FL Democrat Tim Mahoney distances from party, gets attacked by GOP for it.

[madfloridian]

There should be a price to pay for Democrats who are fearful to be Democrats and afraid to stand with the nominee. Just today I have read about Allen Boyd and Tim Mahoney of Florida, Nancy Boyda of KS, Dan Boren, Charlie Wilson..and others...who are afraid to stand with the nominee of the party. They are afraid of the right wing.

That they are still afraid of the right wing is really thought provoking. I though we had moved past it.

I don't know about the others, but Tim Mahoney of Florida is getting blasted by the Republicans for not standing with his nominee.

Republicans Attack Dem Congressional Candidate For Not Backing Obama

Here's an episode that illustrates rather neatly that down-ticket Dems are really wasting their time if they're trying to avoid getting attacked by the GOP in their campaigns by distancing themselves from the Democratic Presidential nominee.

As we noted below, Florida Rep. Tim Mahoney yesterday told the Palm Beach Post that he wasn't prepared to endorse Barack Obama, claiming that he wanted to be able to preserve the ability to lobby John McCain on behalf of his district.

And right on cue, the GOP committee responsible for winning House races is already out with a release attacking Mahoney for not endorsing Obama. "Despite his politically motivated efforts to run away from the Democratic presidential nominee, Tim Mahoney seems to be reading off the same song sheet when it comes to massive tax hikes, government-run healthcare and defending our homeland," NRCC Spokesman Ken Spain said.

See, now Mahoney is taking a double hit from the GOP: He's getting tarred by having a record similar to Obama while simultaneously getting slammed for trying to paper over this fact out of political cowardice.

Political cowardice is a good way to describe it. Mahoney was a Republican until Rahm Emanuel and Karen Thurman, state party chairwoman, recruited him. He only switched parties at that time.

Mahoney has spoken shamefully about his relation to the Democrats. There was a good Democrat in the race until the DCCC dried up the fundraising.

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

''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.

He's a political coward, to put it bluntly.

David Lutrin, who was the Democrat in the race, would not have been this way at all.

Special Report: Democratic House Officials Recruited Wealthy Conservatives

Wealthy businessman Tim Mahoney, a self-described "fundamental Christian," was recruited by the DCCC to run against then-Congressman Mark Foley in Florida's 16th District. According to The Palm Beach Post, Mahoney switched his registration from Republican to Democrat in July of 2005. Mahoney did not support a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq.

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.


..."Mahoney won the seat in 2006 and joined The Blue Dog Coalition.

To all the others who are afraid of our nominee and fearful of standing with him....who are you going to turn to when you need someone to back you?

I thought we had developed more spine as a party, and I hope it is just this small group acting in this cowardly way.

[LSparkle]

1. Hopefully Chris Van Hollen will run the DCCC better than Emanuel did

and find candidates who are REAL Democrats, not just trojan horses.

[Richard Steele]

2. Mahoney is not a Democrat. He's a repub who the DLC picked for that seat. It's a fact. nm

[spanone]

3. if they are afraid of the democratic nominee, they are not democrats in any sense of the word

[nels25]

4. When you sow to the Wind

you reap the whirlwind.

In order to gain a slight majority in 2006 it was necessary to utilize the tactics of running somewhat conservative candidates in hitherto conservative districts.

Very liberal/progressive candidates would have faced a harder time than a Dem who came across more conservative. Example Heath Schuler.

Another example is Webb in Virginia. He barely won as it was and he is not what most would consider a primary example of a progressive (in fact I sometimes wonder how he will vote on some of the more very progressive/liberal legislation sure to come up in 09/10. He change parties before, with Bush et al out of the way would he do so again?? Some times I wonder)

Any way it should not be to surprising that this is happening, the key will be how it plays out over the summer.

Only time and happenstance will tell the tale.

:shrug:

[zbdent]

5. You know what? I'd rather be attacked by the Repukes for HAVING courage

than for wimping out ...

[madfloridian]

6. Agree with you. At least stand up for something.

The way he is doing it is the coward's way out...stand for nothing.