Created: 6/30/2009 8:40:20 PM 
Columbia (WLTX) - In the wake of Governor Sanford's latest admissions Tuesday, Senator Darrell Jackson says he's not calling for the governor's resignation, but rather calling for him to do what's best for his family.
"In 18 months, if he stays, he's out of here and he'll be a former governor," said Jackson. "But he'll never be a former father."
Jackson, who considers Sanford a good friend, says he needs to attend to Jenny and the four boys right now. "I find it very difficult to imagine how he would have time to do anything else but work on saving his family," said Jackson, a Richland County Democrat. Jackson says he's counseled other couples in similar situations before, and he always advises them to drop everything but their relationship."I say to them, your family comes before anything else. If you have to take a sabbatical, if you have to quit your ministry, if you have to leave your business to save your family," Jackson said.
Jackson is now calling for lawmakers to put their politics aside and not worry what's best for their own parties.
"I will not participate in anything that will further try to dump on Mark Sanford for political reasons," said Jackson. "I don't think this is the time for anyone to think politics first."
But Jackson admits, with Sanford's admissions Tuesday, it will be tough for him to continue governing the state.
"It is highly unlikely that he can do in the next 18 months something that he hasn't done in seven years when his reputation was in tact," said Jackson.
