(Columbia) -- Governor Mark Sanford carried two oinking piglets under his arms into the House chamber Thursday to protest fast action by lawmakers who overrode his budget vetoes. Sanford says it's a lighthearted way to prove his point about what he calls pork in the $5.5 billion spending plan.

The Republican-controlled House voted to override all but one of his 106 budget vetoes in short order Wednesday afternoon. The Senate later voted to override all but six, and the budget became law .

The Republican governor stood at the House doors with pig feces on his shoes and coat and laughed about it.

Inside the House chamber, some representatives were outraged. Speaker David Wilkins of Greenville says the stunt is beneath the dignity of the governor's office. Wilkins says he was proud of the budget and disappointed that the governor made fun of the House, which already had approved most of Sanford's agenda, unlike the Senate.

Senator Brad Hutto (D-Orangeburg) spoke of his disdain from the well of the Senate, "It was just a ill thought-out display that was to gain him some TV time at the expense of the decorum that we should display in this State House."

Senator Phil Leventis (D-Sumter) appreciated it as a gimmick, "It's a great bit of showmanship, but it has nothing to do with moving South Carolina forward. I think that's the problem. The Governor's so much into showmanship, he forgot about substance."

Sanford had his defenders, like Senator Jake Knotts (R-Lexington), "I don't think the governor meant to embarrass the state. I think he holds his office in high esteem. But to prove his point, he took the pigs back to the pen where the pork started."

Not everyone saw the situation so seriously, such as Senator Gilda Cobb-Hunter (D-Orangeburg), "I thought it was hilarious. I appreciate the governor having a bit of diversity in his pig selection. That's more than I can say for the judiciary here in South Carolina."

Asked for his reaction, USC political expert Dr. Blease Graham described the pig protest as, "Out of the box and over the edge."

WIS News 10 took to the streets and found people like Mary Ann Greene were laughing, "Well, I thought he had a sense of humor. He looked like he was having a lot of fun and the pigs looked well-behaved."

Derrick Williams saw the humor as well, "I found some humor in it and at the same time, I can applaud him from sticking to his guns." Williams thinks Sanford's method was effective, "I think if he wanted to make a statement, he certainly did that."

Williams is concerned Sanford's act will do little to improve the image of South Carolina, "Oh certainly not, certainly not help us."

Pamela Miller didn't see it as a joke, "It's kind of insulting, yes. He could've had someone else do it. He didn't have to do it." Still, Miller did get the point, "I think he's trying to prove a point between the Senate and the House, letting them know who the real pigs are."

The governor took center stage at a banquet Thursday evening talking to a room full of business leaders. There were a few laughs from WIS anchor David Stanton, who emceed the event, "Well, it's fortunate we didn't have pork on the menu tonight."

It was mostly business for the governor at the South Carolina Business Hall of Fame induction ceremony, "The real unsung heroes out there to make a difference in any community are business people."

Some wondered how the pig protest might be perceived as it made air on some of the cable news outlets, but people like Chuck Garnette with NBSE say they don't believe it will damage South Carolina's image, "Politics in South Carolina are like most places, it's always interesting. Today is no exception. I don't think it will have an impact on business. It's interesting and fun to watch."

Reported by Nicole Bell
Updated 10:44pm by BrettWitt with AP