CNN

“At the end of the day I believe in the Republican Party and the responsibility of the party to take back the House of Representatives,”

Wow... So IT IS about the party over the people. Nice.

It's disheartening that now it's about being a Republican or Democrat instead of being an American

Well I must admit that I am a bit taken aback by this move on the part of Scozzalava but I guess it shows the position of the Republican party in that district. I think this country may be about to position itself for the coming of a bonified Independent third party and if that is the case then Democrats and Republicans are in trouble.

This doesn't surprise me considering the radical right and what they are currently trying to promote.
Moderate seems the best choice.. most voters are more comfortable with that .

Good for her, not backing down to the back stabbing republican brass. palin,rush the drug addict, beck they will destroy your party. This is great for democracy.

That was brave of her to buck the party and do what she thinks is right. The RNC was not very smart to throw their weight behind Hoffman minutes after Scoffafava pulled out, it was a crass move on their part. Hoffman is calling her a turncoat and Palin is looking really stupid right about now. Palin should stay out of peoples race and concentrate on making the cash she quit her job for. Run Dede Run. Run away from these intolerant morons called conservatives with the narrow agenda for America. We need thinking people in congress not zombies with social agendas.

Prediction Democrats win all three elections on Nov 3. I'll be up watching the results, can't wait.

Sarah Palin wrote on her Facebook:
" 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. Scozzafava's backing of the Democrat proves Sarah was right. Scozzafava isnt a Republican.

I am impressed by Ms. Dede Scozzafava.

Many voters had already decided she was more aligned with Democrats than Republicans. So had she been elected, she would have been more like Arlen Spector; voting with liberals on most issues.

This is so funny. Dede Scozzafava may be very analytic and know what and who is good for her district but the blind ideologues tea party uneducated republicans in her district will not see it that way because the lack the vision of future.
It like trying to convince a jehovah witness to do a blood transfusion in order to survive or ask a muslim to eat pork even if he is starving to death.

Uh Oh!

Rush is going to be verrrrrry angry. His face will turn purple, he'll bounce in his seat and read Scozzafava out of the Dark Side.

Welcome to the Democratic Party Dede, there's plenty of room over here for dissenting opinions. Sometimes I think too much, then I look at what's happening to the Republicans in their quest for ideological purity.

Dede can just move right on across the isle.......and take Senator Snowe with her. We don't claim her anymore!

Those in the republican party who can think outside the box and allow for personal decisions by the individual in lieu of a govt making the decision are good. However, Scuzzy make a tactical error. She supported card check. Card check is an infringement of a person's right to freedom of choice in the work place. The north country knows that, there are few union companies up here, thankfully. We cannot afford that type of thinking. I have no issue with union individuals just the fat corporations that represent them. Card check is an invitation for outsiders to enter our home and steal our jobs. Sounds backwards but that is real. We are an independent thinkers in the north country not lemmings.

The conservatives didn't want her and now you know why.

Good for her. To the far right this will seem like sour grapes but who cares. She should have gotten the GOP support in the first place. Hoffman was imported. He's not from the 23rd district. She knows this district and Hoffman doesn't. It's a pretty sad statement to the GOP when they have to bring in far right people to win a district that has voted Republican for 60 years. Keep chasing the moderates out of your party conservatives and you'll be smaller than you are now. If she can get half of her supporters to vote for Owens this will be a major upset for the GOP.

Ah the Colin Powell approach. Nice touch by insincere sore losers. Both parties playing games. So much for putting America first!

Good for Dede. Integrity counts, and the bottom line is; we don't need any more fundamentalist Republicans. Yankees come home!

After being stabbed in the back by so many members of her own party, it's hard to blame her.

"Is this reverse Psychology? Not sure what the heck is going on, but I like it!!!

I am very happy she quit. Newt deserves a kick in the butt from the Conservatives for supporting her. Now he got one from her by her supporting the Democrat candidate. Go for Mr Owen, I pray you win!

