Penry’s exit no victory for Scozzafava-style moderate Republicans

Reporting on the developments in the Colorado governor’s race, the National Review assures its conservative readers that Penry’s exit is no victory for moderate Republicans in the mode of Dede Scozzafava, the pro-choice and pro-stimulus GOP candidate for New York’s 23rd Congressional District. Scozzafava was forced out of the race by a national ultra-conservative movement that saw advocates like Marilyn Musgrave and Sarah Palin leading the call for a return to “real Republican” values, even though it meant campaigning against Republican Scozzafava in favor of Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman.

No worries, reports the National Review, McInnis is “pretty darn conservative.”

mcinnis[A]t the Atlantic, Marc Ambinder writes, “McInnis has tacked to the right — he insists he’s matured — and now opposes abortion rights, but many Colorado conservatives know him as a centrist GOPer.” The headline is “conservative pushed out in Colorado.”

Lest anyone see this as Scozzafava beating Hoffman…, I would note Scott McInnis left Congress with a lifetime ACU rating of 89. For the “issues” part of his campaign web site, he sends people to “OnTheIssues.org,” which details his congressional voting record.

He’s pretty darn conservative.

The American Conservative Union (ACU) 89 rating is high. The ACU has produced its ratings for every member of the U.S. House and Senate since 1971. McInnis received an 89 lifetime rating, which is high, meaning safely conservative, but in 2004, he received a perfect score, a 100, same as arch-conservatives Marilyn Musgrave and Tom Tancredo. McInnis served six terms in the House, from 1993-2005.

The website On the Issues reports his strong pro-life anti-abortion voting history. He was given the lowest possible rating by the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League, or NARAL Pro-Choice America.

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