Why Sanford May Avoid Spitzer's Fate

Nothing but 'disgusting politics,' she says

(AP) - Here we go again: A South Carolina lobbyist resigned from a rival political campaign yesterday and then became the second man to claim he had a tryst with Nikki Haley . Lobbyist Larry Marchant says he and Haley, who's running for governor, had a "one night indiscretion" in a Salt Lake City hotel room in June 2008, but admitted he had no proof to back up his allegation. "You can't have any evidence on a one night affair," he says. More»

Lovechildren, gay affairs, and hookers, oh my!

(NEWSER) - From Eliot Spitzer’s $80,000 worth of prostitute action to Mark Sanford “hiking the Appalachian trail,” this decade has been ripe with political sex scandals. The Frisky picks the juiciest. Some of the slightly-lesser-discussed affairs:

• Mike Duvall: A self-described “family values warrior” in the California State Assembly spilled about his mistress—while miked—meaning that a whole bunch of politicians got to hear about his propensity for “spanking her.”

'Broken' governor vows to be more 'humble' leader

(NEWSER) - A “broken” Mark Sanford says the fallout from his admission of an extramarital affair has been like attending his own funeral, but he’s “thankful for the perspective it has afforded.” In a column for the Greenville News, the disgraced South Carolina governor shares the life lessons his “tragedy” has taught him, acknowledging “this column does not do justice to the process of saying 'I am sorry.'” More»

Conservative blogger is gathering witnesses

(NEWSER) - Nikki Haley's situation just got a little stickier: There is apparently a photo floating around of the would-be gov and Will Folks in a “compromising position.” Folks revealed this little tidbit yesterday; ironically, he knows about the photograph because in early 2009 someone (who hired a private investigator to take it) attempted to blackmail him with it. Haley allegedly knew about it, too, because at the time Folks supposedly emailed her: “I pray you escape all this." Haley supposedly replied, "Stay strong. Have faith. I’m sorry for any pain you are having to go through. You will be OK and better for it." More»

SC House panel votes to censure him instead

(NEWSER) - It looks like Mark Sanford will be able to finish out his term as South Carolina governor after all. A state House panel voted against impeachment and instead decided to censure him. The lone dissenter on the seven-member panel says he will still try to get the full Judiciary Committee to impeach, but the effort now appears settled, reports the State . Sanford, who got into hot water when he visited his mistress in Argentina, has about a year left. More»