It's too early to reach any sweeping conclusions about Gov. Mark Sanford's disappearing act, particularly since he hasn't yet had a chance to respond to charges of dereliction of duty, but a few things seem pretty safe to say.
First, we all need to recognize that the feigned hysteria was whipped up by some of the governor's fiercest political enemies and some of the staunchest allies of the man who is supposed to act as governor if the governor is unavailable ...
When you're a legislator, you can sleep on a futon in your office and cast the lone "no" vote on any bill that isn't 100 percent philosophically pure in your mind. You can turn off your cell phone and go hiking for a week without alerting anyone outside your inner circle.
As governor, that's not an acceptable option, because even in South Carolina, the governor has some responsibilities that his staff is prohibited from assuming. It's troubling to think that after six and a half years, Mr. Sanford hasn't quite come to terms with that fact.
The State, Columbia, S.C.
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