"This election is not about Mark Foley. Mark Foley is not an issue in this election,'' Joe Negron optimistically declared moments after his campaign for Foley's seat began. He repeated the point to his first questioner:  "My job beginning immediately is to get word out to all these absentee voters and to everyone else in this race that you are not voting for Mark Foley. You are voting for the Republican nominee, and I'm not Mark Foley.''

A TV reporter asked the second question: "Mr. Foley - er, Mr. Negron..."

"We're off to a bad start. We have our work cut out for us,'' Negron said, and referring to the reporters added, "My comment about intelligent voters applied to my constituents.''