Video: Sanford Whacked Pol For Violating "Oath To His Wife"

In light of Mark Sanford's admission that he has been conducted a more-than-year-long affair with an Argentinean woman, a reader sends over some old footage of the South Carolina Republican disparaging a fellow politician for violating his marriage oath.

At the time, Sanford was one of the few congressional Republicans condemning the incoming Speaker of the House, Robert Livingston, for his own marital difficulties. And during an appearance on CNN's Crossfire, he was asked by one Bill Press (who hasn't aged a bit) whether the newly anointed GOP House leader should step down.

"I'm sure there will be a lot of legalistic explanations pointing out the president lied under oath, [Livingston's] situation was not under oath," replied Sanford. "But the bottom line is, he still lied. He lied under a different oath and that is the oath to his wife. so it has got to be taken very seriously."

Many quotes from Sanford's past have been dredged up in recent hours, highlighting his past condemnation of other politicians for sexual inappropriate behavior. And while the newspaper clips underscore a certain level of hypocrisy, video footage has the potential to influence the conversation much more. Sanford's hopes of remaining at his post as governor of South Carolina could depend on how frequently footage like this becomes public in the days ahead.

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Comments

[factotem]

01:46 AM on 06/26/2009

He whacked the pol alright.

[Collielady]

11:22 PM on 06/25/2009

His wife caught a break. She'll realize that some day.

[suemag]

10:38 PM on 06/25/2009

Hypocrite, hypocrite, hypocrite.

[CitizenIndie]

07:54 PM on 06/25/2009

He needs to do the right thing and resign.

If he has any sense of morality at all simply due to what he claims he believes and has spoken out loud on it.

I feel sorry for the citizens of South Carolina because its obvious after all his lying, and all his hypocrisy now, he is NOT an honorable man at all.

[WakeMeUpNow]

06:30 PM on 06/25/2009

If it were just another Republican cheating on his wife, I would let this go. But Sanford not stole our tax-dollars to finance his shaft penetrating indulgence, hypocritically lied about extramarital affairs, committed fraud, conspiracy, money laundering, violated all codes of honesty and family values. I--Just another day in the office for a Republican.

What is really inflammatory is that he OUTSOURCED another American Job to a foreign country. He put a good American _itch out of a job. He also diverted US funds to stimulate the Agentinian economy instead of re-investing that money here in American. Enough US funds have been used to bail-out Wall Street, what about Strip Row?

REPUBLICANS:

STOP OUTSOURCING US JOBS OVERSEAS!

OFFSHORE DRILLING IS NOT POLITICALLY CORRECT!

[grf67]

04:36 PM on 06/25/2009

So he is a hypocrite as well as a pervert. Not a great surprise for a republican politican.

[jsgaetano]

05:08 PM on 06/25/2009

It's almost a requirement.

[plaidsportcoat]

04:35 PM on 06/25/2009

So what does Lindsey Graham have to say NOW!!!????

[larry278]

03:47 PM on 06/25/2009

It appears that Mark Sanford's life has become a living hell. I have an idea that Mark is going to be doing a great deal of praying for forgivness from God & his family for the rest of his life. That idea came to mind after I finished speaking to a loved one. I have no idea if the Governor will ever again have feelings as if he had taken a burden from his shoulders or if he feels as if God had lightened his load from time to time. I have no knowledge of God's ways. Mark is now like a wounded man; he may be in agony. I actually feel empathy for Mark. I hope that I don't have to walk Mark's path.
Those who wish to damn Mark may continue to damn Mark. I'm content for fate to set Mark's what he will face..

[thepoliticalcat]

03:43 PM on 06/25/2009

A hint to those who are complaining that the many Republican hypocrites being outed are blackening the name of Christianity: perhaps it's time you repudiated these people openly. As long as you remain silent, non-Christians will see your silence as acceptance of these hypocrites.

[cbates]

03:54 PM on 06/25/2009

Some of us aspire to be Christians. We all have fallen short of what God would have of us and in that vein none of us are true Christians. For those who supported the people who would lead you to believe they are without sin are just as guilty as those who sin; me and you included.

[Hawaii5-0]

04:04 PM on 06/25/2009

Perhaps all the good Christians out there should feel the obligation to remind their fellow Christians of the "judge not and ye shall not be judged" clause in the Bible. Especially when they see their fellow Christians condemning gays, gay marriages, foreign cultures; like Iran or Iraq, and fellow Americans of their extra-marital affairs. The question is not about who is perfect or not. It's about, "he who is without sin" casting the first stone.

