I had seriously hoped that the State Assemblywoman who received strong WFP endorsements with pro-labor and a progressive pro social issue background and in the absence of a strong contender willing to run to her left and not to her right, made a compelling case to endorse for the first time in my life, a Republican for Federal Office.
There followed some events that radically changed the playing field. The postings on TAP calling into question Scozzafava as NOT being all that progressive, Owens running more mainstream Democratic than I thought he would and finally the DCCC having caught Scozzafava on tape stating, what is the rush to reform healthcare? That was the final straw that made me realize, I need to stand away from this candidate and go to the Owens for Congress site and make a conciliatory contribution to his campaign!
My apologies to fellow progressives who were less yearning than I for a return to the old Rockefeller establishment moderate Republicans who gave in their day at least some sane alternatives for the voters. The south and indeed the Club for Growth truly have an unbreakable hold on that party and Dede Scozzafava attitude toward health care reform only underscores just how much!
This doesn't surprise. A lot of people, including people here in New York, have made the same argument. Part of it has to do with a lack of research on Scozzafava. The other half of it is a lack of information on the Democratic candidate Bill Owens, who conservatives call "liberal" and some progressives like Markos have called a "Blue Dog."
After reading Markos' post multiple times, it seems he uses the following as important points for his "liberal" labeling of Scozzafava.
I find myself nodding and shaking my head in agreement with a lot of the latest commentary on the 23rd special election from Markos. I've said from the beginning that I was uncomfortable with Owens, a lifelong independent who doesn't seem to support a progressive agenda or even a mainstream Democratic agenda. All signs say that we would be better off with the most liberal Republican in the country than another conservadem in a Congress that already has too many conservadems. This blog is not simply a Democratic blog; it's a progressive blog, created by progressives who want to take back Albany. In the same way, that alliance towards the progressive agenda can and should take priority over an alliance to a subpar Democrat facing a quite decent Republican.
With nearly a month to go before the special election in the 23rd congressional district, Siena has released a poll showing Republican candidate Dede Scozzafava with a seven point lead over Democratic candidate Bill Owens.
Scozzafava comes in at 35 percent with Owens behind her at 28 percent. Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman, who has been trying to tout himself as the conservative option to Scozzafava, stands at 16 percent.
Some of the other highlights of the poll include:
- The poll asked respondents who would be the best candidate on six different issues: The economy, health care, wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, education, homeland security and bringing federal dollars to the district. Owens won or is tied with Scozzafava on five of the six issues. The only issue Owens lost to Scozzafava was the economy (25 percent to 23 percent, according to the poll). Those surveyed said that Owens would be best to address health care, the wars abroad and homeland security, while he tied with Scozzafava on education and bringing money to the district.
- An endorsement from former Congressman John McHugh might be helpful in the eyes of some voters. Of those surveyed, 40 percent said an endorsement from McHugh would make them more likely to support a candidate. Only seven percent said McHugh's endorsement would make them less likely to support a candidate.
Here are some other details from the press release:
Scozzafava leads Owens 53-23 percent, with 10 percent for Hoffman in the western North Country counties (Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence). Owens's largest lead is in the Central New York counties of Madison, Oneida and Oswego, 30 percent to 20 percent each for Scozzafava and Hoffman. The Democrat and Republican are virtually tied in the five counties of the eastern North Country (Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, and Hamilton), 32 percent for Owens, 31 percent for Scozzafava and 18 percent for Hoffman.
Scozzafava is viewed favorably by 33 percent of voters and unfavorably by 20 percent, with 47 percent not having an opinion. Owens has a 23-12 percent favorable rating, with 64 percent of voters undecided, while Hoffman has a 16-13 percent favorable rating, with 71 percent of voters undecided.
The good news for Owens is that he is still in this. He also has a good showing when it is broken up into issues. Being able to be trusted on certain issues is key and when voters trust you more than the Republican on most issues, that says a lot (even though he still trails in the overall poll).
