NY-23 2009: Democrats Fan The Flames Of Scozzafava's Tax Troubles [she explored becoming a Rat]

The New York Daily News ^ | 2009-10-20 | Elizabeth Benjamin

[rabscuttle385]

Democrats once flirted with running Republican Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava for the seat Rep. John McHugh will soon vacate in NY-23, but now that she's a leading contender for the GOP nod, they are rushing to bolster conservative concerns about her alleged tax troubles.

Soon-to-be-former state Democratic Chairwoman June O'Neill today confirmed reports that Scozzafava's husband, an upstate labor leader, talked with key local Democrats and union heads about the possibility of his wife running on Row A if the party's presumed first choice, state Sen. Darrel Aubertine, takes a pass.

"Her husband spoke with several Democratic officials and, you know, people who are aligned with the Democratic Party," O'Neill said. "There was some discussion about whether or not Dede might switch parties, but the whole tax thing is problematic on a number of levels. We didn't want to start out with any problems."

According to O'Neill, this isn't the first time the Democrats have spoken to Scozzafava about switching sides.

The talks started after the GOP passed Scozzafava over in favor of her Assembly colleague, Will Barclay, to run against Aubertine in the 48th SD special election back in February 2008.

The Republicans worried Scozzafava would be seen as too liberal - particularly since she had voted "yes" on gay marriage, while Aubertine, a conservative Democrat, voted "no". Aubertine easily defeated Barclay in that election, and a number of GOP operatives privately conceded after the fact that Scozzafava would have been a better candidate.

I asked O'Neill why Democrats are suddenly willing to speak publicly about the tax issue - more than $192,000 in unpaid state and federal taxes owed by Scozzafava's brother's business, to which the assemblywoman says she now has only the most tenuous of connections.....

[okie01]

John Cornyn voted for the stimulas did he not? Favored amnesty.

Will all due respect, neither of those assertions are true.

[rabscuttle385]

You need to know a few things about Cedric here. First, he (or she) was a big time McCain supporter who repeatedly insisted that all was fine and well with the staff overseeing Sarah Palin during the campaign.

Cedric was a McCainiac?

Well, now that puts his/her actions in perspective.

[FreeReign]

She's more liberal than the Democrat.

No she's not.

[rabscuttle385]

Will all due respect, neither of those assertions are true.

Oh really?

"But if we don't have comprehensive immigration reform as a part of our border security and homeland security efforts, we're doomed to fail." (Cornyn, 2005)

[Cedric]

You need to know a few things about Cedric here.

He's remarkably handsome and virile, with a wit the envy of all, his intellect is just short of omniscient, he is both a man's man and a lady's man with a grateful trophy wife (42-24-34) who will testify to his charisma and sensuality.

[Jim Robinson]

If she walks like a duck and talks like a duck, she’s a RINO.

[WaterBoard]

Republican Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava is what us conservatives call a “MCCAIN REPUBLICAN”.

[Cedric]

Thanks for proving my point.

{Judd Gregg 83% rating by The American CONSERVATIVE Union}

[M203M4]

Followed this link from Wikipedia's entry on Scozzafava.

Club for Growth darling Doug Hoffman is running on the Conservative Party line, and has even garnered the endorsement of Fred Thompson. The guy has legitimate traction, fueled by the fact that Dede Scozzafava, the Republican, is actually the most liberal candidate in the race. (Heck, she has run on the very liberalWorking Families Party ballot line in the past.)

Sure, she is a Republican, and opposes the public option. But she's been willing to raise taxes when budgets require it, and is to the left of most Democrats on social issues (including supporting gay marriage). That's why conservatives are panicked about her -- for a party that is becoming more regional, more conservative, more ideologically rigid, Scozzafava's brand of moderate conservatism is grating. Hence, Hoffman has a real shot at not just playing spoiler and undermining the GOP candidate's chances, but also of potentially winning.

