Running 3rd in N.Y. Race, GOP Drops Out

This undated photo provided by the Auburn Police Division shows Desmonte Leonard, 22, of Montgomery, Ala., the suspect wanted for fatally shooting three people, including two former Auburn University football players, and wounding three others during a party at an apartment complex near the school, Sunday, June 10, 2012, in Auburn, Ala. Auburn Police Chief Tommy Dawson said that current football player Eric Mack was among those wounded and was being treated at a hospital. The two slain former players were identified as Edward Christian and Ladarious Phillips. The other person killed was identified as Demario Pitts. (AP Photo/Auburn Police Division) / Uncredited

Republican Dierdre Scozzafava has suspended her campaign for the New York House and is encouraging supporters to embrace Conservative Party nominee Doug Hoffman.

Campaign spokesman Matt Burns says the State Assemblywoman thinks dropping out of the 23rd Congressional District race is in the best interests of the party.

The announcement comes after a Siena College poll found she was in third place with 20 percent of the vote in the heavily-Republican district, while Hoffman and Democratic nominee Bill Owens were too close to call, with 35 percent and 36 percent, respectively.

The election is to fill the House seat vacated by Republican Congressman John McHugh, who was appointed by President Obama to become Secretary of the Army.

The election is Tuesday.

Quickly after Scozzafava's announcement, Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele said the RNC is endorsing Hoffman, saying the change of course is effective immediately and will include financial backing and get-out-the-vote efforts for the Conservative Party candidate.

Steele called Scozzafava's move a "selfless act."

The race has pitted conservative and moderate wings of the Republican Party as political leaders seek to stake out the future of the GOP. Some are pushing for an inclusive, moderate future, while the more conservative wing is willing to risk a Democratic win to send a message to Washington.

Scozzafava's critics said she's too moderate, even liberal.

"Conservative Republicans will undoubtedly claim victory in sidelining the moderate GOPer Scozzafava," said CBS News' director of political coverage Steve Chaggaris.

"This has been a big fight among Republicans over the past few weeks, with prominent Republicans such as Sarah Palin and Tim Pawlenty coming out in favor of the third-party candidate Hoffman, and Newt Gingrich supporting the GOP-backed Scozzafava."

Scozzafava had also received an endorsement from the National Rifle Association.

Other Republicans who have endorsed Hoffman include former N.Y. Governor George Pataki, former Sen. Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.), former House Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-Texas), and former presidential candidate Steve Forbes.

CBS News chief political consultant Marc Ambinder said Republicans will derive two lessons from the results of this race: "One is that the activist base of the party is becoming increasingly powerful in the one area that had eluded them: candidate selection. Other conservative Republicans may now feel more comfortable if they decide to challenge incumbents in primaries."

The second lesson, Ambinder says, is that "populist, regular-guy candidates can win in supposedly 'moderate' districts."

He also said Democrats will take the sidelining of Scozzafava as a positive trend for the long-term, believing that the Republican Party will conservatize itself to death demographically.

"I'm fighting for the heart and soul of the Republican Party," Hoffman told The Associated Press last week. "I believe the people in Washington, and the overwhelming response that I've been getting nationally from individuals, is showing that a lot of people feel like it's time for the Republican Party to go back to its base."

In response, Scozzafava spokesperson Matt Burns last week characterized Hoffman's supporters as carpetbaggers: "Everybody who has endorsed Doug Hoffman has something in common with him, and that is that none of them live in the district."

[dd7979]

Ilove how these extreme leftists are so concerned with the Republican party. They saw nothing wrong with Scozzafava, but the fact is she was proved to be the RINO she was accused of being, she would have voted with Obama and now endorses a Dem. Enough of these so-called 'moderates', if they are going to vote with tax and spend leftist then who needs them.
The Dems elected someone from the extreme left with Obama. He didn't have enough record to bash since he only voted 'present' when he was a State Senator and spent his short four years in the US Senate running for President. Now he has a record, and no one else to blame. I'm sure Dems would love it if someone 'moderate' like McCain was the choice in 2012, but that's not going to happen. And if you think Obama and his Mao worshipping croonies are going to pass as moderates then dream on. Republicans will elect a true conservative and then will just bash the Dems who are in charge of the government and say 'double digit unemployment and 17 trillion dollar deficit'

[thebob-bob]

Fear, Hatred, Distortion and Division is all they have to offer.

[ohiopolitico]

Most hard-working, tax-paying Americans have conservative values and Don't agree with Obama's "social experiment". Obama's the front-man for the militant left-wing. We need to put a stop to the dangerous excessive
spending of the Obama administration. It weakens our economy and makes us vulnerable to the rest of the world.

[abby_del_abbey]

It appears that the ideology of the GOP is moving further and further right, and if a candidate does not adhere to that ideological shift she (or he) is bereft of support from the party and made to look like -- gasp! -- a "left-winger" -- surely a sign of evil (at least that is the Word according to Palin and her kin).

Between spreading lies and fear for over 8 years -- the GOP is rapidly becoming a party that reminds me of another group from long ago....

What's next, GOP?

Will it be Brown shirts at your political rallies as you demand that all party adherents goose-step to the right -- the far, far right....

[calmoderate]

How interesting. The media cultural elite have redefined progressives from radical leftists to "moderate republicans". By their redefinitions a candidate/elected officer is a moderate when they support equating homosexual sexual behavior as equal to marriage between one man and one woman, killing children before they are born and eliminating a secret ballot as demaneded by union bosses. By this definition, I guess our founding fathers were members of the "radical right". Ah, nothing like the radical left ( George Soros and Move.on.org ) now defined as moderates.

[licht1]

Now that Dede Scozzafava has dropped out, Hamid Karzai is a shoo-in.

[rightbehind]

If the republicans loose these elections they will be dumping the lockstep policies and conservative ideology. The yellow dog conservative democrats will begin to act like real democrats. I'm glad these elections are occurring. I think every seat except the Presidents should be on the ballot every 2 years. If the democrats sweep the 2010 elections and pull another 8 to 10 republican senate seats we just might get them back on the ballot every 2 years like the house. One thing for sure is if that happens they will represent the will of the people.

[daffy64]

The Nazi...er Republican Party is purging itself of "moderates" (people that think like the average American).

Only in ziss vay can zey be assured uff succezz in de futaa.

[nextgenman09]

They're gonna be really disappointed when Jaysus doesn't come back on the clouds....

[U_S_Drug_Addict]

More like the Fascist Conservatives are jumping ship from the GOP but causing as much havoc as they can for Moderate Candidates.

[rplat]

The GOP was running a liberal and it didn't work . . . now that they've decided to back a true conservative they will experience a win.

[daffy64]

Lol.

[erichsh]

Hey skyk, in fairness, can you name an "extreme liberal"? Or is only Republicans that can be "extreme", in your view?

[midlclass]

I like Hoffmans line "I'm fighting for the heart and soul of the republican party! yea the party not the constituents of the district. all hail the GOP. a last minute ditch here of a moderate republican is another sign of hard linness. a prediction here is that most of scozzafava voters will shift to the democrate and he will win be a narrow margine. you can always get a liberal to see both sides of a issue and evaluate and if need be change his mind on that issue. where republican'ts won't it's either there way or the highway. thats why there parties in the mess there in.