Outside the Beltway

Sanfords Separate

James Joyner · Saturday, August 8, 2009 · No comments

I somehow missed the news yesterday afternoon that Mark and Jenny Sanford are going their separate ways:

Jenny Sanford, the wife of South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, announced Friday morning that she and their sons will leave the governor’s mansion in Columbia and settle in the Charleston area, a split that comes after the couple tried for seven weeks to mend their marriage.

Since the Republican governor secretly traveled abroad in June and admitted upon his return that he had an Argentine mistress, the Sanfords have vacationed together in Florida and Europe, and both have repeatedly said they were working to repair their marriage.

But the first lady said Friday that she will move to the family’s oceanfront cottage on Sullivan’s Island, a lush beach enclave near Charleston almost two hours by car from the state capitol, where her husband remains in office. She said their sons, who had gone to school in the Columbia area, will now attend school in the Charleston area.

“From there, we will work to continue the process of healing our family,” Jenny Sanford said. “While we will be leaving Columbia, we will return often, and I will remain engaged in activities in my role as first lady, acknowledging that my responsibilities to my family come first.”

A truly awkward and bizarre situation.