Tim Mahoney, FL Democrat : ''I don't owe the party anything"

[madfloridian]

This is what you get when your party leaders hightail it down to South Florida to pick a millionaire Republican to run as a Democrat while kicking good Democrats out of the race. Rahm Emanuel and Karen Thurman did just that when they recruited millionaire Republican businessman, Tim Mahoney, to run for Mark Foley's seat.

Here is more of what Tim Mahoney said:

Rep. Mahoney bites the hand that fed him

''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 Nancy Pelosi who owes a debt to me.''

Mahoney partly blames the dispute over Florida's convention delegates for his commitment problem, but it's clear the real reason he's distancing himself from a liberal Democrat is concern for his own survival. The GOP spent roughly $2 million against him in 2006; he faces three Republican challengers in 2008.

Mahoney is terribly afraid to be a Democrat, instead he will cower and make believe to be all things to all people.

Mahoney is terrified. This is not about an endorsement of Obama, it is about fear of angering the GOP.

Which segues nicely into the following point: One of Mahoney's centerpiece bills, quite dear to his insurance-weary constituents, would create a national pool to serve as a backstop in a devastating hurricane. Obama supports it. McCain does not.

But when the Obama campaign slammed McCain on the bill this week, only co-sponsor Ron Klein of Boca Raton got on the horn with reporters. Mahoney -- and the voice of his constituents -- was missing.

Mahoney insists that he has more leverage to push both Obama and McCain to act if he remains independent.

''The moment they perceive me as being partisan, I lose my ability to do the job,'' he said.

Shame on him and shame on those who handpicked him over a good Democrat called Dave Lutrin.

Democratic leaders hand-picked a Republican to run in Foley's district


David Lutrin has been a good friend to Blue America and has always been available and candid with us. He kept in great contact with us when he was running for Congress in FL-16 last summer, made several announcements about his campaign at Down With Tyranny and, after he withdrew from the race, he sent a note back to every single Blue America contributor– along with a check for the amount they had donated to his campaign. Today Dave is joining us here at Firedoglake to talk about the nuts and bolts of the primary race he started but never finished in south Florida.

Democratic Party organizations throughout the district, as well as the state party and the DCCC in Washington. Everyone was enthusiastic and encouraging. Glen Rushing, the DCCC point person for the region, told Dave he was "just the type of candidate we're looking for." He offered to introduce him to Alabama Congressman Artur Davis, the DCCC-appointed mentor for Democratic candidates in the region, who following their first phone conversation offered to help him with his race. Rushing then promised to get him in touch with Florida DCCC chief, Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, Emanuel's lieutenant for the Southeast.

Then something happened, something very dark and secretive, something people are just uncovering now. DCCC Chairman Rahm Emanuel found out something that could– and did– change the dynamics of the race in FL-16 dramatically. Emanuel became aware that Mark Foley– well-known for years Inside-The-Beltway, albeit not among his church-going constituents, as a very active (and very hypocritical) homosexual– was molesting the underage male congressional pages, and that he had been for many years. Did Emanuel call the police? Did he even call the staffers who are charged by Congress with looking out for the welfare of the pages? Doesn't look that way. What it does look like is that he called a fast-and-loose Republican businessman he knew, someone, like Emanuel, with elastic values and an even more elastic code of personal ethics. He offered him a congressional seat and all he'd have to do was switch party registration and become a Democrat. That man is freshman Congressman Tim Mahoney

How's that working out for you and the party now, Rahm and Karen?

[tularetom]

1. This is what happens when corporate Dems get a little power

They recruit more corporate dems who are like little joe lieberman's - afraid to act like Dems.

If the Democratic tide comes to pass this November, asswipes like Mahoney will be between a shit and a sweat - vote with the people who elected them or with the minority that selected them?

I have a feeling his constituents will be watching.

[madfloridian]

8. I fear the corporations are just switching parties..

with the help of conservative Democrats.

[Leopolds Ghost]

15. Ding ding! I think you solved the pink-tutu question.

[madfloridian]

16. They saw the handwriting on the wall...

Now they are bearing down on the Democrats...and their Blue Dogs are already in place.

[formercia]

19. It was corporate Democrats that staged an attempted coup

against FDR. The right-wing reactionaries in the guise of Democrats have been playing this game for a long time. They try to take over whatever party gives them the most leverage.

We're wise to them now. Throw the bums out. let them form their own fringe party.

[seabeyond]

2. i thought he OWED the people that voted for him.....? asshole. n/t

[madfloridian]

4. He's just afraid. He's afraid to stand for anything.

Stuff like that happens when you pick a Republican in place of a Democrat. :shrug:

[clevbot]

23. my thoughts as well

[madfloridian]

3. Truth Out covered this thoroughly, as well as other similar races.

Special Report: Democratic House Officials Recruited Wealthy Conservatives

How Emanuel came to his decisions about which candidates to support against Democratic opponents is known only to Emanuel and his staff. Emanuel declined direct comment on this story. But an examination of individual races reveals a pattern of financial and political support for wealthy conservative candidates and an assault on their grassroots-supported opponents who were running on platforms that included a full withdrawal of US forces from Iraq.

