WHAT MARK SANFORD SHOULD HAVE SAID

Here's what Mark Sanford should have said following the announcement of his affair:

1) "I've had an extramarital affair"

2) "This is a private matter between my wife and I"

3) "I've apologized to her and we are working on restoring our marriage," PERIOD.

In other words, he should have went Democrat on them, pulled a Bill Clinton, no whining, no convulsions, elaborations, details, or excuses -- just the facts, Ma'am.

I remember all of the reverberations from the Dems during the Lewinsky affair that "it was only sex," and that "it's his private life" and that "it doesn't affect his job performance." Well, if this is true, then why is it only true for Democrats?

When Democrats have affairs, they rarely if ever resign. In fact, as Rush Limbaugh would say, they are "resume' enhancers". Republicans, being the party that is supposed to have some scruples, gets caught up in this perfection accusation and needs to admit that while they have ideals and principles, they are no more perfect than their fellow human beings on the other side of the isle.

Recent affairs, like the Sanford episode, remind us of this imperfection. It should not paint the whole Republican party as a bunch of hypocrites, any more than Bill Clinton's should paint all Democrats as perjurers in sexual harassment cases.

WHAT MARK SANFORD SHOULD HAVE SAID