NEWT GINGRICH BACKS A LIBERAL CANDIDATE

In a special election for New York’s vacant 23rd Congressional District’s seat, former Republican House Speaker Newt GingrichNewt Gingrich has thrown his support behind a Moderate Centrist Republican much in the mold of Olympia SnoweOlympia Snowe & Susan CollinsSusan Collins. His choice of Dede Scozzafava – an abortion rights advocate, a Pro- Gay Marriage proponent, supporter of the $787 Billion Stimulus package and huge tax increases as an Assemblywoman, comes as a shock to many in NY and the Republican party.

Doug Hoffman a fiscal conservative and the local Conservative Party candidate, is now in a three way race for the open seat that will be seen as a bell weather for the 2010 mid term elections. The question then is, why would Newt Gingrich back another candidate that supports a lot of the Liberal agenda that currently has this country in a quagmire? Do we need anymore Liberals in our party? Isn’t one Olympia Snowe enough already?

I think the days of Newt Gingrich being looked at as a Conservative voice of the Republican Party, have seen it’s best days. These special elections are the battles that have to be won if the Conservatives desire to regain any type of control in either the Congress or the Senate. We cannot waste our efforts backing Liberals impersonating Republicans for the sake of bringing in a few voters with concerns about social issues.

Here is a perfect example where Conservatives can clearly distinguish themselves from Liberals by pointing out stark differences, instead we back a pretend to be Republican with the same bad habits as tax and spend Liberals. The time to feel out the national mood of the country came and went with the 2008 election. We cannot abandon Conservative principles by anointing half ass candidates that fit in with the politics of the day. Hoffman who is a well known and successful business man with a spotless record and unquestionable Conservative values, was sacrificed for the sake of Scozzafava who in years past has also been endorsed by ACORN”S Working Family’s Party.

While Gingrichs’ endorsement of Scozzafava may reap some short term benefits, it has definitely improved the fortunes of Hoffman who has received several key endorsements since Newt’s announcement. A host of GOP supporters as well as former Senator Fred ThompsonFred Thompson are now backing Hoffman as away of pushing back against Newt’s choice.

A side note to Scozzafava: Her husband is apparently the head of the AFL-CIO in their district and is doubling as her political strategist for the open Congressional seat .Stands to reason why Dede Scozzafava is also in favor of big labor’s Card Check, a pro union stance that aims to abolish the secret ballot in workplace elections. She has also voted against the Farmworker's Bill of Rights, a pro-labor and pro-worker bill to support farm laborers who face unpleasant conditions in some instances.

To her credit she has a consistent voting record on pro-gun legislation and is against any type of gun-control. Her record on the environment seems to be mixed as she has voted against 8 of 14 bills included in a recent package of environmental bills. Overall she has a very deep progressive voting record and by most accounts is a Liberal.

Clearly a Pelosi-Reid-Obama agenda junkie, many fear that if she gets elected, she will abandon the party and switch back to the Democrats where she feels at home. Not a far fetched possibility given her voting record.

Source & references:

http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2009/10/newt_gingrich_endorses_dede_sc.html

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/No-wonder-Dede-called-the-cops-Hoffman-is-gaining-fast-65076712.html#

http://thehill.com/homenews/house/63163-house-gop-may-face-a-civil-war-over-scozzafava