Scozzafava-Owens-Hoffman race gains importance

Word out today that political guru-extaordinaire Charlie Cook is predicting that Democrats could lose as many as 20 seats in next year’s mid-term elections.

That would still leave them with a comfortable, albeit far less dominant majority.

(It’s remarkable just how large the Democratic majority is. They currently hold a 78-seat advantage. A dramatic 20-seat shift would still leave Dems with 236 seats to the GOP’s 198.)

The shifting national mood means the special election in New York’s 23rd House district takes on added importance.

Republicans desperately need to hold that seat, to prevent themselves from sinking further into the hole. They also need a momentum builder.

Democrats, on the other hand, are eager for some insurance.

Picking up a win here in a historically red district would pad their national majority and diminish claims that the pro-Obama/pro-Democrat zeitgeist of the last four years is turning.

Look for both parties and their special-interest allies to pile in with resources, talent and money.

One open question for freshly-christened Democrat Bill Owens will be his ability to garner union support, which could be decisive.

Also, look for the pressure on Conservatives (and their candidate Doug Hoffman) to mount, as GOP leaders try to clear the field for Dede Scozzafava.

The Watertown Daily Times has already chimed in, urging Conservatives to back off or risk “joining New York’s old Liberal party as an asterisk in the history books.”