when people started asking where Gov. Mark Sanford had disappeared to:
COLUMBIA, S.C. - During a Wednesday news conference at his office in Columbia, Gov. Mark Sanford admitted to having an extramarital affair — information that surfaced after his recent, secret trip to Argentina.
The married father of four emotionally apologized to his wife and staff, saying, "I've let down a lot of people."
Sanford said he met the woman almost eight years ago, but "about a year ago, it sparked into something more than that."
The governor said his wife and family have known about it for the past five months.
He also announced that he was resigning as chairman of the Republican Governors' Association.
Earlier, the South Carolina governor told a newspaper he was in South America, not hiking the Appalachian Trail as his staff had told the public to explain his sudden absence. He said he "wanted to do something exotic" to unwind after losing a fight over federal stimulus money.
Well, that scratches Sanford from the ranks of GOP possibles for 2012. That leaves Newt Gingrich and Bobby Jindal and Sarah Palin, who've self-inflicted similar but perhaps less egregious wounds, and Mitt Romney, who is looking increasingly like the winner by default.