[outnow]

03:10 PM on 06/25/2009

The GOP have no moral superiority over any other political party. So why do they even claim moral superiority. Lincoln famously said that "you can fool some of the people all of the time, all of the people some of the time, but you can't fool all of the people all of the time."

I hope that the Argentinian bombshell was worth it because Sanford's wife and kids are unhappy and his political future has a cloud over it.

After all that Bible beating and making whoppee with his squeeze on the taxpayer's dime, this man is going to shed some crocodile tears and ask for forgiveness? So much for "family values." His wife just cut off his allowance and taxpayers should dump this turkey, too. At least Bill Clinton was not espousing the family values rhetoric. Ha!

Is there a photograph of the woman? I can tell just by looking how bad a sin this was.

[superstition]

03:08 PM on 06/25/2009

Guess who else is holier than thou?
http://www.americablog.com/2009/06/obama-justice-department-defends-doma.html

He was for it before he was against it
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gabriel-rotello/obamas-gay-marriage-flip_b_158009.html

"A smart Senate and House leader would immediately bring up for a vote the repeal of DOMA while the Republicans are reeling from their second (adultery) eruption in a week.

Let the Republicans start talking about the protection of traditional marriage. Just let them. If anything, the DOMA repeal FORCES the entire country to keep talking about the ongoing GOP sex scandals."

-- John Aravosis

[ztck5356]

03:26 PM on 06/25/2009

Like I said before, they believe marriage is between a man and a woman, they just don't realize it is a man and ONE woman!

They are confused.

[ztck5356]

02:59 PM on 06/25/2009

It seems to me that these "Christian" politicians are doing more harm to the christian faith than Satan himself! People look at these so called christians and call them hypocrites! The Bible warns Christians about becoming a "stumbling block" to other people.

I wonder if they even know what being a Christian means?

[outnow]

03:17 PM on 06/25/2009

You've hit the nail on the head.

Christian politicians are the devil because of the hypocrisy. Jesus essentially said that.

Being narcissistic and hypocritical causes people to lack empathy. "Render unto Caesar, etc.," not being or becoming Caesar.

When in Rome, do as the Romans, but do not become more Roman than them.

The Christian Right is all about hypocrisy. Don't judge Christianity by the politician hypocrites who exploit it for power and money. That is the vast majority or they wouldn't mix politics with spiritual matters.

[ztck5356]

03:24 PM on 06/25/2009

AMEN!! I hope other people see through them and understand that too!

[Yves Papa]

03:34 PM on 06/25/2009

He's what Jesus called a "Sepulchre Blanchi".

[KMan1]

02:56 PM on 06/25/2009

What's the problem? Clearly Sanford doesn't need to follow that same oath, he's special.

[Grunty1]

03:13 PM on 06/25/2009

Rushpublican Motto: "Do as I say, not as I do"

[outnow]

03:18 PM on 06/25/2009

That's what the Argentinian Bombshell kept telling him.

[blukazoo]

03:57 PM on 06/25/2009

Which bombshell? Enrique? Raul? Paulo?

[thinkingwomanmillstone]

02:54 PM on 06/25/2009

I really don't care about his infidelity(I'm not his wife). I do care that he lied about what he did in Argentina until he was called on it. But the reason he should resign is he left his state in a precarious position while he went AWOL to his love nest....that is dereliction of duty.

[helonias]

02:53 PM on 06/25/2009

Luke 16:18
Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery. (So Says Jesus)

Lev 20:10
And the man that committeth adultery with [another] man's wife, [even he] that committeth adultery with his neighbor's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.

[apduncan1]

03:06 PM on 06/25/2009

Yikes!

How about priests that sodomize little boys?

[protagonia]

03:13 PM on 06/25/2009

Do as they say, not as they do?

[outnow]

03:25 PM on 06/25/2009

That's not adultery so it's OK I guess, unless it's specifically prohibited. That must be a loophole in religious law. What they actually do and what they are supposed to do are always two different things. I have always found that so confusing about religious people of all stripes. It's all a fraud.

[Yves Papa]

03:20 PM on 06/25/2009

Actually this was the law of the land 3000 years ago. Human society has evolved and this is obsolete.

[blukazoo]

03:59 PM on 06/25/2009

Evolved? How does the word of God evolve? You mean we just don't believe that anymore--so we've socialized it out of our belief system. That's not evolution, that's selective socialization.