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Margo Howard | 07/01/2009 8:25 am

Whatever Happened to Discretion?

Margo Howard unleashes on disgraced governor Mark Sanford — and goes into ‘Dear Margo’ mode to provide the South Carolina politician with some advice.
Margo Howard

Editor’s Note: A longtime journalist, Margo Howard went into the family business (her mother was the fabled Ann Landers) in the 1990s as Dear Prudence. Her broad experience and understanding of human nature provide answers for the troubled — and entertainment for everyone else. Margo’s advice column, Dear Margo, appears twice a week — on Thursdays and Fridays — on wowOwow.com.

What’s up with Gov. Mark Sanford? I cannot remember another public confession so loaded with detail. It’s as though he were a "sinner" looking for forgiveness, and we are Oprah. Sanford is making John Edwards’s stonewalling look positively admirable. (You know … it was only one night and the baby isn’t his.)

I heard a reporter from South Carolina saying on NPR that the governor apparently “wanted to talk." I’ll say. We learned the Argentinean bombshell was his "soul mate," that he "had crossed the line before" — but "not the sex line" — on trips out of  the country to unwind with the boys. He went public with this tidbit: "This was a whole lot more than a simple affair. This was a love story."

However … let’s hear it for the little woman. Three cheers for Jenny Sanford who threw him out. How refreshing to see a political wife act like a woman instead of some humiliated helpmate who is often trying to save a political career. No Silda or Hillary she, in effect saying to the public: "If I don’t care, why should you?"

I am trying really hard not to entertain feelings of schadenfreude about love-struck dude being yet another one in a long conga line of Republican moralists who are caught with, well, their pants down. I am frankly embarrassed for the guy. How much more dignified to have sought out a therapist if he had the need to spill? In one of his confessionals he said he had blown up his career, his marriage and the lives of his children. So: what next? Putting on my advice columnist hat I would recommend that he move to Argentina to be with Chapur and become a gaucho, or something. And also that he sit down and shut up.

513 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

DeBúrca obj
And AGAIN… when did the Kennedys, any of them, use their offices as pulpits and legislate morality? Never. You all need to look up the word ‘hypocrisy’ and then maybe you will understand where everyone is coming from on this issue.
By DeBúrca obj on 07/01/2009 12:11 pm
Marjorie C.

DeBurca:  ….legislate morality?

I would rather have someone legislate morality than try to tax me to f***ing death.  Bring on the morality…  sounds good to me.  I’ll take it or I’ll leave it.  With this tax boondoggle coming up, I will have no choice at all.

By Marjorie C. on 07/01/2009 3:12 pm
STACY SEARS
AMEN Marjorie!!  Aren’t our basic laws an example of "legislating morality".  No stealing, no murdering, etc?  I believe all "Parties" believe in this.  In the sense this is being discussed, you would think it referred to turning infidelity into a crime.  If I had a choice, I’d rather comply with something that is morally based than all this tax bull sh**.
By STACY SEARS on 07/02/2009 3:10 am
Marjorie C.

Stacy:  Aren’t our basic laws an example of "legislating morality".

Exactly.  The Dems are trying to make political hay out of Mark Sanford’s misjudgement.  Why?  Because they want to take the attention away from this cap and trade monster coming up in the Senate.  They have a new clown on their side (Franken) and they are just ecstatic at the possibility of being taxed out of their minds…  for the public good.  Oh, yeah. 

By Marjorie C. on 07/02/2009 8:33 am
DeBúrca obj
Oh, and did I mention that Clinton left office with a 65% approval rating? That’s because the American people didn’t elect him to be the preacher in chief and he didn’t run as one, unlike the platform of the Republican Party and Sanford. Not to mention ‘fiscal responsibility’… I guess that only counts when you’re trying to make political points by not taking Stimulus money, NOT when you are using taxpayer money to fly to Argentina to visit your - ick - "soul mate" !
By DeBúrca obj on 07/01/2009 12:14 pm
Dona Howlett

Come on Libra Lady,

How come you just listed the cheating Democrats………..where’s your list of the cheating Republicans……..

If were going to  make a list………….lets include them all or not make lists at all.

