Sanford on Planes: 'I've Got a Busy Life'

Mark Sanford defended his personal use of state-owned planes today, arguing that the competing demands of fatherhood and the governor’s office required that he mix business and family travel, the AP reports. "I've got a busy life, and I've tried as best I can to be a reasonable father, while at the same time, a good governor,” Sanford said.

Responding to reports that he used the state planes to go to his kids’ sporting events, the South Carolina governor said, “I can't tell you the number of sporting events I've missed, of theirs." Sanford’s cushy travel habits contrast with a reputation for thrift—the governor is a vocal opponent of government spending and tried to block South Carolina from receiving funds from the Obama administration’s stimulus package.
(More Mark Sanford stories.)