By DAVID M. HERSZENHORN
The New York Times

WEST PALM BEACH, Aug. 31 - If the White House retains any hope of persuading moderate Democrats to support the president’s strategy in Iraq, Representative Tim Mahoney of Florida would seem to be a top prospect. A fiscal conservative from a mostly Republican district, Mr. Mahoney visited Iraq in July and acknowledged seeing military progress.

Allies of the Bush administration are paying for television advertisements that are running in Mr. Mahoney’s district, including one featuring the teary mother of a marine killed in the war saying: “We are starting to see results. The price is being paid. Don-t give up.” But Mr. Mahoney says that he and his constituents have made up their minds and that it is time for Congress to force a change.

“There is consensus that it’s time to do something different,” said Mr. Mahoney, who won the seat vacated by Representative Mark Foley, who resigned last year after disclosures that he sent sexually explicit e-mail messages to House pages. “America has made a decision that it wants to move out.”

Mr. Mahoney added: “Republicans are probably more vocal in my district than Democrats. Those ads are driven to Republicans - that’s who they are trying to appeal to because they have lost Republican support for this war.”

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