As promised. Short version: DNC beat RNC, NRSC edged DSCC, DCCC edged NRCC, and cash on hand would worry me more if the GOP hadn’t just removed the NJ & VA governorships from the Democrats and essentially handed NY-23 as part of a unfortunate but necessary life lesson to the GOP leadership.

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Reverse the Vote! is a program set up to specifically target 24 Democrats who voted for health care rationing, and against their constituents’ desires, last week.  The list is entertaining:

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Republicans are - rightly - crowing this morning about the GOP’s victories in the New Jersey Governor’s race and a battery of races in Virginia from the Governorship on down and what they say about the turn in the national mood, if not in a pro-Republican direction then at least in a direction that’s sufficiently hostile to the Democrats that voters in states won by Obama and dominated by the Democrats in the last few years are willing to give individual Republicans another chance.

But the key word there, even in an across-the-board sweep like happened in Virginia, is individual. There remains an ongoing battle on the Right over how Republicans choose which candidates to support - who voters and the national party organs should back in primaries, when and whether to support third party candidacies, etc. It’s a battle intensified by Doug Hoffman’s loss in the NY-23 race after the NRCC-backed candidate, Dede Scoazzafava, ended up swinging the race to the Democrats when she endorsed Bill Owens. But in making sense of such debates, this is a point that cannot be stressed enough: no matter how favorable or unfavorable the overall national climate may be, no matter what ideological compass you want the party to follow, you can’t ever overlook the importance of the individual candidates and the conditions they run in. I said it in 2008 with regard to presidential campaigns, and it’s true as well of races for Governor, Senate or House: ideas don’t run for president, people do.

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One of the stranger episodes in corporate marketing history occurred in 1985 when the Coca-Cola Corporation decided to alter the secret formula of its flagship product.

Maybe Republican Party leaders could stand a review.

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These guys keep shooting themselves in the foot.

“This lady clearly has as agenda that’s different than most Republicans, she was out there promoting herself,” Boehner said, noting that he has encouraged all members of the GOP conference to support Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman.

Mr. Boehner, with respect, this was blindly obvious to all of us outside the Beltway. You guys have spent $900,000.00 on a leftist who returned the favor by stabbing you in the back.

If you are clueless as to who you are backing for office, exactly how can we trust you on the bigger issues? The character of a man is best revealed in how he handles the small things.

On Friday, when Dede Scozzafava dropped out of NY-23, she said she hoped to work toward a “stronger GOP.”

Yesterday, word began to break that Scozzafava and her husband are working with union activists to push her voters toward Bill Owens, the Democrat.

I guess for Scozzafava, a stronger GOP means one in which the Democrat wins.

It has been 48 hours since Dede Scozzafava dropped out of NY-23.

After $900,000.00 wasted on her candidacy by the GOP, the candidate is now returning the support by encouraging votes for the Democrat.

In the old days, when disgracing your employer, your co-worker, or screwing up your job, you either quit on your own accord or jumped out a window to your death. There was a quiet dignity that came with resignation in the face of defeat.

That is not happening with the NRCC. The people whose judgment has fractured the GOP and inspired scores of third party candidates and primary challengers for the GOP remain in place still calling the shots.

How can we trust them to get it right now? With no accountability comes a failure to take responsibility. And if they will not take responsibility, we must continue to question their judgment.

It is unfortunate because candidate recruitment and fundraising have gone well. But all that has to be overshadowed by an unwillingness to take responsibility for NY-23. The failure to take responsibility led the GOP off the cliff and out of power in 2006.

Vigilance and accountability must be imposed from the outside if they will not impose them from the inside.

I had intended to start a daily reminder that Pete Sessions and Guy Harrison remain on the job and should be fired. They wasted $900,000.00 on a “Republican” who dropped out and endorsed the Democrat.

If Pete Sessions and Guy Harrison have such little respect for donor money in this race, how can we trust them in other races. After all, except for the Pauline Kaels of the Beltway GOP, it was abundantly obvious to everyone else that Dede Scozzafava was not a moderate, but a Democratic leftist.

Sadly, I don’t have the time. There are bigger fish to fry. I do think either or both Sessions and Harrison must be fired if they will not resign. Dignity and common decency demand it.

