Tom Feeney Fundraises For Marco Rubio

There is nothing that says fiscal fiscal discipline and conservative values than having Tom Feeney fundraise for you. Feeney had to pay the U.S. Treasury Department $5,643 for breaking congressional rules. Feeney went on a Scottish golfing trip paid for by lobbyist Jack Abramoff. In case you don't remember Abramoff, the lobbyist pleaded guilty to fraud, tax evasion and conspiracy to bribe public officials. Abramoff wasn't taking Feeney golfing because he wanted to chill with him. Feeney was listed as Representative #3 in its Abramoff investigation.

Other fun facts about Feeney: the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington listed Feeney as one of the 20 most corrupt members of Congress.

Feeney suggested that Florida secede from the United States.

Feeney a Hooters waitress, Bridgette A. Gregory, with no college degree, to be his Florida House aide.

If Marco Rubio wants to link himself to Feeney then I am more than happy to get the word out of their shared political man crush.

Update: I just learned former Hooter's waitress Bridgette A. Gregory worked for Marco Rubio after her time with Feeney.

Judgement Impaired

It is really interesting how desperate Florida Republicans are to win in 2010. Tom Feeney is hosting a fundraiser for Congressman Bill Posey. Feeney was named one of the 13 most corrupt members of Congress by the Congressional Accountability Project. Feeney was forced to reinburse the U.S. Treasury $5,643 for his Scottish golfing trip with convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Feeney ultimately lost his seat.

Feeney attempted to have (I'm not making this up) the teaching of yoga banned in Florida public schools and wanted Florida to secede from the union. This is who Posey wants to be associated with. Considering Posey has been accused of being genetically half gator it isn't such an outlandish idea.

Marco Rubio has received the endorsement of Dennis Baxley. Baxley felt so strongly about Rubio he resigned from the Christian Coalition of Florida. Baxley will serve on Rubio's campaign.

Baxley has a history of making racist remarks. Baxley served in the Florida House. He lost running for the Florida Senate.

Feeney and Baxley are two has been Florida pols with excessive baggage. It says a lot about Posey's and Rubio's judgement to be linked with such political liabilities.

Tom Feeney Is Sorry

Tom Feeney dined at Jack Abramoff's restaurant went a a Scottish golf trip paid by the convicted lobbyist. Feeney is in a tight race with Suzanne Kosmos. Feeney released this video apologizing for his Abramoff relation.



Kosmos attacked Feeney oon the video. She asked many questions that Feeney should to address. But I'm not holding my breath.

Why is Feeney apologizing after claiming he did nothing wrong in the first place?

When was the last time Tom Feeney spoke with the FBI?

Is he still cooperating with the FBI's investigation?

Can Feeney assure voters that their Congressman will not be indicted?

If indicted, will Feeney resign from Congress?

Have Tom Feeney's office records been subpoenaed?

Why did it take Tom Feeney five years to admit a mistake?

Why did Tom Feeney vote to block a congressional ethics investigation into members of Congress and their ties to Jack Abramoff?

Why did Tom Feeney claim he did nothing on behalf of imprisoned lobbyist Jack Abramoff when official records tell another story?

Why did Tom Feeney only pay back around $5,000 for the trip when court documents have shown the actual cost was closer to $20,000?

Why did it take Tom Feeney two years to return the $5,000?

How can a career politician, former lobbyist and Florida House Speaker like Tom Feeney claim to have made a rookie mistake?

Why hasn't Tom Feeney apologized for other unethical behavior through out his career?

If Tom Feeney values honesty and integrity so highly, why did he oppose landmark ethics reform legislation passed by Congress in 2007?

Why, for four consecutive years, has the non-partisan watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) listed Feeney as one of the 20 most corrupt members of Congress?

I would ask why Feeney hired Bridgette A. Gregory to be his Florida House aide. Gregory held no college degree and her previous experience was being a Hooters waitress.

Florida Congressional District 24 Race Update

Katherine Rizzo writes that the 24th District of Florida race between Tom Feeney and Suzanne Kosmos is heating up.

