NY-23 Watch: The Scozzafava meltdown continues
One thing is guaranteed at the conclusion of the NY-23 special congressional election: The Beltway Republicans who endorsed radical leftist Dede Scozzafava are going to have indelible egg stains on their faces. And GOP establishment fund-raising organizations will be the poorer for it.
What a freaking embarrassment:
Dede Scozzafava, the Republican candidate in the hot 23rd Congressional District race, picked an unusual spot for a news conference this morning — the sidewalk in front of the Watertown headquarters of her Conservative opponent, Doug Hoffman…
“Dede Scozzafava is either extremely cynical or has a very short memory,” Hoffman campaign spokesman Rob Ryan said in a prepared response. “On Aug. 19, 2009, the Hoffman campaign challenged Dede Scozzafava to a series of three to five debates across the district. We asked the Republican county chairs to sponsor them. The Hoffman campaign even offered to pick up the rental costs of the venues. Both Scozzafava and the GOP county chairs refused.
“Dede Scozzafava is desperate; she flip-flops on issue after issue, she calls the police on reporters, and now she claims she hasn’t had an opportunity to debate. It’s sad,” Ryan said. “Dede Scozzafava’s staff needs to tell her that she’s the spoiler in this race and that for the good of the Republican Party and her own reputation she should drop out of the race now.”
TCOT Report has more. And more here.
The Margaret Sanger Award winner told her local paper she became alarmed when mild-mannered Weekly Standard reporter John McCormack asked about her views on taxpayer funding of abortion.
No comment from Scozzafava supporter Newt Gingrich.
***
Reader Sharon e-mails:
Dear Michelle, I’m a resident of Carthage, NY, part of NY-23. I’m a registered Republican and am completely embarrassed by Dede Scozzafava. A local news website, www.newzjunky.com, has some pictures of her press conference from this morning. When we first heard it was happening we were elated, thinking she was dropping out and supporting Hoffman. But in typical Dede style, she let us down and just complained about lack of debates.
Reader Tony e-mails:
I have been volunteering my time and effort for Doug since August. On October 4th, the Upstate New York Tea Party hosted a health care forum in Plattsburgh, NY. It was attended by Dede Scozzafava and Doug Hoffman as well as approx. 200 people including myself.
A question was posed on taxpayer funded abortions. She stated that she was pro-choice and “would not discriminate against any women on the basis of income” i.e. she’s for taxpayer funded abortions. It was printed the day after in the local paper, the Press Republican,
” When the issue of abortion came up, Scozzafava said that she is pro-choice and would not discriminate against anyone on the basis of income when it came to that procedure. Hoffman said he would be against utilizing taxpayer money for abortions.”
The Weekly Standard blog also makes mention of her not answering a question regarding any new taxes to pay for health care. I can tell that this was the first question put to her at the forum. I remember it well because I wrote it. She was very firm in stating that she would oppose any new taxes/fees/penalties connected to any health care bill. I guess she must have reconsidered since. Just as she was pretty firm that she was against the Democrats health care bill but now has seemingly changed her mind in order to accommodate her liberal base and the New York State Union of Teachers (NYSUT). My wife is a public school teacher and she was informed by her union that Scozzafava supported the tenets of the Obama health care plan.
Reader MV sent this letter to the NRCC:
Dear NRCC,
I was shocked to read who the NRCC and RNC is supporting in the NY-23 race. Dede Scozzafava is no Republican. At best, she is a Blue Dog Democrat, though probably to the far left of them.
Do Democrats throw their support behind proven social and fiscal conservatives who, for some reason, have a “D” beside their name? NO! So why does the Republican establishment support a liberal who happens to have an “R” beside her name and, on top of that, in a race in a strongly Republican district?
We have more than enough Democrats and liberals in Washington right now. And have you not noticed the uprising in the country against the direction they are taking us?
I am utterly disappointed that Newt Gingrich believes this is the way to bring the Republican Party back to power. Needless to say, I beg to differ.
Please, PLEASE, give the following a try; what have you got to lose at this point?: Without exception, and regardless of district, support only fiscal and social conservatives. I predict that you will have a base who will respond eagerly with their voices and dollars. And supporting candidates who unabashedly embrace the core principles of conservatism – because those are the policies that work for America – will convince Independents and responsible Democrats to come in our direction over time. We certainly do not need to go in the direction that a Congresswoman Scozzafava would take us.