Keep in mind that Owens has stayed out of the limelight for most of this. He has a few TV ads out, but he's let Scozzafava and Hoffman duke it out. That has its advantages. But he will need to get this party going if he plans on winning next month.
Governor David Paterson made the official announcement today setting the special election in the 23rd congressional district for November 3, this year's Election Day.
Governor David A. Paterson today issued a proclamation calling a special election to be held Tuesday, November 3, 2009, to fill a vacancy in the 23rd Congressional District due to the resignation of Congressman John McHugh.
"This special election will ensure that the residents of all or parts of Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Oneida, Oswego and St. Lawrence counties are represented in the U.S. House of Representatives," Governor Paterson said. "I encourage all eligible voters to come out to the polls on November 3, 2009 to select their Member of Congress."
Governor Paterson issued the special election proclamation pursuant to Section 42 of the Public Officers Law. The Proclamation orders and proclaims that an election for a Member of Congress be held in the twenty-third Congressional District, including all or parts of Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Oneida, Oswego and St. Lawrence counties and shall be conducted in the manner prescribed by law for elections in New York State.
This election is unlike any other. You have what conservatives are calling a liberal Republican - Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava - running on the Republican line. You have a moderate independent - Bill Owens - running on the Democratic line. And then you have a conservative Republican - Doug Hoffman - running on the Conservative Party line. It really is an odd election, to say the least. But it is an election nonetheless.
The Republican-conservative battle in the 23rd congressional district race is fun to watch and there is more coming out about the extent of it.
Republican candidate Dede Scozzafava's campaign passed along an e-mail to the Watertown Daily Times and in that e-mail was a message from Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman offering his support.
Jude Seymour from the Watertown Daily Timeshas the story:
Doug Hoffman pledged to help Dede Scozzafava in an e-mail sent two days after the Republican Party passed over the Lake Placid accountant for the nomination.
The e-mail, sent from Mr. Hoffman's business account on July 24 and provided by the Scozzafava campaign, states in full: "Hi Dede, Congratulations and the best of luck in your candidacy. Let me know if there is anything I can do to help. Doug."
...
I asked Mr. Hoffman today - through his spokesman - to explain why he told Ms. Scozzafava one thing and me another.
Here's the response I got from Rob Ryan, Mr. Hoffman's spokesman: "Like most Republicans, Doug Hoffman had no idea how liberal Dede Scozzafava is. The fact that Scozzafava has voted for higher taxes, increased spending and gay marriage proves she is way to liberal for the voters of upstate New York."
So Hoffman is one of two things: Either he is an opportunist who first promised support only to get backing from the Conservative Party in a run for Congress OR he really didn't know what Scozzafava was all about.
If it is the former, that wouldn't be surprising. It wouldn't be the first time a candidate saw an opening and realized that with the Conservative Party's help, he could run to the right of all candidates and try and rally the base for an upset victory.
But if it is the latter, it should raise questions about how just informed Hoffman is. He says he didn't realize just how "liberal" Scozzafava was and yet, she voted for the marriage equality bill in the Assembly back in 2007. Since Scozzafava has been labeled as "liberal" for only being pro-choice and pro-marriage equality, you would think that would have been a wake-up call for Hoffman. That's a vote everyone knows about, especially in political circles. He could have looked it up or he could have already know about it.
This whole battle has been all about ideology and nothing else. Hoffman, a fellow Republican, has gone after Scozzafava and labeled her as a liberal even though she isn't a full-blown liberal. Being left-of-center on two issues doesn't make her a liberal. Being left-of-center on ALL or MOST issues does.
With the NRCC posting stories that are more anti-Republican candidate Dede Scozzafava than anything, one has to wonder if there are Republicans who are quietly trying to sabotage Scozzafava and get behind Conservative Party candidate (and registered Republican) Doug Hoffman.
Also on the conservative front, former Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson endorsed Hoffman as well. In endorsing Hoffman, Thompson makes it clear why he did so.
