Governor Mark Sanford should be fired.

     On 6 July 2009, South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford (an avowed Christian and a "family values" politician) was censured by the South Carolina Republican Party for his week-long unexplained absence from the state which his staff thought was a hiking trip in the Appalachian Mountains.  The truth was that he was in Argentina visiting his mistress of several years.  He should resign or face impeachment, conviction, and removal from office, but not for his admitted marital infidelity.

     He joins a long line of public officials who have gotten caught up in sexual immorality. Sex is readily available from many sources to those who have money or positions of power.  The temptation to abuse a position of power for sex (or money, or influence, or whatever) seems to be almost impossible to resist.

     However, calls for Sanford's resignation because of his philandering are misplaced.  Even full-blown libertinism would be not be grounds for dismissal or resignation.  A governor's job description does not require that he or she be a good person or act properly (as long as no ethics laws are violated).  Many politicians have survived worse scandals than the one in which Sanford is embroiled.

     The reason Sanford should step down is his unexplained and unexcused absence from his job for six days.  It's called dereliction of duty and abandonment of position (and possibly, misuse of public funds).  Ask your boss what would happen to you failed to show up for work for six days with no explanation.  Multiply that by responsibility for thousands of employees, millions of dollars in programs, and responsibility for oversight of the state national guard and civil defense.