Gov Sanford and Naked Hiking Day

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — After a political mystery — "Where in the World is South Carolina's Governor?" — Mark Sanford's aides said he was stunned by all the fuss over his five-day absence and would cut short a secretive hike along the Appalachian Trail.
State officials and even his wife said they had no idea where he went over Father's Day weekend, and not everyone is buying his explanation. His disappearance has left some in the Palmetto State wondering: Is this any way for a governor to act?
Sanford's spokesman said the governor was hiking to clear his head after the legislative session, during which he lost a key battle.
But critics of the two-term Republican — and there are many — wondered why it took nine hours after reporters started asking questions for the governor's staff to say what the state's chief executive was doing. Sanford was expected back in his office Wednesday, but his aides stopped answering questions about his trip, including where he was on the 2,175-mile trail, whether he was with security and if anyone else could confirm his whereabouts.

The story started to resemble a John Grisham novel. A southern conservative governor and very vocal critic of a popular liberal president eluded his security detail and completely disappeared with his last known whereabouts — before he (or someone) turned off his cell phones — somewhere outside of Atlanta.
Staff was silent. Some were talking about succession plans. The First Lady though said she wasn’t concerned. “He was writing something and wanted some space to get away from the kids,” she said.
But many wondered aloud how this traditional, family-loving, Republican governor of a southern state could miss Fathers Day. After all he’s got four children! Was something sinister in the air?
Then it took a Farrelly brothers screenplay type of twist. Sanford had not disappeared. According to his spokesman, he was hiking on the Appalachian Trail. Coincidentally, on Naked Hiking Day.
It’s a big tradition. Many hikers celebrate the summer solstice by hiking au naturel. It just so happened the solstice occurred on Fathers Day — one of the days Sanford was hiking.

classicman;577043 wrote:

Uh and what about his wife and/or children?

Gov. Mark Sanford did not spend the last five days hiking the Appalachian Trail — as his staff had indicated — but was instead in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the South Carolina Republican told The State newspaper Wednesday.

Spotted returning from the trip in the Atlanta airport Wednesday morning, Sanford said he had considered hiking the Appalachian Trail after his state's busy legislative season came to end but instead decided on a more "exotic" trip.

"I wanted to do something exotic. It's a great city," said Sanford of his five-day getaway that appeared to leave his entire staff and family in the dark about his whereabouts. Sanford also said no one else accompanied him on the trip.

Sanford wouldn't tell the newspaper exactly what he did in the South American country, besides take a drive along the coastline.

The South Carolina governor also said he hadn't planned to return until Thursday, but came back earlier after his chief of staff contacted him to say the story of his whereabouts was drawing widespread media attention.

Sanford expressed surprise the story was attracting such attention, saying it's not unusual for him to take such trips.

"I would get out of the bubble I am in," he said.

In a short interview with CNN Tuesday, Sanford's wife Jenny said she still has not talked to her husband since he left last Thursday and did not know where he went.

glatt;577039 wrote:

But if you are in an important position, you should always be reachable. A governor has responsibilities and shouldn't be going AWOL for several days on end. His staff should be able to reach him in an emergency at all times.

Gov. Mark Sanford did not spend the last five days hiking the Appalachian Trail — as his staff had indicated — but was instead in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the South Carolina Republican told The State newspaper Wednesday.

glatt;577039 wrote:

If he wants to go hiking, that's fine. Great, even. Hiking is an activity more people should do so they gain an appreciation for the little bit of nature left in the country.

But if you are in an important position, you should always be reachable. A governor has responsibilities and shouldn't be going AWOL for several days on end. His staff should be able to reach him in an emergency at all times.

Spexxvet;577075 wrote:

you can purchase a young boy for less than $100.00 in Buenos Aires. :p

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.

glatt;577162 wrote:

Seems to be a lot of Republicans lately doing this extra-marital shit.

I think it's now been established that the more "pro-family" you are, the more likely it is that you are a closet freak.

richlevy;577304 wrote:

Not necessarily. The big difference is that Republicans have forced themselves into a close alliance with their fringe wing, which is fundie religionists. This magnifies a human foible into an act of hypocrisy.

TheMercenary;577296 wrote:

Right on Gov! Those Argentiana women are HOT!

glatt;577396 wrote:

Where are the pictures of the other woman? It's taking too long for them to show up in the media. All these cutbacks in the press are harshing my buzz.

I see they know her name, and that she's supposedly hot, but I want pictures already.

Happy Monkey;577172 wrote:

Republican?

Shawnee123;577434 wrote:

OMG.

Granted, the wife is probably some gold-digging shrew,.

