AWOL

My favorite story this week is the strange disappearance of South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford (you know, one of those guys who was talking tough about rejecting federal stimulus funds). Accounts of Gov. Mark Sanford’s six-day absence from his public duties remain unclear and, in some instances, contradictory. A timeline of events:

Thursday

Sanford leaves the Governor’s Mansion in a black State Law Enforcement Division Suburban assigned to his security detail. A precise time is unavailable.

A mobile telephone tower in Atlanta near Hartsfield airport picks up a signal from Sanford’s phone. It is the last signal before his phones are turned off for days.

Friday

Law enforcement officials get no response to phone and text messages sent to Sanford.

Saturday

The governor’s office reports to police that there is no reason for concern but provides no details.

State Sen. Jake Knotts, R-Lexington, calls SLED [State Law Enforcement Division] chief Reggie Lloyd about rumors that no one knows where Sanford is and no one can reach him. Lloyd confirms that Sanford’s whereabouts are known.

Sunday

Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer learns Sanford’s whereabouts are unknown.

Monday

Monday morning — Reporters hear rumors that Sanford’s location is a mystery.

2:30 p.m. Knotts issues a statement raising questions about Sanford’s absence, asking who is in charge of the executive branch of S.C. government.

2:40 p.m. The State newspaper posts an online article saying Sanford has been out of reach for four days.

2:50 p.m. The governor’s office issues a statement that Sanford “is taking some time away from the office this week to recharge after the stimulus battle. ... We are not going to discuss the specifics.”

3 p.m. The Associated Press reports that first lady Jenny Sanford says she does not know where her husband is, but he is taking time away from their four boys, “to write something.” She says she is not worried.

Midafternoon Sanford security officials are told by the governor’s office that he is OK. No details are provided.

3:40 p.m. The lieutenant governor’s office says Sanford’s office says it has spoken to Sanford and knows where he is.

About 5 p.m. Sanford spokesman Joel Sawyer denies that staffers told Bauer’s office that someone had spoken with the governor.

5 p.m. As media inquiries escalate to include national news outlets, Sanford spokesman Joel Sawyer issues another statement. It says in part, “Before leaving last week, (Sanford) let staff know his whereabouts and that he'd be difficult to reach.” He declines to elaborate. Sawyer also doesn’t know whether Sanford is still in the country.

10:05 p.m. The governor’s office issues a statement saying Sanford is hiking on the Appalachian Trail. Staff members do not know where Sanford is on the trail and will not say whether he is hiking with anyone.

Tuesday

9:42 a.m. The governor’s office issues a statement saying staffers have spoken with Sanford and he will return to work today.

[As of 9:00PM last night, Lt. Governor Bauer still did not know where he was. Rachel Maddow did an interesting interview with the bewildered Lt. Governor last night.]

Wednesday

Gov. Sanford arrives in the early morning at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport for the drive back to Columbia.

I'm no conspiracy theorist, but what kind of person takes off at a moment's notice to Argentina without telling his wife or family (on Father's Day weekend, no less)? He says he was alone on the trip. He declined to give any additional details about what he did other than to say he drove along the coastline. When asked why his staff said he was on the Appalachian Trail, Sanford replied, 'I don't know.'

This all sounds VERY fishy to me. I'm taking bets that we will find out that he was with another woman (or man..he's a Republican, after all). The Daily Show has its own theory. But all kidding aside, Marc Ambinder at the Atlantic raises an important point:

..as the executive officer of a government, he has, in essence, a formal and probably legal responsibility to the people of his state to be in office at all times, and short of that, to find a way to responsibly and transparently and temporarily transfer power to a subordinate. That's a basic, and usually obvious, cost of seeking public office. Even if South Carolinians support his choice to check out, it is rather arrogant of him to presume that his executive authority is untethered to his interactions with other human beings.