Today's Daily Schadenfreude: Tom Rooney

Newly elected congressman Tom Rooney (R-Fla.) has had to make some rather awkward sleeping arrangements in Washington. And surprisingly (given that he's a Republican), for once they don't involve a diaper, a live boy, or a dead girl.

Unable to find an affordable rental in the “extremely expensive” housing market around Washington, D.C., freshman U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Tequesta, says he decided to buy a Gander Mountain cot and temporarily sleep in his Capitol Hill office.

[...]

Rooney said he keeps a few suits in an office closet and takes showers in the locker room at the House gym. He said he’ll continue the arrangement until the school year ends, when his wife and three kids plan to move to the Washington area and the family will look for a house to rent.

Here's what I don't get: as a commenter on the quoted post observed, Rooney is a scion of the family that owns the Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers. I'm sorry, but I fail to understand how he can't afford even a modest rental somewhere in the D.C. area. Sure, it's one of the most expensive places to live in the country (shaddup, Boston and San Francisco, I know, I know ...), but he can't find someplace on a Metro line or whatever and commute like normal people? Give me a break.

Look, Rep. Rooney, if you want to sleep in your office, that's fine with me. But if things are so tough, why did you vote against the stimulus? Oh, right ... because it's going to help regular people, not so much the fat cats who traditionally support the GOP. Silly me.

Well, Tom, while you await your family's arrival, you can keep yourself warm late at night in your office with the knowledge that today's Blast Off! Daily Schadenfreude is for you!

Mahoney a no-show at debate with Rooney

I hate to throw Rep. Tim Mahoney (D-Fla.) under the bus, but this is getting ridiculous. First, the guy admits to "multiple affairs," but pledges to stay in his campaign for reelection in Florida's 16th congressional district against millionaire Republican challenger Tom Rooney ... now, because (I guess) he was afraid of television coverage, he skipped a scheduled debate today.

Mahoney and Rooney were scheduled to debate before a Forum Club of the Palm Beaches lunchtime audience of about 500 at the Kravis Center. But with national media and television cameras interested in covering the scandal-rocked Mahoney, the incumbent's campaign said Thursday night it feared a "circus" atmosphere at the traditionally buttoned-down luncheon club.

With an empty seat, place-setting and name tag for Mahoney on the dais, Rooney spent about 40 minutes answering questions from WPTV-Channel 5 anchor Jim Sackett and fielding queries submitted by members of the audience.

Rooney, 37, is an attorney, former Army captain and one-time director of a nonprofit children's shelter who won a three-candidate GOP primary on Aug. 26.

He told the Forum Club audience he's for lower taxes, smaller government, offshore oil drilling and removing U.S. troops from Iraq as quickly as possible but without a date-certain timeline. Rooney said he favors an immigration policy that stresses securing U.S. borders and enforcing existing laws before developing a "vibrant" guest-worker program that does not include amnesty.

Rooney largely avoided a question asking him to comment on "Mr. Mahoney's situation."

The 16th District is, as Rooney was quoted later in the article as saying, largely a Republican district; Mahoney's victory largely can be attributed to -- ironically -- fortuitous timing due to a sex scandal that plagued the GOP incumbent, Mark Foley, late in the 2006 campaign. Live by the illicit sex, die by the illicit sex, I guess ...

Look, I'd much rather see Mahoney in Congress than Rooney. But Mahoney's behavior since this story broke can only be described as bizarre. You stand up and face the music when you fuck up; you don't run and hide from the cameras, at least not when you're literally in the middle of an election. It's not just my position; some of Mahoney's fellow Democrats agree:

"He should have shown up and I think he owes his constituents and the public his presence and an explanation of his service as a congressman and his personal conduct," said Democratic state attorney candidate Michael McAuliffe.

"I'm disappointed in Tim," said state Sen. Dave Aronberg, D-Greenacres. "If he's going to stay in the race he should have been here."

At any rate, in my opinion, whether he's acting on his own or taking advice from others, Mahoney has shown that he doesn't deserve to hang onto his seat.

Chances are now that he won't. And, ultimately, the real losers in this scandal are the constituents in the 16th District.

Moron More on Mahoney

This just in to the Blast Off! newsroom: Terry Mahoney, wife of U.S. Rep. Tim Mahoney (D-Fla.), has filed for divorce. Rep. Mahoney had admitted to "multiple affairs" last week, and he faces an ethics investigation in the U.S. House (as well as a tough reelection bid against Republican challenger Tom Rooney).