"Doug is a conservative, who understands that our freedom is our greatest strength, that life is a precious gift, and that getting back to our founding principles will ensure our nation's security and prosperity for us and for our children and grandchildren."
Notice the use of "conservative" at the start and this phrase: "That life is a precious gift." That is a slight jab at Scozzafava for her pro-choice positions. Hoffman has noted many times that he is against abortion.
This is an odd race. The Republicans picked a candidate who is pro-choice and pro-equality, clearly a sort of change of pace from what the GOP normally nominates. Then the Conservative Party, angry at the GOP pick, selects a conservative Republican to run on their line. The Democrats followed by selecting a moderate independent to run.
Now, there is clearly a battle between the conservative wing of the Republican Party and the Republican Party. Conservatives seem to be making it their goal to elect Hoffman instead of the "liberal" Dede Scozzafava.
This is interesting for many reasons. For starters, it shows a great disconnect in the Republican Party. Conservatives have dominated the party for years and when that is challenged, they get outraged. So much for moderate Republicans being able to stand up and be counted too. (Of course, we all remember how John McCain was received by the likes of Ann Coulter and company.)
Letting Hoffman and Scozzafava go at it could benefit Owens. But Owens needs to show Democrats that he is on our side. Picking an independent has its advantages in this race, but for the party loyalists and progressives, it raises some questions. For example, people want to know whether or not Owens is pro-choice. That hasn't been made clear. We shouldn't have to dig too far for those answers, yet those answers haven't been given. We need to know.
All eyes are on this race. It's going to be a heck of a ride.
Earlier this week, I wrote about the NRCC posting a story on their website from Human Events that labeled Republican candidate Dede Scozzafava as "too liberal" and questioned her ties to ACORN because of past endorsements by the Working Families Party. If you go to the page on the NRCC website where the story was posted, it has since been removed.
Today, the NRCC posted a this story from The Hill on their website. The piece describes Doug Hoffman, the Conservative Party candidate, and his labeling of Republican candidate Scozzafava as "liberal."
Conservative Party special election candidate Doug Hoffman is up with an ad in the race for former Rep. John McHugh's (R-N.Y.) seat, and it takes square aim at the GOP nominee.
Hoffman, who has garnered plenty of attention as a little-'c' conservative alternative to centrist GOP Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava, uses the ad to push Scozzafava to the left.
The ad features a series of costumed characters and suggests Scozzafava is trying to hide her real ideology. The last costume features a suit and a Ronald Reagan mask.
"Pretending can't make you a Reagan Republican," the narrator says.
Look for Hoffman and Democratic nominee Bill Owens to continue to focus their message squarely on Scozzafava, who enters the race as the frontrunner.
The NRCC posted this story on their website. However, as you will notice if you follow the link, they have since taken the story down.
It makes you wonder where the NRCC stands. Do they support Scozzafava, who is the Republican in this race? Or do they support Hoffman because he is the conservative (ideology, not party) in the race?
It raises this question again: Do the Republicans support the Republican Party or do they support the conservative ideology? Would they rather go for ideology or the win for their party?
I know that there are progressive Democrats who would put their ideology first. But they would never put a Democrat in danger of losing to a Republican. The Republicans are throwing their candidate under the bus in the name of the conservative movement.
Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava, the Republican nominee, leads with 20 percent. Democratic candidate Bill Owens comes in at 17 percent and Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman also has 17 percent.
In case you don't know who the Club For Growth is, they are a pretty conservative group that wants to see the Bush tax cuts made permanent and believes in expanding free trade. So having this group come up with a poll that has such a diverse opinion of all three candidates is worth noting.
But like any of these polls, take it for what it's worth. There were only 300 people polled and the margin of error was over five percent.
The poll summary also shows the problems that the Republicans and conservatives (and perhaps Conservatives) will have as this race progresses. Those who are conservative Republicans might abandon their party and put ideology first by supporting Hoffman, who has separated himself as the conservative in this race while labeling Owens and Scozzafava as "liberals."
