Sanford: I'm more powerful now

Gov. Mark Sanford (R-S.C.) says he's more powerful governor now than he was before his scandalous affair came to light.

"I would argue that I have a greater voice in the General Assembly than I did at the end of the stimulus debate," Sanford told The Greenville News, alluding to his long-standing refusal to accept federal dollars.

The stimulus took place largely before Sanford's affair was revealed in June.

And not only that. Sanford says his life and career are simpler now that there's no chance he's going to run for President.

"In many ways, I've never been as focused on the job as I am now," he claimed.

(The Greenville News link is broken, but there's a UPI writeup here.)