Dede Scozzafava's opponents reacted in very different ways Saturday to her decision to suspend her campaign.

Democratic candidate Bill Owens praised Scozzafava by name:

“Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava has been an honorable public servant for years now and I have a tremendous amount of respect for her and her commitment to her principles. While we disagree on certain issues, we share a dedication to serving the best interests of Upstate New York and the Obama administration’s efforts to get our economy back on track."  

Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman did not, other than in the headline of his press release.

"This morning’s events prove what we have said for the last week; this campaign is a horserace between me and Nancy Pelosi’s handpicked candidate, Bill Owens. At this moment, the Democratic Party, the Working Families Party, ACORN, Big Labor and pro-abortion groups are flooding the district with troops and they are flooding the airwaves with a million dollars worth of negative ads. They are throwing mud; they are trying to stop me.
 
“It’s time for us to send a message to Washington—we’re sick and tired of big-spending, high-taxing, career politicians and by voting for me on Tuesday you will send that message loud and clear.”

Update: When we directly asked Hoffman about Scozzafava, he acknowledged her knowledge of the district.

The Republican leadership in the House of Representatives quickly united behind Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman  Saturday, following Republican nominee Dede Scozzafava's decision to 'suspend' her campaign.

In a joint statement from House Republican Leader John Boehner, House Republican Whip Eric Cantor, and National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Pete Sessions, the leadership said: 

“As the House stands on the cusp of the forthcoming vote on a trillion-dollar healthcare reform measure, it is vital that we unify behind a candidate that will support reining in massive government spending and work with Republicans in Congress to restore fiscal sanity and propose thoughtful measures to get our nation’s economy on the right track.

“We look forward to welcoming Doug Hoffman into the House Republican Conference as we work together for the good of our nation.”

Much earlier in the campaign, Boehner pledged to get Scozzafava a seat on the House Armed Services committee if she was elected.