And from the WSJ:
One lesson of the Democratic gains in Congress in 2006 and 2008 is that a party needs to nominate candidates who fit their districts. Conservative stands won’t always fit in the Northeast the way they might in the South. Single-issue litmus tests can be self-defeating.
But GOP candidates ought to at least agree on some core principles, such as limited government and limits on the power of unions that have done so much to bust New York’s budget and drive jobs from the state. Some Republicans think Ms. Scozzafava might even switch parties if she wins and faces the prospect of a tough GOP primary next year.
All of which suggests that the best result might be for Mr. Hoffman—who promises to caucus with Republicans—to emerge as the main opponent to the Democrat. A divided GOP vote could elect the Democrat and add to their majority. But Mr. Hoffman might even win if enough voters abandon Ms. Scozzafava. James Buckley won a Senate seat as the Conservative candidate in New York in 1970 against a pair of major-party liberals.
Above all, a defeat would teach Republicans that running candidates who believe in nothing will keep them in the minority for years to come.
***
Previous:
Oct. 20: Dede Scozzafava: Liar
Oct. 20: Dear Newt Gingrich: Meet Ronald Reagan
Oct. 19: Radical leftist Dede Scozzafava can’t stand the heat
A message from NY-23 conservative candidate Doug Hoffman
Oct. 16 – Calling them out: NRCC, RNC & Gingrich back Margaret Sanger Award winner
Oct. 16 – An ACORN-Friendly, Big Labor-Backing, Tax-and-Spend Radical in GOP Clothing
See what others have said
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Doug Ross @ Journal
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“We have met the enemy, and she is … never mind.
” If thy eyes offend thee by this visage – run”
Kramer: “Don’t look at me Jerry, I’m hideous!”
Shouldn’t she be ringing some bells in a tower somewhere?
I thought “she” was the tower.
In all of this I think Michelle or Ed or Allahpundit need to go for an interview with Newt and some higher up GOP insiders. Especially those who are supporting this lame excuse for a Republican House Candidate. If they won’t do an interview with some obvious questions about abandoning the base it’s time the GOP elites go away.
Amen, Michelle. The RNC is stuck on stupid on this one.
Janet Reno Napolitano is triplets?
What is WRONG with the RNC?!
Good grief.
I would love to see the curve of day to day donations to Hoffman’s campaign, I’m sure it spiked sharply over the weekend after his “guest” posting here on these pages.
The positive side is that the Republican Establishment just might learn a lesson from running RINOs, or as Mark Steyn calls her, a DIABLO.
I’m not optimistic though. There’s a certain kind of Republican who has a great desire to be loved by the opposition.
She became concerned, because she had no way to answer the question truthfully without exposing her liberal side.
Not to mention she does not seem to have a very good research person in her campaign otherwise she would not have ogne to the Hoffman HQ to complain about lack of debates when it has already been made public that the Hoffman campaign wnated to debate 3-5 times. I found this link via google in 2 seconds.
Nope quadruplets. Haven’t you ever seen a picture of Janet Reno and Bill Gates side by side?
The RNC has been stuck on stupid for quite a while. This isn’t the first leftist they’ve backed. Think Specter.
I sent my “survey” back with Scozzafava’s name written in bold Sharpie and the circle/slash symbol on top of that. And the words “You people are stupid”. Duct taped 2 pennies to it and filled in my name info.
Man, I can smell the fish from way over here!
WOW not too swift is she???
Hmmm, come to think of it, I’ve never seen them in the same room at the same time. Scary picture.
From the WSJ article:
Uh – for rational people that might be the case but we are dealing with the republican party. They have learned NOTHING. They already ran McCain.
This isn’t even remotely shocking. It’s the logical and appropriate result of a party whose leaders (and many of its members) have been focusing on growth at the expense of values. After all, we can’t be “purists;” we have to be “realistic.”
Well, this is what lies down that road.
Glenn had Doug on his radio show this morning. Glenn said Doug would be on his Fox show, I think, tonight. What I thought was funny, Doug said acorn is supporting this gal and seiu is supporting the D. I think that was the right order, could be the other way around.
L
DeDE should Di Di Mao — please!
Will this woman just GO AWAY!
The GOP is a clown show … Not a party.