Sincerely
A very Conservative voter!!

As usual, she sees integrity in the Dems, but not in the Rethugs...no surprise there!

What did you expect...clearly a rhino and clearly too liberal to endorse a conservative.

Make no mistake, there is very little to call 'moderate' about her. America has had enough of the push from the super liberals running DC and they were given a choice between rhino, dem and conservative...guess who's going to win and win big????

Wow it's a shame she was forced, more or less, to step down. Guees that shows you were the Republican party is headed, down the tubes.

People like her are the ones that ruined the country. Self proclaimed Republicans who supported the biggest government in the history of the US under Bush. We need people who not only campaign small government, but DO make the government small like Sarah did.

And now - Dede Scozzafava - PLEASE put your actions where your mouth is - do an Arlen Specter - switch parties - from Republican to Democrat. We conservatives would REALLY apreciate that and woule LOVE to see you leave. REALLY!!!!!!!!!!

That is too bad.

Now, if her supporters vote for Owens, then the Dems win a seat that has been solidly red for over 100 years.

And that will have to get the neo-cons attention(Altho, they are pretty stupid).

Better Hoffman should win and then the neo-cons would think they had the magic recipe for winning in 2012 by running the "christian" Twitter twit for national office, because they would overlook the fact the district has been red for over 100 years and running a neo-Nazi conservative was the only reason Hoffman won!

Dede Scozzafava's endorsement of Bill Owens shows that many of us in the Republican party are sick of these religious conservative wackos who have hijacked the GOP – once the Grand Old Party. There are three parties in this country – Democrats, Republicans and the extremists who call themselves Republicans, but embarass the party more than they do good. Hooray for Dede who had the courage to let these wackos know that they are despised by main stream Republicans.

Why wouldn't Scozzafava endorse the Democrat? Policy-wise, she is one, but except that for some odd reason she preferred to have a R after her name. Fake, Phony, Fraud describes Scozzafava perfectly. She's just like Obama.

"Burns said that he was “supporting Doug Hoffman, because denying Nancy Pelosi another foot soldier is vital to restoring fiscal responsibility and common sense in Washington.”"

Since when have Republicans exercised fiscal responsibility in Washington? If I'm not mistaken, Republicans had control of the house and senate up until 2006. Outrageous spending on Iraq and Afghanistan all happened under a Republican Congress and president. We are in a recession brought about by Republican deregulation and the only way out is to spend money. Some say we can't spend money because the national debt is so high, but please keep in mind that it is so high because of the former Republican administration and the former Republican congress.

so she's not "conservative" enough.... Smart enough I'd say... and to the good old boys – I think she got you on this one... how do you like them apples. Go Owens!

Well, Hoffman isn't even from the district. For republicans voting for a democrat is not optimal, but it's better than electing someone who will not actually represent them.

Burns said that he was “supporting Doug Hoffman, because denying Nancy Pelosi another foot soldier is vital to restoring fiscal responsibility and common sense in Washington.”

Conseravtisim is the equal of the Confederacy of the Civil War, anger, hate, anything negative and destructive is their motto. You had better agree or we'll come after you.

The true destiny of America will be the battle between Liberals and Moderates, the latter of which I support.

Going Rogue, Dittoheads, Birther, etc.... good bye!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good for her. She sees taht the right wingnuts in that party are just a disaster for the country andwould take it RIGHT back to the bush policies, and this country has said it does NOT want that, and that this country is a middle left country, and no longer the right leaning it was, you know like in the slave days, woman making half what men made, and women not being able to vote days. Sorry GOP, your train has LEFT the station...

just adds proof that she didn't deserve a republican nomination in the first place since even she is more comfortable with the democratic platform than the republican platform ....

and is further proof that politicians run in the party that they feel gives them the best opportunity to have power and prestige and has nothing to do with what they believe in ....

and it points out that the current republican party leadership are simply rinos and not conservatives since they gave their full endorsement to her in the first place ....