Republicans and Democrats in Washington are treating Kosmas as a very serious candidate.

Her campaign committee ended the first quarter of 2008 with more cash on hand than the incumbent. She was only $31,000 ahead, but challengers generally trail in the money chase, so her lead turned some heads. Feeney’s campaign hasn’t yet disclosed its second-quarter performance, but the Kosmas campaign said it was filing a report showing net cash on hand of $925,000 as of June 30.

Kosmas is getting preferential treatment from her party, which named the 24th District of Florida as one of the races deserving of extra fund-raising attention through the Democrats’ “red to blue” program. The party is backing her up with ads attacking Feeney for specific votes and also for taking the Abramoff trip in 2003. State-level Democrats set up a special page on their Web site reminding the faithful that an Abramoff-related court filing referred to Feeney as “Representative No. 3” and asking fellow Democrats to “contribute against corruption.”

Visit the Suzanne Kosmos Actblue page.

Mother's Day GOP Style

More evidence that House Minority Leader John Boehner is politically tone deaf. Republicans vote against celebating mothers.

On Wednesday afternoon, the House had just voted, 412 to 0, to pass H. Res. 1113, "Celebrating the role of mothers in the United States and supporting the goals and ideals of Mother's Day," when Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-Kan.), rose in protest.

"Mr. Speaker, I move to reconsider the vote," he announced.

Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Fla.), who has two young daughters, moved to table Tiahrt's request, setting up a revote. This time, 178 Republicans cast their votes against mothers.

It was a smart move on Kathy Castor's part to set up a revote. Republicans will politically commit suicide just to frustrate Democrats. Florida Republicans Tom Feeney, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Jeff Miller voted against "supporting the goals and ideals of Mother's Day." Way to go champs.

Garin-Hart-Yang Research Group Poll on Tom Feeney

The Garin-Hart-Yang Research Group released their finding of a poll on Tom Feeney's re-election prospects. The results are not good for the incumbant. Republican voters are highly dissatisfied with President Bush. Feeney has voted in lockstep with the President.

Florida 24th CD voters’ overall mood and attitudes toward President Bush and the Republican Party suggest a very difficult political environment for Congressman Feeney. Overall, just 24% of voters say that the country is headed in the right direction, while 67% believe that we are headed off on the wrong track.

While George W. Bush carried the district by 10 points in 2004 (55% to 45%), today, only 33% give him an excellent or good job rating and fully 44% say that he is doing a poor job. Of particular note is that only 66% of Republicans give Bush a positive job rating.

Moreover, a majority of voters in the district have a negative personal view of the President (52% versus 37% positive). In a generic 2008 presidential ballot, the Democratic and Republican candidates are in a statistical dead heat (42% vote for the Democrat, 41% vote for the Republican). In a district that has an eight-point Republican party registration advantage and that Bush carried by 10 points, this is a striking finding.

Only 23% of voters said Congressman Feeney deserves reelection, which is nearly equal to the proportion that say they will definitely vote to elect someone else (21%). Feeney’s re-elect is one of the lowest of any incumbent in the country.

In fairness, the poll was taken by a Democratic voting firm. That doesn't mean that Dems don't view Feeney as vulnerable. Democratics used to just write off District 24. Now they view it as a seat they can pick up. Feeney's ties to the Jack Abramoff and the FBI investigation places him in more trouble than just losing his seat. He has started a legal defense fund. Politicians don't do that unless they are worried about being indicted.

Feeney does have two advantages against Suzanne Kosmas. Incumbacy and a fundraising headstart. Actblue has a page for those interested in donating to the Kosmas campaign.

Suzanne Kosmas is Running

Democrat Suzanne Kosmas announces she is challenging Tom Feeney for the District 24 seat.

"I will be an independent and effective voice for working families, children and seniors in this district, dnd ensure that their interests - not the special interests - are represented in congress," Kosmos said. "This is a time for change in Washington, and I will work towards building consensus rather than engaging in lock-step partisan politics."