Just my thought to you Libra…………

By Dona Howlett on 07/02/2009 5:34 am
Libra Lady

Dona….The reason I listed the dems, because of the article stating about the conga line of Cheating Republicans….I thought it was very unfair to state it in such a way that it was only a one party issue.   I disrespect all cheaters….politicians or not!!!      

I had posted this a few weeks back about a survey done in cheating on both parties:

The results of the survey showed that the breakdown between Democrats and Republicans was almost equal! The actual results were 211 Republicans were caught cheating and 209 Democrats were caught in adulterous affairs. The actual breakdown of cheaters was 50.2% Republican and 49.8% Democrat.

http://pursuitmag.com/2008/11/democrats-v-republicans-who-cheats-the-most/

By Libra Lady on 07/02/2009 7:52 am
Dona Howlett

Libra,

I’m curious if the sentence "the conga line of Cheating Republicans" Margo used offended you

Why didn’t you and the other Republican posters send a Post to Margo expressing your displeasure with her verbiage.

Instead you and others decided to start a Democrat and  Republican War……….Actually wasting a lot of energy and time with this Tit for Tat continued Posting by all of us.

The subject was about a Republican Governor and she identified him as one. Why the renewel  of Old Sins of many other politicians of both parties…………

It would be nice if WE could stay on Point…………..

I haven’t been around much here on Wowowow for a while…………I got so sick of all the political bickering.

Nothing is accomplished by continued arguing when neither side is going to change anyone’s mind.

I think the most that occurs is everyone just stays upset and ends up with a headache………….

I love the subjects where we as intelligent women can share our ideas and leave the Politics to Political Postings……….

 

By Dona Howlett on 07/02/2009 10:01 pm
Libra Lady
Dona…if this was a far right leaning site here on wOw, would this offend the libs on here:  "the conga line of Cheating democrats" …of course it would….Margo took the stand referring it was only Republicans, and we all know that is not true…even the study that I posted earlier shows that!!!  We are voicing are opinions on this statement which we have every right to do.  How many times has there been an obama thread and President Bush’s name was brought up?   Those were not staying on Point either.  To me, voicing our opinions on obama is a way of us speaking out….we are not happy with his policies and where he is taking our Country….if we don’t speak out…then we are not expressing our freedom of speech, which is exactly what many of us do.  We will not remain silent…and for those that cannot take hearing anything negative about obama, then maybe they should blog on huffpo or mugsy’s site where everyone can agree on obama….otherwise, scroll by (which I do very much of the time on 2 or 3 here)  that is your right to do.  But don’t try to silence us!!!
By Libra Lady on 07/03/2009 8:08 am
F P
Deber it is a political issue and every politician caught with his pants down is caught in a political issue. It has been politicized since the Republicans attempted to impeach Clinton for a blowjob. 
By F P on 07/01/2009 10:00 am
Margie Goforth

How about it has been politicized since Kennedy? or even before that?  Thomas Jefferson in 1802 was accused of fathering children with a slave.  The point that was trying to be made was that Republican, Democrat or Indie - they’ve all been caught cheating!  While I don’t like any of it, I did not like Clinton looking me (and every other American in the eye) and lying to me about the fact that he did it.  If I’m not mistaken, that is what he was impeached for - perjury, not for dropping his pants.

Margo, I’m with you on everything except the "Republican" part.  Kudos to Jenny for NOT standing next to him during a press conference.  I can’t take that anymore.  We all know it is an attempt to save a career, not a marriage. 

By Margie Goforth on 07/01/2009 10:21 am
F P
All pols lie all the time. It goes with the territory.
By F P on 07/01/2009 10:37 am
beth willis

F P, please avoid the absolutes. ‘All pols lie all the time’ is just not true.’  Lincoln had it right:  You can fool all the people some of the time, some of the people all the time, but you can’t full all the people all the time.

Peace and grace

By beth willis on 07/01/2009 12:26 pm
deber B

Clinton:   President of the United States - lied to the Grand Jury - republicans wanted him impeached

Sanford:  Governor of South Carolina - denied sexual affair - came clean with the truth - credibility issue now as Governor

I see a tremendous difference between what is expected of the President of the United States and a state governor.

By deber B on 07/01/2009 10:21 am
F P
A pol is a pol is a pol, Deber.  Only the titles change. They both are scum.  I see very little difference.
By F P on 07/01/2009 10:39 am