Mr. Hoffman flirts with irresponsible politics

The Watertown Daily Times is reporting on Conservative candidate Doug Hoffman’s claim in a fundraising letter that “ACORN, the unions and the Democratic Party” “tampered” with results to deny him victory.

Jude Seymour’s article continues with this:

Mr. Hoffman provided no evidence to support his claims, but asked fellow conservatives to send donations his way to “ensure every vote is counted.”

Jerry O. Eaton, Jefferson County Republican elections commissioner, called Mr. Hoffman’s assertion “absolutely false.”

George Williams, Oswego County Republican chairman, also rejected Mr. Hoffman’s claims.

Hoffman spokesman Rob Ryan declined to offer support for claims that anything undue had occurred during the NY-23 balloting.

“When and if we challenge the election, we will lay out the evidence on these matters,” he said.

To make such an explosive claim in a fundraising letter — and then to decline to offer evidence — is, in a word, irresponsible.

Mr. Hoffman came remarkably close to winning a seat in Congress and appears to have a bright political future ahead of him, should he choose to stay in the game.

But making reckless claims of this kind can only harm his own credibility, a credibility already frayed by his close association with figures like Glenn Beck.