Inside the Beltway

LIFE WITHOUT JENNY

Not a good week for South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, who announced that his “political days are over” during a speech to local civic leaders in Batesburg on Thursday.

But his missus is doing just fine. Jenny Sanford is taking care of business, even as her husband admits that the governor’s mansion is lonely these days.

“Right now, she is settling herself and the boys into their Sullivan’s Island home and getting them ready for the first day of school next week. She will still continue her role as first lady,” her assistant, Meg Milne, tells Inside the Beltway.

Mrs. Sanford moved out of the mansion with her four sons last week and now occupies the family beach house. Her winning public demeanor in the aftermath of her husband’s philandering prompted some to suggest Mrs. Sanford run for office herself.

“No other updates at the moment,” Ms. Milne says.

WISH YOU WERE HERE

“I do think that as he’s on vacation, he will concentrate on being on vacation,” says White house press secretary Robert Gibbs.

That is his prediction for President Obama as he takes some downtime with the family in Yellowstone National Park and elsewhere.

Fat chance. Others are not on vacation. And things may not be so restful.

Some 500 protesters from Patients First, a grass-roots advocacy group, are expected at a presidential town-hall meeting in Bozeman, Mont., on Friday. Americans for Prosperity and the Western Slope Conservative Alliance have planned a vigorous “Hands Off My Health Care Rally” in Grand Junction, Colo., when the president comes to call Saturday.

“Washington does not understand the needs of rural Colorado when it comes to grazing rights, oil and gas leases or public lands issues. They certainly understand the need to keep Washington bureaucrats out of something so personal as the relationship between them and their health care provider,” local organizer Jeff Crank tells Beltway.

Conservatives for Patient Rights has bought full-page newspaper ads and TV spots in both localities. But that’s not the end of leisure-time agendas. Why not call attention to our shabby parks as well?

“There is an approximate $600 million annual operating shortfall and a backlog of maintenance projects that exceeds $8 billion, and more than $2 billion of private land to be acquired within park boundaries,” says Ron Tipton, senior vice president for policy of the National Parks Conservation Association.

“As our nation becomes more diverse, our national parks should fully represent our evolving history, culture and diversifying population,” Mr. Tipton says.

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