Sanford's gimmick

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Pigs don't belong in the lobby of the state House of Representatives, and Gov. Mark Sanford should not have brought them there. It was a silly gimmick, and House members cannot be blamed for assuming the governor was trying to embarrass them.

Sanford was displeased because the House rushed through his 106 budget vetoes and only sustained him on one of them. He said he took the two pigs to the House lobby Thursday to have a little fun while pointing out the Legislature passed a budget bill that contained some pork-barrel spending.

The governor's stunt soiled more than the floor of the House lobby where a pig responded to the call of nature. He also soiled his relationship with the House leadership, which has generally been supportive of his policy proposals, though not necessarily his leadership style.

House Speaker David Wilkins, R-Greenville, called the governor's behavior "insulting" and "childish." He put the appropriate labels on the governor's actions. But in a act of statesmanship, Wilkins told Greenville News reporter Dan Hoover that he would continue to try to work with the governor, "but this certainly doesn't help."

No, it doesn't. At the end of the day, Gov. Sanford needs legislative support to advance his agenda. The House has passed a number of Sanford's bills, only to send them to the Senate where they have been buried. The governor grabbed headlines with last week's pig prank, but at the expense of his credibility.