South Carolina Gov. Sanford Off the Grid Since Thursday

His wife, security detail, and staff haven't seen him since Thursday. What in the world is going on here?

Sanford's last known whereabouts were near Atlanta, where a mobile telephone tower picked up a signal from his phone, authorities said.

His wife says she is unconcerned, and foul play is not suspected:

She said the governor said he needed time away from their children to write something.

The governor's office issued a statement Monday afternoon: "Gov. Sanford is taking some time away from the office this week to recharge after the stimulus battle and the legislative session, and to work on a couple of projects that have fallen by the wayside.

"We are not going to discuss the specifics of his travel arrangements or his security arrangements.

State Sen. Jake Knotts, a longtime Sanford critic, is the first named source on the story, so this may be a case of a political opponent blowing it out of proportion for political gain, but it does seem an odd way of doing business. Hopefully all will turn out fine.

In 2002, Sanford declined his security during his transition for cost-savings reasons.