Mark Two

Okay, now we know our governor was in Argentina and not hiking in the mountains. He lied to his staff. His staff told that lie to others. He said that he didn't use taxpayer money to travel to Argentina, and I believe him, but it must have cost a bit of money to get there. I imagine he flew first class. After all, he is the governor. With his conservative spirit, he was dropping some bucks to get down there. If he told his staff he was going hiking, he had a good cover story with his car packed with hiking gear, which he left at the airport. He was trying to cover his tracks. He had to have his passport with him, as well as having to book a seat on a plane to Argentina. It is obvious that this was planned by our governor to make this trip. There are a lot of people who are piling on the criticism against the governor. Tongues are wagging. People are laughing. Others are questioning. Still others feel betrayed. I must admit that I have not been a fan of our governor for personal reasons that I won't get into here. But, this issue goes beyond an affair. Yes, it is very sad. Yes, I feel sorry for his wife and kids. And on a personal level, we must say a prayer for his family that they will weather this storm and come out stronger. But, let's talk about what this means for our State. What politicians don't lie once in a while? Some get elected by lying. They lie about what they are going to do to make your life better. Sometimes they lie about their experience. Sometimes they lie about who they know. But, this lie is different. The governor was missing. He switched off his cell phone. He told his staff not to try and contact him. He would call them. He ditched his security detail. He lied to his staff. When officials tried to find out where he was, his staff told them that he was hiking, which is the information they had. His staff wasn't lying, as far as we know. The bottom line is that our governor has betrayed the public trust. I don't know if that is an offense that is punishable by impeachment or resignation. I am not sure he should resign. Maybe he needs to take a leave of absence. But, if he does, he will need to tell someone where he actually is. It is ironic that the legislature is not in session to take up any penalties against the governor. Maybe that was planned. Hopefully, the govenor's big ego will become a bit more humble. I think he has seen the error of his ways, and he can begin healing. I hope his marriage can be saved. I hope his sons will be able to handle the teasing by their friends. And, most of all, I hope that we can all just take a collective deep breath and move on. God bless South Carolina.