Connie Has 99 Problems

The Connie Mack IV campaign has been a disaster. The stories of Mack's barroom brawls have generated more publicity than Mack's policy positions. It doesn't help matters that Mack's campaign is horrible at rapid response. Matters are made worse by Mack being a painfully boring candidate.

We now see Mack caught up in a campaign email scandal.

"I opine that the reimbursement constitutes a campaign contribution, and as such exceeds the maximum allowable by law," the complaint reads. "According to the FEC's candidate handbook: 'When a committee, group or individual pays for a communication that is coordinated with a campaign or candidate, the communication is either an inkind contribution or, in some limited cases, a coordinated party expenditure by a party committie."

Broward County resident Timothy "Chaz" Stevens filed the complaint. The FEC complaint points to several potential ethical problems for Mack. The snail mail was sent out on Mack's House of Representatives mailing list. According to Stevens, 64 percent of the mailers werpe sent outside of his House district. This has the appearance of Mack using House resources to further his U.S. Senate chances. The cost of the mailer was billed to the U.S. Treasury. Using Treasury dollars for campaign purposes is a serious no no. Vern Buchanan and Charles Rangel got into trouble for ethical violations like what Mack is accused of.

I thought George LeMieux didn't have a chance of getting out of the primary because of his past connections to Charlie Crist. LeMieux was fortunate to have Mack and not a tea party fire-breather be his opponent.