Palm Beach Congressman Mark Foley resigned in September after sexually explicit instant messages he sent to a 16 year old male page were made public. House Leadership came under investigation for mishandling the incident and now the House Ethics Committee has released their findings.

In the report the committee said they were “disturbed by the conduct of some of those who dealt with allegations regarding the conduct of former Representative Mark Foley.” But they also found that no members violated official House rules.

While not saying anything about the committee’s findings Chairman of the Ethics committee, Washington Congressman Doc Hastings, did offer some advice for future situations.

"Each of us on this subcommittee recognizes that 20 20 hindsight is easy. And we recognize that doing the right thing in a sensitive situation can be very hard and difficult. But simply put, in situations as ones described in our report doing the right thing is the only acceptable option"

The committee requested that the current operation of the page program be reviewed to ensure the safety of pages.

Former state Representative Dudley Goodlette of Naples starts working for a lobbying firm today. Republican Dudley Goodlette served 8 years in the legislature. He left office this fall due to term limits. He’s a real estate lawyer in Naples and will continue to practice there. But he’s also been hired by the lobbyist organization Southern Strategy Group.

Goodlette was, ironically, one of the key architects of Florida’s sweeping ban on gifts from lobbyists. And he says, he has every intention of complying with a state law that bans former lawmakers from lobbying the legislature for two years after they leave office.

“There is no prohibition in the law that would preclude me from lobbying the executive branch of government – the governor and the state agencies. So I would expect that I would be a registered executive branch lobbyist initially and once the two year time period for me lobbying the legislature, that prohibition expires – I may or may not lobby the legislature thereafter. It remains to be seen.”

Goodlette had considered running for the state Senate before incumbent Senator Burt Saunders of Naples dropped out of the GOP primary for state attorney general and stayed in his seat. Goodlette says he will decide when Saunders leaves office if he wants to run for legislative office again.

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Former Naples State Representative Dudley Goodlette begins working for one of the largest lobbying firms in the state capital today.

He was term limited out of office this fall. Now Goodlette says he’ll continue his real estate law practice and work as an Executive branch lobbyist and advisor for Southern Strategy Group, out of a new office the firm is opening in Naples.

Goodlette says Florida’s lobbying corps operates with impeccable integrity.

“They don’t cut corners. They give you the straight information. I would envision seeking to emulate some of those really top quality people if and when I do get into the legislative lobbying arena.”

Former lawmakers are banned from lobbying the legislative branch for two years.

Southern Strategy Group has more than 100 clients including Brevard County, AT&T, Chevron, the cities of Orlando and Jacksonville and Walt Disney World.

The 2006 midterm elections are over. But there’s no rest for the winners. Future West Palm Beach Congressman Tim Mahoney’s realizing how much there is to get done before Congress starts in January.

Newly elected lawmakers flew in to Washington, DC this week to start freshman orientation. Beverly Bell of the Congressional Management Foundation says the most important decision lawmakers must make immediately is who to bring on their congressional staff.

“If you hire a bad chief of staff or a chief of staff that is not right for you that’s very difficult. It’s going to set you back a long way because that chief of staff has a lot of responsibilities getting your office set up.”

Mahoney says he’s already receiving hundreds of resumes to work in his Congressional offices. But he will have fewer openings than most freshmen.

“We’re going to hold on to most of former Congressman Foley’s staff. I don’t care if they’re Republican or Democrat. They did a great job for Congressman Foley and the 16th district.”

Mahoney says he wants to stay a bit of an outsider in Washington. He’s spending this week learning parliamentary procedure and will vote in Democratic Leadership elections.

Republicans held their majority in Lee County’s legislative delegation as GOP candidate Nick Thompson won the only state House seat. Thompson says his number one priority right now is to get ready for a special session to lower property insurance.

“ That’s the thing that’s going to be facing us immediately. I’m going up there Thursday for orientation and I will be working with House leadership on the ideas that are coming out of the task force on property insurance so that we can get ready for the special session.”

