He cheated on his constituents too
I AGREE with the thrust of Scot Lehigh’s column, that politicians shouldn’t be expected to resign or be impeached for private failings. However, I think the facts of Governor Mark Sanford’s case indicate that this was not just a family matter.
Lehigh writes, “Sanford didn’t cheat on the good folks of South Carolina, after all.’’ Well, he did. Not telling anyone where he was going is widely seen as dereliction for a governor. Charging the state for travel expenses to Argentina to visit a mistress is akin to the recent expense scandals in England, and is just plain insulting. And I think that the hypocrisy does matter. Sanford’s own judgment of President Clinton in a similar situation was to vote to impeach. Here is someone who wants to use state power to impose his morality on others: “Marriage is between one man and one woman.’’ And apparently, between mistresses too.
The Sanford case is more like that of Eliot Spitzer than of Bill Clinton. He should resign or be removed.
J. B. Williams
Sherborn 