Sanford had not been in touch with his staff, security, or family since Thursday, but his office sent an update last night saying he was hiking on the Appalachian Trail:
The governor, who has a reputation for being an unorthodox politician, opened the door to plenty of criticism from political rivals with his disappearance. State Sen. Jake Knotts worried about the line of succession during yesterday’s national speculation. Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer, who is positioning himself to run for governor when Sanford’s term is up, complained that his request to speak with the governor had been denied:
He’ll be back tomorrow to face the political dust kicked up in his absence:
He’ll have to act quickly to tamp down concerns that he was being irresponsible or, that dreaded political euphemism, “erratic,” but Sanford’s take-me-or-leave-me attitude may not lend itself to an explanation tour. At this point, my favorite speculation is that the governor’s hike was shrouded in secrecy because he may have been partaking in Naked Hiking Day. Unlikely, but points for color. The DNC, which has been making a habit of attacking Sanford on the stimulus, should tread lightly on the disappearance story. After all, the DNC Chairman himself is a governor who’s been missing in action since roughly January.
