U.S. Rep. Tim Mahoney calls himself a Blue Dog Democrat. Some Democrats think he's just a dog.
At a time when some Hillary Clinton loyalists would rather stick a flag pin in their eye than rally behind Barack Obama -- but are doing so anyway because of the larger goal of taking back the White House -- Mahoney can't bring himself to back the party's first African-American nominee.
Mahoney, you'll recall, got elected by the skin of his canines just 19 months ago in a Palm Beach County district after Republican Mark Foley's flirty e-mails to former congressional pages buried him in disgrace.
The Democratic establishment went to bat to help Mahoney beat a more experienced Republican, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars and fighting the GOP's perfectly reasonable effort to take Foley's name off the ballot. Union officials knocked on doors. Former Sen. Bob Graham campaigned with Mahoney in the homestretch.
"I don't owe the party anything,'' said Mahoney, whose election helped the Democrats take control of Congress. "If anybody owes anybody anything, it's [House Speaker] Nancy Pelosi who owes a debt to me.''
Read Beth Reinhard's column here.
And this is why Mahoney will win: He is neither D nor R, doesn't like the system and charts his own course. The GOP has stupidly assumed this seat will be easy to take back but they are, as usual, wrong.
Posted by: red | June 07, 2008 at 08:15 AM
8:15....
They're wrong, but not for the reasons you detail.
Mahoney, who has proved remarkable fundraising prowess for a freshman, is facing one of three R's who will beat up on one another to face him in the general.
He doesn't feel he owes anything to anyone, but he owes his election to a lot of people who had faith he would do something when he got to DC.
Unfortunately, just like most of his colleagues there, he hasn't done diddly..
Posted by: Cynical Ideallist | June 07, 2008 at 09:41 AM
I DON'T TRUST CONGRESSMAN RON KLEIN!
Ron Klein has raised millions of dollars for his own re-election campaign, while the war in Iraq continues and our gas prices skyrocket. Klein says he's for protecting our coastlines, but then Klein takes THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS from the very company that wants to drill off of our coast! Ron Klein is a hypocrite politician.
I DON'T TRUST RON KLEIN!
ALLEN WEST IS AN AMERICAN HERO I CAN TRUST!!!
www.allenwestforcongress.com
VOTE ALLEN WEST FOR CONGRESS!!!
Posted by: Michael Kaplan | June 07, 2008 at 09:56 AM
Mahoney will not be back in Washington. Tom Rooney is going to win the R primary and then beat him in the General Election. It is a Republican district and will vote Red in the Fall for McCain and Rooney.
Posted by: JL | June 07, 2008 at 11:04 AM
Mahoney is as crooked as they come. He deserves to loose in the fall.
Posted by: Amelia | June 07, 2008 at 03:19 PM
Mahoney is so racist he cant bring himslef to support a "black man" for president. What a bigot!. At least his true colors are out there for all to see. Scum bag!
Posted by: RacistMahoney | June 07, 2008 at 07:01 PM
No only is he a Blue Dog, he is also a Gang of 66 member, who always votes in unison with the three ultra right wing Republican congressmen and woman who represent Miami-Dade county.
I wouldn't give the time of day to the Blue Dogs and the Gang of 66.
Posted by: Cuba Journal | June 09, 2008 at 12:08 PM
He deserves to lose... adultry, hush-money... he should have been a Republican. GOOD RIDDENCE! Peace out girl scout!
Posted by: haha | October 13, 2008 at 07:39 PM