RNC wades into New York special election

The Republican National Committee is making its first large financial commitment to the party's candidate in a New York special election, fighting back criticism that the party has allowed Democrats to jump to an early lead.

The RNC will give $85,000 to the coordinated campaign efforts, the maximum allowed by federal law. And the RNC will give the New York state Republican Party what a source described as a six-figure transfer in order to run more advertising on behalf of Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava (R).

Meanwhile, the RNC has sent two paid staffers to help Scozzafava's campaign, and it has committed to fully funding the party's victory program, aimed at increasing turnout in the Nov. 3 special election.

The NRCC has poured $567,000 into the race so far, according to reports filed with the Federal Election Commission.

Both committees have spent less on the special election, caused when John McHugh resigned to become Army secretary, than they have on a special election in the neighboring 20th district, which happened in late March.

But sources point out that the RNC is also spending millions on governor races in Virginia and New Jersey, races the party did not have to focus on when Rep. Scott Murphy (D-N.Y.) beat Assemblyman Jim Tedisco (R) by a narrow margin.

On the Democratic side, Vice President Joe Biden raised money for attorney Bill Owens (D) last month, while President Barack Obama has a fundraiser scheduled with the first-time candidate Tuesday.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has spent $386,000 on Owens's behalf, though Owens has had much more success fundraising on his own than Scozzafava has.

The latest poll in the race, a Siena Research Institute survey, showed Owens leading Scozzafava by a 33 percent to 29 percent margin. Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman, who has attacked both his rivals as liberals and is running hard to the right, scored 23 percent, according to the poll.