(CNN) - George Pataki has endorsed third-party conservative Doug Hoffman over Republican Dede Scozzafava in New York's special congressional race, making the three-term former governor the latest high profile Republican to weigh in against his party's choice.
In a statement released Thursday night, Pataki suggested electing the moderate Scozzafava could amount to giving "another vote to Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid."
"Doug Hoffman will stand up to Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. He will fight for all the residents of northern New York," Pataki said. "He will fight for our proud servicemen and women at Fort Drum, our dairy farmers in Lowville and our manufacturers in Plattsburgh."
While GOP party leaders are standing firmly behind Scozzafava, several Republicans have aligned themselves with Hoffman in recent weeks, including former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum. A handful of Republican members of Congress have also backed Hoffman.
There's speculation Pataki is considering a run for Senate in 2010, though the New York Republican has given no indication one way or the other whether he is considering a bid.
From CNN Politics
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Another WACKO!!! Just what we need.
Party Before Country – that's the GOP! Who cares if they have candidates, spokespeople or pundits who are not only clueless, but willing to say and do anything, regardless of how false or hypocritical they are?
As long as they can sucker some fearful, ignorant, intolerant, hateful people to the polls and vote for them, the GOP will do it!
So the GOP can regain power and give us policies like the 8 years under Bush ... which lead to 2 wars, global financial meltdown, gross incompetence ("Heckuva job, Brownie!"), the dumbing-down of political discourse and a deeply divided citizenry.
Oh, and tax cuts for the wealthy so they can continue to build factories overseas and further destroy the Middle Class.
Wake up, people!
The debate between the three candidates that was broadcast on ABC clearly shows that Hoffman is not much of a seasoned politician. How refreshing. A vote for him is a vote for restoring America.
When did the 23rd district become so important? Ohhhh, when republicans lost power over everything.
"There's speculation Pataki is considering a run for Senate in 2010.'"
It might happen if the speaking fees his wife can get, together with his salary, would be greater than the amount that he now earns peddling entre to New York State's government. This guy was the biggest self-serving zero ever in Albany and he had to beat out quite a crowd to earn that title.
Pataki is spot on.
3rd party candidates are always a long shot, but voting for either the D or the R is, in this case, voting for a D.
Wish there was a Libertarian candidate...
That is what is wrong with politics, they say one thing during the campaign, and another if and when electe. I don't think the country as a whole doesn't need more ultra-right republicans in Washington.. We, or shall I say, most Americans don't live their lives the way the ultra right want us to. The ultra right are for more denying people, what they are for is living our lives according to their doctrine.
Hoffman is a Republican. Unfortunately the good-ole-boys network handpicked her. If there was a Republican Primary for this open seat, he would've won hands-down. Since this is a special election for an open seat, there wasn't a primary. CNN, get your facts straight when reporting the news.
Is Pataki sucking up to the right fringe, in hopes of getting into the Senate? Who will he have as his campaign manager, Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh??
She's a moderate? No, she's a liberal.
His backers speak volumes. The Neo-Cons are still working hard the regain " the palace".
Its clear that the Reagan vision of a "bid tent" Republican Party which could include social and fiscal conservatives, environmental conservatives, and advocates for protecting individual civil liberties from the intrusion of government is DEAD.
The Republican Party of today has effectively purged itself of anyone who represents the traditional REPUBLICAN values of protection of the environment (see Teddy Roosevelt) and protection of civil liberties (see...Lincoln).
Instead, the Republicans of today are driven by an opperssive social agenda informed entirely by Christian fundamentalists and a social policy agenda informed entirely by military hawks (who justify torture) and gunboat diplomacy instead of building alliances and peace.
The endorsement of the Conservative Party candidate over their own Republican candidate here in NY is just the latest example of this "ideological cleansing" that the Republicans are imposing on its own members.
Americans are sick of the outrageous spending of both liberals and Republicans so it is time to send a message to the Republicans that they must return to the party of fiscal responsibility.
Bush created so much debt and now Obama is on pace to create more debt than the previous 43 presidents COMBINED. This is why you laugh at any Democrat who mentions Bush's spending, since they wll never say a negative word about Obama.
New York is filled with taker libs who don't care about their country or any other human being besides themselves. Seems odd for this to be happening there.
The division among the republicans is a plus for the Democrats.
The push for and by the radical religious right will backfire as
our country will not allow or accept politicians who represent
the extreme.