Welcome back and good luck, Mr. Sanford

All right, the South Carolina First Congressional District election Tuesday didn’t turn out the way I would have wanted.

But since I don’t live there, I didn’t have a direct say in who the voters would send to Congress to represent them. I’m just a silly ol’ blogger out here in Flyover Country who thinks Republican Rep.-elect Mark Sanford is a terminal narcissist who doesn’t give a hoot about anyone other than himself.

But that’s just me thinking out loud.

http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/house-races/298415-sanford-victory-could-spell-trouble-for-house-gop-leadership

Sanford is going to have some challenges ahead as he takes his seat after defeating Democratic opponent Elizabeth Colbert Busch in a special election to fill the seat once held by Sen. Tim Scott, who was appointed to the Senate after Jim DeMint left to lead the Heritage Foundation.

The House leadership turned its back on Sanford. It didn’t help him with campaign cash or appearances by the speaker of the House. Why? Because Sanford is a seriously flawed guy. He cheated on his wife and then lied to his constituents about his whereabouts on Mothers Day weekend of 2009. He put the word out he was hiking in the woods when he was actually in Argentina frolicking with his girlfriend, who he now plans to marry.

Character ought to matter. Oh sure, both houses of Congress are full of scoundrels who wear both party labels. But when given the chance to elect someone who wasn’t toting the baggage draped around Sanford’s shoulders, they went with this clown anyway.

One social media comment noted that now Sanford can get out of South Carolina, head back Washington and he’ll somehow be out of his constituents’ hair. Not exactly. He’ll still be making decisions on their behalf.

They’ll just need to watch him like a hawk to ensure he’s actually doing what they’re paying him to do.