Thank god she's gone. I would support Owens before I supported her and I'm a Conservitive. She has a more Liberal voting record than Owens and she's a GOPer? Please! Giving Pelosi another foot soldier in her effort to reshape America in her immage would be a huge mistake. GO HOFFMAN!!!!!!

New Jersey! Isn't it time for change you can believe in? What exactly has the Liberal agenda done for New Jersey? I can't even afford to drive through the State let alone live there. Please, do the rest of America a favor and elect somebody other than a greedy Goldman Sachs CEO as Gov. Please. Do you really believe the Billionaire has any clue how the common American citizens live in New Jersey?

How do Americans in any State pull the lever for Liberals? California, Maryland to the Northern tip of Maine?

Why?

IF, and this is a really BIG 'IF' the RNC had any brains they'd drop kick all these Leftist RINO's out on their collective asses. Not gonna happen because the RNC is clueless.

What is it with the member of GOP party. Matt Burns is only supporting Mr Hoffman because he wants to deny Nancy Pelosi another foot soldier. The resposibility of the Republican Party is to committ themselves to serving there people in there districts by putting there interest first. The Gop needs to grow up, times have changed change with it. Stop this brickering between parties start doing what they were elected for. It is amazing what can happened between people including the government electives and what they can accomplish.

well i hope she doesn't plan to ever run as a "republican" again! this only goes to show why people are supporting hoffman – he is the true conservative and republican and can be trusted to vote for our interest! go hoffman – go away scuzzy!!!

Wow. What a ridiculously sour, sour woman. It's women like this one that set back women in politics decades.

How much money did Obama skim from the Stimulas Package and direct into the DNC's till??? How much of that money did the DNC use to 'buy-off' Scozzafava???

Dede Scozzvava gets it. The right-wing, ultra-conservative wing of the GOP controls the party to its detriment now. They've made it abundantly clear that there's no room whatsoever in the GOP for anyone who doesn't toe the line, line for line with the ultra-conservatives.

This maniacal desire for party purity is going to be the nail in the coffin for the GOP on a national level in terms of relevance, electability and whether or not the GOP will simply go the way of the Whigs.

Go Doug Hoffman! Yes to victory on Tuesday!

Looks like a viable third party could become a reality. In the near term it will help the Democrats, but through coalition building, between the right and center right, any advantage will disappear after a few cycles.

The center right could become powerful in that they would be wooed by both the left and right.

To make this work we will need public financing. Without it, the Conservative Party will be starved out.

Should he win, please find a stock photo with his mouth shut!

Shezamm! Wonder if there was any sour grapes here?

No matter how this turns out, it's great to see Scozzafava attempting to upset the GOP bigwigs apple cart.... Wouldn't it be great to see them lose the seat to a Democrat after all the crazed manipulation they've tried? THAT would be sweet!

She was never really a Republican. It was a closet Democrat endorsing another Democrat because a real Conservative showed up and will do a better job than the two party idiots.

A RINO makes patently clear that this is what she is and endorses a Democrat in order to allow Speaker Nancy Pelosi continued control of the House. How long and hard did she think of that before she totally turned her back on the Party that gave her a job? Another sad excuse for a politician making excuses for their pathetic careers and more prepared to do what it takes to defend themselves than to serve the general public. Pathetic. Civic duty is dead.

This is interesting because there are no good Republican politicians and even the Republicans know it. Thanks for eight years of failed policies, two wars, and an economy in the toilet, GOP. Keep up the good work making your party irrelevant.

You know, I'm glad she endorsed Owens. Maybe this will wake the Republican party up to exactly how far right of center they have become. If this country is to have the two party system that the major political parties seem to think we need, then both of those parties have a duty to give us people to vote for who aren't completely psychotic religious zealots. Otherwise, it becomes non-choice, like choosing between eating a sandwich and brushing the teeth of an angry hippo.