It does open up a chance for Owens to take the moderate vote (and apparently just as much of the conservative vote as Hoffman has) and win this election. I know people have certain opinions of Owens, but after learning more about him, he's not a bad candidate. (More on Owens later.)
Also out today is a new ad from the DCCC targeting Dede Scozzafava. This is in response to the ads sent out yesterday by the NRCC tying Owens to Pelosi in an attempt to, like Hoffman, make Owens look liberal.
One of the common critiques of the Republican Party is that they have gotten away from Republicans like Barry Goldwater or even Ronald Reagan. Instead of being for the Republican Party, they are instead a front for the conservative movement. It has worked in the past, but it only works so long and so often. With such a focus on conservatism (especially neo-conservatism), you are going to alienate certain moderates that consider themselves Republicans but aren't welcomed into a party whose leaders only want conservatives.
The NRCC has posted a story from Human Events on its website that reads, "Scozzafava Too Liberal for New York Conservatives." The piece highlights conservative outrage over Republican nominee Dede Scozzafava running on the Working Families Party line in the past, or as the piece called the WFP, "a wholly-owned subsidiary of ACORN."
Now, with the special election for McHugh's seat likely to be held November 3, will Scozzafava become the first Republican U.S. House hopeful to run with the ballot line of the Working Families Party -- whose co-founders include veteran leftist organizers Dan Cantor and Bob Master, the United Auto Workers and ACORN?
When I mentioned the endorsement of the WFP in the House race, Scozzafava spokesman Matt Burns told me "there has been no discussion of this." Asked about the party's ties to ACORN, Burns said that had Scozzafava been in Congress during the vote last week, "she would have voted to defund ACORN." He added that she has "straight As" from the National Rifle Association and voted against Democratic Gov. David Paterson's "bloated" budget this year (Burns conceded there were other issues on which the Republican has problems with conservatives in her party: she is pro-abortion, voted for gay marriage and, while not endorsing the controversial "card check" provision in the Employee Free Choice Act, she does support "reform in workers' ability to organize" -- a stand not too different from that of AFL-CIO President Rich Trumka when he said he could support EFCA without card check).
Regarding Scozzafava's ties to the WFP and the recent attacks from Hoffman and the Conservative Party, Burns and other Republicans in upstate New York reminded me that this is a "first," that since 1998, more than eighty Republican candidates have sought office running with both the Conservative and WFP ballot lines.
"Yes, and when I have learned about candidates who have the Conservative Party endorsement and then allow themselves to be corrupted by accepting the Working Families endorsement, I try to strip them of our ballot line," New York Conservative Party Chairman Mike Long told me, "Running with the WFP and our line is totally unacceptable."
...
Given the Working Families Party's ties to ACORN and the furor over tax dollars to the community action colossus, it will be interesting to watch whether Dede Scozzafava pursues their endorsement once again.
While I would love to see the Working Families Party endorse someone else, I don't really see why the NRCC would endorse this piece by posting it on their website nor do I see the logic of Republicans jumping on board with this. The Working Families Party is a ballot line. If Scozzafava has it, that means no one else has it. She gets the votes on that line. Who wouldn't want that?
But this willingness to essentially throw their candidate under the bus could come back to bite the Republicans. They are already facing heat from conservatives for backing Scozzafava and the Conservative Party in New York has gone with their own candidate, Doug Hoffman. There are duels going on between conservatives and conservative Republicans. Some Republicans support Scozzafava, but others are siding with Hoffman based on ideology. If that holds up heading into this election, it could be trouble for both.
This race will not be easy for Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava. The Republican nominee is facing pressure from Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman over her past connections to the Working Families Party, whose line she has run on in past elections.
Doug Hoffman, the Conservative Party's candidate, was first out of the box with a press release that seeks to capitalize on the ACORN scandal by calling on his Republican opponent, Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava, to "explain her relationship with the radical left."
