Mark Sanford to announce run for Congress Wednesday

Jenny Sanford, the ex-wife of former South Carolina Governor, Mark Sanford, comments on his reported run for Congress.

Updated 3:10 pm ET: Ex-South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford will announce tomorrow that he is running for Congress, First Read confirms with an aide close to Sanford.

Sanford will announce via press release tomorrow; there will be no press conference or public events associated with it, according to an aide.

NBC previously reported that Sanford would attempt a political comeback running for his old first congressional district seat. Sanford would be running to replace Tim Scott, who was appointed to Jim DeMint's Senate seat. 

DeMint resigned from Congress to head up The Heritage Foundation, a conservative Washington think tank and activist group.

National Review has a lengthy Q&A with Sanford on why he's running, including his first shot at explaining his 2009 disappearance and affair with an Argentine TV reporter.

"There’s a larger philosophical question. In life we’re all going to make mistakes, we’re all going to come up short," Sanford said. "The key is, how do you get back up and how do you learn from those mistakes? . . . But I think that the bigger issue is, don’t judge any one person by their best day, don’t judge them by their worst day. Look at the totality, the whole of their life, and make judgments accordingly."

He added, "You’ve got to look under the hood. There’s that sensational headline, to look and say, 'Wow, big ethics charge.' Beyond the headline, what does that mean? You say, 'Hm. There were 37 counts the ethics committee brought, and did you know half of those are for taking a business-class ticket?' You look under the hood and you say, 'Wow.'"

Sanford also touted his record, including that he turned down stimulus funds.

"I was rated No. 1 in Congress by National Taxpayers Union, and No. 1 by Citizens against Government Waste in efforts to limit federal spending, rated by Cato as the most fiscally responsible governor in the United States," he said. "I was the first governor to turn down stimulus funds. I won’t go through all the merit badges, but I could give you dozens of different occasions where I stood very solidly on the side of the taxpayer."

It took several dominoes to fall for Sanford to be lined up to run in this race, something Sanford also acknowledged.

"I’m not saying it was God-ordained or anything like that," Sanford said, "but a series of rather miraculous events have coincided here, that did not escape the attention of the friends who were urging me to look at this."

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He must need the money - and his ego must need to be inflated a bit more! Hope people in South Carolina are smarter than the average 5th grader!

    Reply#55 - Tue Jan 15, 2013 6:32 PM EST

    Let's see, the man betrayed sacred vows he took before God, betrayed his family, and he believes he has a shot?

    Oh wait, the south, I forgot, they have a somewhat different definition of character down there. Look at Newt Gingrich, biggest hypocrite on the planet, I suspect he'll end up a convicted pedophile.

    • 1 vote
    Reply#56 - Tue Jan 15, 2013 6:33 PM EST

    More humor from the Republican Klown Bus.....

    The laughs will never end... of course, the joke is on the electorate in the district he is running in.

    • 2 votes
    Reply#57 - Tue Jan 15, 2013 6:34 PM EST

    Look at the totality, the whole of their life, and make judgments accordingly."

    Ok, I looked at your whole life. You're still a POS GOP ahole.

    • 2 votes
    Reply#58 - Tue Jan 15, 2013 6:37 PM EST

    THIS is the same JOKER who demanded that PRESIDENT CLINTON resign from office while playing WHITE OWL WITH MONICA. YET he did not resign himself when he was playing PIPE LAYER with some BIMBO down in SOUTH AMERICA. IS itnot CRAZY how far he was willing to go to be doing some drilling?

    HEY SANFORD,DO AMERICA A FAVOR AND GO AWAY. YOU belong to the GARY HART,NEWT GINGRICH,AND BOB BARR CLUB. THE HYPOCRITE CLUB.

    • 1 vote
    Reply#59 - Tue Jan 15, 2013 6:41 PM EST

    This is NEITHER a Republican OR a Democratic issue. Instead, this is the reality of the incredible world of ego,
    self-gratification and sense of entitlement that a large number (but not all) politicians from BOTH parties seem to have. They truly believe that they are bulletproof/teflon and that they can do almost anything and somehow Americans will elect, or reelect them. And the fact is they are right.

    A large number of Americans (and I am talking Americans who support EITHER party) seem to have incredibly short memories, are totally ignorant to what the politicans they elect are doing and then are shocked, SHOCKED I TELL YOU, when those same politicians keep screwing up and in the process end up screwing America. Sad, but that is the reality.

    • 2 votes
    Reply#60 - Tue Jan 15, 2013 6:57 PM EST

    You are correct, this is not a partisan issue. This is an issue of power hungry hypocrites who attempt to portray themselves as "Family Values" candidates while SIMULTANEOUSLY screwing anything that's handy & available. Newt Gingrich is a great example, John Edwards is another. And then there's Jimmy Swaggart. ANYBODY that's running on a "Family Values" platform is very likely to be a serial liar, cheater and hypocrite, you can almost count on it. They're working overtime selling their Godliness as a cover for their true nature.

    • 2 votes
    #60.1 - Tue Jan 15, 2013 9:43 PM EST
    Reply

    Another pension??