They seem to have none though and there are only so many fronts on which we can fight. So we will remember this, but we will choose to fight another day.

After all, we did win. But if I were a Republican Congressman, I’d be hacked off by the malpractice at the NRCC.

*Kael, by the way, was the New York Times writer who commented that she was stunned by Richard Nixon’s election because she knew absolutely no one who had voted for him.

If you work for a man, in Heaven’s name work for him. If he pays wages that supply you your bread and butter, work for him, speak well of him, think well of him, and stand by him, and stand by the institution he represents.

Thus begins the Apologia to “A Message to Garcia”. It would behoove Pete Sessions and John Cornyn, head of the NRCC and NRSC respectively, to heed this message. These individuals seem to have forgotten just who pays the bills and funds these committees. And to be clear, that would be THE BASE.

Slip-shod assistance, foolish inattention, dowdy indifference, & half-hearted work seem the rule; and no man succeeds, unless by hook or crook, or threat, he forces or bribes other men to assist him…

Those words were written 110 years ago, yet are wholly applicable to our current situation. The NRSC and NRCC seem to be embracing these things rather than avoiding them.

It is not as if the base hasn’t made their complaints known, ever hear of “Not One Red Cent“. On the contrary, upon hearing the complaints the NRSC has treated them with dowdy indifference to say the least. To the credit of the NRCC they did create the Young Guns program, but as mentioned above “half hearted work seems the rule”.

When will Chairmans’ Sessions and Cornyn remember that character matters…

Well he’s a fine accountant, but if I’d send him up town on an errand, he might accomplish the errand all right, and on the other hand, might stop at four saloons on the way, and when he got to Main Street, would forget what he had been sent for.

Can such a man be entrusted to carry a message to Garcia?

Can we now trust you to run our errands, bypassing the saloons. Or, should we come to expect the continued stench of gin on your breath and failure at the ballot box?

If put to the pinch, an ounce of loyalty is worth a pound of cleverness. If you must vilify, condemn, and eternally disparage, why, resign your position, and when you are outside, damn to your heart’s content.

You have both been to clever for your own good and are quickly outlasting your usefulness.

Remember these words dear Sirs…

In every store and factory there is a constant weeding-out process going on.

[...]

No matter how good times are, this sorting continues, only if times are hard and work is scarce, the sorting is done finer - but out and forever, the incompetent and unworthy go.

[...]

Self-interest prompts every employer to keep the best - those who can carry the message to Garcia.

The process has begun, our collective dander has been raised and we demand answers. Will you step down so that we may make room for our own Rowan?

It is not book-learning young men need, nor instruction about this and that, but a stiffening of the vertebrae which will cause them to be loyal to a trust, to act promptly, concentrate their energies: do the thing - “Carry a message to Garcia!”

Aaron B. Gardner.

We hear this all time — conservatives in the GOP have to play nice with the moderates.

We never hear the other, that moderates should play nice with conservatives. Why is that? Consider the facts:

In Michigan’s 7th Congressional District, conservative Tim Walberg challenged the very liberal Joe Schwartz in the 2006 Republican Primary and won. Walberg went on to win the general election.

In 2008, Schwartz endorsed Democrat Mark Schauer and Shauer used that endorsement to squeak out a win in this +2 Republican District.

In Maryland 1, conservative physician and state senator Andy Harris ran in the Republican Primary against Wayne Gilchrist. Harris defeated Gilchrist only to see Gilchrist throw his support to Democrat Frank Kratovil, who won with 49.12% of the vote.

In Arizona 5, conservative David Schweikert won the Republican nomination, but then lost to liberal Democrat Harry Mitchell. Why? Schweikert’s primary opponent refused to help him and sat on his hands rather than help Schweikert pick up his opponent’s primary support.

In Alabama 2, Jay Love beat Harri Anne Smith in the Republican Primary and ran against Bobby Bright in an R +16 district. Smith endorsed the Democrat and Bright went on to win 50.23% of the vote.

In New York 23, the liberal Dede Scozzafava drops out and instead of supporting the guy the GOP crawls on bended knee to, she endorses the Democrat.

