Palm Beach Post rescinds endorsement of Mahoney

It's highly unusual for a newspaper to reverse an endorsement, but the Palm Beach Post did so today (in print tomorrow) with regard to Rep. Tim Mahoney (D-Fla.), throwing its support instead to Mahoney's Republican challenger Tom Rooney and suggesting that Mahoney withdraw from the race altogether.

Rep. Mahoney has been far too evasive about the $121,000 he paid to silence a former campaign and congressional staffer with whom he had an extramarital affair and whom he later fired. Though he has more or less admitted to the affair with Patricia Allen, Rep. Mahoney has not said why he put his mistress on the payroll and why he gave her the settlement. The Post also reported that Rep. Mahoney has had at least one other affair, with a top Martin County official. Rather than speak directly to his constituents, whose votes he is seeking, Rep. Mahoney has called for a congressional investigation that would not be over until after the Nov. 4 election.

Using his seats on the Financial Services and Agriculture committees, Rep. Mahoney has cosponsored legislation to create a national disaster insurance bill that would reduce property insurance rates in Florida, and has secured money that could create a new industry in District 16 making ethanol out of farm byproducts. Having owned a financial services company, Rep. Mahoney could offer insight into how the government should respond to the credit crisis.

But he is seeking an office of public trust. His actions - and his lack of action - show that he can't be trusted.

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Rep. Mahoney's behavior means that this year's congressional Christmas present probably will go to Mr. Rooney. An Army veteran and lawyer whose family owns the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Palm Beach Kennel Club, Mr. Rooney won the Republican primary. The Post won't agree with him as often as we agreed with Rep. Mahoney, but Mr. Rooney does support the national disaster insurance bill and he favors a timeline for ending the Iraq War.

As I just told The Post via Twitter (yeah, that's how we roll these days), I think it's a mistake to endorse Rooney. Rescind the Mahoney endorsement, fine, but Rooney is just as much of an asshat -- only in different ways. I believe The Post would have served its readers (and its own philosophy) far better simply by withholding an endorsement completely in the 16th Congressional District.

If neither candidate is worthy -- and based on this week's developments, it sure seems that way -- then why give the prize to one or the other? Ultimately, the voters will decide, but if you don't have to pick between the lesser of two evils, why bother?