South Carolina Republican Chairman Karen Floyd and the state party's executive committee announced late today that it was time for Governor Mark Sanford to go and called on the Governor to resign.

The story from the Palmetto Scoop:

The tide of support from his own Republican Party officially turned against disgraced Gov. Mark Sanford Thursday as the South Carolina GOP called for his resignation.

South Carolina Republican Chairman Karen Floyd and the state party's executive committee held a 5 p.m. conference call before announcing that they had decided it was time for Sanford to go.

SCGOP spokesman Ryan Meerstein said over two-thirds of those voting favored the governor's resignation. He added that a letter from Floyd to the governor would be released later in the evening.

Sanford has come under increasing pressure to resign after allegations that he used state aircraft for personal travel, violated state law by using high-priced airfare, and didn't report the use of private aircraft. The State Ethics Commission is investigating the claims and is expected to release it's findings soon.

On Tuesday, House Speaker Bobby Harrell called for the governor's resignation, saying, "for the good of our state, Sanford should step aside."

The following day, the State House Republican Caucus sent Sanford a letter signed by 61 or 73 members asking that he resign.

Earlier in the day Governor Sanford held a press conference in which he rebuffed any suggestions that he step aside adding that he had yet to tell his side of the story. Sanford's use of state travel funds has come under state scrutiny since that revelation. He has reimbursed the state for some of the money he spent on a trade mission to South America.

Governor Sanford also faces the prospect of a broader investigation by the state's General Assembly. Sanford dismissed such a notion calling it a "kangaroo court."

"We have a real problem if members of the General Assembly are using information from the Ethics Commission to try to use that for impeachment," Sanford said today. "If you go this route, you're setting up a kangaroo court."

It's sad when politicians fail to realize that their political career is over. To drag this affair on is to put the people of South Carolina through a drawn out impeachment process. The end is inevitable. Mark Sanford is disgraced with little chance of a political redemption. Governor Sanford should spare his state any further embarrassment and resign.