Think real hard. If you were Mark Sanford, would you want to hack off even more people?

Okay, Sanford took out that full page ad explaining why he violated a court order. In that ad, he published his cell phone number for people to call him to ask him questions.

Not surprisingly, people called him.

So, Sanford, who is unraveling like fresh cut satin, decides to publish all the phone numbers of the people who called him. He was attempting to shame them.

Now here’s where it gets tricky. Mark Sanford has no shame so trying to give some away isn’t working too well. It appears that his brains are leaking out. And a passel of shame has unloaded on him faster than six legged jackrabbit.

I’m gonna be kinda sad when this guy goes away. On the other hand, I thought he’d go away after he got caught the first time, so we may be in for more Sanford hanky panky.

Did you ever think that Clint Eastwood's empty chair routine would find an admirer from another GOP candidate? Well it has. It's not Mitt Romney since he's gone, or Rand Paul, but an unbalanced Mark Sanford. What caused this new meltdown from Mr. Appalachian Trails? Maybe it was because Republicans pulled his national funding over his unbalanced behavior towards his ex-wife:

Following revelations that his ex-wife accused him of trespassing on her property earlier this year, former South Carolina governor Mark Sanford (R) has lost the support of his national party.

Could be. I know he's not happy that Elizabeth Colbert Busch has jumped out to a nine point lead over him. That's probably it. But you know, he's very upset that Elizabeth won't debate him as many times as he wants, so what does he do? He gets jiggy with reality by hosting a press conference while debating a cut-out poster of Nancy Pelosi. You heard that right: Nancy Pelosi.

Republican Mark Sanford “debated” a poster of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi today as a means of calling out opponent Elizabeth Colbert Busch for not debating him in the 1st Congressional District race.“You can be all things to all people if you haven't said where you are on the issues,” Sanford said today in front of the Medical University of South Carolina.

The press conference was similar to what Clint Eastwood did at the Republican National Convention, when he debated an empty stool meant to depict President Barack Obama.

Democrat Colbert Busch's campaign issued a response afterward, calling the event part of Sanford's “desperate campaign to deceive voters.”

“Elizabeth Colbert Busch is spending her time with real people who support her campaign,” the note said, adding that today she is featuring a group of Republicans who support her and a rally at Burke High School.

“She doesn't have to resort to phony cardboard cutouts to talk with the people of South Carolina,” the response said.

Sanford has repeatedly pressed Colbert Busch for more debates. He also chastised the media for not being more pointed in pushing for more public face-offs. The two will meet for the first time, face-to-face, Monday at The Citadel. The Pelosi photograph poster stood about 5 feet tall. Sanford said a vote for Colbert Busch would also be a vote for Pelosi, the former House leader.

We knew this guy was desperate after he bought a bizarre full-page ad trying to explain his craziness, but I doubt this stunt will help him with the voters.

After the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) released a brutal ad last week that mocked Sanford's 2009 mistress scandal, the former governor took out a full page ad in Sunday's edition of the Charleston Post & Courier in which he likened himself to a soldier in the Battle of the Alamo and accused Colbert Busch and Pelosi of attempting to "buy this race."

This falls under the category of 'you can't make this sh*t up."

Not bad, Jake Tapper. Not bad!

CNN host Jake Tapper on Wednesday questioned former Gov. Mark Sanford regarding views on same sex marriage in light of his own affair.

Tapper wondered why people should respect the Republican South Carolina congressional candidate’s opposition to same sex marriage when he himself “did not lead an exemplary life as a husband.”

“Who are you to deny love between two men or two women, when you are somebody who talks about following his heart, regardless of the laws and traditions of the state of South Carolina? Why are you sitting in judgment of same sex couples, when you have had the life you have had?” he asked.

Sanford admitted voting for the Defense of Marriage Act in 1999, which prohibited same sex couples from receiving federal benefits. He said “unelected judges” shouldn’t be defining marriage for the whole country, but suggested it was also wrong for the federal government do so as well.

“I think that if you’re a conservative, you believe in this notion of federalism, that one size does not fit all and that we shouldn’t have prescriptive answers coming out of Washington, D.C., for any of the different things ultimately that we have got to resolve as a family of Americans,” he explained.

Except tax cuts. And wars. They're so selective, these Republicans!

There's a fierce runoff race happening in South Carolina right now between tea party candidate Curtis Bostic and disgraced former governor Mark Sanford for the right to run against Elizabeth Colbert Busch for Tim Scott's open Senate seat.

Curtis Bostic seems to have a bit of a past that is just coming to light now. He was the attorney of record for the Christian World Adoption agency, the subject of 2010 CBS News investigation into the possibility that CWA was nothing more than a human trafficking organization.

Christian World Adoption is one of 70 agencies licensed to operate in Ethiopia. Beyond the alleged payment to their father, the Bradshaw sisters say they were told by local employees of Christian World they were only coming to America for an education; that they could return home when school was out. Not true. In fact it's virtually impossible to reverse an adoption in Ethiopia.

