Dick Armey visits city to support Hoffman

A congressman who helped mastermind the Republican Party's resurgence a decade ago said Thursday that Douglas L. Hoffman is the only candidate who can help right Congress again.

Dick Armey, who served as House majority leader from 1995 to 2003, stumped for Mr. Hoffman, the Conservative candidate in a three-way race in the 23rd Congressional District, at stops in Watertown and Syracuse.

"This country right now has an extremely rueful case of buyer's remorse," the Texan told a crowd of about 70 at Mr. Hoffman's Watertown campaign headquarters, 106 Court St. "Outside of liberal Democratic partisans, most people are clearly seeing that they truly didn't get change they can believe in, but they got change that is frightening."

Mr. Armey said his party had a chance, in this special election, for a "shining moment," the likes of which had not been seen since he, Newt Gingrich and others introduced the Contract with America, a group of policy changes the Republicans promised to enact when they became the majority in Congress in 1994.

Instead, the former congressman said, "the Republicans lost this race when they put up that big spending candidate ... the candidate that thinks the stimulus plan was a good idea. It's simply not what the voters are looking for. They don't want another congressman from here that's like Nancy Pelosi or Barack Obama."

Mr. Armey then added his own assessment of the race for the House seat.

"Doug saw the need to have a conservative in this race and stepped in," he said. "I believe that that instantaneously made him the front-runner."

Mr. Hoffman has trailed in every poll since the three-way race began in August, but a Siena survey released Oct. 15 suggested he gained the most ground during the two previous weeks. He still trailed Republican Dierdre K. Scozzafava by six points and Democrat William L. Owens by 10 points.

When Mr. Hoffman was asked if he had new polling data that the public hadn't seen, he replied: "The Democrats and Republicans have good data that they're not releasing, but just look at what's happening. Doug Hoffman has become the target."

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which had ignored the third-party candidate for months, issued three releases recently aimed at him in a 24-hour period.

"The fact that Doug Hoffman is embracing Dick Armey's anti-Medicare, anti-Social Security, and anti-minimum wage agenda shows just how out of touch he is with upstate New Yorkers," Shripal Shah, the committee's spokesman, said in a statement.

Mr. Armey did note his break with Mr. Gingrich over this election. The former House speaker has endorsed Ms. Scozzafava.

"Newt and I have different choice criteria," Mr. Armey said. "The correct position is look for that person who represents that enduring policy that keeps America strong and free. Elect that person. And the politics will follow behind that."

Mr. Armey concluded of Mr. Gingrich: "I think he made the wrong decision on policy and politics."