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It's Time for Dede Scozzafava and Her False Police Report to Go
National Review-Campaign Spot ^ | Oct. 22, 2009 | Jim Geraghty

Posted on 10/22/2009 9:26:03 AM PDT by ellery

When a candidate commits a crime, the usual bonds of loyalty that a party requires are severed. When Sen. Larry Craig got caught in the airport restroom, Mitt Romney threw him off his campaign team. When Rod Blagojevich was arrested, every Democrat who had endorsed him and re-endorsed him ceased any sense of support.

You can call this throwing someone under the bus, but there's a difference between severing a tie over political inconvenience and severing it over criminal behavior. If your friend committed a serious crime, you might end the friendship; even if you didn't, you would probably express some disapproval.

In New York, Dede Scozzafava — or, more specifically, her husband — has, at least on the face of events, filed a false police report when he called the cops on Weekly Standard reporter John McCormack.

I refer you to New York state law:

S 240.50 Falsely reporting an incident in the third degree.

A person is guilty of falsely reporting an incident in the third degree when, knowing the information reported, conveyed or circulated to be false or baseless, he: 1. Initiates or circulates a false report or warning of an alleged occurrence or impending occurrence of a crime, catastrophe or emergency under circumstances in which it is not unlikely that public alarm or inconvenience will result; or 2. Reports, by word or action, to an official or quasi-official agency or organization having the function of dealing with emergencies involving danger to life or property, an alleged occurrence or impending occurrence of a catastrophe or emergency which did not in fact occur or does not in fact exist; or 3. Gratuitously reports to a law enforcement officer or agency (a) the alleged occurrence of an offense or incident which did not in fact occur; or (b) an allegedly impending occurrence of an offense or incident which in fact is not about to occur; or (c) false information relating to an actual offense or incident or to the alleged implication of some person therein; or 4. Reports, by word or action, to the statewide central register of child abuse and maltreatment, as defined in title six of article six of the social services law, an alleged occurrence or condition of child abuse or maltreatment which did not in fact occur or exist.

Falsely reporting an incident in the third degree is a class A misdemeanor.

It's not just bad taste, or stupid, or silly for Scozzafava to call the cops, hoping they'll shoo away a reporter who is asking her questions she doesn't want to answer. It is, depending on the discretion of the prosecutor, a potential crime. Cops who respond to false claims of crimes can't be elsewhere, where perhaps real crimes are being committed.

The maximum penalty for a class A misdemeanor is one year in jail. Should Dede Scozzafava or her husband go behind bars for this? Probably not, but she ought to have the decency to withdraw from the race for Congress. Those who so casually break laws should have no role in writing them.

UPDATE: My, what a strange coincidence. It seems that the egregiousness of Scozzafava's behavior has prompted similar sentiments at RedState, RedCounty, the Washington Examiner, the Washington Times and perhaps other places before the day is done. Why, it's almost as if the natural response to a candidate attacking one conservative journalist was to spur all of them will unite to make that candidate's life miserable or something.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: hoffman; ny2009; ny23; scozzafava

1 posted on 10/22/2009 9:26:05 AM PDT by ellery
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To: ellery

Rush is right. The Republican Party is meaningless. We have to do what it takes to save the country.


2 posted on 10/22/2009 9:30:17 AM PDT by GeronL (http://tyrannysentinel.blogspot.com)
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To: ellery

Whether or not this schmuck drops out of the race, the Republican RINOS who have endorsed her will look like fools. She is a joke as a candidate. And what she is has rubbed off on the GOP.


3 posted on 10/22/2009 9:32:46 AM PDT by bcsco (Hopey changey down the drainey...)
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To: GeronL

The very first thing I said with regards to this matter is: Why hasn’t she been arrested and charged with making a FALSE 911 call. Put her in JAIL NOW.


4 posted on 10/22/2009 9:34:20 AM PDT by eyeamok
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Comment #5 Removed by Moderator

To: ellery

Here are all the links one needs to campaign for Hoffman on the internet:

http://doughoffmanforcongress.com/files/Volunteer%20Media%20Kit.pdf
http://www.observer.com/politics
http://mayorgraham.blogspot.com/
http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/sections/blogs09/
http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/
http://spectator.org/blog
http://www.redstate.com/
http://fredthompsonshow.com/

Just visit these blogs, get accounts, and post in support of Hoffman, and point people to data on Scozzafava’s Wikipedia page.

The first of the above links is a guide to supporting Hoffman. Also has some great advice, though poorly sourced.

Just until election day, I won’t troll FR as much, I will visit these blogs and support Hoffman as the real conservative, and so should you.


6 posted on 10/22/2009 9:35:21 AM PDT by ROTB ("By any means necessary" is evil. See what God thinks of "rising oceans" in Jeremiah 5:22)
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To: ROTB; GeronL; ellery; Baynative; eyeamok; bcsco
Doug Hoffman is the Conservative alternative in this race (or Hoffman by PayPal).