Thompson defeated Democratic attorney Pete Burkert to take the seat previously held by GOP Representative Bruce Kyle, who stepped down because of term limits.

Democrat Tim Mahoney takes over District 16, which includes parts of Charlotte County. It used to belong to former Congressman Mark Foley. Republican state representative Joe Negron conceded to Mahoney last night. Mahoney says it’s now time to get to work.

“We talk about issues and solve problems with having to do with homeowner’s insurance, social security, affordable health care. I mean we’ve got a lot of work to do. And I’m really anxious to go into Washington in the majority and being able to bring the results home to the people of the 16th congressional district.”

Mahoney’s victory helps Democrats regain control of the House by taking a seat that had been seen as securely in GOP hands before Foley’s troubles. Foley resigned in September after being confronted with lurid computer messages he sent to male teenage pages.

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For the first time in more than 30 years, a Democrat will represent Florida’s 16th Congressional District. As Justin Gilken reports, Palm Beach Gardens businessman Tim Mahoney defeated Republican state representative Joe Negron by fewer than 5-thousand votes…
Mahoney took the stage to claim victory around 11-pm Tuesday to the music of the rock band U-2… surrounded by family, friends and supporters at the Jupiter Beach Resort. The political newcomer says his number one concern in Washington will be ethics reform, and he promised bi-partisan leadership…

Mahoney was initially considered a long-shot for the 16th district against Republican Mark Foley… but the seat became a toss-up when the six-term incumbent suddenly resigned from office in late September, after it was revealed that he exchanged sexually-explicit online messages with former congressional pages. To replace Foley, the G-O-P selected Joe Negron. Late Tuesday, the Stuart Republican praised his campaign for keeping the race close, despite having only five weeks to build support, and the fact that Foley’s name appeared on the ballot…

The sprawling 16th district is one of about 30 seats Democrats picked up in gaining control of the U-S House for the first time since 1994. Both parties tapped considerable resources to win the seat, spending a combined $2-point-3 million dollars in a matter of weeks, much of it on a barrage of competing television ads.

The race for Florida’s 13th Congressional District is headed for a recount. When all the votes were tabulated early this morning (Wednesday) Republican Vern Buchanan led Democrat Christine Jennings by 368 votes. That’s a margin of just three-tenths of one-percent. Florida law mandates a manual recount in such a close race.

That was not the only problem for the Christine Jennings campaign. For most of the day they heard anecdotal reports of people having trouble voting for her. They would punch her name into the touch screen machine, but not see it when it came time to confirm their choice. Jennings told supporters this was no time to concede the race.

“Right now the most important thing, and I believe that my opponent would agree, is to make sure that the right of Florida voters are protected and that every vote is counted.”

Sarasota Supervisor of Elections Kathy Dent is expected to convene the canvassing board later today to conduct the recount. While there are absentee ballots to review, all other votes were done electronically, leaving no paper trail.

Katherine Harris lost her bid to unseat Florida Senator Bill Nelson. Smiling broadly, the Sarasota Republican told supporters to carry-on the conservative banner.

“We are unbowed in our devotion to responsible conservative vision and that means lower taxes, less government, secure borders, reasonable immigration reform and very importantly making sure that we uphold and protect our traditional values”

Harris has served in public office since 1994. She said she believes that public service is still a noble calling. She said her only regret was not so much losing the election, but losing her father this year.

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Katherine Harris gracefully conceded to Senator Bill Nelson last evening in Sarasota. Harris admitted she faced many obstacles during the campaign but, given the chance, would do it all over again.

“With the exception of losing my dad there is not one single thing that I would reverse the tide on because it had grown my character, it has grown my faith. And I’ve had the chance to meet some of the most remarkable people and solidify friendships that I’ve had over the years more so than any other time in my life and I would not turn back the hands of time for anything so for that I thank you.”

Nelson won 60-percent of the vote to Katherine Harris' 38-percent.