The "Democrat" isn't even a Democrat -- he was a registered independent when selected by the district's Democratic county chairs for the special election. On social issues, he's pro-choice, but opposes gay marriage. On health care, he opposes a public option but doesn't have the balls to say so, so he talks all squishy like claiming he has no "litmus test" on the issue. He's a Lieberdem Blue Dog, and would strengthen the part of the Democratic caucus that is actually the problem, rather than the solution.

So who to root for? A Blue Dog who would strengthen the Democrats' corporatist faction, or a Republican version of a Lieberdem, who will probably be muzzled, but could -- if she remained true to her record in Albany -- be more of a Susan Collins-type Republican, a moderate in an ideologically rigid party willing to give the Dems fake "bipartisan" cover with crossover votes every once in a while.

If Republicans lose the seat, it'll dent that sense of momentum they believe is headed their way. If they win the seat, it will have been with a liberal Republican, suggesting that their path to electoral relevance in the northeast is to ditch the Southern-fueled ultra conservatism. Both are good for us.

If the Democrat loses the race, we lose nothing -- it was previously held by a Republican. If he wins the seat, we gain another obnoxious Blue Dog, undermining our caucus from within while adding just a single vote to our already dominant House majorities. More than likely, a net disadvantage.

So it's official, I'm rooting for the Republican to win. As a congresswoman, she could either move even more to the left to properly represent her progressive-trending district and be a pain in the side of the GOP caucus (they have nothing like our Blue Dogs), or Democrats can field a real Democrat to challenge her in 2010.

[Cedric]

Yeah, so’s that low-down, dirty-rotten, RINO, Chris Smith!

[NFHale]

RE moose2004:
“...I’m tired of certain people on this site, always the same ones, who attack almost every Repub as a RINO. I smell BS....”

Nope. Not attacking every Repub. Just the ones who really ARE RINOs. Do the names Olympia Snowe, Susan Collins, Arlen Specter, Jim Jeffords, Lincoln Chaffee, Lindsay Graham ring a bell? At almost every opportunity these “moderates” ( I call them gutless cowards) side with the enemy most recenty Snowe screwed us over, last week.

And this NY idiot is as flaming a lefty as you can get.

There are AMERICANS...and then there are Liberals.

NO RINOs. Not Now, Not Ever.

If that means writing in a candidate that’s what I will do. I do not and WILL NOT automatically push the “R” lever just because “Oh my, oh gee, we just HAVE to beat the Democrat!”

Does us NO GOOD to replace a liberal with a liberal.

Better the enemy you know, than have someone we put there turn on us at a critical time for a critical vote.

As for being “tired of certain people on this site” - that’s called freedom of speech. You also have the freedom to NOT read their comments and move along to someone that agrees with you.

At the end of the day, one team, one fight. But not when we let the enemy decide who our candidates will be.

[pissant]

I thought he was an Entertainer? Who knew

[stephenjohnbanker]

“I thought he was an Entertainer? Who knew?”

LOL!

[SeattleBruce]

That crap goes on in Utah too. Usually it is by a Dem turning Rep (in name only) in order to win the election and push their liberal agenda. A complacent (lazy) electorate is to blame, however.
++++++++++++++

Yes. This is the real long term battle we all have - against apathy. I think America might be waking up...we’re all praying so.

[SeattleBruce]

Do you see see a RINO around every corner?
++++++++++++++++

You have to admit, there are a lot of ‘em. They do a horrible job of hiding their inclinations. They don’t even seem phased that the base of the R party is CONSERVATIVE.

[pissant]

Scoffalawza is a real winner.

[SeattleBruce]

I’m tired of certain people on this site, always the same ones, who attack almost every Repub as a RINO. I smell BS.
+++++++++++++++

Moose, please admit, there’s a massive amount of clean up to do on aisle RINO of the Republican party. This has been generations in the making and they play perfectly into the socialists hands/plans.

[stephenjohnbanker]

B T T T

[IrishPennant]

There are many repubs who I think are complicit, in bed with, accomplices...ie., on the same team as the dems. RINO moles from waaaaaay back.

I am not a believer in a 3rd party right now, but I trust no one active in either party.