Mr. Sanford, 49 years old, said he still hopes to reconcile with his wife, Jennifer Sullivan Sanford, 46, formerly a vice president at investment bank Lazard Freres & Co., and an heiress to the family that built the Skil Power Tools brand, now a subsidiary of Robert Bosch GmbH.

The e-mails from July 2008 reveal two enamored lovers, but also show Sanford's concern. "How in the world this lightening (sic) strike snuck up on us I am still not quite sure. As I have said to you before I certainly had a special feeling about you from the first time we met, but these feelings were contained and I genuinely enjoyed our special friendship and the comparing of all too many personal notes," Sanford wrote.


He continued, "I feel a little vulnerable because this is ground I have never certainly never covered before -- so if you have pearls of wisdom on how we figure all this out please let me know...In the meantime please sleep soundly knowing that despite the best efforts of my head my heart cries out for you, your voice, your body, the touch of your lips, the touch of your finger tips and an even deeper connection to your soul."


The woman, who The State identifies as simply "Maria," reciprocated Sanford's feelings. "You are my love ... something hard to believe even for myself as it's also a kind of impossible love, not only because of distance but situation. Sometimes you don't choose things, they just happen... I can't redirect my feelings and I am very happy with mine towards you."

jinx;577638 wrote:

I do.

Media Matters

1625 Massachusetts Ave. NW
Suite 300
Washington, DC
20036

Phone :202-756-4100
URL: Website





Self-described "progressive" media "monitor" which tracks content that "forwards a conservative agenda."
Creation of Democratic Party funders and operatives and former conservative writer David Brock


Established in May 2004, Media Matters for America is a "web-based, not-for-profit … progressive research and information center" seeking to "systematically monitor a cross-section of print, broadcast, cable, radio, and Internet media outlets for conservative misinformation." But in addition to "news or commentary that is not accurate, reliable, or credible," the organization's concept of "misinformation" includes anything that "forwards the conservative agenda." Thus political differences of opinion are often portrayed by Media Matters as lies or worse.

Media Matters' founder and CEO is David Brock. A reporter for the conservative magazine The American Spectator in the 1990s, Brock (in the aftermath of his biography of Hillary Clinton that brought disastrous reviews) engaged in a public self-denunciation, characterizing all his past writings critical of liberal figures as a confection of lies and slanders. In Brock's present judgment, the mainstream media have fallen under the sway of conservative ideology. He believes that conservatives have moved the mainstream media "to the right and therefore they've moved American politics to the right. … I wanted to create an institution [Media Matters] to combat what they're doing."

Standing behind Brock was John Podesta, a former chief of staff in the Clinton administration and the head of the "progressive" Washington, DC think tank, the Center for American Progress. In 2004 Podesta provided Brock with office space for his fledgling enterprise. Soon after, Media Matters received over $2 million in seed donations from a roster of affluent donors including Leo Hindery Jr., a former cable magnate; Susie Tompkins Buell, a co-founder of the fashion company Esprit and a close ally of Senator Hillary Clinton; James Hormel, a San Francisco philanthropist who nearly served as ambassador to Luxembourg during the Clinton administration; Bren Simon, a Democratic activist and the wife of shopping-mall developer Mel Simon; and New York psychologist and philanthropist Gail Furman. Media Matters, which can accept tax-deductible contributions under section 501(c)(3) of the tax code, has also benefited from the patronage of Peter Lewis, chairman of Progressive Corporation and a longtime consort of leftist financier George Soros.

Media Matters has not always been forthcoming about its high-profile backers. In particular, the group has long labored to obscure any financial ties to George Soros. But in March 2003, the Cybercast News Service (CNS) detailed the copious links between Media Matters and several Soros "affiliates"—among them MoveOn.org, the Center for American Progress, and Peter Lewis. Confronted with this story, a spokesman for the organization explained that "Media Matters for America has never received funding directly from George Soros" (emphasis added), a transparent evasion.

Nor were groups cited by CNS the only connection between Media Matters and Soros. As investigative journalist Byron York has noted, another Soros affiliate that bankrolled Media Matters was the New Democratic Network. In addition, Soros is reported to be involved in the newly formed Democracy Alliance, a partnership of some 80 affluent financiers who each have vowed to contribute $1 million or more in order to build up an ideological infrastructure of leftist thinks tanks and advocacy groups. News reports list Media Matters as a main beneficiary of the Alliance's funding. By August of 2004, Media Matters' operating budget had already doubled to $4 million.

To summarize, Soros and his Open Society Institute pour millions of dollars into the coffers of MoveOn, the Center for American Progress, and Democracy Alliance. In turn, these organizations funnel some of that money to Media Matters.