About 250 sign-waving fans greeted Democratic congressman Jim Davis to Sarasota’s Payne Park Sunday evening. Davis is running for governor against Republican Charlie Crist. And “running” is the operative word as the two men crisscrossed Florida looking votes in tomorrow’s election. With no necktie and sleeves rolled-up, Davis told the Sarasota crowd that high insurance premiums and property taxes are threatening to send Floridians out-of-state for relief.

“You know we just left couples down in Cape Coral from Ohio that are thinking about moving back to Ohio. We just met a couple from New York that’s thinking about moving back to NY because it’s more affordable. This is about the American dream.”

Davis promised, as governor, he would lower insurance premiums and property taxes while boosting teacher-pay by four-thousand-dollars a year. The democrat’s biggest applause came when he said he would restore faith in the state’s election system. Sarasota County voters decide tomorrow whether to replace their touch-screen voting machines with paper ballots.
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Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jim Davis appeared with former Senator Bob Graham and Rhea Chiles before 250 enthusiastic Sarasota supporters Sunday night. The Tampa congressman said as governor he would work to lower property taxes and insurance premiums, while giving teachers a four-thousand-dollar raise. The crowd gathered outside at Payne Park gave Davis his biggest applause when he promised statewide voting reform.

“We’re going to have automatic restoration of voting rights for convicted felons. If you’ve solved the crime you’ve done the time and I am going to appoint a secretary of state who’s going to do what Katherine Harris was never willing to do – free and fair elections in Florida in 2008 including for President of the United States.”

Sarasota County voters decide tomorrow whether to replace their touch-screen voting machines with paper ballots. Supervisor of Elections Kathy Dent is warning people to make sure to review their choices before punching the red vote button. Some people complained in early voting that they didn’t see the Christine Jennings – Vern Buchanan congressional race until they reviewed their ballot choices carefully at the end.

About 100 veterans from Manatee, Sarasota and Charlotte counties gathered in Bradenton yesterday to hear the two District-13 congressional candidiates debate. Republican Vern Buchanan and Democrat Christine Jennings are looking to fill the seat being vacated by Katherine Harris. Buchanan said he found comments earlier in the week by Senator John Kerry to be repulsive and issued a challenge to Jennings, but she didn't bite.

“You’ve taken a thousand dollars or you’ve taken money on behalf of John Kerry for your campaign and I’d ask you to give it back tonight.”

“John Kerry does not speak for me. No one. No one speaks for me. I speak for myself.”

The controversy surrounding Senator Kerry happened when he says he blew a joke about President Bush. It sounded like the Massachusetts senator said only stupid people join the military. Senator Kerry has since apologized. Concerning the War, Republican Buchanan says talk of pulling out of Iraq is insulting to the generals. Jennings says she's talked to veterans, and their top concern is the safety and well-being of the troops.
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The two congressional candidiates looking to fill the seat being vacated by Katherine Harris debated in front of room full of veterans in Bradenton yesterday. Democrat Christine Jennings and Republican Vern Buchanan agreed on one thing -- that Florida's 1.8 million veterans deserve better health care. The agreement came to an end when the topic of Iraq came up. Jennings took issue Buchanan's television ads.

“My opponent has said that I want to surrender and retreat and I want you to know that I resent this. This is a totally false and inaccurate statement.”

Buchanan criticized Jennings for saying the President has no strategy for winning the war in Iraq. However, the veterans chortled when Buchanan said after three-and-a half years, it might be time for a change in that strategy.

“There is a strategy and I think we need to be flexible. And I think we’re at that point in time where there’s gonna be some flexibility there. (laughter) Ladies and gentlemen please.”

Buchanan has seen top Republican leaders travel to Sarasota to campaign for him. Last week it was the President and the First Lady. Tomorrow night former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is scheduled to attend a Buchanan rally at Selby Five-Points-Park at 6:30.

The 82 thousand registered voters in Florida House District 73 get to choose between two political newcomers on Election Day. The district includes much of Lee County, including the city of Ft. Myers. The open seat was vacated by Republican Bruce Kyle – who was term limited out. W-G-C-U’s Valerie Alker has this look at the two candidates vying to replace him.