Recent articles and blogs by The State newspaper’s editorial page editor, Brad Warthen, complaining about Governor Mark Sanford’s stand on Congressional bailouts make for some really strange “journalism.”

Governor Sanford has been consistent in his call for a stop to the stupidity of the bailouts.  He said it in the Washington Post on September 26, in the Washington Times on October 29, in a 7 November letter to the Secretary of the Treasury and in The Wall Street Journal on November 15 and December 2.  But what has Warthen’s criticism been?  That Sanford is thumping his chest in a “look at me” campaign and crying wolf (or, as he puts it, “big government!”).

Mr. Warthen doesn’t argue that the Governor’s points are wrong.  Rather, he chides Sanford for being self-righteous and, oddly, brings in an example of a grocery store to illustrate – what, exactly?

CONTINUE…