On Bloomberg's Defense Ground Zero Mosque

Michael Bloomberg's defense of the mosque to be built near Ground Zero is simply disgraceful as well as weak.  I haven't weighed in on this issue much on this blog, partly because so many others are doing a fantastic job on the coverage (Pamela Gellar...) and partly because I just couldn't believe it would actually happen.  That's a problem I often have - "That's so ridiculously inconceivable it just CAN'T happen!  People can't be that crazy!"  I said that before the 2008 election.  See where that got me.

Yesterday New York's Landmark Commission voted unanimously not to give landmark status to a building where the new mosque is to be built just 600 feet from Ground Zero.  This means, of course, that the building can be demolished and the construction on the mosque can proceed.

Bloomberg gave a speech following the vote in which he drew some, well, odd comparisons:

"Of all our precious freedoms, the most important may be the freedom to worship as we wish. And it is a freedom that, even here in a City that is rooted in Dutch tolerance, was hard-won over many years. In the mid-1650s, the small Jewish community living in Lower Manhattan petitioned Dutch Governor Peter Stuyvesant for the right to build a synagogue – and they were turned down.

Okay, so I agree with the fact that our founders intended us to have "freedom to worship as we wish" but he loses me on the comparison to the Jewish community.  I see where he's going with this - that we should exercise tolerance - but the analogy doesn't work.  The Jews never bombed American buildings and they didn't kill 3000 innocents on 9/11.   He then goes on to the Quakers:

"In 1657, when Stuyvesant also prohibited Quakers from holding meetings, a group of non-Quakers in Queens signed the Flushing Remonstrance, a petition in defense of the right of Quakers and others to freely practice their religion. It was perhaps the first formal, political petition for religious freedom in the American colonies – and the organizer was thrown in jail and then banished from New Amsterdam.

Same argument here.  The analogy is flat.  He doesn't ignore the Catholics either:

"In the 1700s, even as religious freedom took hold in America, Catholics in New York were effectively prohibited from practicing their religion – and priests could be arrested. Largely as a result, the first Catholic parish in New York City was not established until the 1780's – St. Peter's on Barclay Street, which still stands just one block north of the World Trade Center site and one block south of the proposed mosque and community center.

The point he's making is that we should exercise tolerance and let other religions have the freedom to practice, to worship.  Nobody is denying that to the Muslims.  There are plenty of mosques in New York City.  There are lots of places that a new mosque could be built should it be necessary to do so.  The fact that THIS mosque is to be built on hallowed ground, at the site where extremist Muslims attacked and killed Americans, is such a gross display of insensitivity it completely trumps any insensitive issues that might lie in one's refusal to let Muslim's practice there. 

For Bloomberg to ignore that is beyond the pale.

This is the thesis of his argument:

The government has no right whatsoever to deny that right [to use that site for worship] – and if it were tried, the courts would almost certainly strike it down as a violation of the U.S. Constitution. Whatever you may think of the proposed mosque and community center, lost in the heat of the debate has been a basic question – should government attempt to deny private citizens the right to build a house of worship on private property based on their particular religion?

First of all, nobody is denying anyone the right to worship.  Nobody is trying to "deny private citizens the right to build a house of worship," but don't build it there.  If the leaders behind the mosque project had any intention of bridging community good will and bring people together, they wouldn't build it there.  They don't.  Their point is otherwise intended.

Quite simply, the intent of this particular mosque is to serve as a sign of victory over Americans.  "We beat you.  You can't stop us." 

Bloomberg is a fool to ignore this.

Dorothy Rabinowitz at the Wall Street Journal asks:

Namely, how is it that the planners, who have presented this effort as a grand design for the advancement of healing and interfaith understanding, have refused all consideration of the impact such a center will have near Ground Zero? Why have they insisted, despite intense resistance, on making the center an assertive presence in this place of haunted memory?

And do you just love Robert Gibbs yesterday and his goofy response when asked about this issue?  He declared that the administration was not going to weigh in on "local decision-making."  Since when have they adopted that policy?

In the end, it doesn't matter what they call the mosque, how they frame it, what kind of outreach they do, it's still a victory marker for radical Islam.  If the New York Landmark Commission won't do it, then some other legal way must be found.  It's a slap in the face to the memory of those who died there.

