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.”
For those of us not familiar with this race, would you give us a little more info on Hoffman?
Rule # 1. Never trust a politician. Especially one who doesn’t have rock solid Core principles. You are either a Conservative, or you are not. There is no in between Mr. Gingrich .
Re “Power is all that matters to these pols”
Spot On !! What good is it to the party when a “Me-Too” legislator votes 98% of the time with the opposition and once in a while on key votes votes with it...that you get from those so called “blue dogs”.
As far as the Conservative Party in New York is concerned the only time the party label matters is in the state house where it might be able to swing some legislation and gain some power.
Federally their federal legislative candidates should be able to vote with the Republican caucus without Conservative party retribution and that Hoffman should be able and willing to declare if he want’s to win this race .
http://www.theusmat.com/home.htm
Pro choice
In favor of gay marriage
In favor of Cap and Trade (I need to check my sources on this. Newt said she opposed this)
In favor of Employee Free Choice Act (Card Check)
In favor of the Stimulus
In favor of Bank Bailouts
And she's pro-pot.
Newt is so beyond dead to me. He jumped the shark back in 1998. Pathetic.
His endorsement means squat.
If so, that's when he bought the ticket to the train to irrelevancy.
Throughout history is has been shown that is doesn’t work trying to separate a leader’s personal life/values from his public actions. Sooner or later, usually sooner, the character weakness will surface in the public roll. Once a moral compromise is made, the next one is easier and so on.
All the great empires in human history went into decline and/or were eradicated due to their leaders lack of a moral compass. It causes either bad judgment or a ruthless power trip - usually both. What we are seeing today is just another example and Gingrich is just one more corrupt pol who failed to learn from history’s lessons.
Difference is we’re living it instead of reading it in a history book and just maybe there’s still time to change what future historians will read of our example.
TIME for a MAJOR FREEPING to Newt, Hannity, et all.... time for those of us Tea Partier’s who couldn’t travel to Washington to get involved in a e-mail marathon!!!!!
http://newt.org/EditNewt/ContactUs/tabid/159/Default.aspx
http://www.gop.com/index.php/action/
http://www.hannity.com/contactus.asp
If milquetoast, wimpy, socialist-lite idiots is the future of the Republican party, then they are doomed to be a party without power for years to come.
Part of the process should be to make a declaration of values that people can get behind and support. It would require a funding base. It would involve selecting good candidates and supporting them from the body that replaces the RNC RINO donations base.
As these people gain power, we simply infiltrate and overturn the Republican Party.
We should look at how the vilest part of the Democrat party took control back in the early 70s.
We also need to implement and coordinate Conservative programs at every level of public and government agencies. Our University hiring departments need to get severe pushback.
The move to redefine our values as a nation in our textbooks, should be destroyed.
There is no time. It took 40 years for the communists to take over the United States. In 40 years, we'll [conservatives] all be in re-education camps or executed. The disaster that will be the 2010 elections (Democrats gain seats in both houses) will be the end.
As long as Acorn, SEIU, MoveOn, etc., are allowed to exist in this country, we will cease to be a Republic and become a Socialist Democracy. A Republic requires representatives who are statesmen, not opportunists. A Democracy is a wolf, a bear, and a rabbit voting on what to have for dinner.
The federal election process in this country is worse than a joke. All Democrat controlled (which is most) cities just sit on their vote totals until the last moment and then simply report enough votes for their candidate to win (it doesn't matter how many were cast or for whom). If they somehow fall short, they just demand convoluted recounts until they get their desired results (Washington, Minnesota).
In 2010, the vast majority of the country will be one big Chicago Democrat Machine, cranking out whatever votes are needed to maintin Democrat controll in Washington. The polls can report the Republican candidate ahead by 20 points on election day, but come election night, they will lose by a whisker.
Does the NY Republican party just let anyone run on the ticket as long as they promise to put an R by their name? Is there no vetting process at all?
I believe that the Republicans will regain control of Congress in 2010. For all the good that will do, I still think that’s what will happen.
As you can see, the RNC has chosen to back that RINO in New York.
We’ll have the opportunity to do good things in 2011 if we do our work now.
I see a whole lot of Freshmen coming on board in 2011. It’s our job to make sure they’re solid people.
I don’t disagree with much of your post. I don’t see things to be quite as bad as you do, but I understand where you are coming from.
Newt is correct here, but the trouble is that we've learned from our past mistakes. Once we gave gave power to moderate Republicans we got more "liberal policies, high taxes and out-of-control spending". No Thanks!
Vote for Conservative candidates not rinos.
NY Republican Party is a joke!
My suggestion for Newt’s position is this: If the Republican party is allowed to lose an election to a more conservative person, it severely weakens the GOP nationally.
Any credibility given to a third party will prove to other venues that the local Republican candidate is beatable.
Consequently, Newt endorses Scozzafava and the GOP sends her in excess of $100,000 to beat back the real threat.
I agree. Well said.
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