GOP Infighting Over Centrist In N.Y. Congressional Race Shows Party's 'Glaring Misunderstanding' Of Voters, NYT Editorial Says

Main Category: Abortion
Also Included In: Women's Health / Gynecology
Article Date: 28 Oct 2009 - 4:00 PDT

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The "feeble pulse of moderation" in the Republican Party "is in danger of flat lining" in the Nov. 3 congressional election in upstate New York, with prominent Republicans like former vice presidential candidate and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (Ga.) taking "opposing sides" on the candidacy of Dede Scozzafava, a New York Times editorial says. The election is for the seat vacated by John McHugh, a moderate Republican who was appointed secretary of the Army by President Obama.

Scozzafava's state Assembly record "includes refreshing tinges of centrism," and party leaders nominated her for the "heavily Republican" 23rd district "as eminently electable despite -- or because of -- her defense of women's abortion rights and her tolerant views on same-sex marriage," the Times writes. The editorial continues that Palin recently "pronounced Scozzafava's candidacy unacceptable because it 'blurs the lines,' at least of Ms. Palin's idea of party orthodoxy." According to the Times, Gingrich "disagreed" with Palin. The former speaker, who is "nostalgic for the GOP's 'big tent' fantasy days," said that if Republicans want to regain power in Congress, "'there are times when you have to put together a coalition that has disagreement within it.'" The editorial adds that the scuffle "says much about the Republicans' glaring misunderstanding of American voters." The GOP "continues to deny the Obama ascendency with an agenda of naysaying when creative ideas and candidates, not right-wing zeal, are the obvious ways to get back in the game of democracy," the editorial concludes (New York Times, 10/26).

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