New York's "Shoot to Wound" Proposal

New York police officers are outraged at a proposal by Brooklyn Assembly Members Annette Robinson [D.-Bedford Stuyvesant] and Darryl Towns [D.-East New YorkMichael Paladino, president of the Detectives Endowment Association that would require police officers to shoot to wound, rather than kill, a suspect.

The New York Post article is here.

This proposal has come up before and been defeated each time.  It returns now as a reaction to the shooting of Sean Bell in 2006. 

The reality is that this proposal is impossible to implement or enforce.  Police officers are trained to shoot "center mass" in order to stop the threat.  To expect them to be sharp shooters in the heat of intense conflict and be able to kneecap a suspect or shoot a gun out of someone's hand is simply ridiculous.

PoliceOne has two informative articles on the proposal and how impossible it is and potentially unsustainable:

A shoot-to-wound mandate would “not be valid legally” because it sets a standard far beyond that established by Graham v. Connor, the benchmark U.S. Supreme Court decision on police use of force, says former prosecutor Jeff Chudwin, now chief of the Olympia Fields (IL) PD and president of the Illinois Tactical Officers Assn.

Dr. Bill Lewinski of the Force Science Institute also explains to PoliceOne the practical problems with this proposal:

“Hands and arms can be the fastest-moving body parts. For example, an average suspect can move his hand and forearm across his body to a 90-degree angle in 12/100 of a second. He can move his hand from his hip to shoulder height in 18/100 of a second.

“The average officer pulling the trigger as fast as he can on a Glock, one of the fastest- cycling semi-autos, requires 1/4 second to discharge each round.

“There is no way an officer can react, track, shoot and reliably hit a threatening suspect’s forearm or a weapon in a suspect’s hand in the time spans involved.

There's more here.

It seems we're placing more burden on the peacekeepers and less on the criminals.  The police are charged with the responsibility of protecting the public and if that means stopping a guy waving a gun around in his tracks, so be it. Police officers make mistakes because they're human, but overall they put their lives on the line to protect yours.

Coincidentally, a Harlem police officer encountered an armed teenager hanging out on the streets at 1:30 a.m. yesterday.  The kid shot at the officer who responded with five rounds, one hitting the kid in the arm.  The kid ran off, the officer followed the blood trail and apprehended him.

Sometimes it's a judgment call, I suspect.  The officer instantly has to judge the threat and the threat to others.  And as Michael Paladino, president of the Detectives Endowment Association told the Post,

"I don't know of any criminal who doesn't shoot to kill. They are not bound by any restrictions."

The proposal came up before the Codes Committee but has been held for further consideration.  

White House Slashing NYC Anti-Terror Funds

This via The New York Post.

Because we're no longer in danger from terrorists...

The Obama administration will announce tomorrow it has slashed anti-terror funds for New York City, despite the attempted Times Square bombing less than two weeks ago that underscored the enormous threat to the city.

The Department of Homeland Security informed New York officials yesterday that grants to the city were cut 27 percent for mass transit security and 25 percent for port security.

The mass transit funds dropped $42 million, from $153 million last year to $111 this year.  Port security funds suffered a $11.2 million cut, from $45 million to $33.8 million, officials said.

Someone please tell The White House that despite the fact that this country elected Barack Obama as President, we are still terrorist targets.

Miranda or Not?

With the arrest of Faisal Shahzad in the Times Square car bomb incident, the inevitable debate over Miranda now begins. 

On Fox and Friends, Glenn Beck and Brian Kilmeade debated the issue of when to read the suspect his rights.  Beck took the position that the Constitution must be upheld and the guy should be read his rights; Kilmeade, whether out of conviction or just playing devil's advocate, chided Beck for "forgoing the intelligence." 

The Holder Justice Department caught a lot of flak (a lot of it from me) about reading The Underwear Bomber his rights after less than an hour of interrogation.

The difference here, of course, is that Shahzad is an American citizen.  I'm going to stand with Beck on this one.  As he said, it's probably not a "popular" decision, but you can't disregard the Constitution.  The popular decision would be to drop the guy in a vat of boiling oil, but we can't do that either.

Stay tuned to Stacy McCain's place today.  While I'm killing Julius Caesar (again), Stacy is all over this story and the rapidly developing updates.

Never Forget

ABC News has released never before seen aerial images of 9/11. They're incredible. This image is just one of them. Go here to see the rest.

