Who Are All These Politicians from Alaska, Minnesota, and Texas to Lecture New York Republicans on the Best Candidate for New York?, Wonders Newt Gingrich of Georgia

Yeah. Damn outside meddlers.

Gingrich also attacked Hoffman for not having proper knowledge of local issues and living outside the 23rd district.

"So I say to my many conservative friends who suddenly decided whether they're from Minnesota, or Alaska, or Texas, they know more than the upstate New York Republicans? I don't think so," Newt Gingrich said from his beautiful Savannah home, with north-facing windows offering a breathtaking view of view of northern New York's Niagra Falls.

I added that last part.

"This idea that we're suddenly going to establish litmus tests and all across the country we're going to purge the party of anybody who doesn't agree with us 100 percent; that guarantees Obama's reelection, that guarantees Pelosi as Speaker-for-life," he told Fox News last night.

Gingrich called Scozzafava a "liberal Republican" for her support of gay marriage and abortion rights. But he defended those positions as in-step with her district and her predecessor, former Rep. John McHugh (R-N.Y.), who was tapped to be President Barack Obama's Army Secretary.

I understand the concern about litmus tests and purges, but Scozzoflava does not pass a single test, litmus or otherwise, establishing her as conservative. She has long resisted any no-new-taxes pledge -- and in fact spoke favorably about them -- until Gingrich asked her to sign his pledge as a precondition for his support. Then she finally announced herself as against tax hikes.

As for her opposition to cap and trade and ObamaCare -- given the fact that she even supports card check, I'm thinking she's receptive to "new ideas" from the Democrats on these issues too, and her purported opposition is overstated.

I'm not exactly sure what he means about her being in-step with John McHugh on abortion. McHugh has a 100% rating from the National Right to Life Committee. He co-sponsored legislation to make it illegal to transport a minor across state lines to obtain an abortion (such trips taken to frustrate state laws on parental consent, etc.), which seems pretty hardcore on the issue.

But what do I know. I'm from downstate New York. I don't commute between Atlanta and Poughkeepsie like Newt Gingrich does every day.

Does Newt Gingrich understand the politics of NY-23? He doesn't seem to have done a thirty-second due diligence Google search on the race or McHugh's views of abortion.

Thanks to Gabriel Malor.

posted by Ace at 12:10 PM

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