She will face longtime Feeney nemesis Clint Curtis in the primary. The smart money is that Kosmas would make a better opponent than Curtis. The establishment will back her. The Florida Democratic Party and DCCC viewed Curtis as a sure loser. Kosmas was the former Democratic leader in the Florida House. Feeney conceded she is a better candidate.

Feeney said, noting he's glad Kosmas has legislative experience. "I would rather run against someone with a record. It's a bad environment for politicians. I'll post my record against anyone."

I received grief for backing Christine Jennings over Jan Schneider. Jennings nearly won a red district noted for voting machine problems. Curtis can't raise the money to compete with Feeney. He doesn't have a chance. Netroots support alone isn't enough.

DCCC Targets Anti-SCHIP Republicans

The DCCC is targeting Republicans Steve Chabot, Thelma Drake, Tom Feeney, Sam Graves, Joe Knollenberg, Randy Kuhl, Jim Saxton and Tim Walberg for voting against SCHIP. Robocalls, radio ads and emails will be sent out.

Here is the text of the Feeney ad.

“Did you know Congressman Feeney gets health care at taxpayers’ expense, but Feeney and Bush are blocking health care for 10 million uninsured children? Tell Tom Feeney to put families first.”

But only lobbyists pay for his golfing trips. So let's cut the guy some slack. At least he's saving the taxpayers' money for his golfing outings. That has got to count for something.

Tom Feeney Makes CREW List

Tom Feeney made the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington's list of most corrupt members of Congress. Well done, Mr. Feeney.

Feeney Doesn't Get It

Tom Feeney is getting justifyably crucified for excepting a $5,000 donation to his defense fund from Tyng-Lin Yang. The latter runs Yang Enterprises. Feeney was a former lobbyist for YEI. State law allowed him to lobby while he was Speaker of the Florida House. (Yes, you did read that last sentence correctly.)

Yang Enterprises has a contract with NASA. Feeney is the ranking Republican on the House Science Space Subcommittee. It isn't a stretch to think a former lobbyist with the company would look favorably after a donor's best interest. To say Feeney has a public ethics perception problem is an understatement. Feeney started his legal defense fund because of his illegal golfing trip with disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

It doesn't help matters that Clint Curtis accused Feeney and Yang Enterprises of attempting to talk him into making a computer program that could change voting machine counts.

During a meeting in late September or October of 2000 at YEI, there were four people present, including myself, Tom Feeney, Mike Cohen, Mrs. Yang and to the best of my recollection, two other YEI employees came in and out of the room during the meeting. Mr. Feeney said that he wanted to know if YEI could develop a prototype of a voting program that could alter the vote tabulation in an election and be undetectable. He was very specific in the design and specifications required for this program. He detailed, in his own words, that; {a} the program needed to be touch-screen capable, {b} the user should be able to trigger the program without any additional equipment, {c} the programming to accomplish this remain hidden even if the source code was inspected.

I'm not sure if what Curtis is saying is true or not. Feeney knows these allegations are public. That doesn't stop him from taking Yang's money. He was still eating at Abramoff's restaurant Signatures after other lawmakers had the sense to stay away. It's almost as if Feeney enjoys being embroiled in scandal.

Quote of the Day

"This was one of many reasons I voted against SCHIP, a so-called State Children's Health Insurance Program that creates a new entitlement program that would be available to large numbers of adults and illegal immigrants."

Tom Feeney

This has been the talking point for Republicans. States can verify citizenship. To me that isn't even the issue. Feeney is saying is he would not offer medical care to a child because of of the color of his or her skin. Feeney managed to make himself sound uncompassionate and racist. Way to go champ!

Hat tip to Eddie Schwieterman

DCCC Targets Florida House Seats

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is running ad against Reps. Vern Buchanan, Tom Feeney and Bill Young.

DCCC chair Rep. Chris Van Hollen said the three will be targeted for voting against a proposal to expand health insurance to children. Only 5 Republicans voted for the bill and President Bush has threatened a veto.