"Dede Scozzafava claims to be a Republican, yet, time and again, she has run as a candidate of the radical left Working Families Party," Hoffman said.
"The WFP is an organization that detests almost every principle the GOP stands for and with its sister organization, ACORN, has worked to radicalize the New York political scene."
"I am calling Dede Scozzafava to disavow her relationship with the WFP, condemn ACORN for its actions and come clean on her and her husband's dealings with the two entities."
The release goes on to note that Scozzafava's husband, Ron McDougall, is an organizer for "Big Labor" (he's a union official).
Hoffman's campaign spokesman, Rob Ryan, helpfully forwarded over a list of contributions McDougall has made to the WFP - 64 of them since 2002, all but one of which are for $10. The one is for $50, bringing his grand total to: $690.
Here's the deal: This should be a clear example of how conservatives are different from Republicans. Do they go hand-in-hand most of the time? Yes. But this is a clear instance where the Republicans put up a fairly moderate candidate (Scozzafava is liberal on social issues, but other than that, I can't say she's progressive) and she gets attacked by the conservative (and Conservative Party) candidate in the race for being a member of the "radical left." Conservatives are using the same hate tactics Democrats have seen over and over again on Scozzafava.
Democratic candidate Bill Owens got some good news today when he was endorsed by Senator Darrel Aubertine. Aubertine's endorsement could be seen as a big one, considering his stature in the district. He was being talked about as the front-runner for the race should he run. He passed on the race, which opened the door for other candidates like Owens.
The results of the poll showed that Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava, the Republican nominee, leads with 26 percent. The Democratic candidate, Bill Owens, netted 17 percent while Hoffman came in at 16 percent. When "lean" votes are factored in, Scozzafava gets 30 percent, Owens 20 percent and Hoffman 19 percent.
The poll also has a large group of undecideds at 31 percent. It covered 300 likely general election voters and had a margin of error of 5.7 percent.
This poll makes for a good NY-23 post, but nothing more. Based on some other information in the poll, you can tell what the goal was: To portray Hoffman as the conservative option to the "liberals" Owens and Scozzafava.
Here is an example:
All things being equal, based on the following descriptions for whom are you more likely to vote for U.S. Congress? If you will decide your vote on other issues just say so. A Democratic candidate who is pro-abortion and is supported by Nancy Pelosi, who supports gay marriage. A liberal Republican who is pro abortion and pro gay marriage, OR, A Conservative Republican who is running on the Conservative Party line, who is pro-life and pro traditional marriage.
The results of that question had 48 percent saying they supported the "Conservative Republican" choice (which is Hoffman without the question saying as much).
The intent of this poll was to do what Hoffman has been trying to do since being given the opportunity to run on the Conservative Party line. He is running as the conservative alternative to Scozzafava (and Owens, if that's possible). He has labeled his two opponents as "liberals", which is an interesting approach. He labels Owens as a supporter of gay marriage even though he does not support gay marriage (he supports civil unions, but does not support full marriage equality due to religious reasons) and tries to separate himself from Scozzafava on the same social issues.
Obviously, this poll is nothing more than a way for Hoffman to get more support. It's not something I would take too seriously.
The Republicans picked Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava, a pro-choice and pro-marriage equality candidate who is known as a bit of a maverick in Republican circles.
In response to the Republicans' choice, the Conservative Party has nominated Doug Hoffman to run on their line as the conservative candidate in the race. The Conservative Party, which is known for putting social issues at the forefront of their selection process, decided against endorsing Scozzafava because of her social liberal views.
There are those who are wondering why the Democrats picked a moderate independent to run. The reason is that you aren't going to win NY-23 with someone who is a staunch progressive. Scozzafava, while being a social liberal, isn't liberal on too much else. She, like the man she wants to succeed, is fairly moderate and will vote with the Republicans most of the time. Owens, the Democratic choice, makes it known that he is a moderate and doesn't deviate from that.
