Sanford Should Apologize to Bill Clinton and Gay Couples

Mark Sanford voted to impeach Bill Clinton for having an affair and lying about it while in office. He said, ""I think it would be much better for the country and for him personally (to resign)." In explaining why he voted to impeach the president, he said, "I think what he did in this matter was reprehensible... I feel very comfortable with my vote." He added that Clinton lacked "moral legitimacy" after his affair.

Now, a lot of conservatives will fall back on the old refrain of "But, but, but, Clinton was under oath!" Yeah, who put him there? Who would pass the test of being perfectly honest if they were put under oath about all of the details of their sex lives? I certainly wouldn't. No way I'd tell the whole truth to some pervert like Ken Starr who would later write a salacious, near pornographic, account about it - and seemed to relish every minute of it. That's my business and not his business, and he can find something else to jerk off to.

But none of that matters, because Gov. Sanford agrees with me. He thinks lying to your wife is just as important as lying under oath. This is what he had to say about the affair of fellow Republican Bob Livingston:

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. 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.

Game, set and match.

This guy built his career on questioning other people's morals. He went after Democrats like Bill Clinton. He went after fellow Republicans like Bob Livingston and Larry Craig. He was on his moral high horse, all along. Listen to what he said about lying about an affair:

The issue of lying is probably the biggest harm, if you will, to the system of Democratic government, representative government, because it undermines trust. And if you undermine trust in our system, you undermine everything.

So, what about that Appalachian Trail? What about going alone to Argentina? In his own words, through these lies and many others over the last year (at least), Sanford has undermined everything. So, what does he do now that he has fallen off his high horse - he begs for forgiveness and refuses to resign.

Well, if you're going to do that, do it right. I will forgive Gov. Sanford if he truly apologizes and understands the mistakes he made in the past. The mistake wasn't just the affair. It was also in judging others. Not just politicians like Bill Clinton. But also, whole groups of people, like gay Americans. He argued they undermine the institution of marriage while he was busy undermining his own marriage. His wife built his career for him (she was his campaign manager), she built his family for him and he was ready to leave all that behind for an Argentinian lover with a nice rack. And gay people undermine marriage?

I can begin to forgive Sanford is he gives this apology:

I am so sorry for all of the people I judged through my false righteousness. I am so sorry to have judged Bill Clinton for what he did in his personal life. We should have never dragged him through that. I am so sorry for voting for impeachment. I am so sorry to the all of the loving gay couples in this country who want to make marriage work while I made a mockery of it. If they can find it in their heart to forgive me, I will try to be a better, less judgmental, less hypocritical and more open-minded person. Help me to become that person.

Then, we can see that he is sincere in recognizing his true faults. We are all human, but if we are to get beyond his mistakes and imperfections, he must understand what his original sin was. That is part and parcel of what he must atone for.

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Comments

[perfectarc]

yup, everytime one of these reactionary right wing jerks feigning moral integrity attacks someone else, in the end they end up falling on their sword. This guy has the moral legitimacy of a televangelist. Great job with the article and keep them coming.

[Bobolini]

OK. Every repug jumped on Bill Clinton over "lying about a stain".

So I googled- "what sanford said about bill clinton" and it lead me back to this article.

Hey Mark, we don't care that your cheat, philander and use the taxpayers money to pull it off - We care about the lying, hypocrisy and the bad job you are doing as governor. No wonder you don't want stimulus money - Someone might audit your books and find all the other misuse of funds.

If this guy isn't toast - It says a lot about the SC voters.

[Ravib81]

Cenk--I don't really think it's fair to call Gov. Sanford a liar. Something must have gotten lost in the transmission of the message, because I believe that his original statement to his staff and his wife before he left the country was: "I'm going to go get me some Argentine tail!" Unfortunately everybody misheard him and thought that he said "I'm going to go hike the Appalachian Trail." It's sad how a little miscommunication can totally ruin a man's career.

