Marilyn Musgrave: Tokenism is back in style at the national GOP

A battle for the heart and soul of the Republican Party is underway in upstate New York. At stake is whether a candidate's gender and vote for House Speaker ultimately hold more sway than the values reflected in her record.

Specifically, what happens when the GOP promotes a candidate with a liberal record that flies in the face of the time-honored traditional values and traditions enshrined in the Republican Party platform? One election may hold the answer.

The resignation of Rep. John McHugh (R-NY) to serve as Secretary of the Army created a vacancy in New York's 23rddistrict. Inexplicably, GOP party bosses nominated liberal Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava, a candidate who progressive commentators have described as further to the left than the Democratic candidate. Yes, you read that right. According to liberal opinion-leaders, Scozzafava is further to the left than the Democrat.

The evidence is in her record. Dede Scozzafava supports taxpayer-funded abortion on-demand, gay marriage, the liberal agenda of ACORN's Working Families Party, and she lacks a credible record of fiscal conservatism in the New York state legislature.

Scozzafava's embrace of abortion on-demand stands in stark contrast to the pro-life values held by Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman. That's why the Susan B. Anthony List Candidate Fund chose to endorse Hoffman, a third-party candidate. We at the Susan B. Anthony List are old fashioned enough to believe that the voters of the 23rddistrict deserve a congressman who reflects their values.

Public support for the pro-life cause is on the rise nationwide, with record numbers of Americans self-identifying as "pro-life." Polling by Gallup found the largest increases in pro-life support among self-described moderate Republicans and Independents, the very constituency that will be critical to Doug Hoffman's success.

We're not the only ones saying it. A burgeoning conservative coalition is coming together to defend the pro-life, pro-family values that many Americans hold dear. Bona fide conservative endorsements continue to pile up for Hoffman: National Organization for Marriage, Family Research Council PAC, Concerned Women for America PAC, Fred Thompson's FredPAC, Club for Growth PAC, Gary Bauer, Michelle Malkin, and Erick Erickson of Red State, to name a few.

The strength of these organizations and leaders working together to promote Hoffman's campaign is giving Republicans inside the Beltway a little heartburn. Of course, as many desperately try to defend Scozzafava's candidacy, they consistently ignore her record.

Red herrings run rampant. Just last week, one GOP insider accused conservatives of rejecting the candidate because of her gender. National leaders offer the supposed rationalization that Scozzafava would vote for a GOP Speaker of the House.

Who knew tokenism was back in style? Fortunately, the Susan B. Anthony List Candidate Fund considers far more than a candidate's gender or vote for House Speaker. We care most about what values characterize a candidate and his or her record.

The Susan B. Anthony List was formed to advancethe right womenin politics, not just any woman. Our mission is to empower and elect women who reflect the attitudes of pro-life women across America.

We seek out candidates who represent the spirit of Susan B. Anthony, an authentic pro-life feminist who understood the tragedy of abortion. She spoke out in defense of women and innocent unborn children and called abortion "child murder." Scozzafava is not of the same mold. She is the opposite.

Fortunately, momentum is on Hoffman's side. Recent polling shows his support growing while Scozzafava is tanking. The more voters learn about the GOP candidate, the less they like. That antipathy is translating into anemic fundraising numbers, forcing Scozzafava to rely upon the national GOP to prop up her campaign.

One has to wonder how long it will take Republicans to realize that it doesn't have to be this hard. Personnel is policy, and nominating candidates antithetical to GOP values only makes regaining the majority one tough road. Some Republican leaders were amazed to find themselves in the minority after the 2006 election - could this kind of thinking be the reason?

The Susan B. Anthony List and our partners in the conservative coalition will be investing our time and resources on Hoffman's behalf from now until Election Day. We plan to do all we can to stop the potential trend of liberal GOP candidates.

A Hoffman victory will bring one more vote for the values that have consistently been the strength of the GOP. Women, unborn children, and families will all win. The people of New York's 23rddistrict will have representation that reflects the values they hold dear. That's good news for New Yorkers, good news for America and good news for Republicans. 

Former Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, R-CO, is project director for the Susan B. Anthony List's Votes Have Consequences Project.