UrbanSwirl.com - Lifestyles of Color

And yet another Apology! Mark Sanford sent a written email apology to the people of South Carolina. I don't know about you but these apologies are getting dull and old. He had apologized to Budget and Control Board. Apologize to Cabinet Members. Apologized to State Agency Heads.
With all these admissions of guilt and misuse of State funds, he has not and will not resign from his seat.

Dear Friends,
I write to apologize and ask for your forgiveness.

Well beyond the personal consequences within my own family, I know that at so many different levels my actions have upset, offended and disappointed friends and supporters and for this I am most sorry. As I mentioned in last week's press conference, I've always believed God's laws were there to protect us from ourselves, and what has transpired over this last week vividly illustrates the damage that comes personally, and to those you love and respect, in doing otherwise.

So in the aftermath of this failure I want to not only apologize, but to commit to growing personally and spiritually. Immediately after all this unfolded last week I had thought I would resign - as I believe in the military model of leadership and when trust of any form is broken one lays down the sword. A long list of close friends have suggested otherwise - that for God to really work in my life I shouldn't be getting off so lightly. While it would be personally easier to exit stage left, their point has been that my larger sin was the sin of pride. They contended that in many instances I may well have held the right position on limited government, spending or taxes - but that if my spirit wasn't right in the presentation of those ideas to people in the General Assembly, or elsewhere, I could elicit the response that I had at many times indeed gotten from other state leaders.

Their belief was that if I walked in with a real spirit of humility then this last legislative term could well be our most productive one - and that outside this term, I would ultimately be a better person and of more service in whatever doors God opened next in life if I stuck around to learn lessons rather than running and hiding down at the farm.

They have also made the point that a good part of life is about scripts - that the idea of redemption isn't something that Marshall, Landon, Bolton and Blake should just read about, it's something they should see. Accordingly, they suggested that there was a very different life script that would be lived and learned by our boys, and thousands like them, if this story simply ended with scandal and then the end of office - versus a fall from grace and then renewal and rebuilding and growth in its aftermath.

I won't belabor all these points, but I did want to write as expressed earlier to say that I'm sorry and that more than anything I personally ask for your prayers for me, Jenny, the boys and so many others who have been impacted by what I have done.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. Take care.

(signed) Mark

Oh Jeez!
How many times has he used the words "God" and "spiritual"? He is really pulling all the Biblical punches - "redemption", "grace", "prayer"!
This is so hypocritical (and so are all Christian Conservatives if you buy into his apology!).

What gets me is if a married Democratic politician was caught having an affair - he would be kicked, trampled and thrown out the door by Conservatives! If there were evidence to impeach due to the affair, it will quickly be pursued! But here, this man is trying to keep his Governor seat by appeasing and apologizing to his base. He is asking forgiveness for committing adultery, lying and taking taxpayers money for his personal extramarital agenda.

Look - I really don't care about his personal family life and him getting some nookie from a girl named Maria! It matters not to me. If he can lead his state and do a competent job as an elected official - I really don't care for his adultery. And if this was the extent of the "scandal", Sanford can keep his Governor seat and we can all move on.

But it wasn't, his affair had far more impact than just a mere fling! Sanford used taxpayer's money for personal gain and used state assets to commit adultery! And like all politicians, Sanford is willing to pay back all the money simply because he got caught (and not because of any personal or Christian convictions).
The state is still debating whether Sanford had abandoned his job for several days and lied about his wherabouts!

I just have 2 words for Sanford: STEP DOWN!