[classicman]

UPDATE:

Sanford admits affair

South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, his eyes red, admitted to having an extramarital affair Wednesday with an Argentine woman.

"I've been unfaithful to be my wife," Sanford said at a state capitol news conference.

It began very innocently," he explained, saying that developed into an adulterous relationship in the past year.

He said he seen his unidentified mistress three times since they began the affair or, as he put it, "since the whole sparking thing."

Sanford said he was resigning his post as Chairman of the Republican Governor's Association.

Taking questions from reporters, Sanford said his wife knew about the relationship before his trip last week and that "they had been working through this thing for about the last five months."

He shed tears as he explained how helpful one friend had been.

He also choked up when he said: "This has been selfishness on my part."

Sanford's admission caps an extraordinary week in which he was revealed to having been in Argentina and not, as his staff said, hiking on the Appalachian trail.

Before disclosing his relationship, Sanford apologized profusely to a number of family and friends.

"I've let down a lot of people -- that's the bottom line," Sanford said.

In what were at times rambling remarks, Sanford delved into the nature of sin and explained his affinity for "adventure trips."

He requested a "zone of privacy" for his family.

Now he needs to resign and go away.