Posted on 10/20/2009 3:59:10 PM PDT by 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.....
(Excerpt) Read more at nydailynews.com ...
Normally, I support the Republican candidate under any and all circumstances. But these aren’t normal circumstances. Dede is clearly a flaming liberal. Hoffman will outpoll her and may even win the election. After it’s over, I hope Sessions, Hensarling and other real conservatives who supported Dede out of a misguided sense of party loyalty will show some contrition. If so, they should be accepted back into the fold. This should be a good lesson for them, if they are willing to learn.
Keep up the good work. There is no more valuable or meaningful task you will ever perform.
Can’t argue with that. You’re right on target IMO.
Not at all. LOL
When our choices last year came down to McCain or Obama, I knew there wasn’t a chance in hell I’d vote for one of those two.
It is astounding to me how out of touch it Republican leadership is.
Why didn’t Hoffman run for the Republican party??? This race is going to be won by the Democrat because two Republicans basically ganged up on each other and both are so selfish to look out for their district and only care about themeselves. Idiots!!! Oh well thank God they are not in my district!!!!
Well, "RINO" might include any who were in favor of the Iraq War, as "Republican" was non-interventionist a century ago. If someone wants to consider interventionism "Republican," then that person is a liberal...i.e., not conservatively keeping the definition of conservative or Republican as it was back when non-interventionist Senator Taft was known as "Mr. Republican," or when FDR was pushing to get us into the WWII, etc.
So yes, it's a very slippery term.
Do a little more reading on this election, if you’re interested. There was no primary—this leftist candidate was handpicked by state and local GOP apparatchiks, and reportedly “blessed” by the national GOP apparatchiks.
Hoffman vied to run as a republican, but was passed over in favor of a leftist. He continues to be a registered republican while running on the conservative party line, and would caucus with the GOP if elected.
Meanwhile the national GOP is doing everything it can to discredit Hoffman and win the race for the leftist—including sending gobs of money donated to support conservatives.
What precisely is a RINO, or if it would be more helpful, what policy stances must a candidate take to be a RINO? If a candidate was pro-life, pro-marriage, pro-defense, and pro small government, but say supported amnesty for illegals, would they be considered a RINO or conservative?
What a clusterflop!
I wonder if Sean Hannity will ask his good friend Newt Gringich about Newt’s support of Dede? Ya think?
I’ll bet that Gingrich opposes all of them.
Opposes who?
Question: How liberal does a candidate bearing the (R) next to their name have to be before you would not vote (whether you stayed home or voted 3rd party) for them in the general election because enough is enough?
Where is YOUR line in the sand? Would you always vote for the (R) over the (D) even if the (R) held the same positions as Bernie Sanders?
ZOT! at 93
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