No impeachment for Sanford; censure recommended

A subcommittee of the South Carolina legislature voted down an effort to impeach Mark Sanford today, instead recommending a formal censure.

By a 6 to 1 vote, the panel decided Sanford's misuse of a state airplane and unannounced trip to see his mistress in Argentina were not serious enough to merit impeachment.

"We can't impeach for hypocrisy. We can't impeach for arrogance. We can't impeach an officeholder for his lack of leadership skills," said Rep. James Harrison, according to an AP report. 

The only lawmakers to vote for impeachment was Republican Greg Dallaney.

"We have a governor forsaking, abandoning, deserting his office. We have a premeditated, intentional act where he abandoned his office in the state," Delleney said. "He has lost all moral authority to lead this state."

The panel instead passed a measure recommending a legislative censure.