months in office.

Others want the governor to focus on an exit sign.

An “Impeach Sanford” rally is planned for today at the State House. The rally was organized, in part, by Marilyn Hemingway, a Democratic activist from Seneca, who also has set up Facebook sites including “Impeach Mark Sanford” and “Mark Sanford Must Resign!”

“The thing that people are really angry about is that he left (the state) and no one knew where he was,” Hemingway said. “If any of us did that on the job, we would be fired.”

The rally will take place without a key Republican Party leader.

Republican National Committee member Glenn McCall of Rock Hill, who originally called for Sanford’s resignation and said he would be at the rally, said Wednesday he is satisfied that legislators have taken up the call for Sanford’s resignation.

A majority of Republican state senators have called for Sanford to quit.

However, the effort to force Sanford’s removal waned after the release of the SLED investigation and first lady Jenny Sanford’s subsequent comments that she was open to forgiving her husband.

Since then, Sanford has picked up support from a handful of GOP lawmakers, including Reps. Garry Smith of Greenville and Murrell Smith of Sumter.

“Our (state) constitution is designed to protect duly elected officials, including the governor, from removal except for ‘serious’ crimes and misconduct,” Garry Smith said in a statement. “It does not appear to me that there is any basis for this type of action in regards to Governor Sanford at this time.”

Some South Carolinians, including William Hamilton of Mount Pleasant, say the real issue is whether Sanford is fit to lead the state at a time when the economy is struggling.

“The governor is overwhelmingly distracted now and conflicted,” said Hamilton, who plans to attend today’s rally. “He can’t possibly do the job, and he deliberately put himself in this situation

“We need a governor who is focused enough to find the limited opportunities in the coming economy recovery.”

The Associated Press contributed. Reach Smith at (803) 771-8658

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