Long and interesting article about several races in which this happened.

[MessiahRp]

18. This is why we need to stay far away from giving funds to the DCCC or DSCC

They are set up to fuck liberals over and often who they recruit aren't even Democrats at all.

Rp

[truebrit71]

28. Another reason why Nancy Pelsosi can keep her suggestion that Rahm take over Obama' seat to herself.

...I don't want that centrist toad in the Senate thank you very much...

[MrCoffee]

5. Why should a Republican owe the Democratic party anything?

[madfloridian]

6. He has a D after his name...he got financed and supported by D's.

Isn't that enough?

They should not have recruited him in the first place.

[madfloridian]

7. More about how they treated Lutrin, a Dem, so Mahoney, a Republican, could run

"David Lutrin, a school teacher, union activist and staunch supporter of immediate withdrawal from Iraq, decided to run against Foley before Mahoney entered the race. After Mahoney declared his candidacy, Lutrin was contacted by field organizers for the DCCC who asked him to drop out and let Mahoney run unopposed.

Lutrin said that he also met personally with Mahoney. During a three- hour breakfast meeting, Mahoney offered Lutrin a higher-paying job if he agreed to drop out of the primary. "Mahoney tried to get me to run in a different district. He offered me a job at one of his non-profit organizations where he said that I would make more than I was making as a teacher. He said I could campaign full time while working at his non-profit as long as I agreed to drop out of the race," Lutrin said. Lutrin declined the job offer.

According to Lutrin, when he refused to step aside, the DCCC shored up local political support for Mahoney. The local AFL-CIO chapter, of which Lutrin was a member, came out with an early endorsement of Mahoney's campaign. According to Lutrin, the union told him that "they would like to back a fellow union brother, but Mahoney has more money and more political support from the party." Lutrin eventually dropped out of the race when the local teachers' union decided to support Mahoney."

That's how the DCCC dried up funding for Lutrin. The Truth Out article also has Cegelis's tale.

http://www.truthout.org/article/special-report-democratic-house-officials-recruited-wealthy-conservatives

[madfloridian]

9. Update: A constituent is noticing his Republican tendencies.

http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2008/jun/04/letter-mahoney-shows-gop-leanings/

"As a Republican who ran on a Democrat ticket, this young man is frustrated by congressional dogma. He did not mention lobbyists, but told of bills of good intentions, only getting to the question, as near unidentifiable, of special-interest legislation.

That confirms a dysfunctional government for the constituent. While it is refreshing to know a first-term congressman has a conscience, it is frightful to hear he is swallowed by the beast of special interest. He admits we made a mistake invading Iraq, but he failed to point out that we have, for seven years, over and over repeated the same dumb actions, expecting different results. That goes from dumb to insane.

Congressman Mahoney admits the profits of oil companies are obscene, but the key policymakers are owned by such entities. So much for mum on special interests.

He was honest enough to treat his audience like intelligent, informed voters by confirming our concerns that Tim Mahoney has GOP leanings on our troops spending years more in Iraq."

[bertman]

10. As President-to-be Hopey says:

We are the ones who can change this. We are the ones who can throw Rahmbo and Thurman and Queen of the Vampires Wasserman-Schultz and all the other corporatists out by supporting good candidates with our $$ and our time.

It's all about what happens at the grassroots level.

Given that Barry's the new party leader doesn't he have some say over who's on the DCCC? Or am I wrong about that?

[smiley_glad_hands]

17. Obama has no control over the DCCC or DSCC.

Though he can throw his weight around.

Ps: the hopey and barry comment aren't very catchy around here, if ya know what i mean?

[defendandprotect]

11. Right . . . this is the DLC doing this -- moving the party to the right . . .

[mhoran]

12. The sorry state of American politics today

Obama is our best hope for creating institutional change, but it won't be easy. Still, I'm hopeful.

[bbgrunt]

13. Dean is gaining the leverage needed to put an end to this kind of crap

It's a long battle, but one that has been started to take back the Democratic party. Thanks for the update on the dinos.

[madfloridian]

24. I sure hope so.

And I am glad to see people are not telling me to "lay off" Florida Democrats. Cause I don't plan to do that until they quit acting like this.

[DailyGrind51]

14. He is suffering from Lieberman's Syndrome.

[madfloridian]

26. Good point. Confused about who he is, just like Lieberman.

:hi:

[madrchsod]

20. rahm is a snake in the grass

he screwed up the illinois 6th race in 2006....there were heated discussion here at du between the "grassroots" and the dlc democratic underground members on who has the best chance to win. the republican won and neither candidate is going to run in 2008....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illinois%27_6th_congressional_district_election%2C_2006

[The Backlash Cometh]

21. kick

[lib2DaBone]

22. He might have a "D" by his name.....

But he is Republican. Last week he voted against education benefits for returning GI's and extention of Unemployment Benefits.

[madfloridian]

25. He only had a D after his name when he became a candidate..

He did not change parties until then. He really is a Republican in thought.

[spanone]

27. mahoney sounds like an asshole republican to me

[Freddie Stubbs]

29. An "asshole republican who votes with Democrats in the House over 91% of the time

http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/m001164/