Rebuking Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer's calls for S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford to step down, the governor said that he's staying put and won't be "railroaded out of this office."

Read more stories on this subject in our Mark Sanford topic page. The governor said, in part:

So let me be unequivocally clear: while it would be easier to simply move on with life, and not contest the sensational charges against our administration's handling of public funds, it would be wrong. I also believe that given the constitutionally weak state of the governorship in South Carolina, it would be wrong to simply go back to the farm and take refuge given the implications for future governors.

The Charleston City Paper seems to have the better reporting on the conference, and you can read Sanford's entire response in this PDF.

Things seem sure to heat up from here, especially as some of Sanford's political allies are saying the smart thing to do is leave (scroll to the bottom of the story).