Sanford and Suntan

The strange story of missing South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford took a bizarre twist this morning when he returned to South Carolina... from Buenos Aires. According to the Charlotte Observer, the governor spent seven days in Argentina recharging after a difficult legislative session where he argued with lawmakers over how to spend stimulus funds. In the interim, Sanford's disappearance caused a global media frenzy. Sanford said that he didn't know why his staff said he was hiking the Appalachian Trail, but that, in fairness to them, he'd said he might go hiking. In scenic Buenos Aires, the governor said drove along the coast by himself, but declined to give further details. "I don't know how this thing got blown out of proportion," he said of the kerfuffle over his absence. Politico reports that state officials say Sanford failed to make arrangements for executive decisions during his trip.