State House members say they wanted to join the fight to save South Carolina's military bases, but Gov. Mark Sanford declared them unfit for duty.

After reluctantly agreeing not to override Sanford's veto of legislation to form a military commission, some of the lawmakers said Wednesday they felt he wants sole credit for saving the state's bases.

That, lawmakers said, works both ways: If the state loses bases when the federal ax falls, the Lone Ranger gets the blame, too.

"I went to enlist and the enlistment office was closed," said state Rep. John Graham Altman, R-Charleston. "This is an extremely dangerous game of politics they are playing."

It started after state Rep. Catherine Ceips, sponsor of the South Carolina Military Preparedness and Enhancement Commission bill, asked lawmakers not to override Sanford's veto of her bill. Several House members stopped her to ask a sole question:

Say what?

"I'm asking us to put our faith in the governor," Ceips said.

Altman replied, "That'll be a punch line, you know."

Ceips, a Beaufort Republican with three bases in her backyard, says she got the idea for her legislation from Texas, which also is fighting to keep its military facilities open in the face of federal cuts.

"South Carolina needs a permanent commission to look at the needs of our military because it is so important to the state," Ceips said. "We need to do everything we can to save these bases."On the other hand, she told lawmakers, if the governor says he's got his bases covered, they should not fight him on it.

In his veto notice, Sanford told lawmakers the legislation duplicated the efforts of his South Carolina Military Base Task Force and the Governor's Military Base Advisory Committee. He said a new commission could "destabilize an established process that has been up and running since March 10, 2003."

Retired Air Force Maj. Gen. James L. Gardner Jr., chairman of the governor's advisory committee and co-chairman of his task force, said the House's commission plan was coming along at the wrong time.

"We've done everything the best we can and to try something now would not be good," said Gardner, a Hanahan resident. "We've got to portray to the bean-counters that this state is of one accord."

Majority Leader Jim Merrill, R-Daniel Island, said the House was inclined to "do everything it could," but in the governor's veto, "he said that two different organizations would send a mixed message."

Several House members say they want to do everything possible and not be accused of ignoring the state's bases, which are among South Carolina's largest employers.

Sanford spokesman Will Folks said the governor's decision also reflected logistics: It is only four months until the federal Base Realignment and Closure Commission releases its list of bases to close. Ceips' legislation included no funding to get another panel up and running before that deadline.

"We obviously appreciate drawing additional attention to this issue but simply don't believe that creating a third base-closing task force at this late stage of the process is best," Folks said.

House members were ready to override Sanford's veto but went along with Ceips' request. Now all they can do is wait to see what happens.

"We had a plan, the governor said he had a plan and asked us to back off," said state Rep. Bobby Harrell, R-Charleston. "We have acquiesced. I hope he's right."