The enrollment in the district shows you what we are looking at in terms of voters:
23rd Congressional District Enrollment
DEM
REP
IND
CON
WFP
GRE
LIB
SWP
BLK
TOTAL
120,887
167,272
19,619
5,561
1,482
911
77
3
76,194
392,006
The reality is that you aren't going to win NY-23 with a staunch progressive or a staunch conservative. McHugh has served the district well and is known as a moderate. That is why he was such a tough election foe. In order to serve the district, you have to be able to balance yourself.
Here are some things to keep in mind:
- People have pointed out that Owens is to the right of Scozzafava on marriage equality. That's true, but he isn't to the right on the issue. He is actually in the middle, arguing that his religious beliefs prevent him from being a supporter, but does believe that equal rights are important. The conservative in the race, Hoffman, is opposed to marriage equality altogether. If you had to pick from Owens or Hoffman, which would you rather have? Also, I would like to hear Owens on repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell and whether or not he would support other key LGBT legislation. As a friend reminded me, a certain high-profile Democrat held a very similar view of marriage equality that Owens does. We just happened to elect that Democrat our president.
- Scozzafava will be tough, especially when it comes to getting the minor party lines. She has already secured the Independence Party line and will also be in the running for the Working Families Party line. Owens might be able to secure the WFP line, but that will be up to the party to decide.
- Hoffman won't win, but he will play spoiler. The conservatives (and Conservative Party) will try and make this about social issues. With Owens and Scozzafava both pro-choice and Scozzafava pro-marriage equality, the Conservative Party will seek to steal votes that may have been headed in Scozzafava's direction.
While voter turnout for this special election might not be high for a congressional race, it's not your typical special election. If everything falls into place, the election will take place on Election Day 2009. That means down-ticket races (county legislature, town board, mayoral races, etc.) could benefit from having a high-profile race on the ballot. Voter turnout won't be at record levels, but it shouldn't be as bad as some are assuming it will be.
Is Owens a progressive candidate? No. But the Democratic chairs weren't looking for a progressive candidate. They were looking for someone who fit the district. There will be people who question why Democrats would pick an independent to run on their line. It is a good question to ask, but the decision was apparently a unanimous one and a decision that was supported by the DCCC.
There is a lot more to learn about these candidates. That I will say. There has been a lot of reactionary comments made about Scozzafava's pro-choice and pro-marriage equality stances as if those positions alone make you a progressive. That only makes her progressive on those issues.
The election is still a few months away, but it sure will have the attention of New Yorkers. A lot will be on the line. There is a lot of work to be done. So let's get to work.
(UPDATE: This is what I have been able to find out about Owens so far. On the issue of abortion, he is pro-choice. On marriage equality, he believes that is a civil rights issue but isn't a proponent of marriage equality, at least not as of yet. He is a resident of Plattsburgh and moved there when he retired from the Air Force.)
The nomination of Rep. John McHugh to serve as Secretary of the Army - a move that is being blocked by a couple of Republican senators along with other appointments - has opened the 23rd congressional district up and the race is underway. And with the Republicans and Conservatives putting up separate candidates, this is a race that we can win.
After gathering today in the North Country, the 11 county chairs have selected Bill Owens to run on the Democratic line. This has been confirmed by Oswego Democrat, who was on the scene and waited for the decision to come down.
Owens entered the fray a few weeks ago and made it known he was interested. He acknowledges that he is an independent, but he has distanced himself from Republican thinking.
Owens was a favorite of the DCCC's and it's easy to see why. Owens is an independent voice and will be able to appeal to voters on all sides in the district. That can't be said of the Republican candidate (Dede Scozzafava) or the Conservative candidate (Doug Hoffman).
The longtime attorney has been with the law firm of Stafford, Owens, Curtin & Trombley PLLC, the firm of former State Sen. Ronald B. Stafford, an icon in the Republican Party.
