Reactions from last night's Scozzafava/Weekly Standard confrontation

Steve Virkler, our Lewis County reporter, is developing a story about the incident between John McCormack, deputy online editor of the Weekly Standard, and Republican congressional candidate Dede Scozzafava in Lowville last night.

You can read that here.

Matt Burns, Ms. Scozzafava's spokesman, told Politico that Mr. McCormack showed "a complete lack of decency" toward his candidate.

“This self-described reporter repeatedly screamed questions (in-your-face-style) while our candidate was doing what she is supposed to be doing: speaking with voters (remember, those who will decide this election?). And then he followed the candidate to her car, continuing to carry on in a manner that would make the National Enquirer blush. I have no doubt he intended to follow her home, too. His actions were reprehensible," he told the publication.

Mr. Burns' allegations prompted a response from Mr. McCormack's boss, Bill Kristol.

"Let me emphasize: I have full confidence in the truth of John's account. And I won't allow a desperate campaign to try to tarnish the fine reputation John has built as a fair and accurate reporter — and, for that matter, a very decent and mild-mannered young man," Mr. Kristol wrote, in part.

This isn't really an incident that requires responses from the other campaigns, but Rob Ryan, spokesman for Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman, offered to lighten the mood anyway.

“If the police had anything to investigate, it should be investigating Dede Scozzafava for impersonating a Republican," he quipped.