"Republicans who continue to vote in lockstep with President Bush and against seniors and children in their districts will be held accountable," Van Hollen said.

Republicans Gus Bilirakis, Ginny Brown-Waite and Adam Putnam also voted against H.R. 3162.

Florida Congressional Seats In Play

One Democratic and three Republican seats are in play. Tim Mahoney's seat is being targeted by Republicans. The Cook Report labels Mahoney's district as leaning Democrat.

Republicans Ric Keller, Vern Buchanan and Tom Feeney seats are in play. Feeney and Buchanan are facing difficult re-election campaigns. Feeney is being investigated by the FBI and has ties to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff. He has formed a defense trust for potential legal bills stemming form the FBI investigation. Several high-profile government officials have been convicted from their involvement with Abramoff. Former Congressman Bob Ney being the most notable.

Buchanan won a controversal election against Christine Jennings. His seat is targeted by Democrats and Jennings has announced she will run against Buchanan in 2008. She has large grassroots support from election reform and netroots activists. The voting machine problems from the previos race played a role in Florida switching back to paper ballots. The Buchanan/Jennings race will be one of the most-watched races in 2008.

Democrat Suzanne Kosmas has allowed her name to be used in a poll to see her viablity as a possible Feeney opponent.

People can help Tim Mahoney by giving a campaign contribution.

Feeney Building Legal Defense Fund

Tom Feeney has raised $33,500 for his legal defense fund. He is being investigated (although he denies it) by the FBI for his contacts and golfing trip paid for by convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

In other news: Democrats are polling Feeney's district to find out how vulnerabile his candidacy is in 2008. Democrat Frank Bruno is a potential challenger.

Representative #3 Starts Legal Defense Fund

There should be no doubt that Tom Feeney is in trouble.

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Rep. Tom Feeney established a legal defense fund this week to defray costs relating to an ongoing federal inquiry into his ties with convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

Department of Justice lawyers and our lawyers have been speaking. We will cooperate," said the Oviedo Republican, who denied Friday that he is the target of a federal probe.

When asked why he established the fund, Feeney said he was being cautious and that it would be used to "demonstrate conclusively that I always have acted with honesty and integrity."

Tom Delay was making the same pronouncements when he set up his legal defense fund. It was so convincing that Delay decided not to run for another term. All this is interesting, considering how Feeney told the media he is not a target of an investigation.

Let's review Feeney's Abramoff history. Feeney was interviewed by the FBI about his Scotland golfing trip paid for by Abramoff. Feeney was forced to reinburse the U.S. Treasury $5,643 for violating House ethics rules.

The FBI did something highly unusual. They asked the St. Petersburg Times and Orlando Sentinel about emails they received from Feeney's office. Sentinel columnist Scott Maxwell wrote, "But an agent did so just last week -- wanting whatever I could give him about Tom Feeney and Jack Abramoff. He wanted e-mail, maybe notes as well, from as far back as two years ago."

Feeney is known as Representative #3 in FBI documents.

Jason Roe and Jack Abramoff

The Jack Abramoff scandal may spell an end to Jason Roe's career. He is a former Tom Feeney aide. He was hired to work on the Mitt Romney campaign.

Jason Roe, who functioned as the campaign's top daily operating officer, told campaign officials today that he planned to leave.

It's is rather odd to recently get hired by a campaign and suddenly leave. It does make sense when looked through the filter of the Abramoff scandal.

Roe was hired by the campaign after serving as chief of staff to Rep. Tom Feeney since 2003. He has also managed several congressional races. On Monday, the St. Petersburg Times reported that FBI agents had asked Feeney about a 2003 golfing trip with convicted ex-lobbyist Jack Abramoff. The Times also reported that the FBI asked the newspaper to turn over an e-mail Roe sent to the paper. The e-mail's contents, according to the paper, included the sentence: "Any assertion that this office knew Abramoff paid for the Scotland trip is a g--d----- lie."

