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We could get him and all his supporters in my car and still have room for my dog. And it's a big dog.
Seems like everybody's sore at S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford these days.
And for good reason – he talks like a crazy man.
Sanford says he doesn't want to pour money on a fire.
Which is crazy talk. After all, it's free money. Straight from Washington.
As part of the recovery plan, federal stimuluteers earmarked $700 million for S.C. education. Sanford balked.
Sanford says things like, when you're in a hole, stop digging.
Which is crazy talk. After all, who cares how deep it gets?
But he said more than 10 percent of S.C. taxpayer money goes to debt service. If he took the $700 million, he said, he'd rather spend it on paying down the principal.
Sanford says things like, we ought to put some hay in the barn like farmers do, knowing winter is coming.
Which is crazy talk. After all, winter is far away. And the problem is here now.
Washington, wise in its ways, said take the money. But give it to schools, now.
Sanford says things like, we'll never erase the national debt by borrowing 50 cents on every dollar we spend in places like South Carolina.
Which is crazy talk. After all, he's not the president. He's just a governor. National debt is somebody else's problem.
But he argued that taking the money would just cause more problems. South Carolina would spend the cash over the next two years, then be left with a huge hole in its budget when the windfall ran out.
Sanford says things like, I don't want to just kick the can down the road for someone else to deal with.
Which is crazy talk. After all, he'd be out of office by then.
Folks went to court and got an order telling him to take the money. After all, they said, we must think of the children. We must pay for education.
Sanford says things like, it will be those children who will pay the money back.
Which is crazy talk. After all, we've been sticking our kids with the bill for years. That's how it works.
Sanford was one of those politicians who said when he was running that he'd be an agent for effective but efficient government. He said he'd make the hard decisions when they came along. He said he'd do the right thing, even if it was unpopular.
Which, as it turns out, isn't crazy talk.
Which, as it turns out, is exactly what he did.
So, hop in governor. Traffic is pretty light on that road you want to go down. And even though there's plenty of room in the car, I happen to like where you're headed.
Mark Washburn: 704-358-5007; mwashburn@charlotteobserver.com
