Former Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) has endorsed Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman in the NY-23 special election, in a statement provided to the Weekly Standard, and is blasting the GOP for picking moderate Republican candidate Dede Scozzafava:

Political parties must stand for something. When Republicans were in the wilderness in the late 1970s, Ronald Reagan knew that the doctrine of "blurring the lines" between parties was not an appropriate way to win elections. Unfortunately, the Republican Party today has decided to choose a candidate that more than blurs the lines, and there is no real difference between the Democrat and the Republican in this race. This is why Doug Hoffman is running on the Conservative Party's ticket.

Republicans and conservatives around the country are sending an important message to the Republican establishment in their outstanding grassroots support for Doug Hoffman: no more politics as usual.

Just think about the seriousness of the split in Republican ranks over this race -- the nominee for Vice President in last year's election is now rejecting the party's candidate in a Congressional race, where the divisions among the right are threatening to hand a GOP-held seat to the Democrats.