ABC News obtained these images after filing a Freedom of Information Act request in 2009 with the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Don't Wave the Victory Flag Just Yet on New York Terror Trials

I think this is good news but I'm hesitant to get too excited just yet. News tonight is that The House of Obama has pulled the plug on holding the KSM terror trial in NYC. As opposition to the event picked up steam this week it seems that the pressure was too much to bear and now the word is that the plan is dead:

The Obama administration Friday abandoned plans to try 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in Manhattan, following objections from New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a senior administration official said. He will be tried domestically, but officials have not decided where. Options for the trial include a military base.

Other options may also include other domestic cities for all we know.

The New York Times reports:

By Friday, Justice Department officials were studying other locations, focusing especially on military bases and prison complexes, and no obvious new choice had emerged.

Begging the obvious, but what's wrong with Gitmo?

And even more obvious, shouldn't this have all just stayed in the hands of the military in the first place?

Ever the cynic, Allahpundit wisely wonders:

Exit question: Did Obama trade this concession for any congressional votes about closing Gitmo and funding a new prison? Someone call Mitch McConnell, quick.

Hmmmm.

I'm wondering what kind of pressure Eric Holder is feeling these days. Everything we learn about the handling of the Christmas Day terrorist reveals even more clusterfarks than one could imagine. Now this.

But somehow I don't feel we can rest easy on this one just yet.

(H/T: Memeorandum)

NY-23: Election Day

I'm joining Stacy McCain in hoping that "it ends tonight" with regard to NY-23. But, it won't. At least, not if Anita Moncrief is correct. ACORN is already gearing up to protest the election.

Read Anita's concerns at Hot Air's Greenroom. She says, "Multiple sources on the ground in New York’s 23^rd Congressional district confirm that ACORN is expected to be actively protesting the election results in Clinton County, New York tomorrow. This move comes on the heels of a legal win for the Hoffman camp today as it was ruled that all poll watchers would have to be registered voters of NY 23."

During the ACU PAC conference call Sunday night these concerns were also expressed by Hoffman spokesman Rob Ryan. He said, "We want a clean, legal election because if that's the case, we win."

Please, God, let it be so.

Clean. Fair. Over.

(More at Memeorandum)

NY-23 Conference Call

After participating in the conference call tonight hosted by the American Conservative Union's PAC to discuss NY-23 it seems to me that the biggest concern for Doug Hoffman now might be getting a fair election. Hoffman's campaign feels the momentum of the past couple of days but this election is by no means in the bag.

Rob Ryan, spokesman for the Hoffman campaign, said that what they need more than anything "is bodies." He expressed concern about "the amount of people coming in" for the Owens campaign, specifically ACORN and the WFP. The WFP is already under investigation in New York for forging absentee ballots and this is something that the Hoffman campaign wants to be sure doesn't happen in NY-23. As Ryan said tonight, "We want a clean, legal election because if that's the case, we win."

To that end, they need volunteers. Ryan asks that if you're in the area and able to help, get in touch with the Hoffman campaign and do what you can. Here is the list of campaign offices (in pdf). Stacy McCain described the 23rd district as "huge; it's the largest congressional district east of the Mississippi River." It's a gerrymandered district and covers a large, oddly shaped territory, mostly suburban. Watertown is probably the largest city in the district with about 40,000 people.

What Stacy McCain hears from voters in the district are concerns about out of control spending and the cost of Obamacare. He says "Hoffman is widely respected by those who know him" despite the fact that he's not an affable or charismatic kind of guy. He's not your typical Washington politician. He's honest and hard working and has genuine concern for the district and the country.

I asked Stacy what the expected turnout for this election is likely to be. As a special election in an off year, you would normally expect turnout to be low. In a sense, this may work to Hoffman's advantage because those that do get out to vote will be those hard-core people that follow the issues. Those moderate, indifferent voters may not turn out. The Democrats have been advertising very heavily in the district, however, and their on-the-ground canvassing is very strong.

This is why volunteers are needed. Even though the RNC and the NRCC are sending resources Hoffman's way, the election is only two days out. If you live anywhere near the area, or know someone who does, the Hoffman campaign needs you.

Matt Burns, former spokesman for Dede Scozzafava, now supporting Hoffman, says that the main thing at this point is to elect someone who will stand up to the aggressive agenda of Nancy Pelosi, and Doug Hoffman is that candidate.

Related:
Jimmie Bise was in on the call and his impressions are here.
Ed Morressey's thoughts are here.
More at Memeorandum.

