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.