For the Heart of the Argentine
South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford admitted Tuesday that he saw his Argentine mistress more times than previously disclosed, including what was to be a farewell meeting in New York chaperoned by a spiritual adviser soon after his wife found out about the affair.
In a lengthy and emotional interview with The Associated Press in his Statehouse office, the governor described five meetings with Maria Belen Chapur over the past year, including two romantic, multi-night stays with her in New York before they met there again intending to break up.
He said he met her two other times — their first meeting in 2001 at an open-air dance spot in Uruguay and a coffee date in New York in 2004 during the Republican National Convention.
He said neither time was romantic.
It was the first disclosure of any liaisons with Chapur in the United States and contradicted a public confession last week during which Sanford admitted to a total of four encounters over their eight-year relationship.
June 30th, 2009 at 12:46 pm
Apologies to Dr. Seuss
June 30th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
Okay, when you are “meeting with” your mistress to break up, you’re not really wanting to break up. One could break up with a phone call, an e-mail, a letter, or by simply ignoring. I mean, it’s not like they were……… MARRIED.
June 30th, 2009 at 1:00 pm
Ugh. What a disgrace.
June 30th, 2009 at 1:10 pm
Terrible. This guy is even phonier than Romney. And to think I admired this guy for his integrity.
June 30th, 2009 at 1:15 pm
Holy smokes MWS!
“One could break up with a phone call, an e-mail, a letter, or by simply ignoring.”
That is not how to treat women. If you are breaking up with a woman, you do it in person. RESPECT!
June 30th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
#4.Flip,
If you were wrong about Sanford….
June 30th, 2009 at 1:22 pm
This is a perfect example of why religion should not be intertwined the way it is in politics. It makes religion look bad. Yet another guy who guys around continuosly spouting religion who doesn’t live it in an amazingly arrogant way.
He needs to do the right thing and simply resign. These guys are scum.
How Romney is even relevant in this discussion is ridiculous flip. Your a moron. Romney mightr be one of the few left who actually live the moral principles he espouses.
June 30th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
5. Sanford should have broken up with her by email, like how they met.
Also, Sanford is now admitting he ‘crossed the line’ with other women who were not his wife or mistress, but says he didn’t have sex with them.
Meh, this really isn’t that different from what Bill Clinton did, so I guess I should judge it by the same standard. IMO, Clinton should have resigned out of shame, but since he was unwilling to resign, he shouldn’t have had impeachment proceedings against him.
June 30th, 2009 at 1:43 pm
Kris,
“That is not how to treat women. If you are breaking up with a woman, you do it in person. ”
She a MISTRESS!
June 30th, 2009 at 1:43 pm
Kris,
“That is not how to treat women. If you are breaking up with a woman, you do it in person. ”
She a MISTRESS!
June 30th, 2009 at 1:45 pm
Whoa….
keyboard went crazy. Let’s try again.
She was his MISTRESS! She wasn’t supposed to be there to begin with. She knew he was married. What does he “owe” her?
June 30th, 2009 at 1:47 pm
5. Ha ha ha ha ha. You’ve got to be kidding Kris.
June 30th, 2009 at 1:47 pm
5. Yeah, you do it in person, after as many rounds in the hay as possible.
June 30th, 2009 at 1:51 pm
Why should the “other woman” deserve respect? It takes two to roll in the hay. She knew he was a married man and she still spread her legs. She is no better than he is.
I’m no moral purist – but it seems to me that he could have sent her a text message that it was over and that would have been ok.
June 30th, 2009 at 1:55 pm
Kris, he was married…what about his wife…that’s the one he swore to be with until death. She should never have been in the picture….I say email her, text her, call her….out of RESPECT for your wife for Pete’s sake.
June 30th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
Adam,
Are you single? You cannot tell a woman you love them, send love letters, then break-up via a text msg.
It is guys like you that give the rest of us players a bad name.
I am not defending the fact that he lied to his wife, although I really do not care…he is one of the most effective governor’s in the country.
June 30th, 2009 at 2:12 pm
*give the rest of us guys* – a bad name.
June 30th, 2009 at 2:18 pm
Kris you seem to be missing a barometer of good judgement in your brain.
June 30th, 2009 at 2:21 pm
Kristofer,
Why can’t you? Breaking up via text is no worse than cheating on the wife to begin with (theoretically speaking). If it was about a piece of ass, well, he still managed to get it – even though girl number 2 knew he as already married.
The more pertinent question is, why is this entirely on Sanford? Sure, he was an ass. But she was a homewrecker. Right?
You’re a modern man of the 2000′s. Right? Surely you think women are just as capable of being less than principled characters as men. Wasn’t she at least as much of a player as he was?
June 30th, 2009 at 2:22 pm
Martha,
Sanford clearly love(d) this woman. He has also been friends with her for 8 years.
If you court a woman, express your love to her, engage in intimate relations, she at least deserves to be told in person.
