The Betty factor

If the Republicans end up losing the 20th Congressional District race, their leadership may rue the day the party went with the old boy and stood up their best gal, State Sen. Betty Little. Check out this map: Jim Tedisco lost in the northernmost three counties of the district to unknown Scott Murphy, which just happens to constitute a huge chunk of the area Little represents and where she is quite popular. Assuming Republican machinery in Saratoga and other points south would have kept her numbers competitive with Tedisco's, the GOP would have gained a House seat by choosing Little.