Posted on 11/04/2009 2:34:03 PM PST by JSDude1
The third-ranking Republican in the House of Representatives on Wednesday endorsed Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman for the 2010 midterm elections.
House Republican Conference chairman Mike Pence (R-Ind.) offered his support to Hoffman, who was defeated at the hands of Democrat Bill Owens in a highly contested special election in upstate New York.
"Well, let me say that the lesson here is that we all need to fall behind Doug Hoffman for next fall’s election," Pence told a conservative blog today. "I look forward to welcoming him to Congress a year from now. I think he ran a brilliant campaign."
Pence has clearly staked his claim to leadership of the House Conservatives.
this would be Pathway/Amnesty-Pence, yes?
Maybe the leadership should let the district’s residents decide who the nominee is? It wasn’t good when the RINOs anointed Scofazza, and it shouldn’t be done with Hoffman either.
That’s stupid. Hoffman isn’t even IN the district, and he clearly isn’t the best conservative for the race. He’s just the guy who took the mantle. There are good conservatives who know the district and will run in the primary next year, and the locals will choose their candidate.
Ha! With the tail wind of the elections still blowing through D.C., the absence of endorsements for Hoffman 2010 could have gone mostly unnoticed.
Good for Pence for planting a huge-ass stake in the ground.
Mike, you’re supposed to learn from your mistakes, not repeat them.
Hear hear!
Amen, if NY-23 should’ve taught the poobahs in DC anything, it should’ve been to let local primaries establish the winning candidate. Hoffman may turn out to be the candidate, he may not. Sometimes it’s smarter politics to run someone with similar beliefs who doesn’t carry personal baggage that will generate backlash.
>> He’s just the guy who took the mantle.
Who was the other guy? Did anyone else care to try?
Pence is endorsing Spartacus - and that’s not ‘stupid’.
What planet are you guys living on?
The national Democrats meddled in that district well in advance of the GOP.
Good point. Apparently he met with the biggest newpaper in the district and didnt even know anything baout local issues.
A solid conservative can win this district and will next year if they have the united pary behind them from the begining and run a good campaign.
I think the perception that this was run by outside hurt hoffman. Get a local guy and have him go through the process, the primary, etc... and he’ll do just fine.
....national Democrats meddled in the race....
Including Joe Biden in the very last days. He did a better job than Obama did in VA and NJ. The Dems won NY 23 for the first time in 100 years.
THANK YOU for adding Paul to your list (whether it is father or son, I’m not sure, but I admire both!). IMO, Rep. Paul is an honest man of principle dedicated to protecting the Constitution & deserves our utmost respect.
Agreed. Things can change with time. Ask Newt. ;^)
From what I understand that district will cease to exist because of redistricting.
His name is Paul Maroun. He's a conservative Republican who was under consideration for the nomination until Dede aced him out through back-room hardball politics.
Unfortunately, jumping in this early is a mistake for 2010. Hoffman doesn't live in the district, and his deficincy of local issue acumen is what cost him in that race. The GOP and Conservative party needs to pick candidates that fit the district of NY-23. Doug Hoffman was not it. Dede Scozzafava was not it at all. John McHugh is.
The best pick is someone who fits the district. Maroun?
I wonder if the story of NY-23 has been fully told yet. I read some blogs which indicated that Scozzafava did not win the votes on the several sub-district ballots, but that two conservatives won most of those votes among county leaders. Hoffman was not one of the two receiving the most votes.
There are stories that some national Republican people injected themselves into the process, and that is when Scozzafava was chosen. So, there might be other conservatives more highly regarded than Hoffman who’d be even better candidates for 2010 in an open primary process.
Why is Pence or any other non-resident of NY-23 already injecting themselves into the process for 2010? Why not let the Republicans of NY-23 select their candidate without national interference?
And, I don’t think the full story of how all this happened in NY-23 has been put together and told yet.
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