Posted on 10/16/2009 10:34:48 AM PDT by ConservativeMind
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) may have stepped into a political quagmire after endorsing a moderate New York Republican's special election bid.
A host of GOP leaders have tried to distance themselves from the ongoing showdown between Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava, a centrist Republican, and Doug Hoffman, the local Conservative Party's candidate. But Gingrich offered his perspective to the three-way contest for now-Army Secretary John McHugh's vacant seat on Friday when he became one of only a handful of conservative Republicans to openly back his party's struggling candidate.
“The special election for the 23rd Congressional District is an important test leading up to the mid-term 2010 elections,” Gingrich said of Scozzafava's candidacy in a statement to supporters, as reported by the The Post-Standard. “Our best chance to put responsible and principled leaders in Washington starts here, with Dede Scozzafava.”
Gingrich's key endorsement could spell good news for Scozzafava, heretofore supported only lukewarmly by her own party. Already, the Club for Growth, Concerned Women of America, evangelical leader Gary Bauer, former Sen. Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.) and a host of other GOP supporters and lawmakers have sided with Hoffman, who has recently posted gains in preliminary polls.
By contrast, only about 17 Republicans have even written checks to Scozzafava's campaign, and the party's conference chairman -- Rep. Mike Pence (Ind.) -- has altogether steered clear of the tough race.
At issue for some unsure Republicans seems to be a fear of a possible political backlash. Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Tx.) knows that feeling all too well; after he announced his backing for Scozzafava, his conservative base attacked him viciously, specifically harping intimidate details of his personal life.
Gingrich, however, seems not to care about this brewing, inner-party divide. Instead, he championed Scozzafava's candidacy on Friday as the future of the party -- not necessarily the harbinger for a lingering party divide, as some pundits have speculated.
“The Republican Revolution in 1994 started very much like what we see today,” the former speaker said. “Like then, our country is reeling from misguided liberal policies, high taxes and out-of-control spending. This special election in New York’s 23rd Congressional District could be the first election of the new Republican Revolution, but we need the momentum to get it started.”
How could a person who support global warming, cap-and-trade, Obamacare, is anti-gun, pro-abortion, and pro-taxes be “the future of the party”.
I still haven’t heard a single thing this woman has said that makes her a republican, except that she has an “R” by her name on the ballot.
I’d like to understand what she does that is in support of the republican party positions?
Every time I receive a mailing from the GOP asking for money, which some weeks is twice a week......and every time I crumple it up and throw it into the sh*tcan, as they used to say in the military.......I have a little twinge of conscience, thinking, perhaps, that I have done wrongly and should have ponied up at least a few bucks to keep the GOP going.
And then I read a post like yours and my conscience calms right down, and I once again know that I did the right thing in not contributing to this endless cycle of the GOP backing and funding RINO losers. Actually, this Schnozzola, or whatever their name is, is WORSE than just a plain old vanilla RINO loser; being pro-baby slaughter, plus all the other sick, twisted stuff. I don’t know what the answer IS; but I know for SURE that it IS NOT to keep on funding LOSER screwballs!
By the way; earlier in the week I ponied up for FR online; so I am once more a Freeper in good standing!
Fred Thompson has endorsed the real conservative, Hoffman.
Gingrich is not unlike alot of other ‘appeasers’ right now. In his mind, idiology is not important, the only thing that’s important is getting people with an (R) behind their name elected, despite the fact that they are just as liberal as Dims. Sorry Newt, we’re tired of this, we’re not voting for RINOs anymore just to stock (R)s in the congress. We want people who truly support our values, even if it means we stay in the wilderness for a couple more elections.
OOps, I may have mis-spoke about her being anti-gun. She did get the endorsement of the NRA.
Did Newt know anything about this candidate before his endorsement?
What a foolhardy thing to do- if he knew- shame on him- if he did it without knowing- double shame.
Regardless- Newt’s time has come and gone. Does anyone but Greta and Sean find him relevant?
Conservatives don’t want this “party”. It’s socialism-lite, and we’re tired of the GOP LIES.
She'll have to go on her instincts. I suspect her pal Jeri Thompson is lobbying her as we speak.
I agree we should let her know how we feel.
ping for later
A Hoffman rally with Palin would rock. Stick it right in the elitist GOP faces.
I’m just checking but is this the same Newt Gingrich that ran our Party into the ground because he didn’t understand how to govern then and apparently still doesn’t understand how conservatives can regain power today?
Wasn't it Hewitt that gave Harriet Miers a "B-"?
Never forget idiots that bring the party down.
I’m just checking but is this the same Newt Gingrich that ran our Party into the ground because he didn’t understand how to govern then and apparently still doesn’t understand how conservatives can regain power today?
Well, if he wants the GOP to go the way of the Whigs, thst’s just the right thing to do.
Newt is the past and Sara coming out for the Conservative candidate could put an exclamation mark after that sentence. She could really show the party the strength of conservatism. I wish she'd make an endorsement.
Heck, they’re not even pretending she is a moderate, are they? She’d be the most liberal member of the GOP caucus and half the Democratic one.
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