N.Y. House Race Touches Off GOP Funding Fight

[ccharles000]

Michael Long, chairman of the Conservative Party of New York, is urging fellow conservatives not to contribute to the National Republican Congressional Committee.

His complaint: The NRCC is supporting the Republican candidate in New York’s 23rd Congressional District, who he says is out of step with GOP values.

The Republicans have nominated centrist State Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava as their candidate in the special election to be held on Nov. 3. In response, the Conservative Party nominated its own candidate, local accountant Doug Hoffman. Hoffman has been getting some traction, winning endorsements from several conservative groups and garnering 16% support in a recent poll. That has Republicans worried he will siphon support from Scozzafava and let Democrat Bill Owens pull off a victory.

Long sent a strongly worded memo to conservative leaders and groups urging them to withhold support from the NRCC, the campaign arm of House Republicans, until it stops spending money to support Scozzafava. It’s not clear how much impact Long’s missive will have, but it highlights in striking fashion the debate within the Republican Party over whether to recruit moderate candidates in swing districts or put a renewed emphasis on conservative principles.

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2009/10/09/ny-house-race-touches-off-gop-funding-fight/