White House Pushing To Get Dede Scozzafava's Endorsement For Dem (UPDATED)

***UPDATED 3:00PM*** Scozzafava has endorsed Democratic candidate Bill Owens over conservative party candidate Doug Hoffman.

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Moderate Republican candidate Dede Scozzafava's departure from upstate New York's special congressional election is, senior Democrats predict, bad news for the Democratic Party.

While the state's 23rd district is decidedly conservative, having last sent a Democrat to Congress in the 1800s, there had been hopes that a three-person contest would catapult Dem Bill Owens to the House of Representatives. Now, conventional wisdom holds that Scozzafava voters will likely head towards the conservative party's Doug Hoffman or simply stay at home.

In the White House, at the very least, officials are bracing themselves for a loss, calling Scozzafava's departure bad news for Owens. The one hope, they say, is if Scozzafava -- who has more philosophical similarities with the Democratic Party than Hoffman's brand of Republicanism -- was to formally endorse her former rival.

"This hurts," one administration official told the Huffington Post on Saturday, "unless we can get her on board."

And on Sunday, the White House all but confirmed that it was after Scozzafava's endorsement. Appearing on ABC's "This Week," Obama's senior confidant, Valerie Jarrett said the administration "would love to have -- of course, have her support."

"And it's rather telling when the Republican Party forces out a moderate Republican and it says I think a great deal about where the Republican Party leadership is right now," Jarrett added.

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Comments

[wldone]

She supported the $787 billion stimulus package, favors card-check supports gay marriage and taxpayer-funded a.b.o.r.t.­i.o.n-on-d­emand and won't say how she'd vote on the House Democrats' health care bill. Sounds like a dem to me

[marecek]

Will Kathy Bates play her in the film?

[SaddieMcCall]

It is outrageous that the RNC permits Rush Limbaugh to attack their own candidate and to say the nasty things he said about this woman. The RNC accused attacks against Palin's fitness to be vice president as being sexist; but not one comment from any Republican calling Rush out for his vile comments.

Republicans wake up - educate yourselves. You may like the sound of no earmarks from the budget - make sure you understand when the place you live is dependent on them. Texas and Alaska would not exist as they do without earmarks. The district in NY for this race depends on earmarks for their largest employer. If your Conservative candidate does what he promises to do - there goes your jobs, your local economy - and your health insurance (since they are connected to your non existing jobs) and then you will be complaining how hard it is to live on the foodstamps you once despised others for getting.

[CarmanK]

You know those repugs, they think keep telling us to respect hard work and success. So what happens, a respectable woman, a devoted republican works her way up to win the support of repugs in her primary and gets in the race. Then she is double crossed, by the very people who wanted good repugs to run for office. Dede was the candidate of choice for the 23rd district repugs. She got cut off at the knees. The repugs will do anything to win and will pay any amount to prevail.

[wldone]

She is not a Republican..

[daschundincali]

bye bye RINO, don't let the door hit you on your way to the dem party!

[donbrown]

For all the trolls on the thread, a telling ststement from a Republican in this district (excerpted):

Scozzafava was by far the most qualified candidate. She knew the issues better than Owens, and FAR better than Hoffman. I strongly resent out-of-state Republicans interfering in my district.

They don't know what they're talking about, and their interfering is going to affect my life, not theirs. Their issues are not the district's issues. A US rep has nothing to do with abortion rights. A US rep doesn't vote on a Supreme Court justice. A US rep will likely have nothing to say about same-sex marriage. Yet not one political observer, politician, or pundit (God, I hate that word) has brought that up. I resent my district being a pawn in a Republican purge.

When this election is over, Sarah Palin, Michelle Malkin, et al will go their merry ways, and I will have to live with the fallout of their circle-jerk. I'm a Republican, but I'm getting fed up with the b.s.

They don't realize how many people they're alienating, and to hear them tell it, they don't care. Fine. They're going to be surprised when they continue their purge, and there's no one left to boot.

BY ILIVEINNY-23 on 11/02/2009 at 16:44

[goodtomeetyou]

Powerful.

[doctorwang]

Thanks for reposting it.

[UpstateNY]

I live in NY too. And I resent these outsiders as well.

I am a Democrat and probably would have voted for Bill Owens but would have been happy when Scozzafava won (which she would have and handily if Hoffman had kept his word to the Republican leadership and Scozzafava).

