"Resigning would be the easiest thing to do," he said.
It's starting to look like he might ride it out. He'll have continuing troubles at home but will obviously not continue to be the focus of national attention. It's not clear at this point what other shoes might drop.
Henry McMaster, the state attorney general, sounds skeptical about calls for an investigation, with his spokesman helpfully pointing out how the AG doesn't want to politicize the situation. Reggie Lloyd, the head of the state police, also says an investigation probably isn't going to happen because there's nothing that smacks of criminal intent.
The State today has a long recapitulation of how it all went down for Sanford. The paper recounts the history of its receipt of the emails between Sanford and Maria Belen Chapur, how it tried to authenticate them and how an anonymous tip led a report to meet Sanford's flight in from Buenos Aires.
Fearful Sanford's staffers did not get it -- that the paper would ask publicly what Sanford's relationship was with Maria -- a State editor called Davis, Sanford's former chief of staff.
Davis, a Beaufort lawyer, recently had been elected to the state Senate. When called, he quickly said he no longer worked for Sanford.
The editor said he knew that but wanted to talk with Davis. Sanford had landed from Argentina, and the paper had e-mails about an affair with a woman in Argentina.
The editor told Davis why he thought the e-mails were genuine. They mentioned Coosaw, the Sanford plantation, and Sanford's love of digging holes; they quoted Bible verses and contained details about Sanford's known schedule.
And more names of women were coming in over the transom. The total was at three and counting.
"Women?!" Davis responded, sounding incredulous. "Women?!"
The editor repeated that the paper would ask Sanford publicly about Maria with TV cameras running. Jenny Sanford and the couple's four sons should be spared that image, and it was up to Davis to ensure Sanford's staffers "got it."
The story also goes over Sanford's history of wanting some space away from security, how Jakey Knotts blew the whistle on his disappearance and how some of Sanford's problems may stem in part from the loss of help from advisors, such as Davis and Jenny Sanford, who might have served him better.
The Post and Courier has a piece up looking back at how Jenny Sanford was essential to the governor's political career.
