The candidates for South Carolina governor in 2010 have been walking a fine line this week, to say the least. But state Rep. Nikki Haley (R), who arguably stood to suffer the most by association to Gov. Mark Sanford (R), has just used the discussion over whether the governor should resign to attack a potential rival, Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer (R).

Haley has been considered a close ally of Sanford's when it comes to fiscal issues. And she says today that the state couldn't afford a Bauer governorship."While the governor has clearly made a serious and costly error, the focus of what comes next should not be on how it affects Mark Sanford but instead on how it affects the people of our state," she said in a statement just released by her campaign. "I have major concerns about the viability of that movement [toward government reform, fiscal accountability, smaller government] and the direction our government could take under the Lieutenant Governor should Governor Sanford resign."

She said elected officials must act "in the best interests of the state," and cautioned that "South Carolina cannot afford to go back to the good-ole-boy system that so badly serves the taxpayers and undermines our government."

Sanford today held his first Cabinet meeting since returning to the state. After the jump, see the statement his office released afterward.