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.
Given that Dems in deep-red states like Mississippi and Louisiana have won House elections even while getting tarred by their association with Obama, it's unclear what sort of percentage there is in Mahoney's approach.
Which just shows how important it was for Mahoney to endorse Obama.He should have had the guts to stand side by side with him.Whilst he plays Santa Claus, the GOP mean machine is already grinding at his heels.
June 10, 2008 12:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
Good, the weasel deserves what he gets.
June 10, 2008 12:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is why we have to elected not just warm democratic bodies to fill seats, but better, politically courageous democrats.
June 10, 2008 12:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
Heckuva campaign strategy, Mr. (former Republican) Mahoney!
Psst: I don't think you should expect Obama to help you with your fundraising....
June 10, 2008 12:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
LOL!
Mahoney is a moron. What else can you say? I guess the only other thing you can say is that he's from Florida.
I'm beginning to be somewhat grateful to Florida, cause it is the new Texas - on steroids. It's the same thing that causes Texans to be grateful to Mississippi - it usually makes us look better by comparison.
June 10, 2008 12:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well, in Mississippi, we pointed to Arkansas to make us feel better....
June 10, 2008 12:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
yes, i am with the gop 100% on this one....mahoney is a disagrace..better to stand for something with strong conviction and be wrong then to stand for nothing., especially when you are distancing yourself from obama for the wrong reasons..now you are being called a chicken, an opportunist and in my own opinion "loser"...when the going appears to be a little rough, he opted to cast obama away, too ashamed to claim him...now look at who the red-headed step child happens to be...obama has coattails...look at past primary states where the gop tried to link dems to obama and it backfired....
idiot idiot idiot!
June 10, 2008 12:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
the beauty of irony...we need strong progressive democrats...I agree totally with the joshuablog commnets!
June 10, 2008 12:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
this historic election will flush out all the weasels, bigots, undercover republicans etc....mahoney is a weasel and he should be called out for being one!!!
way to go GOP.
June 10, 2008 12:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
Leiberman/Mahoney 2008.
Support the Boll Weasels Ticket.
June 10, 2008 12:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
This s why we need not just more, but better, Democrats in office.
'Paging Mr. Mahoney, paging Mr. Mahoney... please pick up the white clue-phone.'
June 10, 2008 12:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
Harry Reid, I called, enough with Lieberman, he should be humiliated now, kicked out his chairmanship.
(202) 224-3542
Please call!
June 10, 2008 12:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
Harry Reid can NOT kick Lieberman out – right now; the Democrats only have a single man majority in the senate. If that goes, so goes the Democrats’ majority and the balance of power. Lieberman doesn't have the seniority in the republican party, so if he changes affiliation, he won't get a chairmanship position, but the Democrats also will not be in charge.
June 10, 2008 12:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
Not true. By rule, control can't change hands until the next Congress. When it won't matter.
June 11, 2008 2:23 AM | Reply | Permalink
1. I agree wholeheartedly with this comments above (so far), I'm tired of DINOs being elected. We need real Democrats.
2. You've gotta hand it to the GOP. They're psychotic in their campaigning, but it's takes a special kind of psychosis to hit Dem. for endorsing Obama or not. At least they give me a laugh everyday.
June 10, 2008 12:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
I say Democrats in his distraict should vote him out of office, while voting down ticket for every other Dem candidate. Show his cowardly arse a thing or two.
June 10, 2008 12:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
Totally, I have wondered why they haven't implemented a recall efffort.
June 10, 2008 12:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
Who's giving this idiot advice?
June 10, 2008 12:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
Penn and Delay
June 10, 2008 3:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
I've said this before, and I'm sure that I'll say it again. Someday, the Democrats will realize that they are stronger and will be able to accomplish more by sticking together and backing one another up in the face of adversity.
I'm not saying that Mahoney had to explicitly endorse Sen. Obama, but he sure as hell shouldn't have gone public with his non-endorsement that left the door open for a partnership with McCain. If he had any political sense and was afraid of backlash from Clinton supporters in his district, he should have endorsed her prior to her dropping out. There was plenty of time to do that, and he wouldn't have been the only one. This way just shows that he's not just spineless, but stupid, and now he's taking incoming fire from all directions.
More and better Democrats is right. Some people don't have the sense to save themselves.
