I did not understood how anyone could feel sorry for this guy. It's all too creepy-using taxpayer monies to indulge himself after trying to deny the stimulus assistance to the schools of SC.

Once caught, his initial rambling on and on was enough to convince me he is the poster child for narcissitic piety. Then he made the strange comparison to King David-because the situation wasn't weird enough. Now more true confession with some incredibly vapid statements mixed in. I suggest he convert to Catholicism so can confess weekly.

Both Sanford and his wife need to be in counseling-they can trade barbs there rather than exposing everyone, including their sons, to all their private business.

'The latest best...

...line is Saford's "I'm trying to fall back in love with my wife."

He said that out loud!

-- Gene Touchet"

The question is when did he first try to fall back in love with his wife? Was it when he realized he had been caught and that is the only way to save his governorship or when he was told by his wife not to see his mistress but still left for Argentina any way?

Now that is a sincere man whose utterances should be taken seriously. Please stay, Gov. Sanford; if only to tell all those who use the bible to beat opponents head with, how pathetic and disingenuous they are. Just like the so-called pro-life hypocrites whose love affairs begin and end with fetuses but once they are on God's given earth are left to fend for themselves even where they are defenseless. You do not see them protesting against the politicians who refuse to vote for a universal health care to help the poor, the sick in the greatest country on earth.

Just for your information,the bible is gender neutral and literal interpretations are useless. Sons and daughters are interchangeable.

By the way, give Gov. Sanford a break and let him stay if only to remind others not to use family values as some badge of honor in the South to cheat their way (no pun intended)into office.Why do you think he can not continue to work? He can compartmentalize, just like any other politician who cheats on his wife and cling on to his job like a cheap suit that looks good on him.

Mark heads for Buenos Aires to be with his squeeze and Jenny replaces him as governor of the great state of South Carolina. She's the brains of the operation, so why not? With the same thrift and control-freakiness she's show in running the governor's mansion, she turns S.C. into a tightly run theocracy cum gated community. (Charleston and the beaches remain accessible to out-of-staters, just as one could drive thorugh East Germany to get to Berlin during the Cold War.)

Jenny also lines up a hot, good-looking cabana boy type as her new First Man. An eager young aide, maybe? He's good-natured, sexy, a decent cook and willing to toss a football around with the boys while she's off doing important executive gubernatorial things all day. He gives her foot massages at night and even paints her toenails sometimes while she catches up on her soaps that he's tivoed for her. Er, back episodes of McNeil Lehrer? 700 Club?

Jenny mellows out, now that she's getting some too. She also realizes that her ex bears an uncanny resemblance to Prince Charles and counts her new blessings. She thinks better of using her children as emotional pawns against their father and allows them to visit Mark and Maria in the summertime, which they spend on Maria's family's estancia (renamed the Double M--or the "dooblay emay" as the locals call it).

In a gracious gesture, Jenny ships Mark his earthmover from his family's plantation. (In one of his emails to Maria, he poetically described getting in his earthmover alone before dawn, cranking some country music and the AC, and moving dirt around--building stuff! Not pushing papers around and taking meetings with a bunch of suits! That's Jenny's job now--not his. Whew!)

Mark appreciates the gesture and he's happy to be back in the saddle of his earthmover. He can get up before dawn, move some dirt around and still get back to the ranchhouse in time to cook up a big breakfast to bring to Maria in bed.

As the credits roll, we see him devotedly serving Maria coffee and medialunas, then cut to the First Man bringing sausage and eggs to Jenny back in Columbia as she nestles contentedly in the pillows (hypoallergenic) and smiles up at him. She's glowing.

FINIS

Perhaps we should blame, or credit, the introduction of Viagra for most of the recent problems politicians are having. Prior to to the introduction of that miracle drug most men's interest in sex diminished and they then engaged in other activities such as enhancing their bank accounts or careers. There must have been a natural reason that nature created sexual impotence in middle-aged men, a problem which Viagra often overcame, and menopause in females, which often increases their sexual libido because the fear of pregnancy no longer exists. Personally, I think true love for another human being transcends all other instincts be it for a spouse, family members, canasta partners or a drinking buddy.

I wanted to read this. I enjoy Joan's writing.

But it is physically impossible to visually concentrate on text with a fast-frame animated ad (which, from the content has been specifically served up to people in my country) flashing away on the right side of the screen. The eye will simply not stay on the text. The article cannot be read under these circumstances.

So I'm not reading it. I regret that, and understand that Salon has funding challenges to face. But please exercise a *bit* of discretion.

I enjoy reading many of Joan's articles. Maybe it's our minds think alike on various subjects. People who wear their religiosity on their sleeves can be prone to crackups. Religion is very important but no one can claim that their religious values and ways supercedes other person's religious values and ways. Mark Sanford's problem is that he may read the Bible but he cannot comprehend what Jesus is saying.