Somebody appears to be pulling a dirty trick in NY-23 -- with an ad "praising" moderate Republican Dede Scozzafava for all of her liberal positions that would drive GOP voters away from her and over to the Conservative Party's Doug Hoffman.

The Politico reports that an ad is now running from a new group called "Common Sense in America," praising Scozzafava's support of the stimulus bill, labor unions, and marriage equality for gays. Upon close examination, the group's head is Arkansas businessman Jackson Stephens, a board member of the right-wing Club For Growth and a donor to Hoffman. The ad could serve two purposes -- to keep conservatives away from Scozzafava, and to split liberal voters between the Republican Scozzafava and Democratic candidate Bill Owens.

The group said of their ad: "The purpose of this ad, produced independent of any other organization, is to give voters undisputed facts about candidate Dede Scozzafava's positions. Ms. Scozzafava is clearly and indisputably on record supporting the Obama stimulus, card check, and gay marriage. These positions would make her an ideal candidate for progressive voters in New York's 23rd congressional district."