Pawlenty Whacks Sanford: "Troubling And Hypocritical"

Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R-Minn.) offered one of the harshest rebukes from within the Republican Party of Mark Sanford, suggesting on Sunday that the South Carolina governor was hypocritical and had damaged the GOP at a time when the brand was already hurting.

"It's hard to quantify [the damage he has done]," said Pawlenty. "But clearly there has been damage. Any time you have leading figures who are engaged in behavior that's sad and troubling and hypocritical other people are going to look at that and say, 'Hmmm, they don't walk the walk. And so the words and the actions don't ring true."

Later in his segment on CNN's "State of the Union," Pawlenty would not push back against suggestions that Sanford had been directly derelict in his duties when he traveled to Argentina to conduct his affair. "Your staff has to be able to reach you and reach you quickly," Pawlenty said. "He should not have left the state and not allowed people to know how to contact him if something happened. That's obvious."

Both Pawlenty and Sanford have been discussed as possible contenders for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012. Sanford, naturally, has dropped from that discussion after his admission of marital misconduct. Still, it was curious to see Pawlenty take a shot at his gubernatorial compatriot. Other Republicans have either avoided the Sanford topic altogether or framed the issue as a personal, not professional, miscue.

But the Minnesota Republican didn't just slap Sanford on the wrist for leaving the state to meet his mistress. He also applauded Sanford's wife for not appearing alongside him during his emotional and lengthy press conference in which he confessed to and apologized for the matter.

"It's a sad and troubling situation with Jenny and Mark Sanford. I know them. I'm proud of Jenny for her strength and her commitment to her family and keeping that family together. Frankly, I was glad to see her not standing at the press conference like many have, and kind of charting her own path. Saying, look, I'm willing to forgive him, but I'm not going to stand here and condone this in any way."

Get HuffPost Politics On Facebook and Twitter!

Comments

[SCG]

GOP just go away !

[oldgeek1]

See this is why the Republicans need Karl Rove.

He would be blaming all these issues on the evils of viagra and it is a Democratic plot working with the drug companies that give Republicans extra strength pills. Its all the Democrats fault.

The members of the GOP just want everyone to know they are anti-gay and are only interested in having sex with women, married or not.

[joe is in the room]

There's another climbing on the glass pedestal.

The GOP should rebrand to The LHL, The Little Head Leads.

[springsm]

Goodness me....how much I have learned on Huffpo about the names for our various anatomical parts. LOL We know, however, that this one is very true.

[janeInCA]

Pawlenty may join the current long list of repub hypocrites next. Palin is left with the best image and the most qualified candidate of all GOPs for 2012; unless they put Jenny on.

[ESerafina42]

Oh, I don't know - there have been rumors about her too.

[MountainPenelope]

Thank you, ES, we in S.C. are beginning to learn much about Jenny. And, I have started to wonder how Mark lasted as long as he did.

[rj0q1b]

Palin is rumored to have had an affair with her husband's snow mobile partner. It cause the business to close down and Palin can not speak on family values and her 150000 waribe proved she is not a hockey mom. Sorry

[BlueStateMensch]

Pawlenty won't even win his OWN States Primary.... he's a clown.

SEAT FRANKEN NOW!!!!!!

[jorydozier]

As an Minnesotan, I find it troubling anyone would consider Pawlenty qualified to even be mentioned as a possible presidential candidate. Our state was once a shining example of good government that once was able to put partisanship aside for the good of the state. That is gone, and the state has suffered, education has suffered, health care has suffered, our infrastructure has suffered. Do not be fooled by this smooth talker.

[Querent]

The promotion of Pawlenty to Republican presidential candidate just shows how desperate they are. In the Democratic Party, a politician of his caliber would be laughed at for suggesting he wanted to run for president.

[remma3000]

I completely and totally agree. I, too, am a Minnesotan, and I am more than appalled by Pawlenty's partisanship and his disdain for for the people of our state. He runs rip shod over the Legislature. He stomps his feet and pouts when he doesn't get his way. He's a young John McCain -- hot tempered but charming; not too bright; and manipulative. Please do not be fooled by him. He is not a "reasonable" Republican, he's just good at sweet talking.

[jsgaetano]

How many weeks until we find out about a Pawlenty sex scandal? Any bets?

[sholbo]

Those worlds will come to hunt him when his time comes. He who points a finger at someone's else mistake better be careful. Tim, yours is on the way.

[gfs5541]

I don't know. However, it's been "stupid" to be a Republican these days, so anything is possible. To be fair, I think Stanford truly loves that woman in Argentina. So by saying he should resign his governorship, divorce his wife and marry that woman, I'm not just saying it to be an political, liberal A-hole. Everybody keeps saying his wife is a "strong" woman. However, one man's "strong woman" is another's "pushy woman". Those women have a way of "pushing" their man into another woman! ;)

[rob2007]

Oh great, another "it's the wife's fault" dullards. She drove him to Miss Argentina, right? Right?! Pathetic.

[jsgaetano]

It's kind of hard to blame Sanford's wife, when he could have just filed for divorce.

His problem is that, like all conservatives, he wants it both ways. He wants the powerful and influential friends of his wife's family, the White House aspirations, etc... but he also wants his mistress on the side.

