Sanford begs "look into your heart..."

Is Mark Sanford about to be led into the woods to do his best Bernie Bernbaum impersonation, with his own fellow Republican constitutional officers playing the Tom Reagan ("reagan"...coincidence?) role?

The Luv Guv keeps making news and after another bizarre press event the other day (the AP interview Sanford gave), there is even more buzz around the Capital City today. And it ain't good for South Carolina's #1 star-crossed lover.

We've heard from some folks on the ground in Columbia and word has it that there is a phrase that is getting kicked around the Midlands Wet Sauna known as Columbia. That phrase is "Article Four, Section Twelve." What is that?

ARTICLE IV.
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT
SECTION 12. Disability of Governor.
(1) Whenever the Governor transmits
to the President Pro Tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of
Representatives his written declaration that he is unable to discharge the
powers and duties of his office, and until he transmits to them a written
declaration to the contrary, such powers and duties shall be discharged by the
Lieutenant Governor as acting Governor.

(2) Whenever a majority of the Attorney General, the Secretary of
State, the Comptroller General and the State Treasurer, or of such other body as
the General Assembly may provide, transmits to the President Pro Tempore of the
Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives a written declaration
that the Governor is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office,
the Lieutenant Governor shall forthwith assume the powers and duties of the
office as acting Governor.

Thereafter, if the Governor transmits to the President Pro Tempore of
the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written
declaration that no such inability exists he shall forthwith resume the powers
and duties of his office unless a majority of the above members or of such other
body, whichever the case may be, transmits within four days to the President Pro
Tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their
written declaration that the Governor is unable to discharge the powers and
duties of his office. Thereupon, the General Assembly shall forthwith consider
and decide the issue, and if not in session it shall assemble within forty-eight
hours for the sole purpose of deciding such issue. If the General Assembly,
within twenty-one days, excluding Sundays, after the first day it meets to
decide the issue, determines by two-thirds vote of each House that the Governor
is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Lieutenant
Governor shall continue to discharge the same as acting Governor; otherwise, the
Governor shall resume the powers and duties of his office. (1972 (57) 3171; 1973
(58) 48.)

As it has been pointed out to us, the State article from today that seemed to report the resignation crowd is close to having a majority in the State Senate. Add in the McMaster-Bauer deal that appears to have been struck regarding resignation and the 2010 Governor's race and the deck is starting to look pretty damn stacked against our very own Bob the Builder.

Personally, we don't think it would come to actual removal. If it gets to that point, you gotta believe they take this to Sanford and say, bubba...we got the votes. We can either do this the easy way or the hard way and anyone in his right mind would step down. But the more and more our Governor speaks publicly, I think that's the issue. People are wondering exactly where his mind is at.

Late update: and so it begins ...