Don't Cry for Me, Argentina. Let me cry instead (on camera).

I can't take anymore (as they might say in Argentina, no mas!), but I know more is coming, so I'll just have to gird up my loins, something apparently others have been doing in "exotic" places like Buenos Aires. Anyone who doesn't know that Governor Mark Sanford of South Carolina made a tearful admission of unfaithfulness and multiple apologies yesterday at a press conference is so far under a rock that it's hopeless to try to explain this bizarre set of circumstances.

After the press conference, which was attended by some young ass-monkeys standing behind Sanford and, unfortunately, within constant camera shot so we could see their immature laughing, smirking, and generally stupid behavior, we were treated to an endless parade of cable "news" opinionators and bloviators who treated the matter in the usual mocking (liberal) or defensive (conservative) way.

To me, the most disturbing aspect of this commonplace romantic indiscretion is not that Sanford has a mistress. That's no surprise. He's a middle-age married man (not excusing middle-age married women). He's a politician and, therefore, must be somewhat hungry for power and simultaneously deluded in thinking that he, unlike others, won't be caught doing the nasty. What annoys me the most about this situation is that neither Sanford nor the opinionators mentioned one word about the breach of his fiduciary responsibility to the State of South Carolina. The fact that he was "out of pocket" for 5 or more days (a) without telling anyone the truth of his whereabouts, (b) unable to be reached, and (c) leaving the governor's office (and the state and the country, no less) without officially transferring administrative power to the Lt. Governor should be and probably is an impeachable offense. That he totally abdicated his responsibilities as Governor is not even being discussed. That should be the first concern of the legislature and voters in South Carolina.

The morality of his infidelity to his wife and family is really a secondary concern, but since it's more sexy than talking about fiduciary responsibilities, that's what gets all the attention. The prurience and touchy-feely "forgiveness" and "support" these hypocritical, ignorant Republicans in South Carolina are so willing to show him now that he's confessed his "sins" makes me want to puke on my shoes.

First, it is their duty to see that he's impeached or forced to resign immediately. Once he's out of the governor's mansion, they can forgive him all they want for his "moral" shortcomings, and Sanford himself will then have the time to seek the mental-health counseling he obviously needs to figure out why he's nucking futz.

Refusing the stimulus money and having an affair showed bad judgment but are not criminal or impeachable offenses, but walking off the job without a word (except for lies) is what people should be focusing on and punishing him for doing by impeaching his ass. Let's remember that Clinton was impeached (initiated by Republicans), but Clinton never had an unexcused absence from the White House.

Any politician who is elected to an office, takes an oath on the Bible, no less, and swears to uphold the Constitution of the United States of America or the State of South Carolina and faithfully execute his or her duties of the elected office has to be held accountable (impeached) when he or she fails to comply with fiduciary obligations. Period.