And, being a conservative literally teaches from day one that you can have as much in life as you can lie about. So it's very likely he truly did believe he could fool all of the people all of the time.

[anelder]

Another one who blames the victim for the crime.
To be fair - just where do you get the notion that what I want, what makes me happy, is the only thing that matters. Or is it - I'm in love, I can't help it, it's beyond my control. Wimpy, weak minded, weak, weak, weak.

But, please keep on talking, some of us need to realize how many of you are out there. The kind that like children fail to take responsibility for their 'actions.' Do you note the difference? I have no ability to deny my feelings but I sue can prevent my actions. You seem unable to understand that concept.

[Ellyllon]

... To your room!

[timbonotes]

Pawlenty's words are nothing but that of a political pimp (pardon the redundancy) taking advantage of the situation to promote his own ambitions

Sorry GOPOSAURS just don't have any credibility left, Democrats ain't no great shakes either but these guys, GEEZ!

[LadyBeryl]

There is little Sanford could do to gain respect from me. He permanently lost it when he turned down stimulus money that could help the poor in his state. His recent confession only added hypocrisy to his apathy and negligence.

However, I would respect an act of resignation with reference to his urging of others to do the same. Of course, that wouldn't help the Dems in the state since his replacement would also be a Repub who would then gain advantage to retain the seat.

[audadvnc]

Nah, keep him in office, hobbled and crippled. That way he's taking up space that would otherwise be available for some other Repug that hasn't (yet) tarnished his reputation.

[MountainPenelope]

Bauer is pretty tarnished - a driving record that would have anyone else in jail and some very suspicious real estate deals.

And, while he is a bachelor, he could probably learn to keep his zipper zipped occasionally.

Let's just keep Mark for the next 18 months. No point in jumping from the frying pan into the fire!

[freethinkergirl]

Like Bush, "I love my country and the military" Pawlenty Dropped The Ball On Homeland Security

Pawlenty Cut Terrorism Grants By $3.6 Million. In 2003, Pawlenty used his emergency budget-cutting authority to cut $3.6 million from anti-terrorism training and equipment grants. The state's emergency management office director, Jim Rosendahl said that the cuts would have an impact on local governments considering equipment and training for their first responders. [Associated Press, 2/25/03]

Pawlenty Cut Body Armor Reimbursement By $50 Million. In 2003, Pawlenty used his emergency budget-cutting authority to cut $50 million in funds for body armor reimbursement. [House Fiscal Analysis Department, Fiscal Year 2003 Budget Reductions, February 2003, page 3]

[DubyaGump]

Timmeeh, let's hope you don't turn out to be a h ypocrit

[chenry56]

Why has no one pointed out that the Republican Governors Association under Sanford called for Eliot Spitzer, former governor of New York, to resign when he was caught cheating. Mark Sanford has a long history of hypocrisy. Already noted has been Sanford's call for Clinton and Livingston to resign. But, no one has noted his call for Spitzer to resign. This occurred while he was having his affair with Maria.

[blues101]

hmmmm, well how-dee! i forgot that tidbit, thanks! So is it hypocrisy, stoopidity (his or does he think it's ours) or both?

[Montana4change]

http://www.thestate.com/sanford/story/844260.html

After having read this article, I wonder why there is not further information on the other "women" that Davis was in a snit over. At Sanford's (oh, so sorry, King David's) pity party/news conference, he firmly denied having had any other adulterous relationships.
The Mark Sanfords of the world (HE always uses that figure of speech so I guess I will, too) do not understand they are, in effect, the employees of the taxpayers. As an employee who has lied to, gone AWOL and stolen from his employers, he should be permanently 'furloughed.' He said he was 'close to' hating his job. How close? Does he only despise it? Detest it? Abhor it? Loathe it?
I think Tim Pawlenty is right. He seems to be the only republican who is not making fatuous, flyblown excuses for inexcusably selfish, arrogant and willful behavior on the part of Sanford.

[AlaninElkGrove]

Hey everybody! I was just droppin' by to see how that "permanent republican majority" was comin' along...

.........

.........

Well, that was fun! Let's do that again some time...

see ya!!

[freethinkergirl]

LOL!

[Montana4change]

So sorry you didn't get the memo..The Permanent Republican Majority has lost its lease and can't pay the electricity bill. Turn out the lights, that party is over.

[cuomofied]

Actually, it's going quite well. It's called the Democratic party now.

[jsgaetano]

Well, on the bright side, they did achieve a permanent one-party majority. It just isn't them.

[emonyeka]

cute

[audadvnc]

I was working in a Washington DC hotel a few years back, during a CPAC conference, where one of the books they were distributing for participants was, "Painting the Map Red: The Fight to Create a Permanent Republican Majority".

From the inner flyleaf: "Painting the Map Red is the insider¹s blueprint for achieving a permanent Republican majority."

It's still available - at Amazon. Deeply discounted, wouldn't ya know ...

[jsgaetano]

Link to it, the comments must be hilarious!

[nogimmicks]

Let us quantify evil and morals.
Marital infidelity : -5 to 5 units (can actually be a good thing if it allows to avoid abuse or murder, see below)
Murder: 1,000 units
Voting for a war and bombing civilians: >1,000,000 units.

Now let's see...