So it seems the mystery is solved. According to CNN,
Mark Sanford's office is now saying that the South Carolina governor is hiking the Appalachian trail.
In a late Monday e-mail to reporters, Sanford spokesman Joel Sawyer apologized "for taking so long to send this update," explaining that he "was waiting to see if a more definitive idea of what part of the Trail he was on before we did so."
The Appalachian trail stretches from Georgia to Maine.
Fascinating.
So, a Republican governor who so stridently opposed accepting funds for his state from Obama's stimulus package, having had all of his vetoes overturned by his Republican-led state legislature needed to take some time away.
Where does one go for such stress-relief?
Why, the Appalachian Trail, which has a very long and fascinating history and which was protected for his enjoyment today as a result of Federal legislation
The The National Trails System Act, P.L. 90-543, became law October 2, 1968. The Act and its subsequent amendments authorized a national system of trails and defined four categories of national trails. Since the designation of the Appalachian and Pacific Crest National Scenic Trails as the first two components, the System has grown to include 20 national trails.
Fancy that.
Organization and Management
Each national trail is administered by either the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture under the authority of the National Trails System Act. The National Park Service administers 15 of the 20 trails in the NTS; the Forest Service administers 4 trails; and Bureau of Land Management administers one. The Secretaries are to administer the federal lands, working cooperatively with agencies managing lands not under their jurisdiction. Management responsibilities vary for the type of trail.
Snarkiness aside, this is a seemingly bizarre story, but it'll be a good thing if it draws awareness to this national treasure (the trail that is, not the governor!).
UPDATE: h/t to seanflynn -- Josh has a late posting with a more serious take on just how bizarre this chain of events is becoming. Check him out over at Talking Points Memo