COLUMBIA, S.C. (TPS) - Rumors are swirling across the Palmetto State that Gov. Mark Sanford, who has until now remained neutral in the race for the White House, will endorse former Mayor Rudy Giuliani in his bid to become the next president. The Palmetto Scoop has been contacted by numerous sources who are reporting a “feeding frenzy” among national and local reporters to confirm the buzz.
The whispers of a Sanford-Giuliani endorsement grew to a roar early this morning following a Greenville News article that reported the Giuliani campaign had conspicuously concealed details about its Thursday campaign schedule in South Carolina.
The popular blog FITSNews, which is run by former Sanford spokesman Will Folks, wrote last week that, “Early rumors pegged both Romney and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani as the most likely ‘Sanford suitors’ among the ‘08 contenders, but in recent months sources have confirmed to FITSNews that it’s always been ‘Hizzoner or Bust’ for the governor, or at least for the governor’s Washington D.C.-based political consultant, Jon Lerner.”
Folks elaborated, “Some sources even claim Sanford’s endorsement of Rudy (in exchange for the No. 2 spot on the ticket) is a done deal, and that all the early talk of the governor potentially ending up on a Romney ticket was just a smokescreen.”
Sanford has long been rumored to be a possible Vice Presidential candidate, so if this ends up being true, it could certainly shake things up in the South Carolina primary.
We’ll keep you updated…
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UPDATE: SCHotline said they have spoken with “sources close to Hizzoner” who denied the rumors.
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UPDATE 2: FITSNews is saying tomorrow’s announcement in Charleston will NOT be an endorsement from Sanford. The site is quoting a Giuliani aide as saying, “It’s not Sanford, it’s not a S.C. endorsement - it’s in S.C. for scheduling reasons.”
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UPDATE 3: The State also said no to the Sanford endorsement:
Sphere: Related ContentRumors swirled that Gov. Mark Sanford would be joining the former New York mayor’s campaign. But Sanford spokesman Joel Sawyer said the governor would not be making an endorsement this week. Neither would First Lady Jenny Sanford, Sawyer said.
Later the campaign verified the announcement will be of a national endorsement, happening here only because Giuliani is scheduled to be in the state. [SC Politics Today]
This entry was posted on Thursday, October 11th, 2007 at 11:22 am and is filed under Executive, Primary Season, Republicans. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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And I was just thinking that there is absolutely NO WAY that I would vote for Giuliani, even in a general election. Who knows, maybe I would.
How can Sanford do this to us? I thought he believed in the Constitution and then he turns around and stabs us all in the back? So disappointed in this course of action.
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Why would someone who claims to support small government endorse a big government neo-con like Giuliani?
I won’t believe it until Sanford says it himself.
An abortion supporting, second amendment squashing and Neocon loving Democrat…errr, Republican isn’t what this country needs right now. Disgusting.
Lets see if he endorses Ravanel for head of the DEA>
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Please, no. Endorse anyone but him. Things are bad enough with only two Republicans principled enough to be worth voting for but that would cut the number to one.
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Not only is Sanford the laughing stock of SC ………he will become the laughing stock
of this country ! Come on people, lets get real ! What make hims VP material ?
Oh, that’s right, VP’s do NOTHING…………
Wake up folks, IT’S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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