(Cross posted at Not One Red Cent!)

NY-23: Is Dede Endorsing Hoffman or Owens?

Via Hot Air, Hotline reports that Dede Scozzafava and her husband are quietly endorsing Bill Owens in the NY-23 race. This comes as no real shock as they disagree on absolutely nothing with regard to policy issues.

Hotline quotes both the New York Post and the Watertown Daily Times:

First, in a Watertown Daily Times' editorial switching its endorsement from Scozzafava to atty Bill Owens (D), the Daily Times notes that Scozzafava "began to quietly and thoughtfully encourage her supporters to vote for" Owens after her withdrawal announcement 10/31.

And, according to the New York Post, Scozzafava's husband -- Central Labor Council pres. Ron McDougall -- wholeheartedly endorsed Owens late last p.m. McDougall: "As a life-long labor activist, I know that Bill Owens understands the issues important to working people. On the other hand, Doug Hoffman has little regard for the interests of workers. Hoffman's opposition to the Employee Free Choice Act, coupled with his support for the failed policies of the Bush Administration make him a poor choice to serve the citizens of the 23rd Congressional District."

Stacy McCain is still on scene in upstate New York and also notes the Watertown Times story:

The Watertown (N.Y.) Daily Times -- which previously endorsed Scozzafava -- stirred the pot this morning with an editorial backing Democrat Bill Owens and claiming that this was also Scozzafava's agenda.

I don't think in the end that Dede's recommendation is going to be a game changer. The bigger picture here, to me, is her nomination in the first place. That the Republican establishment ever thought she was a viable candidate for that district is the real issue. She is not distinguishable from the Democrat in any significant way. Why did the RNC think this boat would float?

Stacy McCain phoned me from Watertown a couple of nights ago and,pointed me to this TCOT Report story by Michael Patrick Leahy about Dede's selection process:

Scozzafava was nominated on July 22 at a meeting of the eleven county chairmen. Prior to this meeting, a series of four regional meetings were held throughout the district, at which time nine candidates were given a chance to appear in front of a select group of Republican committeemen and State Party Officials. Many conservative Republicans in the 23rd Congressional District were insulted by the Speaker's blatant mischaracterization that Scozzafava was the "unanimous" choice of the four regional meetings that preceded the nominee selection meeting held on July 22. Contrary to the Speaker's assertions, Scozzafava received a majority of the support in only one of these four meetings.

She never had the local support the NRCC contended. Leahy asked Fulton County Republican County Chairman Susan McNeil if there was any support at all for Dede in Fulton County. McNeil's response? "In all of the calls I have received there is no support for Dede."

In fact, most of the support was for conservative Paul Maroun.

In other words, not unlike what they've done in the Florida Senate race between Rubio and Crist, the RNC inserted themselves into a local race because they thought they knew better than the locals what was good for them. In the Florida case, that's a primary race and the NRSC should have held off until Florida picked their own Republican candidate.

In the case of NY-23, the RNC should have listened to the locals. The fact that Dede and her big-labor husband are now coming out, however quietly, for the Democrat just shows that she is solidly a RINO and had no business representing the conservatives of that district.

The people of the district will speak on Tuesday and it's still not a "done deal" for Hoffman. He needs financial support and volunteers. But most of all, the RNC needs to listen to the conservative base. It's time to close ranks and come together as a party under the conservative principles that used to define us. No more RINOs!

(Cross posted at Not One Red Cent!)

(Photo credit: Hoffman Campaign Headquarters by Stacy McCain.)

Frank Rich's Night of the Living Dead

You'll never believe this, but for the first time ever I watched "The Night of the Living Dead" last night. I know, it's a classic, but I'd just never seen it in it's entirety.

It seems that Frank Rich has seen it though, except in his mind it takes place in upstate New York. Rich has a column in the New York Times today describing the Republican party and Conservatives in the most frightening terms. The zombies shuffling across the field are of course "Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck, William Kristol and Newt Gingrich." The rest of us are dressed in "tea-party drag." We have all devolved "into a wacky, paranoid cult that is as eager to eat its own as it is to destroy Obama."

Was Rich watching the same movie I was when he wrote his column? Probably not. That's just the way he sees things.

