Doug Hoffman Getting Local Endorsements

Looks like the charge of Newt Gingrich that supporters of Doug Hoffman don't understand the local conditions in the 23rd district is pretty well off the mark as local Republicans have started endorsing Hoffman:

Along with Plattsburgh Mayor Donny Kasprzak, the list of “Republicans for Hoffman” in the 23rd District includes more than a score of Republican county committee members. Franklin County GOP Vice Chairman Bob Dugan also came out for small businessman Hoffman and was eagerly recruiting other Republican Party officials to go “on the record” for the Conservative hopeful.

Just what is driving this strong exodus across party lines? Dugan and other party officials have made no secret for their distaste for the process in which Scozzafava was selected as the Republican standard-bearer after McHugh resigned from Congress: the ten county GOP chairmen in the district gave her the nomination.

Whether there was really grass-roots support for the pro-abortion, pro-gay marriage, pro-Employee Free Choice Act Scozzafava is debatable. In Dugan’s own Franklin County, sources told me that there was considerable backing among county committee members for another, more conservative candidate named Paul Maroun.. But the county chairman voted for Scozzafava.

Coupled with Scozzafava’s liberal record on most issues (she is rated a low 20% by the New York Conservative Party), it is easy to understand why genuine conservative activists will “switch and fight” when they have a choice.

In the campaign’s twilight, Scozzafava’s attacks on Hoffman as “out of touch” and a “spoiler” seem to be fizzling. The charge that his refusal to take earmarks would undermine the military base at Fort Drum in the district was dealt a sharp blow by Hoffman’s endorsement from four Members of the House Armed Services Committee -- Fallin and Reps. Trent Franks (Ariz), Todd Aiken (Mo.), and John Fleming (La.).