The Aires Up There

Wow. Just wow. Yesterday, the Sanford saga was an over-hyped tale of a "quirky" gov who just wanted to clear his head on a hiking trip. Today, it's a full-blown P.R. disaster for the would-be WH'12 hopeful, and another headache for the GOP.

-- Sanford's 2pm ET press conference may answer many of the questions surrounding his BA getaway. Was he traveling alone? Did his family know? Why on earth did his staff tell the press he was hiking the A.T.? Even if Sanford answers all these questions, has the damage to his credibility already been done? Just a week ago, few outside SC knew who he was. Today, everyone within earshot of cable TV knows him as the disappearing gov.

-- Meanwhile, with an approval rating of just 36%, the GOP can ill-afford another blow to its image. Yet, this could also prove to be a good chance for WH '12 hopefuls Pawlenty and Romney to re-brand themselves. They may not be shiny and new like Jindal , Sanford or Ensign. But at least they look like safe commodities. At this point, boring may be the best trait an ambitious GOPer could possess.