More in "Conservative" Hilarity

This is Dede Scozzafava, Republican running for Congress from NY-23. Hoffman is something called the "Conservative" Party's representative for the same office. There's a Democrat in the race too - who will win, but I don't really care about any of that.

What is interesting about this photo, and this contest, is we have our first real example of Wingnut v. Wingnut with this election. Hoffman is a Tea Bagger. The Tea Bagger's think Dede is a RINO, or a Dem-Lite. So they won't support the Republican candidate for the spot. And now, parachuting in from across the country, are Tea Bagger Command: Dick Armey, sitting down for local newspaper intereviews with Hoffman. Here's a recap of how that interview went:

A flustered and ill-at-ease Mr. Hoffman objected to the heated questioning, saying he should have been provided a list of questions he might be asked. He was, if he had taken the time to read the Thursday morning Times editorial raising the very same questions.

Coming to Mr. Hoffman's defense, former House Majority Leader Dick Armey, R-Texas, who accompanied the candidate on a campaign swing, dismissed regional concerns as "parochial" issues that would not determine the outcome of the election. On the contrary, it is just such parochial issues that we expect our representative to understand and be knowledgeable about, if he wants to be our voice in Washington.

Got that? Dick Armey - from Texas - is telling the local newspaper (The Watertown Daily) that "parochial" issues are not the main concern. For "parochial", read "local".

This is a perfect distillation of what we're up against. Dick Armey is one of the leading figures of the Tea Bagger movement, though he'll deny the association. His "Think Tank" - the laughably named "Freedom Works" - is bankrolling most of the Tea Bagger efforts. Dick Armey has been involved in most of the slime of the past twenty years. And here he is, in upstate NY, working on behalf of the guy working against the Republicans, telling the local paper "parochial" matters are not his concern. And why's that? Because actually governing is not his concern -- it never is to the Wingnuts. Power. Control. Money. That's all they want.

And it seems we now have a rift, and it is being shown in NY-23. Newt and Orange John Boehner are for Dede, the (R); Dick Armey, Rick Santorum, Sarah Palin, and now the laughable Gov. of Minnesota, have all come out in support of Hoffman, the Conservative Party candidate. Here's what T-Paw had to say about Mr. Hoffman:

We cannot send more politicians to Washington who wear the Republican jersey on the campaign trail, but then vote like Democrats in Congress on issues like card check and taxes. After reviewing the candidates’ positions, I’m endorsing Doug Hoffman in New York’s special election. Doug understands the federal government needs to quit spending so much, will vote against tax increases, and protect key values like the right to vote in private in union elections.

T-Paw gave this riveting quote to the leading lights of the Tea Bagger movement, a wingnut blog. It's all so hilarious, and I actually have a hard time believing this is all happening, like it is. I mean, do these idiots have an iota of clue?

This is a nice big step towards the destruction of the Republican Party as it exists today. Hooray!