This is simply one of the funniest things I've read in a long time. You remember those surreal few days when Gov. Mark Sanford (R-SC) was missing from his state and no one knew or could explain where he was. A lot of the media was far too credulous in accepting the increasingly ludicrous explanations for the governor's absence. But in emails recently obtained by The State newspaper, through a FOIA-type request, it turns out that before Sanford got caught sneaking back into the country from Argentina, a slew of right-wing reporters from Fox, the Wall Street Journal ed page and Washington Times were telling the governor's staffers to hang tough, that the whole story was stupid and generally asking how they could help.

Late Update: When we first published this piece we had yet to get a response from the Washington Times. But we've now heard from the Times John Solomon who says that the emailer from the Times was not from the newsroom but from a member of the marketing staff trying to book Sanford for the magazine's radio show. Full details in the post.