In Shift, GOP Leaders Embrace Hoffman

New York's congressional district 23 special election is shaping up to be a fascinating exercise in hope and despair within the GOP. Local and national bigs picked Dede Scozzafava to be the republican in the race but one would be hard put to identify her as such given her liberal stands on a plethora of issues (quick! name another Republican who supports card check). As there was no primary in which to contest this abject pick, local conservative and republican Doug Hoffman got the endorsement of the Conservative Party (say, there's an idea!) and is now running in a three way race along with democrat Bill Owens. The district has been solidly GOP since before the dawn of time.

How pathetic is some of our ersatz leadership? Newt endorsed Scozzafava, a RINO par excellance, while RNC Chair Steele stands behind her (MC kindof sortof understands his predicament), while the House GOP leaders John Boehner and Eric Cantor and the NRCC support her as well. MC would ask what were they thinking but it appears thought wasn't involved at all.

Meantime, Dick Army, Sarah Palin, Fred Thompson and former NRCC chairman Tom Cole have all endorsed the true conservative in the race Doug Hoffman. Once he found out the waters were fine, Timmy Pawlenty ostentatiously declared he too, by golly, was for Hoffman! If we guarantee him the Veep spot in 2012, would he stop running now just to spare us the sight of overreach?

At any rate, this special election and the conservative "base" declining to endorse the out of touch "leadership" choice has provided the MSM with lots of fodder to cluck about and pretend to care about the overall fortunes of the GOP. Right. Margaret Carlson just the other day said that Palin lit the match on the GOP bonfire. Not quite, Maggie.

Turns out that Hoffman is surging in the district (see how people will disappoint the leadership when given a choice?) and now Politico reports that GOP leadership (that word again) says he'd be welcomed with open arms! This from the chair of the NRCC Pete Sessions who saw fit to run ads against Hoffman only days ago!

As we said, pathetic. Click on the title of this post to read the Politico story.

UPDATE (that was fast): Former New York Gov. George Pataki (R) endorsed Conservative party candidate Doug Hoffman, Politico reports, "the clearest sign yet that even the most establishment New York Republicans now view Hoffman as having the best shot at preventing a Democrat from winning next Tuesday's special election."

And yet some mocked Palin when she endorsed him more than two weeks ago. No, she won't be President nor, MC predicts, even run for it in 2012, but can we take talent, excitement and leadership where we find it? Or must be be stuck with Newt, Timmy and the gang?