FL-24: Feeney Apologizes for Abramoff Ties in New Ad

This is nuts:

In an unusual campaign move, U.S. Rep. Tom Feeney will use a new television ad to apologize for his role in the Jack Abramoff corruption scandal.

Set to air Tuesday, the 30-second spot features Feeney alone at a kitchen telling viewers that he made a “rookie mistake” by taking a 2003 golfing trip to Scotland that was paid for Abramoff, whom he calls a corrupt lobbyist.”I embarrassed myself, I embarrassed you and for that, I’m very sorry,” said Feeney, holding a black coffee mug as soft music plays in the background.

Here’s the full script:

“Five years ago, when I was first elected to Congress I was invited on trip to Scotland.  I found out later that it was paid for by a corrupt lobbyist. It was a rookie mistake and I did everything I could to make it right.  I reported it to the ethics committee and I paid the money back. I embarrassed myself, I embarrassed you and for that, I’m very sorry. I’m Tom Feeney and I approve this message because public service means about being honest, even when you make a mistake.”

You don’t usually see incumbents in a tough election issue mea culpas like this. (Note also that he’s only apologizing years after the offending incident.) In fact, this move had shades of Don Sherwood all over it. Will voters be in a forgiving mood this November? I doubt it.

27 thoughts on “FL-24: Feeney Apologizes for Abramoff Ties in New Ad”

  2. Whatever idiot advised him to do this should be fired.  Kosmas was making the race about Feeney being out of touch with the district.  She’s barely even mentioned the Abramoff scandel.  All he did was dig himself deeper with this ad.  I’ll guarantee this ad hurts him far more than it helps.

  3. the Tom Reynolds ad from last cycle where he surrounded himself with random children to serve as human shields while he apologized for enabling a certain pedophile. And he even managed to win after that! (Thanks almost exclusively to Jack Davis being his opponent.)

  4. You can’t put together a commercial and acknowledge your ties to a “corrupt lobbyist.”  I guess the best thing that this commercial indicates is that the Feeney campaign is very concerned.  That Kosmas poll must have been pretty accurate.  

    Btw, for anyone who has seen Feeney up close, they really did something to his hair, because he does not look like that.  

  5. would have a twist  … see franken’s ad in response to coleman’s footage of him spewing vulgarities. (yeah, i get angry, and why doesn’t norm coleman?)

    the only thing feeney’s ad  twists is a knife into his own gut… it just keeps digging deeper, ending by admitting that he’s an embarrassment.

    i guess they expect us to focus on that incongruous feel-good elevator music instead of his abject failure…

  7. …. here is a new poll from MN-1.

    Tarrance Group poll commissioned by the Brian Davis Campaign/NRCC.

    http://www.bluestemprairie.com/

    Congressional Ballot: A Time Series  

                       Aug.  17-18, 2008        Sept.   17-18 2008                                                                                                                                                

    Brian Davis (R)             27                      32                   +5

    Tim Walz (D)*              54                      50                   -4                                    

    Greg Mikkelson (I)        4                        4                                                      

    Undecided                   16                      14    

    [we add it up            101%                   100%]

  8. Praising them for a brilliant and very emotionally moving TV ad.  I recommended that they play it as often as possible between now and election day.

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