Tim Mahoney, FL 16...we Blue Dogs are "hawks on national defense"

madfloridian

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Tue Aug-21-07 05:50 PM
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Tim Mahoney, FL 16...we Blue Dogs are "hawks on national defense"

This has been a very aggravating week, and the fact that none of our Democrats are really being upfront about getting out of Iraq has just made it worse.

It started a few days ago, the aggravation that is...when a new neighbor's dog kept barking. It woke us up, it started late night...terrible. We had been warned he was not especially a friendly person, but he still shocked us. We for the 2nd time asked if he could keep his dog under control. He said no, dogs had rights as well, that his dog could bark just as long as he wanted whenever he wanted. I told that to animal control...and they decided to confront him with a few rules. So good for them.

So that started it. I got more upset when I noticed there is less and less coverage of the Iraq invasion, and we all know why that is. Furthermore, our Democrats are not exactly falling all over themselves to get our soldiers out of harm's way.

Then I saw this at Tim Mahoney's site from May. He is not a favorite of mine, he is a Republican who ran for Mark Foley's seat after being recruited by Rahm and our state chairwoman, Karen Thurman. He did not register as a Democrat until after he had decided to run.

This is what I read a while ago at his site.

Mahoney talks about Blue Dogs

As U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi contemplates getting President Bush to back out of the war in Iraq, she has the views of an emerging conservative political force known as the Blue Dog Coalition with which to contend.

..."Mahoney said Thursday he and a group of Blue Dogs met with Pelosi to discuss a $100 billion supplemental spending bill. The bill includes funds sought by Bush for the war in Iraq. Mahoney said the Blue Dogs advised the speaker of their goal: to refocus the nation's military on terrorism.

"We're now in a police action in Iraq," he said. "It's weakened our ability to wage the war on terror."

The president should be free to maintain troops in Iraq, if the purpose is to thwart terrorism. Meanwhile, the U.S. military needs to beef up its capability to fight terrorists elsewhere, including Afghanistan, he said.

Why do they insist on letting Bush keep having his way there in Iraq? They are not about to call for getting the troops out. Not really. None of our Democrats appear anxious to do that.

"We're hawks on national defense, we're pro-business, especially small business, and we believe in balancing the budget," Mahoney said.

A Charlotte County Republican says something very telling about some Blue Dogs he knows. It should make us think. He said:

He knows a number of candidates in such rural counties as DeSoto, Hendry and Hardee who consider themselves Blue Dog Democrats.

"Many times, they vote for Republican issues," Starr said. "Unfortunately, they just don't want the big 'R' beside their name."

There was much bitterness about the choice of the Democratic leaders to pick Mahoney and edge David Lutrin out of the race. There was an excellent blog session on it at Fire Dog Lake. I don't think Lutrin, a Democrat, is done with it yet. Rahm and Karen Thurman picked Mahoney for us, they picked a Republican millionaire.

Handpicking Republicans to run as Democrats in Florida

Tim Mahoney, who became the Representative for the 16th district of Florida after disgraced Republican Mark Foley dropped out of the 2006 election, recently became a member of the Blue Dogs. When he joined up, Mahoney described the coalition as a select group with an agenda. "We're hawks on national defense, we're pro-business, especially small business, and we believe in balancing the budget," Mahoney said. According to Mahoney, he faced a thorough vetting process before being accepted into the group. "You have to be interviewed and accepted by the group. You have to be able to demonstrate that you're ideologically supportive of being fiscally conservative. You show them speeches and statements you've made in the past," Mahoney told the Charlotte Sun, a local paper from his district.

The Blue Dogs have apparently informed the Democratic leadership in the House that they support the ongoing occupation of Iraq. According to Mahoney, he met with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and told her "The president should be free to maintain troops in Iraq, if the purpose is to thwart terrorism."

There is so much more in that race that is bound to out someday. People have been tippy toeing around it now, ever since Foley got caught for his actions. It will fester, but then we will learn that others had a role to play in letting his possible crimes continue though his actions were known.

Democratic Party organizations throughout the district, as well as the state party and the DCCC in Washington. Everyone was enthusiastic and encouraging. Glen Rushing, the DCCC point person for the region, told Dave he was "just the type of candidate we're looking for." He offered to introduce him to Alabama Congressman Artur Davis, the DCCC-appointed mentor for Democratic candidates in the region, who following their first phone conversation offered to help him with his race. Rushing then promised to get him in touch with Florida DCCC chief, Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, Emanuel's lieutenant for the Southeast.

Then something happened, something very dark and secretive, something people are just uncovering now. DCCC Chairman Rahm Emanuel found out something that could� and did� change the dynamics of the race in FL-16 dramatically.

More at the link

Now Pelosi is having to try to run the House with a group actively opposing her....a group that actually caucuses together more and shows more loyalty for each other than the Democratic Party. The Blue Dogs.

I have lost track of who said what about Iraq this week. But I did hear one of our candidates said the "surge" was working.

I say that is just wrong. I say it is wrong to play political games while our soldiers die. The New Dems and Blue Dogs have every right to their own views, but when their views mean soldiers keep dying, when our country is being bankrupted.....then they should not be considered so credible.

This "national security first" issue that was foisted on us first by the New Democrats and now by the Blue Dogs...is going to cause us to lose again because our party is listening to the wrong voices.