Philandering creationist governor Mark Sanford now says he’s being persecuted just like Sarah Palin: Sanford: Now I know what Palin felt like.

And he repeated his contention that God put him on Earth to be the governor of South Carolina. Sanford didn’t mention if God also planned for him to sneak off to Argentina and party with his mistress at taxpayers’ expense.

Sanford also told the Times that he is committed to staying in office to fight for his conservative, small-government beliefs because it’s what God put him on earth to do. The embattled governor has long sparred with Republicans in the legislature on matters of government spending.

“I feel absolutely committed to the cause, to what God wanted me to do with my life,” he said. “I have got this blessing of being engaged in a fight for liberty, which is constantly being threatened.”