Biden to moderate Republicans in NY-23: 'Join us'

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By Kara Rowland

WATERTOWN, N.Y. — Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., stumping here Monday for the Democratic candidate in a special House race that has attracted national attention, tried to capitalize on infighting among Republicans over the race by calling on moderate members of the party to "join us in teaching a lesson to those absolutists."

"They may not have any room for moderate views in the Republican Party upstate anymore, but let me assure you: We have room," Mr. Biden said at a pre-Election Day rally for Democrat Bill Owens.

Mr. Biden is one of a slew of high-profile visitors in recent weeks to this small town about 30 miles south of Canada, which is the scene of an unprecedented fight over a vacant House seat long held by the Republicans.

Mr. Owens faces a strong challenge in Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman, who has garnered the support of high-profile Republicans including former New York Gov. George Pataki, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty. Both men are battling for votes from supporters of State Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava, the official Republican nominee who dropped out of the race on Saturday.

Mr. Biden cited the withdrawal of Ms. Scozzafava, a moderate, as proof that Republicans won't tolerate dissent, describing Mr. Hoffman's supporters as right-wing extremists.

"This has never been a place that has embraced extremism on the left or the right," he said.

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In a stunning twist on Sunday, Mrs. Scozzafava endorsed Mr. Owens while her former Republican backers in Washington threw their support behind Mr. Hoffman.

A new poll shows Mr. Hoffman, an accountant, with a 5-point lead over Mr. Owens — 41 percent to 36 percent — with 18 percent of likely voters still undecided. Six percent of those polled by the Siena Research Institute said they would still vote for Mrs. Scozzafava.

Her name sparked tremendous applause among Owens supporters on Monday here at the North Side Improvement League.

But Mrs. Scozzafava's nomination this summer caused a backlash among conservative Republicans as she broke with the party on abortion, the stimulus bill and pro-union legislation known as "card check." Mr. Hoffman's upstart campaign attracted hundreds of thousands from groups such as the conservative Club for Growth, which sponsored TV ads in favor of the Conservative Party nominee.

Democrats at the rally on Monday decried outside involvement in the election.

"We don't take kindly when others come in and say nasty, untrue things about us. How dare they," said June O'Neill, vice chair of the New York Democratic Party. "We're going to send them a message tomorrow. They're going to see a giant 'not for sale' sign in our yards."

Ms. O'Neill added: "Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Glenn Beck — they don't live here."

Later on Monday, former Sen. Fred Thompson and John Rich of the country duo "Big and Rich" are headlining a rally for Mr. Hoffman.