ADULTERER MARK SANFORD: SOMEWHAT LESS HYPOCRITICAL THAN YOU'D THINK

Mark Sanford has now acknowledged an affair with a woman from Argentina, begun about a year ago -- which is approximately when he said this in an interview with Ray Nothsine of the Acton Institute:

I think the Bible says, "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father that's in heaven." Hopefully, by the way in which you act.... And so I would say it's a mistake to confine one's belief to only matters of government. If you have a religious view, it's incumbent upon you and it's real to have that. The Bible talks about the fruit of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control. There ought to be certain things that are clearly observable by your actions.

It's also around the time he said this:

While I do, in fact, "believe," it is my personal view that the largest proclamation of one's faith ought to be in how one lives one's life.

But, to be fair, I should point out that the latter quote came as he was refusing to sign a bill permitting South Carolina to issue "I BELIEVE" license plates featuring a stained-glass window and a cross. (He did, however, let the bill become law without his signature.)

Oh, and this is from a 1998 Time story about the Clinton impeachment:

"You've got your clear attack dogs. They love it, they don't mind living in glass houses and throwing rocks," said Mark Sanford, a South Carolina Republican. "But most of us feel uncomfortable in the role of judge. It isn't exactly why we came to Congress. We're off center and edgy."

(He did, however, vote yes on three of the four Clinton impeachment articles.)

So he's a bit less of a traditional-values phony than he could be.