Never missing a chance to take a shot at Sarah Palin, Rich says "The movement’s undisputed leaders, Palin and Beck, neither of whom has what Palin once called the 'actual responsibilities' of public office, would gladly see the Republican Party die on the cross of right-wing ideological purity." Now we have crucifixion imagery here. Way to go Frank! But wait a minute; I know I'm just a zombie in tea-party drag, but doesn't being governor of a state qualify you as having had "actual responsibilities of public office?"

What Rich is really scared of is that Republicans will find their conservative base once again. He concludes Hoffman's rise indicates an all out press of third party candidates which, if so, would benefit the Democrats. He says the actions of todays "teabaggers" are reminiscent of "the early 1960s, when radical-right hysteria carried some of the same traits we’re seeing now: seething rage, fear of minorities, maniacal contempt for government, and a Freudian tendency to mimic the excesses of political foes."

Seriously? That's how he sees this? He criticizes our dissent and the ability of Hoffman to raise cash from national sources. I guess only Democrats can do that. The rest of us? We're just "eating our own."

Dede Calls it Quits

I've spent the morning running scans on my desktop in an attempt to rid it of an intrusive trojan/virus. Then comes word that Dede quits NY-23. Oh the irony.

Robert Stacy McCain is on scene and broke the news, at least, that's how I found out. This is exciting stuff! Who would have thought that a small special election in upstate New York would have turned into such a referendum on the GOP, RNC, NRCC and, well, Newt.

Professor Jacobson is calling it an all out referendum on Obama now. Liberals vs. conservatives.

The talk on Twitter is sort of cautious; some are hesitant to get too excited just yet. Part of that is because Scozzafava was such a liberal some of her voters may go to Hoffman. The last poll had it a dead heat with Hoffman and Owens with Dede a distant third.

Hot Air reports that Hoffman supporters are headed to Scozzafava's campaign to seek her endorsement. Heh. She's so far left, I'm not even sure that's a good idea.

Things are happening quickly now. Stay tuned for more updates!

(Cross posted at Not One Red Cent)

Joe Biden Heads to Upstate New York

UPDATED BELOW!

How nervous must the Democrats be about NY-23 to send Joe Biden to campaign for Owens? And he's bringing country singer John Rich with him.

Via Memeorandum, Biden is heading to upstate New York to make an eleventh hour push for Bill Owens. This is basically a two man race now between Owens and conservative Doug Hoffman. Dede Scozzafava's campaign has collapsed faster than the Chicago Cubs season did this year. With the RNC now welcoming Hoffman to caucus with them once he wins, Scozzafava must be steaming.

Politico reports that the Biden rally will be Monday in Watertown:

The visit by Biden underlines how badly national Democrats want to snatch this seat, Republican-held since before the Civil War, from the GOP. But it also reflects Democrats' 11th-hour efforts to avoid a clean sweep Tuesday of the three mostly closely-watched races. With Republicans almost certainly winning the Virginia gubernatorial contest and the New Jersey governor's race very much up in the air, the upstate New York congressional race may represent the party's best chance for victory.

We can only hope Stacy McCain will stick around up there to cover Biden's visit; maybe some more shoe leather donations would help!

Allahpundit reminds us how "popular" Biden is lately.

Smells like desperation to me!

Update: Add one more reason for Scozzafava to get steamed: Rep. Issa, who supported her previously, is now backing away from her and is overnighting Doug Hoffman a $5,000 check!

(Cross-posted at Not One Red Cent!)

NY-23: Pataki Endorses Hoffman

Former New York Governor George Pataki has endorsed NY-23 candidate Doug Hoffman. Via Memeorandum, here is Pataki's statement:

As someone personally engaged in the way of life in the Adirondacks and Northern New York, I’m deeply concerned about the course of our nation and the outcome of the election in the 23rd Congressional District.

Simply put, we cannot afford to give another vote to Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid we cannot afford another vote for higher taxes, we cannot afford another vote for government run health care and we absolutely cannot afford another vote to take away from hard working men and women the right to secret ballot.

That is why tonight, I’m proud to endorse Doug Hoffman, a Republican, running on the Conservative line for Congress in the 23rd Congressional District.

Doug Hoffman will stand up to Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. He will fight for all the residents of northern New York. He will fight for our proud servicemen and women at Fort Drum, our dairy farmers in Lowville and our manufacturers in Plattsburgh.

As a businessman, and as a life-long resident of the North Country Doug Hoffman understands the need to lower taxes on working families, the need to stand tall against terror and he won’t back phony stimulus programs that fail to create the jobs we need and leaves a mountain of debt to our children.

