Bauer Makes His Case

The State uses its turn to interview South Carolina Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer to profile the man and his career. Bauer confirms yesterday's news that he has been talking about serving only the remainder of Gov. Mark Sanford's term with a pledge not to run in 2010, to dispel worries that he'd otherwise have the advantage in that race as a sitting incumbent.

"Because somebody has to be the adult here," Bauer told The State newspaper Monday, a phrase he repeated several times on television throughout the day. "People are too concerned about the gubernatorial race, and nobody is worried about the people of South Carolina."

Bauer seeks to distance himself from an aide who was caught out yesterday by The New York Times openly campaigning behind the scenes to put Bauer on the throne. And he denies rumors that he might be gay.

Update: The State editorial page argues that Sanford should stay on to keep the playing field level for 2010. Pretty harsh on Bauer:

If we're looking to rid our state of embarrassment, it's hard to see how replacing Mr. Sanford with Mr. Bauer would accomplish that. And it's hard to overstate the potential long-term downside of such a move.