Is There Something in the Water There?

Is There Something in the Water There?

From the October 13, 2008 ABC News The Blotter:

West Palm Beach Congressman Tim Mahoney (D-FL), whose predecessor resigned in the wake of a sex scandal, agreed to a $121,000 payment to a former mistress who worked on his staff and was threatening to sue him, according to current and former members of his staff who have been briefed on the settlement, which involved Mahoney and his campaign committee.
Mahoney, who is married, also promised the woman, Patricia Allen, a $50,000 a year job for two years at the agency that handles his campaign advertising, the staffers said.
A Mahoney spokesperson would not answer questions about the alleged affair or the settlement, but said Allen resigned of her own accord and "has not received any special payment from campaign funds."
Senior Democratic leaders in the House of Representatives, including Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-IL), the chair of the Democratic Caucus, have been working with Mahoney to keep the matter from hurting his re-election campaign, the Mahoney staffers said.
...

Mahoney was elected two years ago following the abrupt resignation of his disgraced predecessor, Republican Mark Foley, whose lewd internet messages to teenage boys and Congressional pages created a national outrage.
The affair between Mahoney and Allen began, according to the current and former staffers, in 2006 when Mahoney was campaigning for Congress against Foley, promising "a world that is safer, more moral."

I would like to think whatever Republican is running against Mahoney would now have a slamdunk election--but I have learned that the harsh reality is that corrupt and immoral behavior seldom impairs the ability of Democrats to get elected, or re-elected, because Democrats aren't bothered by corrupt and immoral behavior from their representatives. It only seems to bother Republican voters. It does mean that Republicans running for public office have to be squeaky clean--while Democrats merely need to avoid committing rape or murder on videotape.