Forget Kansas. What's the matter with South Carolina? On Friday, Lt. Gov. Ken Ard resigned his office because he was facing indictment for a variety ethics violations, including using campaign money on an iPad, football tickets, and clothes.
It's the latest act in what has become an ongoing Palmetto State circus. Gov. Nikki Haley, loudly heralded as a Tea Party star upon her election, has been a bit of a flop since getting into office. She has alienated her Tea Party base, failed to institute transparency reforms she promised, and seen her approval rating plummet. And her vice-presidential hopes were dealt a blow when her highly sought endorsement of Mitt Romney didn't help to deliver him a win in the state's primary.
The sins of her Appalachian Trail-hiking predecessor, Mark Sanford, need no rehearsing. One reason Sanford was able to finish his term, rather than resigning in disgrace, was that no one wanted his lieutenant governor to take over. Andre Bauer had several run-ins with cops, including having a gun pulled on him and using his state-issued radio to get off for doing 101 miles per hour. He crashed an airplane he was piloting. He was forced to apologize for likening public assistance to feeding stray animals.