They have no principles, try and find anything resembling principles on Steele’s RNC websites.
who does determine which candidates WE THE PEOPLE get to peruse? those people need a new job, because they are horrid at picking republican candidates. the big tent theory MUST START WITH THE CONSERVATIVE BASE, and expand from there. it can’t replace the conservative base, as seen by the last 2 elections.
Sounds like the RNC has a real problem on its hands if this is the “best” candidate its NY officials could recommend and put forward to represent the Republican Party. WOW! It appears a real housecleaning is in order.
This woman does not remotely represent a Republican much less a conservative one. What the heck are they thinking? They must be conceding that the district is irretrieveably Socialist and need to trot out that flavor.
Sadly, the clueless Republican poobahs think McCain lost only because it was a bad year for Republicans. So they learned nothing.
They completely miss McCain was running against the most inexperienced, opaque and radical candidate to get a major party nomination in our entire History. It should have been a landslide for McCain, bad year or not.
For some crazy reason, the Republican “leadership” just can’t quite figure out why the membership doesn’t trust them.
There are signs of life in the party, but they mostly seem to be at the local level.
If the rank and file aren’t contributing the RNC, why are they beating the DNC in fundraising? Well, one reason is NFL owners.
If that isn’t an indictment of how liberal the GOP is, what is? Their defense? NFL owners are “conservative”. Yeah. Right.
Like I keep saying, “conservative” and “Republican” are not interchangeable.
….. which brings me to: Why follow the stupid strategy of promoting someone as a Republican when you know they will never stand for Republican principles at critical times? What is the point of having a Republican in office who will likely refuse to vote as a Republican? Crazy! Oh I forgot, they have no stated principles but “inclusion” so voting reliability is of no concern. What was I thinking?
The Republican Party must be purged of all socialists. Let them start the Squishy Centrist Party if they choose. Conservatives have got to reclaim their rightful place in control of the Party.
and then she picked up a Buick and left.
No, they think they lost because of Sarah Palin. That tells you all you need to know about the Brahmins of the Republican Party.
They’ll be eating quiche and sipping champagne up until the very moment the Marxists slip the noose over their heads.
How can I put this…. gently? She is at least two to three times his size, so I guess the word “afraid” couldn’t apply. So-o-o…
Was she alarmed at his agility, and ease of movement?
Or…was she alarmed that a reporter, a man, had the stones to ask a female, a RINO (no, not hippo…stop it), and a supporter of abortion, a poignant question regarding that support?
Or, was the mere fact he was a man alarm her, based on her experiences living with a man who is a leader of the local AFL-CIO?
I’m beginning to think that the RNC has stopped trying to satisfy us conservatives because we are less BS-ible. They want to attract moderates who stand for nothing because they can put their own imprint on those folks.
There was something about McCain’s message the moderate Republicans and Independents didn’t like, that’s pretty clear.
On October 21st, 2009 at 2:28 pm, RedDog said:
Hear, Hear!!!
Beck is going to have Doug Hoffman on tonight,according to my news letter.
Time to bring out the “flipper” gang again. Remember the people who dressed up in dolphin suits and chased Kerry around the country. Come on gang, where are you?
There is no way that every person in the Republican Party hierarchy is stark raving mad. There must be at least one sane voice that would stand up and tell the truth about this moron in genius’ clothing.
However, since there isn’t, that can mean only one thing; DEAL.
Somehow, the Republicans must have made a deal to let this brain-donor liberal run as a Republican. The payoff will be kept quiet, as all payoffs are, and the people of NY-23 will just vote for intelligence instead of liberalism in 2010.
Unless we can show the RNC that we want conservatives, not a typical liberal incompetent. Remember, Joe Lieberman beat the democrats in a three horse race when they tried to run a moron against him. It can be done.
News Release
“We, the Grand PooBahs-Brass Hats and Fools of the New York Republican Party, are dedicated to finding new ways to lose to even the weakest Democratic Party candidates-now send us money to help elect these dorks even if they are unelectable. Now please stop calling that hippo, Dede Scozzafava, a RINO”.
(that would be you right_on)
End
*DeDe is Doo Doo, and the GOP has stepped in it big time!
*No better time than now for Sarah Palin to emerge and endorse Doug Hoffman; Fred Thompson already has; He gets it, unlike Newt!
Does anyone know Hoffman’s position on immigration? Does he support amnesty like Bush and McCain?
If you can provide a link to any statements of his outlining his position on this issue, I would be appreciative.
