The issue is out for all the world to see. TIME magazine calls South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford one of the worst chief executives in the nation. He's ranked in the bottom three. One North Augustan says, "It doesn't look too good for our state, let's put it that way."

  The article faults Sanford for losing the state's AAA credit rating, bringing the state's economy to a standstill, and frustrating business leaders. "At the same time that I get this ranking, i've been, you know, ranked by National Review as one of the best governors in the country. The CATO Institute put us in the top three in the nation as freshmen, top five in the country overall."

  Sanford says he's been recognized for his efforts to limit government and cut taxes, and for improving the state's unemployment rate. The governor's office says forty-three thousand more South Carolinians are working now than this time last year. "Business is up, and I know we've lost a lot of jobs, but the jobs we're getting are better salaries than what was previous," says Brad Bedgood a North Augustan.

  Sanford also points out that some of the magazine's top ranked governors have backed some of the largest tax increases in the history of their respective states.    

  Aiken County republican leaders say the article doesn't come as a surprise. "It's a liberal national news organization like TIME magazine. He's actually been rated as one of the best new governors in some other publications," says Chris Corley, vice chairman of the Aiken County Republican Party.

  Corley says Sanford is moving South Carolina in the right direction and should have been ranked among America's best governors. "I would include Sanford towards the top. I think he's done a good job. He's done what's been needed in South Carolina for a while, that's a governor who'll stand up to the legislature and a governor who'll tow a hard line on spending issues."   

  The issue is on newsstands now.