My earlier post reminded me of something — a couple of weeks back, someone at the Journal was trying to reach me to talk about Sanford and McCain. Elizabeth Holmes and I traded phone messages, but never got in touch. Then I forgot about it.
Remembering that today, I sent Ms. Holmes a link to today’s post on the subject. She wrote a quick line back asking whether I had ever read her story, which I had not. I just found it. It ran on Saturday, March 29. I don’t know if this link will work for you or not, but essentially the piece drew the sharp contrast between 2000, when Sanford co-chaired McCain’s S.C. campaign, and 2008, when he wouldn’t give the McCain campaign the time of day:
Mr. Sanford didn’t endorse anyone during the primaries this year, after having co-chaired Sen. McCain’s bitter battle in South Carolina during the 2000 race. He brushed off requests for support by the McCain team at least three times, according to people familiar with the matter, including a period last year when the campaign was at a low.
The snub could cost him his chance at the vice presidency. "Loyalty is a big, big commodity in McCain-land," said a McCain aide familiar with Mr. Sanford’s involvement…
As for why there’s so much talk out there about Sanford in defiance of all reason… Ms. Holmes is hip to that as well. After the 2000 campaign, Mr. Sanford became governor, and as she notes, "As governor, he began speaking at conservative think tanks — such as
the Heritage Foundation and the Cato Institute — and continues to do
so."
Add to that the governor’s most ardent cheerleaders at the Club for Growth. The Club was pushing Sanford for national office as early as the Republican National Convention in 2004. Here’s an excerpt from a piece I wrote at the end of that week in New York:
Even our own Sen. Lindsey Graham and Gov. Mark Sanford were being mentioned. As I wrote earlier in the week, Sen. Graham spent the convention going between interviews like a bee going from flower to flower.
For his part, Mr. Sanford calls all the talk "the last thing in the world I’m looking at or thinking about." But that’s about all he’s got time to say about it because he’s too busy participating in things like a "Four for the Future" panel over at the Club for Growth.
On Wednesday, he invites the delegation to a soiree at a friend’s home on the Upper East Side. He urges them to come see "how a real New Yorker lives. They live in small boxes." His host’s home may be a little narrow, but if that’s a box, it’s from Tiffany’s — and it’s gift-wrapped.
At the reception itself, when the governor silences the assembled gathering to thank Howard Bellin for the use of his home, the host says, "I fully expect to be his guest at the White House in another four years."
One nice thing about the Club, though — maybe nobody else reads my blog, but they certainly do. This appeared on the S.C. chapter’s Web site roughly an hour (either 47 minutes or an hour and 47 minutes, depending on how their site treats time zones) after my last post went up.
So, let me close with a big shout-out to my pals at the Club, which believe it or not actually has a blog devoted to pushing Sanford as Veep.
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Mark Sanford is a smart man. He realizes that being the Governor of a small state can lead to national fame and fortune as long as he does not actually get involved with the people of SC. Messing about with “the people” can be tiresome, and time consuming, and not very profitable.
With well placed friends like Stephen Moore (WSJ Editorial page) Sanford can push his name and pseudo credentials all the while peddling the rights and processions of the citizens of our poor state. He collects free rides on private jets, free suites in luxurious hotels, large speaking fees, and wonderful trips all around the world. As Guv he is now included in “transactions” that in days gone by he would never have been privy to.
And perhaps most significantly, he now sits on millions of dollars in nonprofits he controls, money he can use as he chooses for most any purpose. ..including encouraging members of the press to tout his name for the VP’s slot. It is money that is hidden from view and outside of the laws of disclosure…and money that will see him well to the end of his life. Most of us work for a boss, and in Sanford’s case he was to work for the State making $106,000 a year…but he jumped the system and made millions from large special interest groups and rich insiders. No wonder we taxpayers have gotten so little for our $106,000…and the special interest groups have gotten so much.
He has given scores of speeches to those special interest groups, all the while making rich friends, sometimes collecting speaking fees, and always being away from SC while pushing his private agenda. If the public knew how much time Mark Sanford was away from SC they would sit down in shock and disbelief…as it clearly shows that his paymaster are not the taxpayers but the right wing groups he cotton’s to in faraway states. Perhaps had he been here to fight for lower taxes and smaller government we would have actually gotten them. But that was a committment he was not prepared to make…that was work, selfless and hard…and Mark Sanford never signed on for that.
Cotton’s first line explains why Sanford should not be Veep. Why not sit back and let the three pretenders to the throne have their day in the sun. It doesn’t really matter who wins in four years the winner will be in trouble.Then if Sanford decides to run he doesn’t have the taint of the previous four years on him.
Frustrated Part 2
Brad Warthen, who has made a career out of dumping on Mark Sanford, delights in a March 29th article in the Wall Street Journal that downplays Sanford’s VP chances. The gist of the article goes like this: In 2000, Sanford endorsed McCain. In 2008, he d…
Cotton is not a person that was born in the USA. She was born in England. Married to a GI during the war.
slugger, did you make that stuff up or do you actually KNOW “Cotton.”
And Cotton, do you know “slugger?” What can you tell us about HIM?
Just trying to get acquainted here…
And thanks, Richard, for using your full name.
I have not a clue who slugger is…nor am I as described.
But had I been a woman, I would have been beautiful, no doubt.
And smart.