"I thought I was going to be kind of like an exchange student," Journee said. "Honestly, I never knew that I'm going to be here forever."

"We have watched our kids grieve and cry and scream and melt down from the bottom of their souls over the loss of their country and their family," Katie Bradshaw said.

A 2007 video shows Christian World representatives entering an Ethopian village and appearing to recruit children from poor villagers - an unethical practice against Ethopian law.

"If you want your child to be adopted by a family in America you may stay," said Michelle Gardner. She spoke those words on a tape produced by Christian World for American parents seeking to adopt in Ethiopia. And now says she deeply regrets it.

Well it seems that God filed for bankruptcy and those who paid CWA for children were left holding the bag when they filed for Chapter 7 liquidation in February 2013.

As a result of a CBS News investigation and the banning of adoption agencies worldwide, CWA went bankrupt in February 2013. A few months prior to the bankruptcy filing Mr. Bostic’s law firm was still being paid for services connected to the CWA — even though they were soon to file a chapter 7 bankruptcy petition. Records obtained by BU show that The Bostic Law firm was paid 26,641.07 dollars on November 7th 2012, and another 5,000.00 dollars on November 20th 2012. On December 5th 2012 Bostic’s firm was paid 5,906.86 along with another 243.25 paid December 12th 2012. The last payments to them were 5,000.00 on December 19th 2012, and 1,942.73 which was paid on January 16th 2013; less than one month prior to the filing. The total over the three month period was 44,733.91 dollars.

Bostic, of course, has a response ready for his critics, as he expressed in the CBS interview. He wants everyone to know that attorneys don't really have to know the truth to represent their clients and that it was all just a misunderstanding. The first statement is the one that should set South Carolina voters to wondering.

Is Bostic telling them the truth, or is he just representing someone powerful and more wealthy? Based on past history, it seems to be just a continuation of his belief that everything can be explained away as a big "misunderstanding."

I think the families bilked out of thousands of dollars might differ with that. At least Mark Sanford had the cojones to come clean about his Appalachian trail adventure.

Happy Appalachian Trails to you!

On Friday, Fox News confirmed that they had hired former Gov. Mark Sanford (R-SC) as a paid contributor. The move that could make things slightly awkward at the network. During their coverage of the affair that tarnished Sanford's political future, Fox News hosts and contributors labeled their new coworker (among other things) a "serial liar," a "laughingstock," and an "early brain donor."

During the June 24, 2009, broadcast of On the Record with Greta Van Susteren, Van Susteren bristled at her guest referring to Sanford as having "misled" people, clarifying that "it's lying. I mean, misled is a nice word, but the guy lied. He lied to his constituents. He lied to his staff. He lied to his wife, not on just one occasion. It's multiple - I mean, he's a serial liar." (And now he can lie to Fox viewers.)

This is going to be fun to cover. Maybe the only thing I'm looking forward to when I tune in to Fox when you don't have to. Fox will not be able to bring up Lewinsky, Spitzer, Edwards, etc...because? They just hired themselves a serial lying, early brain donoring, laughing stock....

On Fox News Sunday, Brit Hume wasn't sure if Sanford would be able "to ride this out." The "problem" for Sanford, according to his new coworker, was that "he's a laughingstock."

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A few weeks ago in a candidates' debate for the South Carolina governor's race (to replace the disgraced Mark Sanford), Tea Party favorite and Sarah Palin endorsee Nikki Haley was asked the following question:

Mark Sanford, John Edwards, Bill Clinton, all men who have cheated on their wives while in power. When faced with opportunities and temptations that come with power, how do you stay true to your family, your faith, and your values?

Haley's answer:

You know, I think the answer is you keep the Lord, you keep your family and you keep your friends very close. And you always remember that you have to stay as humble as possible, and understand that service is just that -- it is service. And you are being held to a higher standard, and so you have much more service that you have to give. And you're a role model to everybody that follows you.

Ah, nothing like the smell of schadenfreude on a Monday morning:

A political blogger and former aide to Gov. Mark Sanford claims to have had a past romantic relationship with Republican gubernatorial candidate Nikki Haley. Haley, who is married and has two children, "emphatically" denied the claim Monday morning.

"Several years ago, prior to my marriage, I had an inappropriate physical relationship with Nikki," Will Folks announced Monday morning on his political blog, FITSNews. Folks said political opponents of Haley and himself were leaking evidence of the affair to the press, and claimed the story would've come out this week no matter what.

"I will not be discussing the details of that relationship, nor will I be granting any additional interviews about it to members of the media beyond what I have already been compelled to confirm," Folks continued. The blogger did not say when the alleged relationship took place or whether Haley was married at the time, and gave no proof of an affair.

Of course, Haley vehemently denies it:

I have been 100% faithful to my husband throughout our 13 years of marriage. This claim against me is categorically and totally false.

