Crazyworld

If you saw the wire story we ran in today's paper about embattled S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford, you may have noticed quotes from a few local fellows inserted in. What started out as a localized story (with me helping out master reporter Bob Dalton) quickly turned into an, "OK, this AP story is just too good." So, they took what I had and I was off to work on other things.

But because very few people seem to be defending Sanford these days - and fewer every time he bares his soul in an emotional press conference or interview, it seems - I felt I should post all of U.S. Rep. Bob Inglis' comments on the matter. Inglis makes a case that I think would resonate with some people in this state, particularly the Upstate. My interview with him reminded me of some of the comments a few political experts made a few years ago about the Christian/faith community's ability to forgive. At the time, we were talking about then-presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, but the underlying concept is the same, or at least similar, I think.

Anyway, from the interview...

On Tuesday's breaking news:

“I don’t think these additional meetings with the woman in Argentina, nor the contacts with additional women, change the essential nature of the problem, and that is that Mark has admitted to this infidelity, and now is having to deal with the consequences of that. …And I hope and pray he’s seeking reconciliation with his wife.”

On Sanford's ability to govern while dealing with a personal crisis:

“I don’t think that’s a problem. We are all coping in our private lives with personal issues. That would be like saying Sarah Palin shouldn’t be governor of Alaska because she has a special-needs child. Gov. Palin is coping with a special-needs child. That’s a lot to put on somebody. That’s a lot to put on a marriage. And yet she’s effectively serving as governor of Alaska.”

On whether Sanford can still be effective:

“Mark can be a more effective governor now than he’s ever been. Because now, he may have found the humility that could cause him to be able to see other people’s points of view better. He’s been so certain that it must be his way of restructuring, and his way of dealing with the stimulus, and his way of balancing the budget, that he may now be able to see other people’s perspectives. Because of the humility borne of this humiliation. So, in a strange sort of way, I think it could make the next 18 months the best of his tenure.”

Inglis then talked about the three years following his failed Senate run in 1998, a time he spent “complaining to God.” Through that, he said, he saw his own need for grace, and the need to extend grace to other people.

“That will make you different. And that’s what may happen for Mark Sanford. Everybody sees his need for grace. That may enable him to extend grace to other people. That works on a high spiritual plane, but also works in your daily dealings in politics.”

On the Republican brand:

“This is a great opportunity to lose the rot of self-righteousness — just cut it loose — and say we are not morally superior to the next guy. We are all sinners just like the next guy, in need of grace. Because the whole world sees us as completely not morally superior to anybody.”