Here you go:
I love the Hoffman supporters in the background…pure golden moment for Hoffman. She needs to give it up.
Doug Hoffman. ( Transcript,
If you remember, when Steele came in, he cleaned house. There is only “his” people in there now.
Got a 2fer today. I donated $100 to Doug Hoffman’s campaign on his website. And I sent back the “survey” to the National Republican something (can’t remember if it was the RNC or one of the legislative re-election committees), and told them that “their” donation went to Hoffman since I can’t trust them to put real conservatives on the ballot. I wrote in bold sharpie, NO MORE RINOS!!! Then I wrote, “because of your support for the NY23 candidate, no $$ for you!!”. Then I put it in their postage paid envelope and popped it in the mail. That is my 3rd blank response they are receiving from me this week alone.
This sounds like SEIU or ACORN thug tactics.
Does it look that way to you Newt? Newt?
The problem was McCain, and the nitwits in the GOP refused to take the gloves off with ObamAcorn, and we now get to live (or try to) the result for the next 3 1/2 years.
…and after that little snafu, they want us to live with the likes of Scuzzfava?
They have no judgment left to question.
Steele came from GoPac didn’t he?
Unfortunately, that essentially has morphed into telling conservatives to go pack.
Nice picture of the frumpy party.
O/T
Dennis Miller just told Bill O that Obama has ‘rabbit ears’…I beg to differ. Looks more like a cross between a donkey and a horse.
Dede, may we call you Scuzzy for short?
For that she might call the FBI.
Gosh, they have finally found a woman other than Sarah Palin who makes McCain look conservative!
The GOP has fallen off the far left end!
Anyone who has not contacted
Chairman@gop.com about their myopic viewpoint, please do so now. We have a few days to change the RNC’s mind.
Go to http://newt.org/EditNewt/ContactUs/tabid/159/Default.aspx On the right hand side is the Questions and Feedback for Newt. Do give him a shake. I did. WE can still make a difference for Doug Hoffman, especially for those outside of NY-23!
Dede really is a Democrat. She thinks if she pretends she wants debates at the 11th hour that know one will know that she avoided them months ago.
Oh I see. He is in favor of opening the border to anyone who wants to come here and work? But hey, he opposes amnesty. Amnesty and open borders to all workers will have the same end result (especially since these “workers” will never leave). The continued downward spiral in wages and the loss of our heritgae and culture to 3rd worlders.
!Sarah!
She has endorsed Hoffman.
I read Newt’s blog where he stated in the run-up to 94, the GOP made a sweep of the 93 elections. 3 of the 4 winners were moderates and George Allen was the sole conservative.
The take away lesson for Newt was the need to compromise with RINOs to ensure a GOP majority. Lo and behold, the GOP won majorities in ‘94.
Well Newtie, in retrospect, going tactical was short-sighted and ultimately detrimental to the GOP. Yes you won a majority in ‘94, but that majority cost us the presidency in ‘96. How? The party gave us the RINO Bob Dole, who never had a chance against Slick Willy. You were so blinded by your tactical genius, that instead of offering a Reagan Conservative, you gave us a Dem-lite. In contrast, the only difference between those two candidates was that one was a womanizing draft dodger and the other a feeble war hero.
RINOs like Newt don’t get it. They talked a good game, like ‘Contract w/ America’ but didn’t walk it. Conservatives in 92 & 96 sat on their hands or voted 3rd party. Almost enough of them did so again in 2000, except the specter or Gore convince enough to hold their nose for son of Bush (voo-doo economics).
Well, Newtie, Scozzafava IS your Waterloo, and it all started with those 3 moderates in ‘93 giving you the wrong message.
What if instead of 3 Dem-lites, the GOP had fielded Conservatives? And again in ‘94 and every election there after? We most likely would have seen the Clintonista machine totally discredited, CRA would never have come into being as would everything else that ails us now.
And most certainly, Obamanation would have been just a frustrated glimmer in The Won’s eye. Would the Daly machine even still be around today? Whither Acorn and the sleaze bags that support it? Dodd, Rangel, Frank and the other corruptocrats would be cooling their heels in the slammer.
If the GOP won’t change, then it’s time for a new party. Pity that it had a great start with Abe Lincoln, only to end up eager to enslave free Americans under the tyranny of taxation w/o representation, mandates and over-regulations for a bit of power.