But she wasn't Republican enough for Sarah Palin and Rush Limbaugh and their crowd of tea-baggers. So, Scozzafava was defamed and thrown to the curb. There is a post that reports what Rush Limbaugh said about her that I will not repeat.

But she was brave enough to tell the people of her district that Hoffman, although a Republican, would not be good for the district. The local Republican leaders thought the same when they chose Scozzafava. She endorsed Bill Owens because he would work for the people and not for the ideology of Rush Limbaugh and Sarah Palin. I hope they listen to her - she gave up a lot to tell the truth.

[LyssaBarnes]

Thanks for the post. I left the Republican party when these one-track conservatives managed to put GWB in the White House. It was the greatest disservice to this country.

[Archivist1000]

You said: "They don't realize how many people they are alienating' ....

That is because you are not 'people' to them, you are a VOTE.

A NUMBER.

[Paisano]

You would need only to be moderately observant...

http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/article/20091022/BLOGS09/910229992/BLOGS09

[Usedtobe]

The story that's now out there: When and if Scozzafava got elected, she was going to immediately switch parties to become a Democrat anyway. Soooooooooo, does this constitute the Dems trying to 'steal an election'?

[doctorwang]

Do you have a link to the story?

BTW: If it's some made up chit from a rightwingnutjob blog please don't bother.

[MIVOTE]

I love it when people get straight to the point. lol

[Usedtobe]

Stop being ignorant and lazy and look it up yourself. Or listen to the news. It' came from her spokesman, Matthew Burns in a phone interview.

[UpstateNY]

She's been a Republican lawmaker in Albany for over 10 years. She was chosen by the Republican leadership to run as the Republican nominee for Congress. She was going to represent a Republican district.

Why would she change parties? This story, if there is a story, is an obvious lie and another try at discrediting this brave woman.

She said Hoffman is a bad choice for the NY23rd and she is speaking the truth! I hope the voters of the NY23rd realize that they need someone who knows and cares about them. Vote for Bill Owens!

[Usedtobe]

I'm amazed at how many people refuse to see the truth when it doesn't fit their own narrow views of the world.

On a phone interview on October 16th, a spokesman for Dede Scozzafava named Matthew Burns refused to answer the question as to whether Ms. Scozzafava was planning on switching to the Democratic party if she won the election.

Don't believe the truth. See if I care. And to those of you who get angry when someone says something blatantly true, perhaps you should look inside yourself to figure out why you're so angry.

[The Professor]

And Dede has spent the last GOP dollar. The NRCC and the NY GOP party will not forget.

[UpstateNY]

Probably very true - that makes it all the more important that she endorsed Bill Owens. She knew she was destroying her future in the Republican party. She was so brave to tell the truth to the people of the NY23rd. Doug Hoffman will not work for you - he barely knows what you need Bill Owens will work for you - vote for Bill Owens!

[The Professor]

Her endorsement of Owens was surprising but I understand. There's not much difference between her and Owens,her opinions are quite liberal rather than conservative. Now the choices are black and white, night and day. The voters don't need RINO's or DINO's, they just need people to say what they mean and mean what they say. It's now up to the voters of NY 23rd to decide.

[Chicagofan1]

It doesn not make any dif. whom she is endorsing. Hoffman is going to be the winner. It's a done deal.

[swengnikaerb]

Funny they had to use so much $$$ to defend a Red Seat that has been that way for over 100 years.

Not a Good sign for 2010

[sweetwhine]

Exactly. GOP pouring money into a red state is very telling.

[UpstateNY]

That's not news - the Republican was going to win. That so much money was required to win a Republican seat is the story.

If they had left Scozzafava alone she would have won and won handily with much less money. And she wouldn't have needed help from Sarah and Rush and that crowd. The people of the NY23rd know her and were very happy to vote for her until these outsiders came in with their money to destroy her. She would have made a great Representative for the NY23rd, Hoffman, if he wins, will be terrible for the district.

Vote for Bill Owens - he will work for the people of the district not for Rush Limbaugh.

[comicpro]

Hey GOP if you look at your calender today it will say 11/02/2009. That means we are in the 21st centurey not the 19th. Come on and join the rest of us in reality. trust us we will be gentle and get you up to speed as soon as possible.

[tomterif]

We understand you're trying to be "comical", here, Comicpro.

Though many would find your humor attempt here "essentially humorless", as well as majorly arrogant, presumptuous, and just extremely unattractively condescending, that's not mainly what I'd like to address .