She was never a republican to begin with and this just proves it.
The RNC better be asking for resumes from their party members running for office.

Eisenhower and Nixon were the Republicans with whom I identified in my youth. Reagan was a great and human president. Their thinking was appropriate FOR THEIR TIME, but the world is evolving socially: if the Republican party–which I loved–wants to stay in the game, they're going to have to offer the less rich a better substitute for money than Jesus and a theologically unevolved, fundamentalist interpretation of the Holy Bible.
Many Americans are wising up to that stuff.
Scozzafava wasn't ousted for reasons having ANYTHING to do with taxes.

I admire greatly Scozzafava's courage in announcing publicly her support for Owens. I hope that many more people on both (or all three) sides of the aisle will succeed in overcoming partisonship and work together to move this country forward.

Amazing! There ARE still Republicans who are sane and honest.

Seems like sour grapes to me. She should have just stayed in.

This country cannot stand many more of the right-wing tea baggers because they are of a one-track mind without any flexible thinking.

She is a person of honor and integrity.

Another Democrat masquerading as a RINO (Republican In Name Only). Good riddance to her! Owens is headed for defeat quickly as the voter revolution to take back our country has begun.. It is time to clean house and quit enabling these liberal phonies, who try to appear as moderates in the Republican party who vote against the conservative principles of most grass root members of the GOP. Just say no to socialism and communism.

That just goes to show us that even the politiician realize that there is not one wit difference between the two political machines. They would actually endorse the other party rather than risk the possibility that a new independently minded party would rise to challenge their system.

What's wrong with this picture. A "hand picked" republican candidate endorses a democratic because he will serve the people not partisian politics. An insider showing the true colors of the republican agenda, imaging that.

Interesting. Its funny how republicans eat their own. To that I say THANKS.

Good for you Dede! I support your intellectual and thoughtful decision. Caring for your district is something that comes from the heart and is beyond political lines.

A politcian with integrity; she never had a chance.

Guess what FAIR AND BALANCED fox has a scroll running along the bottom of the screen that says that the reason Scozzafava resigned WAS TO MAKE ROOM FOR HOFFMAN....ha ha ha ha what a joke. And what a bunch of liars. I just love their unbiased news don't you REAL AMERICANS.

She's hammering nails in her own coffin in a conservative district. Her lack of voter support was because she was not perceived as an alternative to the Democrat and now she has confirmed that to be fact not theory.

lol Never underestimate a woman, particulary one that is slighted.
lol....gutsy...

wow. Hoffman must REALLY be out there for the Republican to back a Dem.

Uh ohhh....Daddy Limbaugh isn't gonna like this one bit!

Now here is one smart, brave, independent Republican who has put her constituents first; leaving in the dust the likes of Palin, Beck, Rush and those other wingnuts who spread lies, fear, and innuendos. I wish her well. She has a bright future. Those people she represents are in very good hands!

It won't do any good. In fact, it will ENERGIZE Hoffman voters.

It is now obvious what is happening to the Party of No. The extreme Right, led by Limbaugh, Beck, Palin etc. have taken over the party and afre marginalizing anyone who disagrees with their fascist philosophy. This is what is going to happen all over the country, as republicans who do not fit into this tiny wacko tent have nowhere to go. They will either vote democratic in 2010 or sit the election out. They are ensuring a Democratic victory over the next 7 years.

You go Dede!

This is a genuinely gutsy Republican! She is willing to stand by her belief in what the Republican Party has traditionally stood for....a "big tent".

Thanks, Dede, for standing up against the Stalin-like efforts to purge moderates from the Republican Party!

Stop Lieberman's anti-catholic agenda.

Very courageous. It's nice to see a republican do what's right instead of playing party politics!!

That took courage. Hat's off to you for putting what's best for your district over these blind partisans.

