U.S. Rep. Tim Mahoney is asked to lead ethics debate

5 Jan 2007 // U.S. Rep. Tim Mahoney focused his first few hours on the job on ethics reform, taking the forefront in the first item on the Democrats' agenda as they took the House majority for the first time in 12 years.

There could be no more fitting topic for Mahoney, who owes his congressional seat to the failings of former U.S. Rep. Mark Foley, who resigned in disgrace in September.

After being sworn into office Thursday, Mahoney joined Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., in a press conference detailing the Democrats ethics reform package. Then it was off to a warm reception from new House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Hours later, Mahoney was being called on by Democrats to help lead the debate on the ethics package.

Mahoney, who represents most of Charlotte County, admits to being a little shellshocked. He knows most freshman are given few hefty legislative tasks.

He thanked Democratic leaders for bringing him into the fold. "Opportunities here are bigger for me than I thought they would be when I was running," Mahoney said.

Mahoney, 50, is one of three new members of Congress for Southwest Florida who took office on Thursday -- completely revamping the region's representation in Congress.

The others are Tampa Democrat Kathy Castor, who represents parts of Manatee, and Republican Vern Buchanan who represents five counties, including Sarasota, most of Manatee and a portion of Charlotte. Castor, with her two young daughters by her side, said she was excited to be on the House floor when Congress made Pelosi the first woman to ever be named speaker of the House. Castor said she was glad her daughters, Julia and Chrissy, were there to witness it all.

"The historic occasion wasn't lost on me," said Castor, who replaces Jim Davis, a Democrat who ran for governor.

For Buchanan, who is replacing former Rep. Katherine Harris, R-Longboat Key, the first day was bittersweet.

He said just as he started to believe the Democrats intended to lead in a bipartisan way, Rep. Rush Holt, D-N.J., made a motion that reminded the Congress that Buchanan's 369-vote victory is still being disputed by Democrat Christine Jennings.

"I just thought it took away from what they were doing," Buchanan said.

The three new members replace three members who had combined to log 25 years in Congress.

Fifteen months ago, Mahoney was considered a significant underdog against Foley, an 11-year veteran with a bigger campaign finance account than any sitting member of Florida's congressional delegation.

Everything changed with Foley's sudden resignation, amid an investigation into sexually suggestive e-mails that Foley had exchanged with high school students who had been congressional pages on Capitol Hill.

On Thursday, Mahoney played the freshman as he got lost in the maze-like U.S. Capitol trying to get from one appointment to the next.

But Mahoney said Democrats in Congress have shown patience and a willingness to listen more to the freshman class of legislators than past congressional leaders may have.

He said leadership seems to understand that the new members of Congress were sent to Washington to offer new perspective. He said the added attention gives him an "uncommon" opportunity to address problems in the 16th District.

Mahoney's treatment has a lot to do with the district he came from, said Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia.

Because Mahoney narrowly won the district, which has in the past voted solidly Republican, he's one of the GOP's biggest targets in 2008. Sabato said it makes sense that Democrats would immediately start helping Mahoney make a name.

"They are very wise to do it," Sabato said.

Democrats have given Mahoney a great issue to start with, Sabato said, setting up an immediate contrast between himself and Foley.

"This is something he can really use to his advantage," Sabato said.

Mahoney said there is more at play than re-election posturing. He said he's been talking about ethics since he got into the race more than a year ago.

"When I got into this race, one of the things that prompted me was the fact that people had lost confidence in Congress," Mahoney said as he rushed from one appointment to the next. "The first thing we've got to do is restore credibility in Congress."