It seems like virtually every Republican who's got something to prove or wants to keep up their rep in the GOP purity derby is endorsing right-wing third party candidate Doug Hoffman over GOP nominee Dede Scozzafava in the upcoming election to fill the open seat in New York's 23rd congressional district. And now Sarah Palin has gotten into the act too.

No doubt there are others. But the only marquee conservative Republican who's really making an effort on Scozzafava's behalf is Newt Gingrich, who, whatever else you can say about the guy, knows something about coalition building.

This is going to be a very interesting race to watch. Because especially in the current political climate this is a seat Republicans really should be holding on to. Former Rep. John McHugh (R) won it by comfortable margins in the GOP bloodbath years of 2006 and 2008 before resigning to become President Obama's Secretary of the Army. And President Obama only just won it with 52% of the vote. Yet, it now seems quite possible that Democrat Bill Owens will end up winning the seat with not much more than a third of the vote.