Hoffman is where the Republicans need to go. If the conservatives were as conservative as the liberals in Congress are liberals, we'd really have a two party system. Republicans tend to be far whimpier than their democrat counterparts. What scares the liberal the most is a rejuvenized conservative push to bring this country back to what the founders intended it to be – no gay marriage, no murdering of babies and dignity to the elderly.

Good choice. I would hate to see another conservative get my tax dollars and do nothing but pay big business. Please everyone in District get out and vote for YOUR best interest. It is not Hoffman

Electing Hoffman = 1 step forward and 2 steps back

So, basically, Scozzafava just proved all those who doubted her true party identity right.

I hope Hoffman win this race and to end socialism and progressivism.

She is now showing her true colors. Another turn coat just like specter.

Way to go Dede! Stand up to those fascists!

Brava Diva!
Scozzafava did the right thing to endorse the Democrat.
HUMANITY IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN MONEY.

A liberal backing a liberal; no surprise. Hoffman wins as the Republican voters aren't fooled and vote Hoffman.

What a shame on her part. I was proud of her for her guts to do the right thing even when it hurt. What was done was not good but at least she garnered a mass of support in the future for her political career for staying in the party. Now she has thrown it all away.

Tsunami Sarah got it right again.....Scozzafava is a liberal dem and would have voted with Pelosi & Reed...
Sarah's skills are unmatched....no wonder the left hates her and are always a step behind her

If only Dick 'the reptile' Cheney would make a Hoffman endorsement. Maybe his daughter, Lizard, would weigh in on this, and ensure a moderate win.

People before politics ...

I do not know Dede other than the little I've seen from 3000 miles away, but my hat is certainly off to a woman who puts people before politics

I certainly hope enough New Yorkers in the 23d district recognize the need to vote for the person, not the affiliation

The Republican Party Of NO ... Think they can buy any race any where, which means that they think they can continue to buy people, buy voters !!!

Please New York, show these political bullies that you are not for sale ... VOTE OWENS ...

I wonder if "campaign spokesperson Matt Burns" had any interest in restoring fiscal responsibility and common sense in Washington during the 8 years Bush was in office.

when the GOP ship, the SS Rush Limboob is sinking, one must jump ship to survive.

Not really a surprise is it? She was never a republican. The GOP must be feeling a little stupid now though.

Right wingnuts really do not care about the local voters issues, but would endorse a carpetbagger that does not even live in the district.

Now THAT is non partisan!
For the good of the PEOPLE, not the party or the lobbyists.
I'm sorry you didn't stay in.

too bad all her supporters are non-existant! vote hoffman

The end of the Obama era is coming into view. Hurry 2010. Hurry 2012. Please hurry.

im a palin democrat and will vote for the conservative because Scozzafava is just another 2 face liar

It's too bad the voters in the 23rd weren't allowed to make their preference clear at the ballot box. Instead, the conservatives are making the choice for voters.

It is a shame a REPUBLICAN has to resign from their party because of EXTREME VIEWS of the CONSERVATIVES.

Scozzafava truly represents REPUBLICAN views that are moderate, and in these days and times that is NOT an OPTION from the CONSERVATIVE perspective.....(Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, FOX Channel, Sarah, Tim P and company...)

INDEPENDENTS BEWARE!!!!! The "CONSERVATIVE" REPUBLICANs are wanting in your camp.

It will be an interesting week....

Maybe thats why all the Republicans have endorsed the Conservative candidate.

Wow! I never thought I would see the Dems and Repubs backing each other over fear of their worst nightmare: people running for office with the people's wishes first. This just proves that neither party represents us. People like Hoffman represent all of us, and his victory could propel us into a new era, going back to the fouding father's wish of House of Representatives being made up of ordinary citizens. Hopefully "We The People" can take this country back from the Dems and Repubs. Hopefully.

American politics is never about what you're for anymore. It's all about what you're against.

That's what you get you right-wing Republican losers.

GO OWENS!!!

