Governor returns from mystery trip to Argentina

SOUTH Carolina Governor Mark Sanford returned to the US yesterday from a secret private trip to Argentina, ending days of speculation over his whereabouts and raising questions about his judgment.

Sanford is the chairman of the Republican Governors’ Association and a prominent fiscal conservative who has been talked about as a serious potential Republican candidate for the 2012 US presidential election.

Analysts said his retreat to South America could damage his political career if he has presidential aspirations. Robert Oldendick, professor of political science at the University of South Carolina, said: “If he disappeared... without telling staff or his family, then that raises a question of: ‘Is this the type of person we want with the responsibility for being in charge of nuclear weapons or in crisis situations?’”