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.

It has been 24 hours since Dede Scozzafava dropped out of NY-23 and neither Pete Session nor any of his loyal lieutenants have lost their jobs or quit to save face.

Until that happens, there will be no real sign that they get it. Without heads rolling we cannot roll on to victory.

Sadly, it is that simple.

Mike Pence refused to endorse Dede Scozzafava. Being, however, the Chairman of the House Republican Conference, it really would have been bad form of him to go all in with Hoffman. Being in that position demands some party loyalty. So behind the scenes Pence has made clear he was unhappy with this whole sordid mess and has refused to cooperate or fund the madness.

Today he can do what he has wanted to do the whole time — endorse Doug Hoffman.

Conservatives are now fully united and fighting. The race is not offer. We must fight for Hoffman now.

Pence’s statement is below the fold.

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Dede Scozzafava has dropped out of the NY-23 race.

In her statement, she said

I hereby release those individuals who have endorsed and supported my campaign to transfer their support as they see fit to do so. I am and have always been a proud Republican. It is my hope that with my actions today, my Party will emerge stronger and our District and our nation can take an important step towards restoring the enduring strength and economic prosperity that has defined us for generations.

She did not endorse Hoffman or Owens. No doubt she’ll vote for Owens.

More importantly, WE WON!

Now, I hope everyone rallies behind Hoffman and gives him the momentum and energy he needs to win on Tuesday. Let’s rally.

I said this was our hill to die on, but to paraphrase Patton, we won my making the other guys die on our Hill!

That’s what it looks like and it reflects what I’ve been hearing too.

The NRCC tells me directly that they are only spending money on anti-Owens ads. The anti-Hoffman YouTube? Gone. The anti-Hoffman press releases? Gone. The anti-Hoffman everything else? Gone.

The pro-Dede Scozzafava stuff? Gone too.

The RNC ground crews? They are pulling out to New Jersey.

The Dede Scozzafava campaign says this is all false. Then again, they say she is a Republican too.

H/T to Ali.

Of course they want you to help Dede Scozzafava, but this could be fun.

I guess I accidentally got put on the mail list:

Subject: NY23 Phone Banks
Date: Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:40:26 -0400
From: calltoarms@NRCC.org
To: calltoarms@NRCC.org

We want to reward your hard work! The top volunteer (most hours logged at the phone banks) for the month of October will receive a reward from NRCC Chairman Pete Sessions in front of the Members of the Republican Conference at the November GOP Political Conference.

If you have some free time tonight (10/26), 10/27 or 10/28 between 6pm and 9pm, please stop by the RNC Phone Banks (310 1st St., SE on level B2) for the NY-23 Special Election. See you at the p-banks!

Ben Cassidy

I leveled withering criticism at Tom Cole two years ago for what I thought were some seriously wrong decisions while chairing the NRCC, but I may have to take it all back.

He just endorsed Doug Hoffman.

Yeah, you read that right — Rep. Tom Cole, the former head of the National Republican Congressional Committee, just endorsed Hoffman over the establishment GOP’s pick.

Well done, sir. Now I feel guilty for being so harsh two years ago.

More here:

In his endorsement letter, Cole called Hoffman “the only Republican who can win this special election.” Democrats seem to be coming around to that viewpoint, too, shifting their fire from Scozzafava to Hoffman in the latest Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee ad, and seeking to fundraise off the possibility that he could be elected to Congress.

Cole, who is a member of the Republican Steering Committee, wrote that Hoffman “clearly represents the mainstream values and positions of the Republican Party.” He declined to directly criticize Scozzafava, the subject of countless attacks from the right for her moderate record in the state Assembly, but ticked off a number of issue areas where she and Hoffman diverge. “He opposes the stimulus, cap and trade, card check, the Democratic health care bill and the Obama administration’s reckless spending binge. He is a pro-life fiscal conservative who is committed to restraining the growth of government,” Cole wrote.

That’s just made of awesome.

Generally round about Labor Day if not before, the NRCC comes knocking on all our doors saying “you haven’t paid your dues.” Our “dues” are funds Members pay into the NRCC’s coffers that they then turn around and use to elect more Republican congressmen.

