For moderate conservatives, the Special Election in New York’s 23rd district has certainly been a harrowing experience. Dede Scozzafava, the decidedly moderate Republican candidate in the district, was pushed out of the race by the dominant arch-conservative wing of the party, led in this instance by the ex-Alaska Governor and politically “rogue” hockey mom who poisoned the 2008 Republican ticket, also known as Sarah Palin. They instead favored the “Conservative Party” candidate Doug Hoffman, who serves the more popular hard-line brand that has characterized the Republican Party, in which moderacy is no longer tolerated. (more…)

A recent topic of discussion is the prospect that the GOP could re-take the House of Representatives in the 2010 midterm elections. With today’s unfortunate report that the economy is still shedding jobs, and with the defeat of the public option in the Senate Finance Committee’s version of the health care bill, many Republicans no doubt believe they are on the offensive to a such a degree that they can take back the House. (more…)