Mark Sanford, My Hero **Updated**

For those who don't know, Mark Sanford, the governor of South Carolina, occasionally sneaks off and spends some time alone hiking when the state legislature wraps up its session. This time, he snuck off all the way to Argentina, and some fellow Republicans with axes to grind, along with he state's Democratic party, tried to make a big deal out of the trip.

I don't know about anyone else, but I find it really healthy that a state governor doesn't consider himself indispensable. We need more politicians who know that there is more to life than their office. If he needs solitude to re-charge, let him have it, and be glad you have a governor who knows that the world can go on just fine without him. Had there been an emergency during his absence, the state's laws allow for the Lt. Governor to make decisions. That's actually why they have a Lt. Governor in the first place. Unless his press conference this afternoon turns up something that hasn't been reported yet, I'm at a loss as to why this would hurt him politically.

**Ok, Sanford's press conference puts this story in a completely new light. Suffice it to say that I am far less positively disposed towards the governor's absence now. Still a fan of Obama being allowed to smoke though.