South Carolina Resurrects Sanford

CHARLESTON, South Carolina (CNN) — Former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford on Tuesday revived his once-dead political career by winning the special election for an open U.S. House seat that he had previously held for three terms, CNN projects.

With 70% of the vote in, Republican Sanford led Democrat Elizabeth Colbert Busch by a 54%-45% margin.

Once considered a possible presidential candidate, Sanford left the governor’s office at the end of his term in 2010 having admitted to an extramarital affair and under a cloud of ethics violations. He represented the district in Congress for six years before being elected governor.

Before the race, businesswoman Colbert Busch was best known as the sister of Stephen Colbert, host of Comedy Central’s “The Colbert Report.”

Sanford spent the last day of what could have been his last race making 10 campaign appearances in the district. Colbert Busch, meanwhile, parked her campaign bus and instead made calls to voters from a campaign phone bank.

Although the district has been in Republican hands since 1981, polling showed the race to be a toss-up.

Sanford was very open about the affair on the campaign trail and made it the subject of his first TV commercial. But he says that voters are not focusing on his past.

“I had a failing that was well chronicled and I think it been important to discuss it. We’ve discussed it at length here in the first congressional district, but I think it falls into this larger journey we’re all on, which is that none of us are perfect, all of us have feet of clay, and this notion of redemption, of second chances, is part and parcel to the American way and we’ll find out if it’s part and parcel to this election tonight,” Sanford told CNN Tuesday.

And he knows redemption is in sight.

“I don’t know whether I win or lose. But I’m at peace with sort of where I am of that larger notion of you go out, you try the best you can, and then the final verdict is in the good Lord and the voters’ hands,” Sanford said Monday.

Disappearance sank presidential hopes

Sanford was in his second term as governor in 2009 when he disappeared from public view for several days. At the time his staff claimed he’d been hiking the Appalachian Trail. He later admitted that he was actually in Argentina, seeing the woman with whom he was having an affair. He’s now engaged to that woman.

The episode sank any hopes Sanford had of making a bid for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination. Sanford and then-wife Jenny were divorced in 2010. He finished his second term as governor in January 2011, after being censured and fined tens of thousands of dollars for ethics violations, exiting to what many thought would be political obscurity.

But he’s back, beating out 15 other candidates earlier this year to win the Republican nomination. And even with all his political baggage, he was considered the favorite in the race until last month, when court documents revealed his ex-wife had filed complaints against Sanford for trespassing on her property.

Sanford told CNN that he didn’t want to leave his sons home alone while their mother was away. He’s scheduled for a court appearance two days after the election.

Not long after the trespassing story broke, the National Republican Congressional Committee announced it was pulling out of the race and national Democratic groups announced they were throwing more money into the contest.

And National Democratic groups jumped in. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and independent pro-Democrat House Majority PAC combined have dished out nearly $1 million to defeat Sanford.

Shameful that the RNC couldn't nominate someone else, anyone else. Come on people of SC, have some courage to vote NO on scumbags like this.

To be fair, this is not just a Republican issue. The Dems have had their share of liars, cheats etc... win re-election after scandals. You have Ted Kennedy of course, William Jefferson, Marion Barry and Barney Frank to name a few to go along with David Vitters, Newt Gingrich.

None of these politicians ever deserved to be re-elected after their scandals/criimes.

Why is this shameful?  Didnt the GOP gamble correctly and win here?  Why cant you give them credit when they do something right? 

The GOP ran the candidate that they thought would win and he did...  Why would they run a weaker candidate?

It's shameful because they felt their best candidate is a liar and a cheat. You have to think there was a different qualified person to run against this nobody Dem. Sure they won the election but shouldn't we expect more out of an elected official that will be paid with our tax dollars, plus receive a pension for life with our tax dollars?

This has just added to the way people view politicians as liars and scumbags. It's amazing to me how these people get elected or in the case of Bill Clinton are viewed favorably. The man cheated on his wife, tried to use the power of his office to cover it up, lied about it but yet he is still looked upon with high regard on the left and in the media. He is no better than Newt Gingrich who got vilified by the left and the media.

I view Sanford in the same way. He lied about an affair and is a disgrace. If I lived in SC I would not have voted for him no matter what. That's just me though, obviously most voters have no problem as long as the person has that R or D next to their name.

Quote Originally Posted by captjohn67:

clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right, here i am, stuck in the middle with you  

Exactly. Which is why I will take my retirement dollars and move out of the US. They can direct deposit my SS check into my account, thank you very much. I already have a paid off condo on the beach in a foreign country and can easily live on less than $25k a year including health care insurance. Add in the little loophole on 401k withdraws and I'm hopeful that I can pull this off in 5 years. You cannot start taking 401k money without penalty before 59.5 but there is a provision that allows you to take it the calander year or after you turn 55 if you retire from the company you have the 401k with.

When it all collapses, I'll be on the beach enjoying a nice cold one. lol

good for you, i wish more could escape...i really do  

Cap, Why don't you just take your money and run right now ?

We need patriots. Good bye

i am not in a financial position to do so, and i have a family situation which would prevent me from doing such even if i were. Please don't preach to me about patriots. While i certainly show republican scars from time to time, i would think most would say i am more objective than you. I certainly don;t drink the koolaid and cheerlead, that's for damn sure.

Quote Originally Posted by TheGoldenGoose:




A man with a plan.


I have something similar in mind, but can't count on SS.  When the electorate of this country knowingly put crooks back in office, it's time to bail.  Every man for himself.

Yes sir. My plan does not even account for any SS money. If I happen to get some, just bonus. If you can plan for retirement without having to rely on SS, that's a good way to go. I know not everyone has the opportunity to do what I'm planning and I've been fortunate enough to have worked at the same company for the last 17 years now. A small business that the owner started from scratch with very little capital. Now he has 100 employees and about $16 million annually in sales.

There is nothing wrong with suggesting an escape from our current political climate. It has nothing at all to do with patriotism.

I know you love the Dems but they are equally responsible for the current climate we have. Their prior sins are simply lessoned due to our President being a Dem and the usual anti-agenda the non-empowerment party seeks.

DJ Brows, it absolutely has everything to do with patriotism.

 When retired person packs up and permanently leaves this beautiful country after their have accumulated wealth, even modest wealth, it hurts us all.

 This would be the equivalent of buying a foreign vehicle and not American made, (one of the big 3.) during the last 4 years. Thank God that real patriots bought American made,  General Motors, Ford, Chrysler are still recovering.

There are millions of retired baby boomers receiving a monthly social security check and a pension. Retiree's spend immediately, and this has made huge difference in our economic recovery.

 Just 4 years ago Bush/Obama gave seniors a one time 600 per person 1200 per couple to help revitalize the economy and that is a fraction of what seniors spend just in one month !

Millions of struggling young people depend on help from Grandparents.

 Now can you imagine if all retiree's packed up and abandoned ship ?