When elected to Congress Doug will work to reduce our taxes, he will stand tall against those who despise our freedoms and he will be a vigilant stalwart against those who would substitute government programs for individual initiative.

And Doug Hoffman can win.

I urge all the voters of the 23rd Congressional District – Republican Democrat, Independent and Conservative to come out and vote for Doug Hoffman for Congress.

Pataki now joins a very, very long list of folks who have endorsed Hoffman, including Sarah Palin, Rick Santorum, Steve Forbes, Tim Pawlenty, and my own Representative, John Fleming. Conservatives4Palin has the list, here.

Now it seems that even the NRCC is bailing on Scozzafava as Pete Sessions says that Doug Hoffman would be "welcome with open arms" into the ranks of the Republican leadership. Politico reports that :

On Thursday afternoon, Sessions appeared to tacitly acknowledge that Hoffman may represent the GOP’s best chance to keep the Republican-held seat from being picked up by a Democrat.

“I think it’s pretty clear that a person who would vote for John Boehner, support tax cuts, support growing our economy, and defeat Nancy Pelosi’s tax and spend agenda will be really welcome in our conference, and I think having a person who can win that district off that message would be really good for the Republican Party,” Sessions said.

What? Now that Hoffman has surged past Scozzafava in the polls, leaving her now in third place behind the Democrat Bill Owens, Sessions wants in on the Hoffmania? I'm sure Scozzafava was thrilled when she read that one.

Don't expect the NRCC to have learned any real lessons here. As long as the Republican leadership is out of touch with the conservative base, they will continue to support whichever candidate they feel can win the seat. As conservatives, we need to send our support directly to those candidates that reflect our values rather than to the RNC as long as they continue to prop up candidates like Scozzafava and Charlie Crist in Florida.

Time posts an article today which sums up this race:

Jeff Graham, the mayor of Watertown and a member of the Independence Party, says Hoffman is "a meek, soft-spoken guy who is mad as hell and just decided to go ahead and do this 2009 version of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. And it seems to be working."

Run Doug, Run!

(Cross-posted at Not One Red Cent!)

NY-23: Doug Hoffman Surges in Latest Poll

Jumpin' jehosaphat! Have you seen the latest Daily Kos poll on NY-23? Here's the summary:

Owens 33 (-2 vs. last poll, Oct. 22)
Hoffman 32 (+9)
Scozzafava 21 (-9)
Und 14

and the breakdown is here. That's quite a jump for Doug Hoffman, and I might note, quite a fall for Dede. The poll was conducted from October 26 to October 28 so it would reflect the Palin endorsement. Governor Rick Perry now joins the lineup of those who have endorsed Hoffman along with Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, former House Majority Leader Dick Armey, Fred Thompson and Rick Santorum, among others.

Allahpundit notes the poll with the reminder that this isn't actually a Daily Kos poll - they just paid for it. The pollster, Research 2000 is reliable. In addition, he says "Remember too that the campaigns have been whispering for the past week that internal polls show a two-man race now with Scozzafava fading. Consider this confirmation."

The end is near: Hoffman, Scozzafava and Democrat Owens will debate tonight; election day is Tuesday. Stacy McCain is doing the road-trip-thing, on his way to Syracuse as we speak. I believe you'll be able to watch tonight's debate online.

It's not too late to send some cash Hoffman's way so he can keep the momentum! As Robert Stacy McCain says, it's HOFFMANIA!

(Cross-posted at Not One Red Cent!)

NY-23: Hoffman Pens an OpEd

Be sure to read Doug Hoffman's OpEd in the New York Post today. Stacy McCain pointed to it in this early morning post, and it's worth the read. I'll quote a tiny bit:

Taxes, the deficit, red tape and regulation are breaking the back of the nation, mortgaging the future of our children and grandchildren.

Americans have had enough and are vocalizing their anger in town hall meetings and on the streets of Washington. They are mad as hell and they’re not going to take it anymore!

That’s why I am running. I am one of them!

Freedom is what Americans want. Economic freedom to reap the rewards of the free enterprise system, personal freedom from the intrusion of big government in our lives, freedom from the nanny state that is being forced upon us.

I’m a lifelong Republican running as the nominee of the New York State Conservative Party. I didn’t leave the Republican Party, the party left me. The GOP bosses in New York and Washington felt the candidate needed to be as liberal as possible. They picked a professional politician, with a voting record more liberal than 46 Democrats in the New York state legislature. They threw principles out the window.