    • 1 vote
    Reply#61 - Tue Jan 15, 2013 6:59 PM EST

    Yo, sanford, I thought your appalachina trail girl....er, sorry I mean argentina gal.....was your "soulmate". Remember saying this in public while your wife and children listened? Remember you were AWOL as governor and even your closest aides couldn't contact you?

    GO AWAY. STAY AWAY. Let's see if SC (where I live) can KEEP HIM AWAY. Unless they don't like the black fella the current governor appointed.

    • 1 vote
    Reply#62 - Tue Jan 15, 2013 6:59 PM EST

    The US Congress is full of whores and frauds. He should be right at home, BUT...

    he hasn't a snowball's chance in Hell of getting hired for any job in Congress unless its to fill a janitor's closet with more toilet paper during his rounds...

    He talks about "under the hood" when the real issue he has vividly demonstrated is his clear problem with his loose fly and zipper. When we all thought he was gone forever to Argentina with his girl friend, now he's back for more STUFF? What happened? Did she get BORED with him already???

    • 1 vote
    Reply#63 - Tue Jan 15, 2013 6:59 PM EST

    His wife divorced him and got a whole lot of the community assets. He's after the paycheck and the pension.

      #63.1 - Tue Jan 15, 2013 9:47 PM EST
      Reply

      This guy drips with green sleeze, no not cheese but sleeze..

        Reply#64 - Tue Jan 15, 2013 7:08 PM EST

        I bet he and David Vitter would "party" together!

          Reply#65 - Tue Jan 15, 2013 7:16 PM EST

          Haven't the people of South Carolina suffered enough? Please spare us any more of Mark Sanford. When he was governor, even the Republicans in the state Senate and House hated him. Then the "family values" hypocrite embarrassed us in front of the world. He's so thick, he doesn't even know we just want him to go away.

            Reply#66 - Tue Jan 15, 2013 7:27 PM EST

            This couldn't be any more pathetic.

              Reply#67 - Tue Jan 15, 2013 8:20 PM EST

              Perfect job for him! Plenty of time off to run back and forth to Argentina!

                Reply#68 - Tue Jan 15, 2013 8:39 PM EST

                I've had the unfortunate task of living in this district for the last 8 years, and I wouldn't be surprised if he wins. There are a lot of conservatives down this way, who will be willing to look the other way in regards to his marital infidelities just so they don't lose another republican seat. Let's not forget, before the redistricting in 2010 our Congressman was Joe Wilson, ring any bells...He's the one that shouted at President Obama (You Lie!) during his state of the union address. I for one will not be voting for him. Besides being a philanderer, the guy seems like such a stiff (pun intended).

                  Reply#69 - Tue Jan 15, 2013 8:50 PM EST

                  Another "Family Value" republican....

                    Reply#70 - Tue Jan 15, 2013 9:06 PM EST

                    Wasn't South Carolina the state that gave us Paul "I announce my racism during the State of the Union speech" Wilson?

                      Reply#71 - Tue Jan 15, 2013 9:09 PM EST

                      The Republican Party of Family Values put their Adulterer back up for Auction to the Highest Bidder.

                        Reply#72 - Tue Jan 15, 2013 9:18 PM EST

                        Adultery is a Republican Party of Family Values Platform.

                        Do as I say, not as I do...

                          Reply#73 - Tue Jan 15, 2013 9:21 PM EST

                          Didn't know you could smoke those Palmettos.

                            Reply#74 - Tue Jan 15, 2013 9:24 PM EST

                            Let s put him back out there, the Public might have forgotten about his Adultery...

                              Reply#75 - Tue Jan 15, 2013 9:24 PM EST

                              Lies and deception. Yep... he's a perfect candidate for congress.

                                Reply#76 - Tue Jan 15, 2013 9:25 PM EST

                                This is yet another example of the unbridled arrogance of the GOP! He didnt have the decency to resign when caught in a long term affair with a woman not his wife. NOW< he runs for Congress in the party of family values!! LOLOL Will the comedies of arrogance, lies and deceit ever end for Republicans???

                                  Reply#77 - Tue Jan 15, 2013 9:26 PM EST

                                  So what, who cares if he committed Adultery, the Public have forgotten about it...

                                    Reply#78 - Tue Jan 15, 2013 9:28 PM EST

                                    A lot of people care....

                                      #78.1 - Tue Jan 15, 2013 9:32 PM EST

                                      Indeed Sanford is the next GOP candidate for the Presidency of the United States

                                        #78.2 - Tue Jan 15, 2013 9:36 PM EST

                                        Bill CT

                                        (Sarc)

                                          #78.3 - Wed Jan 16, 2013 11:16 AM EST
                                          Reply

                                          "I’m not saying it was God-ordained or anything like that," Sanford said, "but a series of rather miraculous events have coincided here, that did not escape the attention of the friends who were urging me to look at this."

                                          Why oh Why do they always drag God into their own power-hungry delusions????

                                            Reply#79 - Tue Jan 15, 2013 9:34 PM EST
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