Five state Assembly members to Hoffman: Drop out now

State Assembly members Will Barclay, Janet Duprey, Bob Oakes, Teresa Sayward and Dave Townsend - all Republicans supporting fellow Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava - called on Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman to drop out of the 23rd Congressional District race and throw his support behind Ms. Scozzafava.

I don't see this call being heeded, since Mr. Hoffman's spokesman was calling again this morning for Ms. Scozzafava to drop out.

"This is a campaign for Congress — not an audition to be a talking head on a cable news program," said Assemblywoman Janet Duprey, R-Peru, in a statement. "Doug Hoffman doesn't live here, he doesn't understand our local issues and, regardless of his campaign's theatrics and false polls, he knows he is completely unelectable. Make no mistake about it — Doug Hoffman is a spoiler, and by staying in this race he will jeopardize a seat the Republican Party has held here since the Civil War. It's high time that Hoffman puts the good of this community over his personal ambition and endorses our Republican nominee Dede Scozzafava."