I'd like to address the sheer FACTUAL INACCURACY of your implied assumption that you're in some widely acknowledged "obvious majority" of "enlightened" and "progressive", reality-based 21st century types, who represents purely "positive" factors abounding at present, in 2009, that in all ways represent "progress", in the lives of both both individuals and society, that's necessarily "evolved", in a multitude of necessarily positive ways, over what life was like for both individuals and society, in 19th century ["the 1800s"] America.

I'm quite confident that's SIMPLY NOT TRUE, regarding the overall opinions of ALL Americans, regardless of political party affiliation, etc..

[Continued]

[tomterif]

Comicpro : If you could get an accurate composite view of ALL present-day Americans [NOT just "conservative Republicans", and including many extreme political liberals], regarding whether life's necessarily "better" today [as opposed to in the 1800s, or the 1950s, or in any time in our history] for Americans, both as individuals, and as an overall society, you'd get a very "mixed bag" of opinions,

You'd find MANY, among the very politically liberal, as well as of course among the very politically conservative, who'd mainitain that life in those past times, despite lacking many of today's technological advances, etc,, was in many ways SUPERIOR to present-day American life, regarding "the respect for the individual", "the slower pace of life", "the general politeness, friendliness, and neighborly collegiality, extant in society", "the loving bonds of family life, and the security of the family", and "individual standards of honesty and other factors of personal morality" etc..

There's NOTHING "regressive" about this, or in any way "backwards" about modern Americans wishing a restoration of those values, institutions and characteristics, that were stronger in our nation, in earlier times.

So this snide comment of your's, condescendingly inviting [the clear implication is "fringe", "backwards", and "reactionary"] conservative GOPers to join you, and the implied MAJORITY of "with it", "enlightened" Americans", to ["in all ways superior to19th century American"] life in 2009 America, is not merely snide, but also essentially wildly inaccurate, regarding how much of 2009 American life "most" Americans actually view as "progress".

[comicpro]

Dude thanks for setting me straight. I will do my best to say this slowly for you. The peope who I see disrupting everything, saying no to everything and pushing religion and their view of what is right on people is backwards in respect to me. We can agree to disagree....respectfully.

[kooljazz]

The Dems should have asked her to continue to run. Best to keep her running so she will siphon off voters who will always vote Republican. Now after siding with the Dems, her supporters are undecided and half of them will vote Republican.

[Ifticar2]

You are probably right but no one has ever accused the DemocRATS of being smart.

[UpstateNY]

She didn't do what she did because of the Democrats - she did it because her own Republicans were trying to destroy her. She was a good candidate and would have done a good job for the people of the NY23rd. Too bad that didn't matter to the tea-baggers!

[RustyPatina]

The GOP is attacking Scozzafava's "betrayal" of her party. They seem to have it exactly backwards. In their mad scramble to the right, they're abandoning everyone who's not a Palinite or dittohead. No room for independent thought in the GOP!

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/01/white-house-pushing-to-ge_n_341436.html

[Ifticar2]

There is no room progressives in the Republican party. If people want to be represented by a progressive they can vote for the Democrat.

[UpstateNY]

There is also no room for competence in the Republican party. Scozzafava was an able representative who cares about the people of the NY23rd. She knows them and what they need - more jobs mostly.

The tea-baggers want a 'pure' Republican - not competent ones. Sad, very sad for the whole country and especially for the NY23rd if Hoffman should win.

[tomterif]

You'e simply WRONG !, RustyPatina.

Would you say the same thing, to all Democratic "progressives" on HuffPo, who I've seen talking here recently about wanting to mount primary challenges, with very "progressive" candidates, to unseat moderate, conservative, and "blue dog" Democrats from getting Democratic nominations to run for re-election, because they haven't supported "Obamacare with public option", and/or because they wanted McCrystal's recommendation for troop increases in Afghanistan immediately heeded, etc. ?

I DOUBT you'd say that, and that this represents a Democratic "mad scramble to the left, abandoning everyone not a Moveon.orger. No room for independent thought among Democrats !"

It's a PERFECT RIGHT, in our American system, for Moveon.orgg types" [which maybe includes you ?] to call for and work for the defeat of moderate and conservative Democrats, though I think it's "lousy politics", since if a district is "moderate to conservative" enough for a "blue dog" Dem to win the district in the first place, chances are, if you manage to replace the "blue dog" with a Moveon.orger, for the Dem nomination, that Moveon.orger will LOSE that seat in the election !

