"For a state with an unemployment rate above 12 percent, that ranks 39th in public school performance, that last caper might not seem all that entertaining. But it did draw the attention and affection of right-wing commentators, who nudged Sanford right up the potential-contender ladder.

The peculiar thing about the apologies was that Sanford seemed to be under the impression that his worst dereliction of duty involved womanizing.

There are some larger lessons here.

First of all, we may want to consider the possibility that the governor’s decision to reject the federal stimulus money was not a mighty stand against government spending but instead an early sign of total nuttiness.

Before this search for a presidential nominee goes any further, I’m thinking it’s time for the Republicans to apologize for putting us through the Clinton impeachment. We seem to have pretty well established that sexual stone-throwing is a dangerous sport."

The republican party is in pretty sad shape when antics is what it takes to get nudged up the potential-contender ladder.

Also, if you throw a rock and any group of politicians, democrat and republican, you’ll be almost guaranteed to hit an adulterer.

If I'm not mistaken, both Sanford and Ensign voted to impeach Clinton.

I agree that the most important issue is not adultery. I think it's public lying (as it was with Clinton) - and since Sanford has cared passionately about moral rectitude while abandoning it personally, someone needs to explain why anything this poor fellow says should be believed.

Maybe his private life is his own problem, as many say. But claiming to be for morality publicly while ditching it privately creates an unavoidable public issue: how many of his positions are so easily abandoned for personal gratification?

POP for underutilized word "nutiness"