Only losers breaks-up with a woman on text msg.
June 30th, 2009 at 2:23 pm
Only losers cheat on their wives.
June 30th, 2009 at 2:26 pm
No Adam,
I actually believe (on average), men have significantly less character then women.
Adam, two poeople, who are friends and connect emotionally and sexually, who are in a negative relationships with their spouses, often become involved with one another.
I had no idea we had so many people on this site who have never sinned.
June 30th, 2009 at 2:27 pm
Kris, what part of Sanfords obligation to his family is lost on you? His obligation is NOT to his lover.
June 30th, 2009 at 2:28 pm
Adam,
Sometimes men/people are in a stage in their lives where it only works to get involved with married women.
It is a choice. we should expect no different from our political leaders.
June 30th, 2009 at 2:28 pm
#23, I agree with you. His first loyalty is to his boys and he failed them.
In fact, if Sanford had the courage, he should have left his wife and supported his boys.
June 30th, 2009 at 2:29 pm
Kristofer,
I never claimed to have never sinned. Not ever. I’m just curious why you are so eager to give women a pass on things for which you would judge men much more harshly.
Is this the “soft bigotry of low expectations”?
Women are no better in character than men. Men and women both suck, generally speaking.
June 30th, 2009 at 2:34 pm
Adam,
I disagree. Anytime we see scandals with well known people. Women are always the whores and men the victims.
Our society would be much better off if more women were in politics and lead large corporations. Women are significantly more honest and communicative then men.
June 30th, 2009 at 2:38 pm
Not true at all. Women are much more catty and manipulative and much more prone to back stabbing. When two guys have a fight they air their grievences and it’s over and done with. Nothing is worse than watching a bunch of women feign friendship and viciously cut each other down the minute one’s back is turned.
June 30th, 2009 at 2:42 pm
Adam, you watch too much Sex and the City.
Our society will take one great leap forward, when we all acknowledge that women are vastly superior to men on the issues of morality and honesty.
You do realize that Craig, Spitzer, Sanford, Clinton, Packwood and Ensign are all male?
June 30th, 2009 at 2:44 pm
Ha! Not my speed. But I do have an 18-year old sister. That alone scares me into not knowing what I would ever do with a daughter.
Please. If the number of men and women in high office was anywhere near parity then you’d see sex scandals just as bad among the women.
Women are just NOT superior to men on morality and honesty. I’ve seen women cheat and lie just as easily without batting an eye.
June 30th, 2009 at 2:54 pm
Adam,
As you become older, experience more relationships and women in the workplace, you will change your views.
http://www.usatoday.com/money/companies/management/2006-05-11-women-leaders-usat_x.htm
June 30th, 2009 at 2:56 pm
Kristofer,
I’m nearly 30. I’ve had plenty of relationships and dealt with plenty of women in the workplace.
Not likely.
June 30th, 2009 at 2:59 pm
well Adam, it sometimes takes a lifetime to educate men…not an easy job for a mother or wife.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
Come on, man!
How did you ever get so whipped?
June 30th, 2009 at 3:01 pm
Kris,
“It is guys like you that give the rest of us players a bad name.”
“*give the rest of us guys* – a bad name.”
Er, your Freudian slip is showing……
June 30th, 2009 at 3:08 pm
Adam,
There has been a lot of change in our society. Women are now starting up 50% of all new small businesses.
There is also an argument making its way through the business schools in America on why women make superior CEO’s.
http://www.usatoday.com/money/companies/management/2009-01-01-women-ceos-increase_N.htm
June 30th, 2009 at 3:09 pm
MWS, that was a type-o…I had Sanford on my mind.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:11 pm
Adam,
I would also argue that for the Republican party, are path back to power includes recruiting more women as candidates, not Latinos and African Americans.
We need to find a way to attract more conservativew women, who generally place a higher value on having family, then liberal women. If we can educate their families, make them feel welcome and offer a work-life balance, our party will be much better off.
Sadly, I see no such effort from Chairman Steele.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:14 pm
38,
I don’t disagree with you there. Absolutely it would be great for the GOP to recruit more women.
That’s the same as claiming that women are inherently morally superior to men.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:14 pm
Er…that’s NOT the same.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:18 pm
I think the IDEA of recruiting someone like a Sarah Palin to run for national office is great. If we could somehow find someone up to snuff, quick on her feet and ready to disspell the inevitable Democrat attacks and look competent while doing so…thae that woman will surely be a force to be reckoned with.
It will backfire on us if it looks like we are elevated a woman to national stature solely for the sake of elevating a woman and not because said woman is capable of being a great leader.
You and I clearly differ in our estimations of Palin – but it’s hard to argue that many of the voters we need are not as impressed with her as we would have liked.
June 30th, 2009 at 4:10 pm
The man is lookin more and more like an idiot every day.
MY PREDICTION:
In ONE YEAR’S TIME, he will be the Ex-Governor, and he will be living in ARGENTINA.