It is sad, but not surprising, that this disgraceful smear has taken form less than a week removed from the release of a poll showing our campaign with a significant lead. It is quite simply South Carolina politics at its worst.

The denial, naturally, is good enough for everyone on the right, like NRO's Jim Geraghty, who take it at face value.

And Palin herself goes even further, and offers her usual "stay strong" advice to Haley -- that is, she oughta make like Sarah and use it as an opportunity for martyrdom:

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[Sanford's weird press conference]

Mark "Lover Boy" Sanford of South Carolina once called the stimulus "fiscal child abuse. Now he's flying to D.C. to beg for it.

South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R) waged a high-profile war against the economic stimulus package last spring, claiming that accepting the $700 million for which his state was eligible would lead to “a thing called slavery.” Even as his state’s unemployment rate climbed above the national average, Sanford maintained his partisan and politically motivated refusal to take the funds.

But yesterday, Sanford flew to Washington to demand $300 million in stimulus money for education, the State newspaper reports:

Sanford, who spent much of last year fighting parts of the Obama administration’s stimulus plan, now wants S.C. to have a piece of $4 billion in “Race to the Top” education money. [...]

Sanford met with [Secretary of Education Arne] Duncan to learn more about a charter school program Duncan started in Chicago, said Ben Fox, the governor’s spokesman. Sanford also took the trip to urge Duncan to support more charter school grants, Fox said. [...]

Sanford’s trip — which did not appear on his official calendar — is especially hypocritical because the majority of stimulus money destined for South Carolina was to fund education and save thousands of teachers’ jobs. Yet, in March, Sanford told Fox News host Glenn Beck that taking the money would be akin to “fiscal child abuse.”

This is typical conservative behavior. Attack a Democratic initiative relentlessly -- and then after you get your fifteen minutes of fame, change your mind because you know the media will never hold you accountable. Sanford actually had an extra 15 minutes of fame, thanks to his love of long hikes in the Appalachians Brazil.

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The first Republican, Abraham Lincoln, famously proclaimed, "My concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side." Sadly, as Sarah Palin and RNC Chairman Michael Steele revealed again this week, Honest Abe's successors believe the GOP truly is God's Own Party. As it turns out, Palin and Steele joined George W. Bush, Mike Huckabee, Michele Bachmann, Mark Sanford and others on the long and growing list of Republican leaders who claim they have been chosen by God.

On 60 Minutes Sunday, McCain-Palin campaign chief Steve Schmitt disclosed to Anderson Cooper that the Quitta from Wasilla viewed her selection as John McCain's running mate as part of God's plan:

COOPER: After Senator McCain asked her to be his vice president, how did she respond?

SCHMITT: She was very calm, nonplussed. I said, "You don't seem nervous at all about this," and she said, "No, it's God's plan."

(For more on Palin's belief in the "natural progression" of a grand divine plan for her, continue reading below.)

Echoing Arizona Governor Jan Brewer's announcement in September that "God has placed me in this powerful position," Michael Steele claimed he, too, was tapped by the Almighty in an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN). Under siege by fellow Republicans for his endless series of gaffes and shameless self-promotion, Steele announced:

"I'm not defined by this job. When this job is over I will go back to doing something else. But God, I really believe, has placed me here for a reason because who else and why else would you do this unless there's something inside of you that says right now you need to be here to do this?"

Of course, Steele is far from alone among God's chosen Republicans, as George W. Bush and his amen corner long ago made clear.

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If you love audio content and podcasts as much as I do, don't miss "In Bed with Susie Bright." In my opinion, her podcast on the Sarah Palin and Mark Sanford sex scandals (free excerpt at the link) should win best podcast of the year, if there is such a thing. (Her blog on sex, culture, and politics, etc. is great too, but like the podcasts, not necessarily work safe.)

Open thread below...

Politicians of both parties routinely paraphrase Abraham Lincoln's mantra that "my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side." But in fighting his own civil war to hold onto office, disgraced South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford has turned Lincoln's maxim on its head. Proclaiming in an opinion piece Sunday that He will make him "a better and more effective leader," Sanford in essence declared God is on his side.

Sanford's misappropriation of the Almighty was featured prominently is his latest apology to Palmetto State residents. Among the lowlights:

"It is true that I did wrong and failed at the largest of levels, but equally true is the fact that God can make good of our respective wrongs in life. In this vein, while none of us has the chance to attend our own funeral, in many ways I feel like I was at my own in the past weeks, and surprisingly I am thankful for the perspective it has afforded...

It's in the spirit of making good from bad that I am committing to you and the larger family of South Carolinians to use this experience to both trust God in his larger work of changing me, and from my end, to work to becoming a better and more effective leader."

By "changing me," Mark Sanford does not mean steering clear of the C Street residence in Washington, an apparent den of iniquity which produced fellow Republican adulterers John Ensign and Chip Pickering. Instead, he seems to suggest God apparently will provide the playbook for Sanford's political survival.

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