What the GOP activists've done in NY23 is not only equally THEIR RIGHT to do, as Dems replacing a blue dog with a Moveon.orger in a moderate/conservative district, but it's MUCH BETTER POLITICS !, since NY23 is very CONSERVATIVE, and Conservative Hoffman's MUCH MORE LIKELY TO WIN than moderate/liberal Scozzafava !

[RustyPatina]

How is this post incorrect? Did not the Republicans abandon A Republican candidate here? How many times has the DNC abandoned Democratic candidates in favor of independents?

[tomterif]

Did you CAREFULLY read my reply to you, RustyPatina ?

Your reply back to me much suggests maybe you didn't, but I think if you go back and CAREFULLY read that reply of mine, about the specific situation in NY23, and the relating underlying issues involving the Republican and Democratic national parties, and if do that re-read OBJECTIVELY, I think you'll have no alternative other than to [albeit presumably reluctantly] condede to the100 PERCENT ACCURACY of what I originally said to you, and the decided INaccuracies of your original contentions.

I think a big part of your specific "problem", RustyPatina, in misunderstanding the situation[s] here, involves your "sloppiness" in failing to even just accurately IDENTIFY the actual players involved, with precision, before proceeding to discuss them, and these situations they're involved in.

[And that's assuming, which I'll "withhold judgement on at this point" : ), that you really DO sincerely want to understand this political situation, and not merely be able to "spin" things in such a way as to be able to convince some "none too bright" visitors, here, of the fundamental accuracy of the contentions of your post, which is a post that actually contains nothing other than (greater and lesser) INaccuracies, as I see it,]

Specifically, your original post mentions [the very general term] "the GOP" as the player "attacking Scozzafava's 'betrayal' of her party", while your reply, back to me, asks "How many times has the DNC abandoned candidates in favor of Independents".

[Continued]

[KarmaTheDog]

You sure like to talk in circles.

[tomterif]

The "corresponding player, on the other side of the aisle" to the DNC you mentioned in your last reply, RustyPatina, is not [what's indicated by the "general term",] "the GOP", but rather the RNC, the "Republican National Committee", the official spokesperson / organization of the national Republican party, headquartered in Washington.

It can be emphasized too much that, in actuality, the RNC :

1.) Had nothing at all to do with the original selection of Dede Scozzafava as the nominee of the Republican party, in this upcoming "replacement" election to fill the recently vacated 23rd district Congressional seat

2.) Had nothing to do with the original "grass roots" movement to gain support for Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman, over [at one point] official [though in no way ever selected by the RNC, OR in any kind of free and open primary !] Republican candidate Scozzafava.

That grass roots movement originally came from private individuals, exercising their free constitutional rights as American citizens, to try to convince others to vote for the [eligible] candidate THEY wished to see elected, in a particular election.

And this movement of "original instigators" was assuredly a group containing the names of a # of currently very prominent national Republican figures, incl. former Governors Palin and Pataki (of Alaska and NY respectively], and current Governor Pawlenty of Minnesota), but they were a group of "private individuals" nevertheless, acting in NO official capacities for the RNC, or for the national Republican party.

[Continued]

[tomterif]

An important correction for me to make, before proceeding :

In my 2nd paragraph above, I of course meant to say "It can't be emphasized too much...", not "It can be emphasized too much...".

Thank you. : )

[tomterif]

Therefore, your statement that the "GOP" is "attacking Scozzafava's 'betrayal' of her party" is fundamentally incorrect, first of all in its' identifying who's doing the "attacking".

"The GOP" was not "attacking" Dede Scozzafava, prior to her decision to suspend her active candidacy for this office.

"The GOP" is just a very general term for "the collection of individuals who generally would classify themselves as 'Republicans', at any given time."

The national figures who originally commenced touting Hoffman as the candidate to vote for, certainly included prominent Republicans, like Palin, Pataki, and Pawlenty, as well as prominent popular national media figures, like Limbaugh, Hannity, and Glenn Beck [and in regards to the latter 3, I believe I've heard all 3 say they "really self-identify themselves as conservatives, rather than Republicans", though I think all 3 also most invariably end up urging people to vote for Republican candidates, rather than Democrats, in big national elections, particularly for the Presidency.].