Markos Moulitsas, founder of The Daily Kos has endorsed Scozzafava. Dede Scozzafava has also been endorsed by NYSUT, the largest labor union in New York, and an affiliate of the National Education Association.

Scozzafava also holds these positions:

Scozzafava has also run in past elections on the Working Families Party (a progressive party associated with ACORN) line on the ballot.

This lady isn’t a RINO, she is a big “R” libeRal democRat. Mark Steyn has coined the term DIABLO for her and others like her. Democrat In All But Label Only.

There are also at least 17 unprincipled DIABLO enablers in the house who have donated funds or otherwise supported to this LibeRal democRat's DIABLO’s campaign. They include Boehner, Cantor, Sessions, Hensarling, Brown-Waite and McCotter. I don’t have a full list, but I will be looking for it. These unprincipled enablers should be targeted for elimination in the primaries next year. Also, perhaps those of us who donated to the RNC or RCCC should ask for our money back so we can support the conservative candidates of our choice.

More threads ...
From the desk of
cc2k:
I support Doug Hoffman for Congress (PayPal).

Please, spread the word about this important election on November 3, 2009 in New York’s 23rd congressional district.

7 posted on 10/22/2009 9:37:21 AM PDT by cc2k (I have donated to Doug Hoffman, have you? [check my recent reply posts])
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To: eyeamok

Even if she were to drop out I suppose she would throw her support to the Dem.

I sent a few dollars to Hoffman last night. Would be a huge victory if he could win this.


8 posted on 10/22/2009 9:39:26 AM PDT by TNCMAXQ
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To: ellery

Sen. Larry Craig -—> I da ho’.


9 posted on 10/22/2009 9:43:55 AM PDT by Paladin2 (Free Parking is what made America Great.)
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To: ellery

You’ll have to arrest her...Democrats never have the honor to quit when morality demands it.


10 posted on 10/22/2009 9:52:54 AM PDT by ez ("Abashed the devil stood and felt how awful goodness is." - Milton)
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To: GeronL

Updating tag line from:

“The Democrats scare me, the Republicans anger me.” RJL

to

“The Democrats scare me, the GOP infuriates me.”


11 posted on 10/22/2009 10:03:02 AM PDT by NonValueAdded ("The Democrats scare me, the GOP infuriates me.")
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To: Baynative

Got a fund-raising call from Newt today, asking for $75 bucks for his initiative against government spending - forget the moniker. They’d even throw in a copy of his new book. I wanted to ask the caller if she thought Newt’s endorsement of a NY candidate diametrically opposed to this message made any sense but I knew she was just a minimum wage boiler-room worker. Better to vent here on FR.


12 posted on 10/22/2009 10:06:50 AM PDT by NonValueAdded ("The Democrats scare me, the GOP infuriates me.")
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To: ellery

This is only to be expected when extraconstitutional appointees are given portfolio powers.


13 posted on 10/22/2009 10:08:00 AM PDT by DGHoodini (Iran Azadi!)
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To: ellery
"When a candidate commits a crime, the usual bonds of loyalty that a party requires are severed."

Only if the candidate is a Conservative, or not too weak a Repub. No such constraints on a Dem or generally a Lib. Scozzafava is a Liberal. The rules don't apply

14 posted on 10/22/2009 10:20:23 AM PDT by YHAOS
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Comment #15 Removed by Moderator

To: ellery

Has any intrepid “journalist” attempted to get a copy or transcript of the 911 call that was made regarding the reporter? A police car showed up, so obviously there should be a record or recording of the call/report.

Unless, of course, the call was made to a ‘friendly’ political hack who is part of the good ‘ol boys club. Then it might not be very easy to trace the origins of the report/call/request for police.

Jes’ wondrin’... but I would surely like to hear what was ‘alleged’ to be the complaint.


16 posted on 10/22/2009 12:12:20 PM PDT by hadit2here ("Most men would rather die than think. Many do." - Bertrand Russell)
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To: NonValueAdded
I wanted to ask the caller if she thought Newt’s endorsement of a NY candidate diametrically opposed to this message...but I knew she was just a minimum wage boiler-room worker. Better to vent here on FR.

I've learned to ALWAYS tell them what is on your mind. Surprisingly enough, on several of the GOP callers, we've had some interesting dialog and you might be surprised to find that the (usually) young person on the line agrees and sometimes adds to the conversation.

One told me that regardless, they often trade experiences with callers whether they are getting a heavy message on spending, liberal policies, no support for the troops (my pet peeve), etc., so I believe that it is always worthwhile to let your feelings be known.

17 posted on 10/22/2009 12:12:29 PM PDT by brushcop (SFC Sallie, CPL Long, LTHarris, SSG Brown, PVT Simmons KIA OIF lll&V, they died for you, honor them)
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