The American Spectator

AmSpecBlog

NY23: What Was Really Behind the Scozzafava Pick?

By Robert Stacy McCain on 10.28.09 @ 12:19PM

Conservative blogger Dan Riehl has a report on the process that led to the choice of liberal Republican Dede Scozzafava as the GOP candidate in the crucial congressional election in upstate New York's 23rd District. Supporters of Conservative candidate Doug Hoffman have expressed mystification of how Scozzafava was chosen, and there is widespread outrage among conservatives about the NRCC's attacks on Hoffman and reported deployment of NRCC staff to NY23.

Dan links both an Oct. 8 Prowler item about NRCC Chairman Rep. Pete Sessions and Michael Patrick Leahey's three-page TCOT report about the New York GOP machinations in the nomination process. Dan's account pushes the story further, however, with his sources discussing the alleged role of former NRCC Chairman Tom Reynolds and NRCC Executive Director Guy Harrison in the choice of Scozzafava.

NRCC staff are said to be very angry about Riehl's report, so by all means, read the whole thing.

UPDATE 12:40 p.m. ET: Dan Riehl has received an official denial from the NRCC. Michael Patrick Leahey has more at TCOT.