Posted on 03/29/2010 7:21:33 AM PDT by Behind Liberal Lines
Watertown, NY - In her six campaigns for Assembly, Dede Scozzafava has never had a close call.
But that was before the North Country Republican became national news by dropping out of a 23rd Congressional District race in November and throwing her support to a Democrat, instead of to Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman.
With Scozzafava’s backing, Bill Owens won the special election, becoming the first Democratic congressman since the Civil War to represent that 11-county region of Northern and Central New York.
Four months later, fallout from the congressional race is threatening Scozzafava’s political future. She is mulling whether to run for a seventh term in the state Legislature, representing Lewis County and parts of Jefferson, St. Lawrence and Oswego counties. In a year when anti-Albany sentiments have many incumbents running scared, Scozzafava is likely to face a stiffer challenge from within her own party than from the Democrats.
Jefferson County Legislature Chairman Ken Blankenbush — who supported Scozzafava’s congressional campaign — is considering challenging her for the Assembly seat.
Blankenbush said he collected signatures on Scozzafava’s petitions when she ran for the House of Representatives. But he’s ticked off that she endorsed Owens and appeared on stage with Vice President Joe Biden at an Owens rally in Watertown.
Blankenbush isn’t the only Republican upset by that.
Conservative radio hosts have savaged Scozzafava, turning “Scozzafavaed” into a verb repeated by tea party activists across the country. Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb stripped Scozzafava of her position as the Republican Conference’s leader pro tempore because she backed Owens. Meanwhile, Democrats from President Barack Obama’s chief of staff to Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver called Scozzafava last November to voice support.
“In Jefferson County, among the political leaders and people active in the Republican Party, I know how many of the party people feel. They feel they were betrayed by her support of Owens,” Blankenbush said. “Many of them felt that was a slap in the face.”
On a Web site called Oswegoteaparty.blogspot.com, the anonymous administrators created an online petition encouraging Republicans in the 122nd Assembly District to mount a primary challenge to Scozzafava, who the site calls a RINO, or Republican in name only.
“Dede sold out the Republican party and now it’s time that true Republicans fire Dede. Sign this petition and send her (the) message that we will not support a pro-abortion, pro-gay marriage, pro-Albany politician like Dede!” the site proclaims.
Blankenbush said he would not have even considered running against Scozzafava if she had not supported a Democrat.
Now, Jefferson County Republican Committee Chairman Donald Coon III is urging him to get in the race, Blankenbush said.
Blankenbush, 61, a partner in B.E.L. Associates, an insurance and financial services business in Watertown, said he plans to decide in the next few weeks if he will run.
The assemblywoman said Thursday she has not decided whether to run for re-election, but will decide soon. If she runs, Scozzafava said she expects to have the support of Kolb and other Republican leaders in the Assembly.
“I have a lot of support,” she said. “Committee people by and large are encouraging me to run.”
While she acknowledged some Republicans in her district are upset with her endorsement of Owens, no one has criticized her in person at town hall meetings.
“I don’t run away from that decision. I believe I made the right choice,” Scozzafava said. “Sometimes you have to put what’s best for an area above partisan politics.”
In the 122nd District, 46 percent of the active registered voters are Republican and 30 percent are Democrat. Scozzafava beat Democratic opponents by 2-1 margins in 2002 and 2006. She was unopposed in 2004 and 2008.
No Democrats have announced plans to run against her in 2010.
It’s the Republicans she may have to watch out for.
RATs and RINOs are TOAST.
Lucky shes not a white Christian - otherwise she would be in jail.
Good
.
The ‘Rats always vote together when push comes to shove.
How is it that a Republican politician would ignore this basic fact?
Get a real job like the rest of us!
We don’t need your kind representing and making decisions for us!
Upstate NY ping
Fixed it.
Why isn’t the headline “Because she is a phony and a progressive, Dede Scozzfava may face primary challenge”?
After her moves last fall, I cannot imagine why Republicans wouldn’t be wanting to vote for Scuzzyfulla?
sarc
How can she even think she can run?
The proper headline
Good. It is about time there was some discipline in the GOP.
Good
this POS deserves to lose
Down with Dede
Oh come on! Tigers change their stripes, pigs can fly, Dede can be a conservative. You people are so negative!</sarc>
May? May face a primary challenge. LOL I hope she loses big time.
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