White House Behind Dede's Endorsement of Dhimmi

No big surprise. The ballerina told her to dance and she did the two-step.

'Republican' Scozzafava endorses Democrat against Conservative Party's Hoffman
UPDATED!
By: Mark Tapscott
Editorial Page Editor
11/01/09 2:49 PM EST

Only hours after suspending her campaign for the good of the Republican Party, liberal Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava has now endorsed Democrat Bill Owens for in Tuesday's special election to fill the upstate New York congressional seat vacated by Rep. John McHugh, R-NY.

In a statement published by the Watertown Daily Times and linked at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee web site, Scozzafava encouraged voters to support her former Democratic opponent instead of Conservative Party of New York nominee Doug Hoffman, who is in a dead heat with Owens, according to polls.

"I am supporting Bill Owens for Congress and urge you to do the same," Scozzafava said. "In Bill Owens, I see a sense of duty and integrity that will guide him beyond political partisanship. He will be an independent voice devoted to doing what is right for New York. Bill understands this district and its people, and when he represents us in Congress he will put our interests first."

In her statement Friday announcing suspension of her campaign Scozzafava said "I am and have always been a proud Republican. It is my hope that with my actions today, my party will emerge stronger ..."

UPDATE: No surprise, says CP head Mike Long, chairman of the Conservative Party of New York is not surprised to hear of Scozzafava's endorsement of Democrat Bill Owens: "We always said Assemblywoman Scozzafava and Bill Owens were a pair of liberals. Doug Hoffman remains the only alternative to giving Nancy Pelosi another vote for her liberal agenda in Congress."

Similarly, Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List, which has been among the most aggressive and effective national organizations working for Hoffman, had this to say about Scozzafava's latest decision:

“By her actions today Dede Scozzafava has confirmed why it was so important for conservatives and people who care about the GOP to get involved in this race." Doug Hoffman's candidacy is based upon the core principles of limited government, lower taxes and strong family values."

When a GOP candidacy is not based on fundamental conservative values, the party and the principles are inevitably betrayed at critical moments."In this race and in future races, we will stand for the candidates who firmly believe in these fundamental American ideals. These principles are not only right, they are the path to electoral victory."

UPDATE II: Why can't moderates play nice with conservatives?
RedState.com's Erick Erickson notes multiple examples of moderate GOPers losing primary battles with more conservative challengers, then either endorsing the Democrat or doing little or nothing to help the Republican candidate.

Playing nice has to go both ways, Erickson writes: "All the time we hear conservatives can’t win the general' and 'conservatives should play nice with moderates.' The record shows that the moderates cannot take losing and conservatives don’t win the general because the moderate GOP stabs them in the back. If we are a team, it can’t just be the conservative players in trouble for not passing the ball."

UPDATE III: White House, Schumer moved Scozzafava
White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel and Sen. Charles Schumer, D-NY, lobbied Scozzafava to endorse Owens, according to the Watertown Daily News, quoting Schumer's spokesman.