THOSE OUTSIDE AGITATORS - AT 8:50 A.M. ET:   Dede Scozzafava, who's now enjoying her 15 minute of fame - make that 5 minutes - as the GOP establishment candidate who got eliminated in New York's 23rd congressional district by a conservative insurgent, whined loudly about outsiders influencing the election by their support of said insurgent, Doug Hoffman.  Now that Scozzafava, known as "Dede the loyal," has jumped ship and endorsed the Democratic candidate for the House seat, she seems more open to participation by them foreigners.  And, of course, Dede being Dede, there'll be some profit.  The Politico reports:

Fearful that the party had almost no chance of winning the Nov. 3 New York special election after Republican nominee Dede Scozzafava abruptly announced Saturday that she was dropping out, high-ranking national Democrats immediately began working to secure her endorsement of Democrat Bill Owens, POLITICO has learned.

Can you just sense the promises coming.

According to several senior Democratic officials, Rep. Steve Israel, a Long Island Democrat and DCCC official, was dispatched to meet face-to-face with Scozzafava in her upstate New York district within hours of her departure from the race to make the case on behalf of the national party. He carried the proxy of the White House and congressional Democrats.

And we wasn't only bringing tea and sympathy.

When some senior Democrats worried Scozzafava might be wavering about the endorsement, according to another account, the White House got Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, one of the most powerful figures in the state, and New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo to place calls to the assemblywoman on Saturday evening to coax her into delivering it. Sen. Charles Schumer, who had been in touch with White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and Israel, also weighed in.

Just friends, just friends, just old friends calling to see how the family was.

Two senior Democrats with ties to the White House praised Cuomo’s role in the operation, saying they were confident Scozzafava was on board after learning that she told Cuomo: "You're going to be the next governor of New York."

So she's now endorsing a Dem for governor without even knowing who the candidate of "her" party is.  Hmm.

I would love to know what was offered. 

Also critical was Silver’s assurance, in a phone conversation with Scozzafava, that the state Assembly Democratic caucus would embrace her if she chose to switch parties, now viewed as a real possibility after her endorsement Sunday of Owens.

Real politics played the hard way.  Look for Dede to send back her GOP membership card and suddenly see the light shining from the dome of Barack Obama.

November 2, 2009