Richard Viguerie:  Tea Party Activists Are the New GOP

(Manassas, Virginia)  The following is a statement by Richard A. Viguerie, Chairman of ConservativeHQ.com, concerning today's withdrawal of GOP candidate Dede Scozzafava from the special election in New York's 23rd congressional district:

"In her statement announcing suspension of her campaign in the special election for New York's 23rd congressional district, Assemblywoman and liberal GOP nominee Dede Scozzafava refused to throw her support behind a fellow Republican, Doug Hoffman, who is running on the Conservative Party ticket in this particular race.

"That was one more example of the 'closed tent' mentality of big-government, establishment Republicans who have worked long and hard to keep conservatives out of power at the national, state and local levels.

"The GOP leadership's backing of Ms. Scozzafava was a slap in the face to Tea Party activists, town hall protesters, and conservatives across the country. The Washington GOP establishment's abandonment of fiscal responsibility led directly to the election of Barack Obama as President and Nancy Pelosi as Speaker. The American people see the GOP leadership and establishment every bit as much a part of the problem as the Democrats.

"Doug Hoffman and NY-23 is an earthquake in American politics, and is the first of many challenges to establishment Republicans that we will see for the 2010 elections and beyond. The stupid decision by Republican leaders to pour $900,000 into the NY-23rd race against a conservative has unleashed a fury that will lead to new GOP leadership.

"Conservatives anger at Washington-establishment Republicans will cost the national committees tens of millions of dollars as conservative money will start flowing directly to the Tea Parties and their candidates.

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NOTE TO EDITORS: Richard A. Viguerie pioneered political direct mail and has been called "one of the creators of the modern conservative movement" (The Nation magazine) and one of the "conservatives of the century" (The Washington Times).