Look -- unless Mahoney improperly used campaign funds or, worse, taxpayer money to pay off his mistress(es), I don't care about Mahoney's personal life. Now that the Mahoneys appear to be headed for divorce, can we just leave them alone? Rep. Mahoney's fidelity is no one's business but his and his wife's (again, provided he didn't use campaign or taxpayer funds improperly).

'Nuff said. Thanks in advance.

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.

[...]

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?

Born a gamblin' man

Probably the hottest congressional race between Orlando and Miami is that in the 16th District, where incumbent Democrat Tim Mahoney faces a challenge from Republican Tom Rooney in a predominately GOP district (formerly held by Mark Foley). You might remember Rooney as the guy whose campaign brilliantly scheduled a presidential appearance at the home of a guy who was being investigated by the IRS, then after they hastily found a new location, Drunky McStagger bailed on them, leaving Dick "The Most Dangerous Vice President in History" Cheney to help Rooney try to clean up the mess.

Heckuva job, Rooney.

Well, now I've learned that Rooney is hanging out with some pretty nefarious characters. Reader MPC emailed me today and wrote the following:

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At a time when the country's economic situation is in crisis due to the Bush administration's risky deregulations over the past 8 years, it should not be surprising that another Republican, Tom Rooney, is engaged in the same sort of risky financial business. In Rooney's case, though, there is not even a pretense of making Florida a better, more financially secure place to live—he and his family are heavily tied to the gambling lobby in Florida and they've made millions from casinos. These lobbyists know Tom's their man, too—they've given him $59,000 in campaign contributions.

Is this the kind of "statesman" the 16^th district wants? Does a man who preys on the desperate hopes of those who gamble represent the kind of values Florida congresspeople should take to Washington? If this election is supposed to be about cleaning up Washington politics, my money is not on Rooney to do the job. For another post on this topic that goes into more depth, check out "Treasuring Florida's 16^th" at FLAPolitics: http://www.flapolitics.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=3133.

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So, as you probably already knew, Tom Rooney's a bit of a douchebag. Well, MPC said it better (and more civilly, naturally), but you know what I mean ...

(thanks, MPC)

Be very afraid: Cheney, not Bush, coming to south Florida

Originally, I was afraid because Drunky McStagger was going to be in America's Glans™ today, campaigning for GOP congressional candidate Tom Rooney.

Now, I'm even more afraid because he canceled the trip ... to work on the economy.

President Bush canceled his visit to Palm Beach County today so he can work on fixing the nation's economic woes, according to a White House press release.

The president had planned to fly into Palm Beach International Airport this morning to attend a fund-raiser for Republican congressional candidate Tom Rooney in Jupiter.

Bush canceled those plans late Wednesday, citing a need to "remain in Washington to continue to work with his economic advisers on the serious challenges confronting our financial markets," according to a White House press release.

Nice of Drunky to think about trying to clean up the mess he and his cronies have caused, but given the way he's dealt with the economy to this point, does it really make a lot of sense for him to keep working on it? Better he should have come to Florida on a campaign trip than make things worse.

UPDATE (10:16 am 9/18/08): I just learned there's even more reason to be afraid. Instead of Drunky McStagger, we're going to be graced with the presence of Dick "Dick" Cheney in our area for the Rooney event. And remember, this is the event for which the site had to be changed after it was revealed that the original host was being investigated by the IRS. Heckuva job, Rooney.

Anyway, if you're up around Jupiter or thereabouts today, just take care you don't get shot in the face. Trust me on this one.

(cross-posted at FPC Blog)

Palm Beach County is campaign central in the next two weeks

We're going to be playing host to two people with diametrically opposed viewpoints in the next couple of weeks, as Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden and Drunky McStagger himself come to town.

First, Biden is here right now doing a town hall meeting in Deerfield Beach (in Broward County) before going on to a similar event in West Palm Beach this evening. (Unfortunately, I don't think I can attend because of prior commitments.)

However, next week -- September 12, to be exact -- if he's not exhausted from all of his 9/11 celebrations, Drunky will be in Palm Beach Gardens to campaign for congressional candidate Tom Rooney.

The event is scheduled for the home of John and Holly Boswell in Palm Beach Gardens.

To allow contributions larger than the $2,300 federal limit to a candidate, the event is raising money for something called the Florida 16 Victory Trust, a joint effort that also includes the Republican National Committee and the National Republican Congressional Committee.

Boy, that Rooney is brave, given that he's trying to unseat Democratic incumbent Tim Mahoney in Mark Foley's old district. I mean, at a time when most Republicans -- hell, even the GOP convention itself -- are running away from Drunky, Rooney embraces him and all of his failed policies. Heckuva job, Tommy.