It marked the second time in two weeks that someone talked about as a possible GOP Presidential contender had suddenly been branded with a Scarlet Letter "A."

The difference was that Gov. Sanford went on much longer and much more publicly, raising more and more questions as he went, questions which will certainly keep him in the news in coming days.

The other difference was that the newspaper in the capital of South Carolina, The State, has emails between the Governor and the other woman. Which will insure that this is not a one day story. You can read some of that at http://bit.ly/3FHrQ0

The comments to me on Twitter and Facebook were priceless, like "I love it when politicians attempt to write erotic love poetry!"

But those details aren't really the important thing when you think about the GOP in 2012.

After watching Sanford and Sen. John Ensign crash and burn over the last two weeks, you would have to think that former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is feeling pretty good.

He left himself in a good position after last year's election, and certainly isn't hurt by all of these events.

The last time we had an Argentine Firecracker in US politics, it was Rep. Wilbur Mills, the Democratic chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, who saw his late night rumblings with stripper Fanne Foxe grab the headlines.

Foxe tried to escape police by jumping into the Tidal Basin over by the Jefferson Memorial back in October of 1974.

Just as Mills, an Arkansas Democrat, had once dreamed of being a Presidential nominee, Sanford has had his name bandied about a good deal of late.

That news conference in Columbia by Sanford will keep the news going in South Carolina for days and days.

It is a grand ole mess right now. But there is lots of time until November of 2012.