New Florida congressmen trying to prove they belong (what the hell ever happened to Mark Foley??)

Article published Jun 3, 2007
Jun 3, 2007

New Florida congressmen trying to prove they belong

By BRENDAN FARRINGTON
AP Political Writer
Democrat Rep. Tim Mahoney and Republican Rep. Vern Buchanan have a unique tie that both are trying to shake: a lot of people think they're in Washington by a fluke.

Republicans say Mahoney never would have won his seat if his predecessor, Mark Foley, hadn't been caught sending lurid messages to teenage male pages. Democrats say Buchanan didn't actually win his seat and wouldn't be in Washington if Sarasota County's touch-screen voting machines weren't flawed.

And both reached the No. 2 spot on a White House list of each party's most vulnerable congressmen.

It means both men are trying get settled in their new positions amid a swirl of political activity trying to get them out. Mahoney is under constant attack from Republicans, while Congress is investigating whether voting machine problems gave Buchanan a victory he didn't deserve over Christine Jennings. She has tried to overturn the election in court.

"On a day like today I've got 12 hours of work, I can't be thinking about her suing. We've got lawyers, they deal with it and we just move on," said Buchanan. "The whole thing about a revote ... we're beyond that."

About 90 minutes later, Mahoney was quickly walking from his office to the Capitol and talking about how he'll withstand Republican attacks.

MORE >>

http://www.gainesville.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070603/APN/706030846

about that.