Tim Mahoney and Terry Mahoney

Terry Mahoney is NOT going to stand by her man.

For once, a political wife is not sticking around after her husband has betrayed her.

MIAMI -- The wife of a Florida congressman embroiled in an adultery scandal filed for divorce Monday.

U.S. Rep. Tim Mahoney admitted last week to having at least two affairs, including with an aide he paid off to keep her quiet about their relationship. His wife, Terry Mahoney, did not comment on seeking the divorce, and her attorney, Karen Steger, said "the petition speaks for itself."

The petition filed in a Palm Beach Gardens court asks for a dissolution of the marriage and for dividing assets, but does not give a reason. Florida is a no-fault divorce state.

Mahoney's campaign had no comment, calling it "a personal matter" and the congressman did not return a telephone call seeking comment. At a news conference last week, Mahoney apologized to his wife, his grown daughter and his constituents for his actions.

However, the first-term Democrat, in a tight bid for re-election, insists he broke no laws and will not resign. Voters chose him on a family values platform to replace Mark Foley, a Republican who resigned amid revelations that he sent lurid Internet messages to teenage male pages who worked on Capitol Hill.

...The 52-year-old Mahoney said he had a sexual relationship with 50-year-old Patricia Allen whom he met while campaigning in 2006. Allen worked for his congressional office, then his campaign. Mahoney said she was fired for performance issues, not because of the affair.

Allen threatened to sue Mahoney for sexual harassment and they reached a settlement to avoid a public airing of the affair. Her payout of about $122,000 came from Mahoney's personal accounts, not from campaign funds or federal dollars, the congressman says.

Mahoney is also being investigated by the FBI to determine whether he broke any laws when he hired a mistress to work on his staff. Investigators also are looking into whether Mahoney showed preferential treatment to Martin County in his Florida district when he lobbied for $3.4 million in hurricane cleanup funds awarded last year.

Mahoney acknowledges that at the time he was having an affair with a high-ranking Martin County official, but insists he did nothing extra.

Mahoney claims that he broke no laws and he won't resign.

Why don't Mahoney's Democrat colleagues pressure him to step aside?

Why doesn't party leader Barack Obama suggest that Mahoney resign and work out his issues?

Why aren't the lib media obsessing over the scandal?

From Newsweek:

Needless to say, Mahoney's political future is looking bleak. For now, he's continuing his re-election campaign, according to his spokesman. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is no longer running ads for him. And last week, disgusted constituents demonstrated in front of his district office. Wielding homemade signs that read SHAME! and CHARACTER COUNTS, they chanted, "Mahoney must go!" and "Where is Ma-phoney?" While recent polls taken before the events of last week showed him leading his opponent, Republican Tom Rooney, Mahoney is now trailing by more than 25 points. "Mahoney's district is conservative by design, and he would have had a hard time holding onto the district anyway," says Kevin Wagner, a political science professor at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. "More than a few voters see payback here for a candidate who took advantage of Foley's failures."

This isn't about payback for Mark Foley.

How can it be payback?

Is Terry Mahoney divorcing Tim Mahoney as payback because of Foley's failures?

That's ridiculous.

Mahoney brought this on himself. He chose to have "numerous" affairs and act in a manner that has resulted in an FBI investigation into his dealings.

This isn't about Foley.

Mahoney is responsible. His wife is holding him accountable. Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats are not.

It's politics as usual. Change? What change?