A committee of lawmakers will meet again today to discuss the impeachment of Governor Mark Sanford. If their previous meetings are any indication of what will occur, prepare for Mark Sanford to finish out his term as Governor of South Carolina.
Instead of addressing the Governor’s disappearance last June, the committee seems to concern itself with other travels by the Governor and campaign fund reimbursements. While it is interesting, and certainly against the high standards the Governor claims to hold for himself and others, a plane ride here and there and the continued use of his 2006 gubernatorial campaign fund is not at the crux of what should remove Sanford from office. Sanford’s dereliction of duty in June is the issue, plain and simple.
Simply put, we are watching a show. Legislators know that the public does not want the Sanford situation ignored, but they also know the political realities and the political forces that do not want Sanford’s removal from office to influence the 2010 campaign. Thus, people in both political parties are putting on a show that will likely result in little or nothing being done about the Governor. A good number of Republicans do not want to elevate Andre Bauer and Democrats want Sanford to kick around in the fall.
If the legislature was serious about dealing with Sanford and removing him from office, it could have been dealt with months ago, in the wake of dereliction of duty. Sanford went incommunicado for almost a week; embarrassing the state and leaving questions about who was in charge should some major event demand gubernatorial leadership. That is the issue.
Clouding that issue is just a way for the General Assembly to appear to be doing something when it is doing nothing. Such action tells VUI that legislators are not serious about dealing with Sanford, and instead want to appear be taking action while actually doing nothing.
Indeed, if the General Assembly was serious about dealing with the problems around Sanford, some things would be addressed. First, the General Assembly would deal with Sanford’s dereliction of duty to the state first. Then, the General Assembly would act to make sure that campaign accounts have to be closed out six months after the stated election that they were created for. As for the Governor’s travel problems, perhaps the General Assembly could offer some strict travel policy, but frankly, the Governor of South Carolina should travel first class, especially on foreign trips. Do we really want a frumpy, tired governor being the face of South Carolina?
South Carolinians will likely not see any such action. South Carolinians will also likely not see the General Assembly get to the point of the Governor being missing and embarrassing the state. Instead we will get some very serious posturing from members of both parties are very serious about doing little or nothing. Too many politicians have too many interests in Sanford remaining for Sanford to go anywhere. The impeachment proceedings are for entertainment purposes only.
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