[SD Indy]

I'm waiting to see when he is brought up for a dishonorable discharge from the Air Force Reserves. It is in fact a dichargable offense in the Uniform Military Code of Justice (Article 134.) In addition, it is also punishable with jail time: http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/jan/13/n95474195927-bn13recruit/?zIndex=36693

When will we hear when he is discharged AND jailed? Come on boys, you have no problem throwing the book at gays and lesbians, it's time to step up and send a clear message to ALL of those cheating heterosexuals too. What's good for the goose.........

[beyondliberal]

I think any and all persons who file to run for any elected position should be required to take a diagnostic personality test, such as the full-length MMPI (Minnesota Multi-phasic Personality Inventory). The advantage? Weeding out narcissists, borderlines, and sociopaths.

[SD Indy]

"I think any and all persons who file to run for any elected position should be required to take a diagnostic personality test"
------
That's a good start, but I'd rather give them a polygraph.

[Hawaii5-0]

Perhaps all the politicians who condemned Clinton and voted for impeachment, and later were found to be guilty of the same sins, should be included in an apology. Right now, all those who are condemning Sanford and calling for his impeachment should immediately be investigated, or AT LEAST required to sign a statement that they are NOT having an affair also and never will in the future.

That should quiet a lot of the criticism. I do believe this should be a matter btwn Sanford and his wife and it should not be displayed in the media and all the gory details printed; ie emails, photos, etc.

There are MUCH more important issues at hand, such as how much money the govt is spending to make sure back execs get bonuses.

[Poorsarah]

The only viable way to "defend" marriage would be to make the necessary effort to be faithful in one's personal life. Government should cease being the "moral" nanny for our personal lives. Legislating morality should be a person's personal decision to do so...not by the government.

[OverIt]

Bill Clinton signed DOMA as penance for his own marital sins. Gay and lesbian couples were the sacrificial offering to "prove" his family values bona fides. He deserves no apology.

[OverIt]

I see no need to apologize to Bill Clinton. Sanford should just resign, according to his own standards.

[carsntrucks]

Since when was "resigning from office to appease liberals who didn't vote for me anyway" one of his standards?

[Phreejazz]

I'm one liberal that woul love to see him stay. Every time the public sees him they're now reminded once again of the hypocrisy of the "family values" party. I hope y'all make him the new RNC chair.

[nananance]

Perhaps John Edwards can join in the apology since he condemned Bill Clinton and also opposed gay marriage. And then Clinton can apologize for signing DOMA now that even its sponsor, Bob Barr, says it was a mistake (although since he was elected, it seems to have slipped Barack Obama's mind that he said he strongly favored the repeal of this "abhorrent law")

[RobRokoli]

What can one say? Human beings have human failings, even the best of us. Sometimes those who break faith have sound , and justifiable reasons for doing do. However, amid the depths of Sanford's hypocrisy, measuring his public statements against his private behavior he no longer has the right to hold himself up as an honest man. Sanford is disgraced, not so much because he got caught having an affair but because he is a hypocrite and the conflict between his conduct and his statements reveals him a liar, a man will to embrace situational ethics, a man without honor, a man whose public positions can not be trusted because he is devious and therefore a man who is unworthy, unfit and unqualified to hold public office or public trust..

[normathumb]

Don't hold your breath.

[thinkagain2]

I would like to see the entire republican party, especially those who participated in the 'impeachment witch hunt, apologize to Bill Clinton. I have never been able to believe that a young intern would be spilling her secrets to an old hag with a tape recorder. It was a set up.

Clinton's continued commitment to service and Hilary's own successful career simply illustrate that there was little gained by a very damaging republican foray into the murky waters of moral judgement.

[BobSacomano]

Great article and spot on but I will see pigs in the sky over my house before I hear this apology by any 'moral values' Republican.

[darker]

Good article, thanks. It's been proven again and again that REPUBLICAN = HYPOCRITE.
Theor olier than thou-ness is a pile of crap.