Why is Newt Gingrich Endorsing Dede Scozzafava?

I just read the Wall Street Journal, "Tea-Party Activists Complicate Republican Comeback Strategy." It notes there that Dede Scozzafava, a RINO who's nevertheless backed by New York's Hamilton County Republican Committee, is pro-choice, favors same-sex marriage, backed President Obama's economic porkulus plan, and wants to give unions card-check power over employees. And Newt Gingrich is backing her over insurgent conservative Republican Doug Hoffman? That's fubar. Bill Kristol responds, "Shouldn't the Republican Establishment Help a Republican Win a Congressional Seat?":

A new poll in the November 3 special election for the congressional seat, NY-23, vacated by Army Secretary John McHugh, confirms what knowledgeable observers have suspected for a while: The candidacy of the official Republican nominee, liberal Dede Scozzafava, selected by local party officials and supported by the national Republican establishment, is collapsing. The Republican who has a real chance to defeat Democrat Bill Owens is Doug Hoffman, the Conservative Party candidate—a Republican with a profile far more like the popular McHugh, and one far more in sync with the district. What’s more, if elected, Hoffman would caucus in Congress with Republicans—whereas Scozzafava could well pull an Arlen Specter and defect to the Democrats.

Read the whole thing at the link. (Additional commentary at Memeorandum.)

Scozzafava is fading, and folks can help Hoffman by making a donation at his campaign page, here.

What bugs me especially is Gingrich. Why is this guy backing a Rockefeller Republican? The days of the moderate Republican are long over, and folks like Scozzafava simply need to declare their real party affiliation rather than carpetbagging GOP races. Gingrich should know better. Indeed, tea partiers should denounce the former Speaker at their next round of events.

Added: From Red State, "Today Newt Gingrich Takes Himself Out of the 2012 Running."