Prior to founding Media Matters, David Brock met with a number of leading Democratic Party figures, including Senator Hillary Clinton, former Senator Tom Daschle of South Dakota, and former Vice President Al Gore. Today, more than a few of the organization's roughly 30 staff members are Democratic operatives. Among these are Media Matters' chief communications strategist Dennis Yedwab, who is also the Director of Strategic Resources at Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Brock's personal assistant, Mandy Vlasz, is a Democratic pollster and a veteran consultant to Democratic campaigns, including the 2000 Gore/Lieberman campaign. Katie Barge, the Director of Research at Media Matters, formerly presided over opposition research for Senator John Edwards' unsuccessful 2004 presidential campaign.

In 2004 Media Matters reported that its website had elicited some 150,000 comments in its discussion forums and that over 22,000 subscribers had registered to receive its e-mail alerts. Brock has also become a regular feature on leftist radio stations like Air America.

A notable figure at Media Matters is senior fellow Eric Boehlert, who was among the most passionate defenders of University of South Florida professor Sami Al-Arian after the latter was accused of having been the North American leader of the terrorist organization Palestinian Islamic Jihad. In an article titled "The Prime-time Smearing of Sami Al-Arian," Boehlert charged that: "In the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, all four media giants, eagerly tapping into the country's mood of vengeance and fear, latched onto the Al-Arian story, fudging the facts and ignoring the most rudimentary tenets of journalism in their haste to better tell a sinister story about lurking Middle Eastern dangers here at home."

Media Matters' Senior Advisor Jamison Foser wrote on May 26, 2006: "The defining issue of our time is the media. ... The dominant political force of our time is the media. Time after time, the news media have covered progressives and conservatives in wildly different ways -- and, time after time, they do so to the benefit of conservatives."

Media Matters' Editorial Director is Marcia B. Kuntz, who formerly headed the Judicial Selection Project of Alliance for Justice.

In September 2006, Media Matters became the sponsor of Eric Alterman's media, politics, and culture blog, Altercation.

In June 2007, Media Matters released a report titled The Progressive Majority: Why A Conservative America Is a Myth. According to this study, the "conventional wisdom" which "says that the American public is fundamentally conservative," is "fundamentally false." "Americans are progressive across a wide range of controversial issues, and they're growing more progressive all the time," the researchers conclude. The report examines public attitudes regarding the economy, social issues, national security, the environment, energy, health care, and the proper role of government.

On January 14, 2008, the Canada Free Press identified the Treasurer of Media Matters, Rachel Pritzker Hunter, as a Board member of Democracy Alliance (which helps to fund Media Matters). A generous donor to Democratic candidates and causes, Hunter in recent years has given money to the presidential campaigns of Sherrod Brown, John Kerry, Howard Dean, and Wesley Clark.

Media Matters (which in 2005 pulled in contributions, gifts and grants totaling approximately $8.5 million) receives financial support from the Tides Foundation, the Arca Foundation, the Peninsula Community Foundation, and the San Francisco Foundation.

classicman;577676 wrote:

Either way it discredits the station.

TheMercenary;577732 wrote:

No less than MM is discredited by it's ownership and connections to the radical left.

xoxoxoBruce;578033 wrote:

Rush says it's Obamas fault. :rolleyes:

jinx;577983 wrote:

MM has not been discredited by anything you've posted. Clearly a bias exists there,

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that we the undersigned elected officials of the people of Oklahoma, religious leaders and citizens of the State of Oklahoma, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world, solemnly declare that the HOPE of the great State of Oklahoma and of these United States, rests upon the Principles of Religion and Morality as put forth in the HOLY BIBLE.

joelnwil;579190 wrote:

Just testing you.

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) - South Carolina's first lady, a former Wall Street vice president who helped launch her husband's political career, filed for divorce Friday more than five months after his tearful public confession of an affair with an Argentine woman.

The governor blamed himself and said he and Jenny will "work earnestly to be the best mom and dad we can be to four of the finest boys on earth.

"While it is not the course I would have hoped for, or would choose, I want to take full responsibility for the moral failure that led us to this tragic point," he said in a statement.

Jenny Sanford's announcement came after a week of wrenching twists, including a legislative panel's decision Wednesday to turn aside an impeachment push in favor of a formal rebuke for the governor's conduct.

"Certainly his actions hurt me, and they caused consequences for me, but they don't in any way take away my own self-esteem. They reflect poorly on him."

"The defendant has engaged in a sexual relationship with a woman other than plaintiff," the complaint reads. "Plaintiff has not condoned that relationship and is informed and believes that she is entitled to a divorce ... from the defendant on the grounds of adultery."