But though there were of course prominent Republican individuals [NOT the RNC, or any official Republican body] originally calling for the election of Hoffman over Scozzafava, you've also got to realize that most of the people SUPPORTING Scozzafava , and Scozzafava herself, were also Republicans, so your intially stating "the GOP" was the player "attacking" Scozzafava, for anything !, is essentially meaningless, and thereby false, just as if you said it was "the Americans" who were responsible for the Oklahoma City bombing.

[Continued]

[UpstateNY]

One of the things that these 'real' Republicans faulted Scozzafava on was her belief that women should have a choice of a safe abortion if they and their doctors believed abortion was necessary.

Women have been having abortions for centuries, It's a difficult and heart-wrenching decision for most of them. Those of us who are old enough to remember the pre-legal abortion times, remember women (and girls) who were harmed by botched abortions.

I don't like abortions any more than any of the anti-abortion people. But I know that the way to have less abortions is more education in schools, more birth-control more easily available and more support for women who decide to have their babies. And yet, many of the anti-choice people are against education, birth-control, money for child-care and social programs.

No one forces a woman to have an abortion. Why should they want to force a woman who cannot carry her child (for whatever reason) into a back alley and an unsafe abortion?

When you think about it, the anti-abortion position looks more like an anti-life position - the life of the woman. Ms Scozzafava's position for choice is the realistic and the pro-life position. Bill Owens is also pro-choice. Mr. Hoffman is the only anti-choice candidate in the NY23rd. Either he believes abortion will suddenly disappear or doesn't care about what happens to the women who are forced into unsafe and dangerous illegal abortions.

[jackiero]

Are you sure it was about abortion? I thought the keystone issue that set her on fire with the GOP was her support of gay marriage.

[a270]

What killed her support was her favoring of the stimulus and big bank bailout.

[UpstateNY]

I think it was abortion and gay marriage and the stimulus. Think about this as a someone who lives in the NY23rd.

Abortion - Congress does not vote for Supreme Court nominees so they can keep their beliefs on choice private because it won't make a difference what their Congress person thinks.

Gay marriage - who cares. Not one marriage in the NY23rd would be affected by gay people being able to marry. Since 50% of heterosexual marriages fail, we should all be working on our own marriages and not worry about other peoples

Stimulus - This could affect the people in the NY23rd. They need jobs there more than anything and they need a Congress person who will try and get stimulus money that t create jobs. Hoffman's views on the stimulus could hurt the people of the NY23rd. Of course, he did get federal earmarks for the Adirondack Medical Center so he might be a say-what-they-want kind of politician.. I think that is true from the evidence of how he lied when he said he would support Scozzafava when she was nominated.

[a270]

Where do you get this stuff from? Abortion may be the ending of a human life, but the government does not have the right to forbid it. Just like government can't set the terms and prices of the HI policy an individual chooses to purchase.

[Ifticar2]

You use a lot of words to convey the simple fact the Scozzafava supports the execution of babies in the womb.

[UpstateNY]

No - in very few words, she supports the ability of women who need it to have access to a safe abortion.

[AnnfromCA]

Oh, and Joe Biden is going to arrive today for the "local" Dem. *haha

I'm happy for this district small businesses. Everyone will be eating out at their local diners tonight, right?

All we need is for Palin to arrive, and it would truly be a circus.

[Eykis]

Ann, the Snowbillly Grifter was TOLD to stay away from NJ and VA.

Go listen to some more made up information from Faux Talk Radio..

[AnnfromCA]

You guys embarassed? After beating the drum that the national figures are ruining a local election, it's Joe Biden who is showing up.

Sarah just wrote a simple facebook note. *haha

[jennylynn]

Sorry you are jealous of her beauty and brains. Get over it.

[swengnikaerb]

Brains? My dog is smarter than Palin. I feel sorry for you.

[UpstateNY]

No problem with her looks. As far as her brains - have you ever heard her speak????

[sweetwhine]

Maybe you need to re-visit her interviews with Charlie Gibson and Katie Couric.

[HarpoSnarx]

As beautiful as Virginia Foxx . . . wink wink

[UpstateNY]

Happy Joe Biden is come up here to help a Democrat. We all need more Democrats in the House who might actually get something DONE. We certainly don't need another do-nothing Republican like Hoffman.
.
Enjoy your lunch, Joe.

Welcome to Ms Palin as well. We should let her know that she'll be able to see Canada from this district.

[maggiee]

lol