Of course had she gotten the GOP nomination her opponent would have been a complete nimrod twit unfit for Congress. I'm surprised she could speak with her mouth puckered up from sour grapes.

If scozzafava could be called centrist ,I would hate what they would call left wing she has the same thoughts and lines up with the dem she was running against and now backs .having her in office would be the same as having the dem in office.Les at least stand for somthing or let the dems have the office.I am glad the stand was made to run a real rep against her.

Bye bye to Dede and all your RINO ideas! Her endorsement of the Dimwit just goes to show you how "loyal" she was...nuff said!

Dede is an Obama lite candidate. Good riddance!!! Who needs this looser!!! Just another republican who only cares about representing herself. The fact that she decided to back the Democrat is no surprise here. She ran under the republican party's umbrella just so either party would yield the same results. This woman is a true embarrassment to all Republicans. Just Go Away Dede ... and don't let the door hit you on your way out!!!

We have room in our party for Republicans willing to put the American people ahead of partison politics.

THEY'RE HERE!!!!!!! Moving away from the REPUBLI-CAN'Ts is becoming a FAD!!! And imagine – the head of the REPUBS's party – STEELE – endorsed DeDe.... Hmm, is STEELE next???? LOL

Dede is a liberal-leaning beurocrat. That is why she dropped out of the race in the first place because she knows that America is sick and tired of left-wing progressives like her!

Somebody on the other side of the aisle with integrity and decency. Man that is so rare it is almost breath taking.

Who would of known the ACORN lady was a liberal in disguise?Gee when the daily kos , also an acorn affiliate,both are endorsing you who can say your not a real democrat?Oh ya Newtie believed her,Collins in Maine too.They actually believed this nonsense she would vote with republicans,and be fiscally conservative.Meanwhile ignoring her tax & spend free for all record in Aubany.It is fortunate some in their stupid party had the guts to speak out.No wonder conservatives have being leaving the GOP.After 6 years of watching the Bush gang spend like drunken sailors who can blame them.However the last 2 years they watched an even worse fiasco of dems doubling spending and Bush letting it go on.A conservative party might be on the political horizon in America.If both these parties keep this up it will be.

Republicans will see this as a validation of their claims that Scozzafava is some sort of Trotskyist and that's as far as their thinking will go.

Pity that they will never even contemplate that perhaps Scozzafava, as someone who is familiar with the issues affecting New York's 23rd district ,is endorsing Owens because he too is familiar with these issues, as opposed to Hoffman, who is an outsider driven by ideology.

Kind of confirms what most conservatives have been saying all along. She was Republican in name only. We have enough of these liberals calling them selfs Republicans, glad this one didnt make it into office!

Corruption exposed.....Arlen the second....just a suggestion but they may want to get rid of the rats that selected her...GO HOFFMAN!

Dear Republicans,

I am sorry to see that your party has been high-jacked by the far right. I remember the days when the GOP respecfully disagreed with my party and I miss those days. Not just because I agree less with the far-right but beacause sometime the GOP had better ideas than we did. Now you have to pass some kind of Limbaugh inspired litmus test to be a real Republican how sad.If the GOP keeps it up they will miss future leaders like Ronald Reagan, George Bush Sr. Margrette Chase Smith and Olympia Snowe. If you keep treating your moderates like weeds you will have as Newt says a "perfect minority". Your choice I guess.

Wow, that's great! This race is full of surprises! I really do hope that we win, and with her endorsement, I do not see that as entirely out of the question anymore (knock on wood)! I feel as though this just proves the point of the Republican Party being a real club. If you do not agree on everything, you are pushed out. Notice that the GOP endorsed Hoffman IMMEDIATELY after Scossafava pulled out. I feel as though we are on the right track, and may yet take this seat on Tuesday. Let's hope so anyway!

Let the Republican party whither on the extreme right. Hopefully the Dems can pull it together to get something done without them.