From there he goes on to point out Scozzafava's liberal positions and record.

You may wonder why you should be interested in a race in New York when you don't live anywhere near there, but this race is a bellwether for the 2010 races, in my mind. Are we going to let the national Republican leadership continue to put candidates like Scozzafava and Charlie Crist out there and tell us that's how to take back America?

There is no difference between Crist, Scozzafava and any other liberal politician already in Congress except for the party designation after their name.

Hoffman is a true conservative candidate, like Marco Rubio, and is the kind of candidate we need to support. Send him $5, $10, $25, whatever you can, to help him take back America.

Sarah Palin for Doug Hoffman!

Finally, Sarah Palin comes out for Doug Hoffman in NY-23!

Via Facebook (emphasis mine):

The people of the 23rd Congressional District of New York are ready to shake things up, and Doug Hoffman is coming on strong as Election Day approaches! He needs our help now.

The votes of every member of Congress affect every American, so it's important for all of us to pay attention to this important Congressional campaign in upstate New York. I am very pleased to announce my support for Doug Hoffman in his fight to be the next Representative from New York's 23rd Congressional district. It's my honor to endorse Doug and to do what I can to help him win, including having my political action committee, SarahPAC, donate to his campaign the maximum contribution allowed by law.

Our nation is at a crossroads, and this is once again a "time for choosing."

The federal government borrows, spends, and prints too much money, while our national debt hits a record high. Government is growing while the private sector is shrinking, and unemployment is on the rise. Doug Hoffman is committed to ending the reckless spending in Washington, D.C. and the massive increase in the size and scope of the federal government. He is also fully committed to supporting our men and women in uniform as they seek to honorably complete their missions overseas.

And best of all, Doug Hoffman has not been anointed by any political machine.

Doug Hoffman stands for the principles that all Republicans should share: smaller government, lower taxes, strong national defense, and a commitment to individual liberty.

Political parties must stand for something. When Republicans were in the wilderness in the late 1970s, Ronald Reagan knew that the doctrine of "blurring the lines" between parties was not an appropriate way to win elections. Unfortunately, the Republican Party today has decided to choose a candidate who more than blurs the lines, and there is no real difference between the Democrat and the Republican in this race. This is why Doug Hoffman is running on the Conservative Party's ticket.

Republicans and conservatives around the country are sending an important message to the Republican establishment in their outstanding grassroots support for Doug Hoffman: no more politics as usual.

You can help Doug by visiting his official website below and joining me in supporting his campaign:
http://www.doughoffmanforcongress.com/donate3.html.

Meltdown in NY-23

What an embarrasing thing this is! Via Hot Air is this clip of Dede Scozzafava who, for some ungodly reason, decided that it was a good idea to have a press conference outside a Hoffman campaign office! Seriously, could we think of a WORSE place?



I'm with Allahpundit - I almost feel sorry for her at this point. Her campaign is melting faster than a banana fudgsicle in August.

Jim Geraghty even suggests it's time for the NRCC to ask for their money back:

It's not just the inanity of Dede Scozzafava's campaign calling the cops on a reporter; it's doubling down and calling McCormack a liar. With audiotape now exposing the Scozzafava campaign as the liar in their account of the candidate's interaction with John McCormack, it's a different ballgame. I'm actually finding myself driven to a position beyond the editors.

It's time for the NRCC and RNC to cut their ties, and more. It's embarrassing enough when a candidate won't answer reasonable questions from reasonable press and her campaign attempts to smear them in order to cover up their mess. Forwarding McCormack's e-mails to Talking Points Memo just shows how upside-down the Scozzafava campaign is.

The time has come for the RNC and NRCC to ask for their money back.

Well, that's not going to happen, but this might be a good time to send Hoffman some cash so he can capitalize on this meltdown and make some gains.

Mark Steyn Opines on the NY-23 Race

Mark Steyn offers some observations of the NY-23 race:

Newt really needs to re-think his support for Dede Scozzafava. This isn't RINO but DIABOLO - Democrat In All But Official Label Only. It's not one of those "socially liberal, fiscally conservative" bi-swinger deals - not when you're pro-"stimulus", pro-cash-for-clunkers. And the reductive argument that her sole redeeming value - a willingness to vote for John Boehner as Speaker - is reason enough to support her is silly in a special election. If he's ever Speaker, Boehner won't be till January 2011, and it's 12 months premature for Newt to be telling voters they need to suck it up and accept that a handful of Jim-Jeffords-in-embryo-form are necessary for the Republican tide.

