Democrat political blunders don’t get much bigger than this one: alienating black voters while handing a competitive district to the Republicans. And in a district that had just seen a high profile, closely fought special election.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, under the leadership of Rep. Steve Israel (see below), hand-picked a candidate to take on Rep. David Jolly for Florida’s 13th Congressional District. Via Mary Katharine Ham in Hot Air, the Tampa Bay Times explains:

Ed Jany, the Marine and former cop, national and state Democratic leaders hailed as an ideal candidate to take on newly elected U.S. Rep. David Jolly, R-Indian Shores, in Pinellas County’s Congressional District 13, is dropping out of the race.

The sudden and surprise announcement comes days after a Tampa Bay Times report about him seemingly padding his educational background and resume.

Jany entered the race at the last minute — after Democrats more or less threatened a prominent African-American minister to keep him out of the contest. In a statement Jany said he has realized he does not have the time to run for office:

“It is with deep regret that I announce my withdrawal from the race for U.S. Representative in the Thirteenth District. In my professional capacity, I am responsible for coordinating some of the Command and Control for Security at the World Cup in Brazil this year, something I committed to doing some time ago. I wrongly assumed that I could maintain my professional work requirements while running for office, just as I was able to work full-time as a police officer while pursuing a full-time education and balancing my military service in the past. Unfortunately, the political process does not allow for me to continue my professional work, and I cannot afford to support my family while campaigning without an income. This has been a very tough decision that I’ve considered thoughtfully over the course of the last week, but it’s the best choice for my family right now.”

The man that the DCCC and Steve Israel pushed aside in favor of Jany is St. Petersburg pastor Manuel Sykes, who was threatened with becoming “persona non grata” if he did not leave the race to Jany.

The filing deadline for candidates was May 2, so the Democrats have no one on the ballot. They can thank their mastermind, Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY). Israel’s had a tough week already, because The O’Reilly Factor’s Jesse Watters caught him in an ambush interview in the Capitol, asking him to justify his comments that in essence called the Republican base racists. If you have not seen it, watch the video below to see how a politician can make himself look like an evasive jerk with a phony smile. It’s time for Israel to follow Jany’s lead and withdraw in disgrace.

Hat tip: Ed Lasky