The Roe story, in the St Petersburg Times, was posted the same day has the Hotline article. Roe gave no indication that he was quitting the Romney campaign. The Times and Orlando Sentinel both goes public with being contacted by the FBI. Roe announces the same day that he is leaving the campaign and was planning on doing so for quite some time.

Columnist Scott Maxwell was asked by the FBI of an email Roe sent him. Besides people who read PowerLine and Instapundit as the gospel truth, does anyone believe the Romney campaign would want to keep Roe around?

In related news: Tom Feeney tells a major fib.

But Feeney denied having any kind of relationship with Abramoff.

“There’s no relationship,” he said flatly.

This from a Congressman who went golfing on Abramoff's dime and was a regular at Signatures. Abramoff also donated $1,000 to Feeney in 2003. Feeney has an odd concept of "no relationship." Abramoff has gotten pass first base no Feeney a long time ago. He is more than happy to share the details with the FBI.

Feeney is among those who might be nervous over the ex-lobbyist's chatter, said the knowledgeable lawyer. The third-term congressman reported accepting $5,643 for the golfing trip and wrote a check to the U.S. Treasury in that amount last January when the House ethics committee found it encroached on rules barring travel with lobbyists.

However, Feeney, Abramoff and others, including transportation committee aide Zachares, flew home in a luxurious Gulfstream V private jet, the lawyer said, and Feeney's check understated the true cost of the trip.

Like Feeney said, "There’s no relationship." Besides golfing trips, campaign contributions, dining at Abramoff's restaurant and sharing private jets.

Meet Representative #3

Tom Feeney is known as "Representative #3" in FBI documents. Feeney told the media he is "not a target" of a criminal investigation. Feeney does need to explain the company he keeps.

Feeney went to Scotland on a trip paid for by convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Mark Zachares was also part of the trip. Zachares recently pleaded guilty to conspiracy. He accepted "tens of thousands" in gifts from Abramoff.

What is more curious is that the FBI has contacted the Orlando Sentinel and St Petersburg Times about information on Feeney.

Federal agents also have asked the St. Petersburg Times for an email sent to the newspaper by Feeney's office describing a golfing trip the congressman took with Abramoff to Scotland in 2003.

More.

Last week, an agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation contacted an Orlando Sentinel reporter, seeking information about ties that Feeney and a former member of his staff had with Abramoff.

The agent did not return calls seeking comment Monday.

Charlotte Hall, editor for the Orlando Sentinel, said in a statement Monday that the paper had not received a subpoena and did not have "a firm understanding of what the FBI is looking for."

"We have referred the matter to our attorney," she said.

If Feeney is not being investigated than why is the FBI taking such an interest in him? Sentinel columnist Scott Maxwell wrote, "It's not every day the FBI comes asking for my notes and records. But an agent did so just last week -- wanting whatever I could give him about Tom Feeney and Jack Abramoff. He wanted e-mail, maybe notes as well, from as far back as two years ago."

Feeney may not be a target (yet), but now would be a good time to retain a high-powered lawyer.

Tom Feeney Now Sorry About Golfing In Scotland

Tom Feeney was recently interviewed by the FBI about his visit to Royal & Ancient Golf Club. Convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff paid for the trip. Feeney's office put out this press release.

"Rep. Feeney considers this an embarrassing episode in his 17-year career as an elected official and an expensive lesson for him as a public servant," according to the statement.

That is rather humble of Feeney. He was publicly flaunting his relationship with Abramoff after the lobbyist became a lightning rod for controversy. Feeney kept dining at Abramoff's restaurant Signatures.

Feeney had to pay the U.S. Treasury $5,643 for his Scotland golf trip. The entire trip cost over $160,000. Abramoff spent tons of cash to make Feeney feel comfortable.

The other two Congressmen who Abramoff has taken to golf in Scotland are Tom Delay and Bob Ney. Delay has been indicted. Ney has been convicted of corruption charges stemming from in relationship with Abramoff.