news-record.com

South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford was unfaithful to his wife, but that's not why he should resign.

He should resign because he was unfaithful to the people of South Carolina and to the responsibilities of his office.

When Sanford stole away to spend five days with another woman in Argentina, he left an unexplained vacuum of authority.

The S.C. Constitution says "in the event of the temporary absence of the Governor from the State, the Lieutenant Governor shall have full authority to act in an emergency."

That provision isn't much good if the lieutenant governor hasn't been informed of the governor's absence. And, of course, Sanford wasn't just out of state; he was on another continent. What's more, he apparently was out of touch for much of the time. It might have taken state officials days to realize that the governor was even gone, delaying the lieutenant governor's potential response to a disaster like a hurricane or nuclear power plant accident. Specifically, only the governor or acting governor can act as the state's commander in chief and call up the National Guard. So Sanford's failure to report his travel plans and transfer temporary authority was a gross act of negligence with potentially serious consequences.

North Carolina's constitution contains a more explicit directive: "During the absence of the Governor from the State ... the Lieutenant Governor shall be Acting Governor." There can be no doubt this requires the governor to tell the lieutenant governor when she's crossing the state line and when she'll return. A spokeswoman for Gov. Bev Perdue said last week Perdue has fulfilled that obligation conscientiously, while at the same time staying in touch with her office when she's gone.

The constitutional edict might be overly strict in this age of instant communication and rapid travel, but it makes the point that a governor or acting governor must be accessible at all times. Sanford blatantly violated that principle and obviously for a very poor reason. To make matters worse, he now has admitted he used a state-paid "trade mission" to Argentina last year to meet up with his South American lover.

It will be difficult, if not impossible, for Sanford to regain the trust of his wife, the people of South Carolina and the other state officials with whom he has to work. He deceived them all.

Breaking marital vows is one thing. Repairing that damage is a private matter between Mark and Jenny Sanford. Sanford's failures as governor are very much a public concern.

North Carolinians expect their governor to be honest and accountable, and South Carolina residents deserve no less.