This is October 25, 2009, more than a year before Election Day. But the NRCC is beating on all our doors already saying we need to cough up cash. More than one Member has been pushed to pay up. Why now? Probably because our leadership has decided to put a millstone around our necks named Dede.

Maybe the NRCC and the Gentleman from Texas 32 will realize a few Members are withholding “dues” until November 3rd so none of our donors’ dollars go to New York 23.

It’s that time again.  Short version: RNC beat DNC, but DSCC & DCCC significantly outraised their counterparts - sufficiently so that the Democrats raised more overall for the month.  When debt is factored in, the Democrats also went from being significantly behind on cash-on-hand to being slightly ahead.  That being said: the RNC and NRCC are both reporting significant increases in small-person donors.

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There could be a serious upset in a congressional special election this year and it is going under the radar. John Fund took notice of it yesterday.

David Harmer is the Republican running in a special election to fill Ellen Tauscher’s seat in Congress. The Democrat, Lt. Governor John Garamendi, is favored to win, but is only polling 41% to Harmer’s 34%.

Interestingly, poling in the area shows the favorability of the GOP is skyrocketing in that district. Nonetheless, the GOP would rather support a pro-gay marriage, pro-abortion, pro-union, ACORN supported Dede Scozzafava in New York’s 23rd Congressional District than spend any time or money on David Harmer’s race.

Having dug into the race, I can’t really add to what John Fund reported. The district is a Democrat leaning district, but the negativity toward the Democrats in the district is overwhelming.

David Harmer is a good candidate, but he needs money to get across the finish line. With the NRCC anticipating a black eye in New York’s 23rd, they won’t fully engage this race because they are fearful of two black eyes. Don’t get me wrong — the NRCC has done some work helping the candidate get up to steam, but right now the focus and money is going to Dede.

Polling, however, suggests this might really be the upset John Fund thinks it is. If you are a California Republican or anyone else who wants to take credit away from the GOP establishment by helping get a good guy elected without their help, you might want to consider sending David Harmer a few bucks or go lend a hand.

When these seats start falling into GOP hands, it will thoroughly destroy the last ounces of political capital that Barack Obama has.

I hate to have to ask the question, but in light of this news broken by Michelle Malkin today, we must.

Scozzafava is the proud recipient of the Margaret Sanger award given by an abortion group in New York.

Margaret Sanger was a noted eugenicist. Though Planned Parenthood, the group Sanger found, denies it, evidence from a variety of sources points out that Sanger was a big supporter of sterilization of minorities.

In 1939, Sanger created the Negro Project, which the left has tried to discredit, but was very much real. Sanger advocated sterilization and abortion for lower income black women.

Planned Parenthood has gone to great lengths to repudiate the organization’s eugenic origins.71 It adamantly denies Sanger was a eugenicist or racist, despite evidence to the contrary. Because Sanger stopped editing The Birth Control Review in 1929, the organization tries to disassociate her from the eugenic and racist-oriented articles published after that date. However, a summary of an address Sanger gave in 1932, which appeared in the Review that year, revealed her continuing bent toward eugenics.

In “A Plan for Peace,” Sanger suggested Congress set up a special department to study population problems and appoint a “Parliament of Population.” One of the main objectives of the “Population Congress” would be “to raise the level and increase the general intelligence of population.” This would be accomplished by applying a “stern and rigid policy of sterilization and segregation [in addition to tightening immigration laws] to that grade of population whose progeny is already tainted, or whose inheritance is such that objectionable traits may be transmitted to offspring.”72

The RNC, NRCC, and noted Republican leaders have raced to embrace Scozzafava as fast as she embraced the Margaret Sanger award.

Do they even know who they are supporting?

Wouldn’t you know it: I decide not to do anything consequential and the fundraising numbers become available. Short version: the GOP out-raised the Democrats for the first time since April; the NRSC beat out the DSCC for the second month; the NRCC continues to stay essentially tied with the DCCC; and the Democrats aren’t paying their debt down.

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Consider this an open thread.

(BTW the video has one Democratic Congressman cussing at his constituents, so slightly NSFW.)

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