June 10, 2008 12:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
I agree, hello_world. One of the things he did was show a weakness that he should have known the Republicans would exploit. You're uncomfortable with something or someone? Fine. Keep it to yourself. But to shout it to the world while trying to get elected is idiotic. Of course the Republicans would pounce on this sign of waffling. Duh.
The best path he could have chosen would have been to endorse Obama and move on. If he felt it necessary, he could even have respectfully pointed out a couple of areas where he disagreed with Obama on some policy issue or whatnot. Trying to have it both ways spells doom, which is something Democrats tried to do all through the 90s and we know where that got us.
June 10, 2008 1:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
u guys and gals just dont GET IT!!
Mahoney's record has been 84% progressive!!!
he is just trying to get re-elected in a very republican district.
for those that dont know this was Foley's seat and he got elected by the skin of his hair. would u rather have a republican win this seat or have a guy like this who votes progressive but acts like a centrist?
Dems need to WAKE UP and not go back to LOSING politics of the past. lets the republicans kill each other.
June 10, 2008 12:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
fine, if he's in a political cauldron in his district, no one is forcing him to endorse Obama. He could have just shut up rather than draw attention to himself in this embarrassing way. It's called political seasoning. Does his chicken status now not make him all the more beatable by his GOP opponenent?
June 10, 2008 4:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
Further proof that most politicians are cowards. I want some courage in my leaders!
June 10, 2008 1:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
He made a bonehead move, and he's only been a Democrat for four years (but I don't think we should hold that against him).
He's his record:
http://www.ontheissues.org/FL/Tim_Mahoney.htm
Voted YES on requiring FISA warrants for wiretaps in US, but not abroad. (Mar 2008)
Voted YES on Veto override: Congressional oversight of CIA interrogations. (Mar 2008)
Voted NO on removing need for FISA warrant for wiretapping abroad. (Aug 2007)
Voted YES on restricting no-bid defense contracts. (Mar 2007)
Prescription Drug plan for seniors, not drug manufacturers. (Nov 2006)
Voted YES on giving mental health full equity with physical health. (Mar 2008)
Voted YES on Veto override: Extend SCHIP to cover 6M more kids. (Jan 2008)
Voted YES on adding 2 to 4 million children to SCHIP eligibility. (Oct 2007)
Voted YES on requiring negotiated Rx prices for Medicare part D. (Jan 2007)
Better and immediate funding for Medicare & Medicaid. (Dec 2000)
Prescription drug benefit within Medicare. (Jun 2000)
Voted YES on expanding research to more embryonic stem cell lines. (Jan 2007)
Voted YES on revitalizing severely distressed public housing. (Jan 2008)
Voted YES on regulating the subprime mortgage industry. (Nov 2007)
Voted YES on allowing stockholder voting on executive compensation. (Apr 2007)
Voted YES on expanding services for offendors' re-entry into society. (Nov 2007)
Voted YES on additional $10.2B for federal education & HHS projects. (Nov 2007)
Invest in alternative energy technologies. (Nov 2006)
Voted YES on tax incentives for renewable energy. (Feb 2008)
Voted YES on investing in homegrown biofuel. (Aug 2007)
Voted YES on criminalizing oil cartels like OPEC. (May 2007)
Voted YES on removing oil & gas exploration subsidies. (Jan 2007)
Balance fossil fuels and viable renewable energy. (Jul 2001)
Do not lowre our standards in international trade agreements. (Nov 2006)
Voted YES on promoting free trade with Peru. (Nov 2007)
Voted YES on assisting workers who lose jobs due to globalization. (Oct 2007)
June 10, 2008 1:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
Record, shmecord! He dissed St. Barry! Off with his head!
(boneheaded, chicken-shite move - but I'd still rather have a Cowardly 84% progressive Dem than a self-assured, 100% right-wing-fruitloop Repuke)
June 10, 2008 4:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
Serves you right, turncoat.
June 10, 2008 1:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
Good. I hope the Republicans eat his lunch. This is what happens when you're a gutless triangulator. In a year when the Republican brand is in the toilet, he's afraid to stand with the nominee of his party. LOSER!
June 10, 2008 2:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
He, Lieberman and Zell Miller should get together and form their own Party. {Please feel free to add to this list.
June 10, 2008 3:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
It really is a bit silly for any Democratic official to try and pull this off, especially with Obama committing to a 50 state strategy. Be smart people.
June 10, 2008 4:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
Why would he want to lobby the Senator from Arizona? Wouldn't he be more effective if he had the support of President Obama?
June 11, 2008 12:28 AM | Reply | Permalink