He makes an interesting point. It does seem that Scozzafava's "sole redeeming value" is her willingness to vote for John Boehner as speaker, but there is so much more at stake than that. And as Steyn points out, that wouldn't even occur until 2011 at best. And what guarantee does anyone have that she would still vote for Boehner when the time came? The rumor mill has offered the possibility that she might change parties. Arlen Specter redux.

Steyn goes on to raise a competence issue with Scozzafava as well:

At this stage in the nation's affairs, Washington doesn't need another incoherent buffoon insulated by a phalanx of thin-skinned twerps already guarding her like a 30-year incumbent for whom routine questions are an outrageous form of lèse-majesté.

After the weird incident with John McCormack this week, Michelle Malkin points out that we can also add "liar" to the list of Scozzafava's credentials.

Hoffman can win this race. But, as Steyn points out, if he doesn't then a large part of the blame falls to the crap weasels at the NRCC who endorsed Scozzafava and decided she was the Republican that could win. In a traditionally conservative and Republican district, why in the world would they think such a thing?

Robert Stacy McCain profiles the NY-23 race here, and quotes Hoffman's media coordinator Rob Ryan's response to the Scozzafava/McCormack incident as saying "The only thing the police need to investigate in this race is if Dede Scozzafava is impersonating a Republican."

Ryan also says that this race will be a real bellwether for the Republican party, something Steyn notes as well. How big a tent does the Republican party want to pitch? According to Steyn, if Hoffman loses and the seat falls to a Democrat, largely due to the NRCC's misguided endorsement, "it will be a cautionary tale for party leaders who, as in NY-23, make choices that confirm everything a disgruntled base thinks of them. "


More on this race can be found at Memeorandum.

(Cross posted at Not One Red Cent!)

Will Palin Make an Endorsement in the NY-23 Race?

Robert Stacy McCain, blogging at The American Spectator, is among the voices wondering why Sarah Palin has not offered an endorsement of NY-23 congressional candidate Doug Hoffman:

"Hoffman's grassroots supporters say time is running out for Palin to make an endorsement, if she is to have any impact on the Nov. 3 election, now barely two weeks away. Hoffman is endorsed by the pro-life Susan B. Anthony List, and some of Hoffman's pro-life supporters have reportedly launched an e-mail campaign -- including prayer requests -- to secure the endorsement of Palin, whose pro-life bona fides would carry weight with the significant share of conservative Catholics in the rural upstate New York district. "

Politico had an article last week about Palin's notable absence from two important gubernatorial races, noting that she had offered her services but neither New Jersey's Chris Christie or Virginia's Bob McDonnell have taken her up on her offer of help. Politico concludes that her endorsement might do more harm than good:

“A prominent rally with Palin could easily send the independents to the Democratic candidates, and at the same time, she could motivate the Democratic Party base to turn out at a higher rate,” explained University of Virginia professor Larry Sabato.

The NY-23 race is a different situation. The Republican vote is divided in the polls between the NRCC endorsed candidate Dede Scozzafava and Hoffman. Scozzafava's positions place her squarely in the camp of social liberals and directly opposite Hoffman on many issues. The conservative base that Palin could fire up would be a huge benefit to Hoffman's case.

Also critical, and a topic which Stacy McCain notes, is that Hoffman is in serious need of campaign cash to counter what the NRCC is feeding to Scozzafava, and Palin excels at fundraising.

So why the silence from the Palin camp in the NY-23 race? Especially when she's offered her services to the gubernatorial races?

Many pundits see the NY-23 race as a bellwether for what may come in the 2010 elections. Can Palin help or hurt those candidates? Is she "too polarizing," as some say? Will she make an endorsement in the NY-23 race? Stay tuned.

Doug Hoffman

Be sure to check out this post by Doug Hoffman at Michelle Malkin's site:

We can win this thing, but we’re up against limited time and an awful RNC and NRCC decision to support a liberal candidate.

Well, if the Republican Party wants to declare war against conservatives, I’m going to fight on the side of conservatives.

If you want to join my fight, I need you. We need money and we need volunteers – boots on the ground.

He needs our support! Spread the word!