A few more items of note on Newt Gingrich getting Scozzafavaed: Mr. Gingrich has put up a new website that counters criticism, and his endorsement of Dede Scozzafava in the 2009 special election gets its own blurb.

The website says that Mr. Gingrich, vying for the GOP's nomination to take on President Obama in 2012, made "a mistake" in endorsing Ms. Scozzafava.

Mr. Gingrich will almost always endorse the Republican nominee, and not an independent nominee. Here's the rub: "Although she was the Republican nominee, the problem was that Republican primary voters did not pick her, the local party leaders did, otherwise her liberal views would have prevented her from becoming the nominee."

I disagree that the Republican Party electorate wouldn't have picked Ms. Scozzafava, a long time member of the Assembly in the 122nd District; other Assembly districts that comprise the 23rd are represented by Republicans with views that are similar to Ms. Scozzafava's on gay marriage, for example. And for years it has elected pro-abortion rights, pro-labor Republicans, like then-Rep. John McHugh of Pierrepoint Manor, whose ascension to the post of Army Secretary prompted the '09 special.

Also on Friday, Dave Weigel of Slate writes that Doug Hoffman is advising the Republican Party not to hold the endorsement against Mr. Gingrich.

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