"I've been an independent since I was 18," Owens said.
"People who think I was a Republican all these years don't know me well enough."
Owens has also served as a host on Mountain Lake Public Television news shows.
He said he wants to join Congress so he can fight for the people of the North Country.
"I think it is time that we get people in Congress who are going to look out for the people in their districts," he said.
"The deficit, jobs, health care, these are the issues that are on people's minds."
While I agree with Scozzafava on issues like marriage equality and abortion, I can't see myself agreeing with her on much else. She is, after all, a Republican. She will need to appeal to the base and if the NRCC sees this race as another attempt at trying to crack President Barack Obama's armor.
But without the Conservative Party line, it will be tough. That will take votes away, especially if Doug Hoffman makes an issue of Scozzafava's stances on marriage equality and abortion.
That is where Owens comes in. He is a voice for independence and he will provide voters with a clear choice. Yes, he's running on the Democratic line. But he provides voters with an option: Either you can support the politics of the past or you can vote in favor of change and balance.
The 23rd congressional district special election battle is starting to become clear, although the Democrats still have not nominated a candidate and won't for at least another few days.
But the Conservative Party decided that the Republican nominee wasn't conservative enough to be their nominee.
The Conservative Party will nominate Doug Hoffman for their ballot line, meaning that the Conservative Party won't back the Republican candidate - Dede Scozzafava - in this important special election.
Scozzafava, of course, is widely known to be pro-choice and pro-marriage equality. Those progressive views on two key social issues put her at odds with the Conservative Party philosophy, which has been said to revolve around such social issues.
He was virtually unknown. Just one of several republicans who hoped to replace John McHugh in the 23rd Congressional District. But he was passed over when the republicans made their choice official, Dede Scozzafava.
Now, Lake Placid businessman Doug Hoffman is getting a second chance in the most unlikely of circumstances, as a conservative. The state Conservative Party will likely choose him for its line, normally given to the republican choice, because Scozzafava is not what they say conservatives represent.
"Her record is atrocious. In our rating system last year, she got a 15 out of 100. Shelly Silver got a 10," said Conservative Party Chair Mike Long.
The choice has left some republicans upset with Hoffman, whom some say broke a promise by not supporting Scozzafava.
"I never promised I would support Dede Scozzafava. I did indicate I'd be happy to support a conservative republican candidate. I did not walk away from the Republican Party. The Republican Party walked away from the values that made our party strong," Hoffman said.
"He's not just a candidate we're putting up to protest the vote. He's a candidate that I believe represents and embraces the views of a majority of people in that Congressional District," Long said.
"There's enough people that are very dismayed as to the choices they're going to have between a liberal Nancy Pelosi Democrat and a liberal, big spending, career Albany politician," Hoffman said.
Hoffman might be able to steal conservative votes away from Scozzafava, which isn't something to take lightly. The 23rd district is very rural and the district has more elected Republicans than Democrats. This district is a conservative one, so Scozzafava isn't going to have an easy time running a campaign on two issues that Republicans are usually strongly against.
There is a first time for everything and endorsing a Republican is a first for me! It is with great pride that I endorse the candidacy of Republican Dede Scozzafava in the special election in NY 23. As a member of the NY State Assembly representing the 122nd District of NY, Dede has established a voting record that is Pro-Choice, Pro-Gay Marriage, Pro-Labor and Pro-Science. Her election will return to the US House and the NY Delegation a voice of reason on the other side of the aisle that we have not seen from the Republican Party since the days of Rockefeller/Javits/Lefkowitz/Goodell/Wachler. With the decision of Darrel Aubertine to remain in the State Senate, I can think of no better candidate at this time than Dede Scozzafava and I believe her election will be a good first step to demonstrate to the Republican Party their need to diversify and extend their philosophical reach whileproviding the President and House Democratic leadership a reasoned voice to work cross aisle with on the many serious issues that the President has inherited.
