This will shake some people up! About damn time.
Sarah Palin's decision to endorse the Conservative party candidate over the Republican nominee in a special House election in upstate New York is the latest example that the former Alaska governor's allegiance is to her conservative principles rather than the edicts of the party.
"Republicans and conservatives around the country are sending an important message to the Republican establishment in their outstanding grassroots support for Doug Hoffman: no more politics as usual," wrote Palin on her Facebook page.
She also cited former president Ronald Reagan's belief that "blurring the lines" was not the way to re-build the Republican party and added: "The Republican Party today has decided to choose a candidate who more than blurs the lines, and there is no real difference between the Democrat and the Republican in this race."
Palin is the most high profile national Republican to endorse Hoffman over state Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava in the upcoming Nov. 3 special election for the seat vacated by Secretary of the Army John McHugh in a race that has rapidly developed into a battle for control of the direction of the national party.
The former Alaska governor joins former senator Fred Thompson (Tenn.) and former House majority leader Dick Armey (Texas) in Hoffman's camp. Among those who have endorsed Scozzafava are former House speaker Newt Gingrich (Ga.) and former Republican Study Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling.
Of his decision to back Scozzafava, Gingrich wrote Thursday: "We have to decide which business we are in. If we are in the business about feeling good about ourselves while our country gets crushed then I probably made the wrong decision."
At issue is whether national GOP leaders should make the pragmatic choice (line up behind Scozzafava because she is the party's candidate) or the pure believer choice (opt for Hoffman because, regardless of his party affiliation, his belief system hues closer to the core conservative principles.)
That divide isn't likely to go away no matter who wins in New York's 23rd in 11 days, however. The head versus heart dynamic is already shaping up in Florida's Senate primary between Gov. Charlie Crist and former state House Speaker Marco Rubio.
And, the debate may not end until the 2012 presidential primary fight where, if Palin runs, she could be the choice of the movement conservatives while former governor Mitt Romney (Mass.) and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty will likely battle it out for the establishment banner.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/...ix-10.html