Free Republic

Sam Fulwood III explains why Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer's disrespectful gesture last week will motivate black voters to support the president in the November election. With a waggle of her right index finger last Wednesday, Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer erased the question of whether black voters will be enthusiastic about going to the polls in support of President Barack Obama. Now, you can count on it. Gov. Brewer almost guaranteed that large numbers of black voters will turn out on Election Day because they will march to the polls, still angry about Brewer's one-finger salute of the commander-in-chief. Nothing motivates...

Newt Gingrich may have pulled out a shock victory in South Carolina, but he has yet to win the heart of one political analyst. "Newt Gingrich is dangerous on many levels," Meghan McCain told News/Talk 92.3 KTAR's Mac & Gaydos. The Republican daughter of Arizona Sen. John McCain said that Gingrich uses techniques that make the younger McCain dislike politics, including race-baiting. McCain even went so far as to say that, if the election came down to Obama versus Gingrich, she would likely turn to a third-party candidate. "I can't vote for Newt Gingrich," she said. With McCain crossing her...

Jesse Kelly, who narrowly lost to Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D) in 2010, is running again in the upcoming 8th district special election, according to two sources. “I would say an announcement is imminent,” said an insider close to the Iraq War veteran. Giffords beat Kelly by only 2 points in 2010, in what was an overall terrible political climate for Democrats. Another source close to Kelly described Giffords as the strongest possible Democratic candidate and indicated Democrats would have difficulty finding a nominee with her charm, name identification and fundraising prowess.

Arizona U.S. Senator and former Republican presidential candidate John McCain reflected on his 2008 campaign earlier this week, saying choosing former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has his running mate was “the best decision” he has ever made. Mr. McCain made the comment during an appearance on Fox News, where he also took time to promote his 2008 rival, Mitt Romney, whose Republican presidential candidacy he endorsed last week, after Mr. Romney won the Iowa caucus by eight votes. The Arizona Republican has previously said he stands by his decision to choose Ms. Palin as the Republican presidential candidate for vice...

On Wednesday’s edition of Now with Alex Wagner, the eponymous host asked MSNBC commentator Meghan McCain if her party was in crisis. McCain trashed the Iowa caucus and dreaded the rise of surging Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum. “My father did not become the nominee having anything to do with the Iowa caucus. I find it completely irrelevant. If Rick Santorum becomes the nominee of this party, I mean, it is going to be bedlam and hysteria like you have never seen.” With her over-the-top prognostication for the pending apocalypse in that scenario, McCain appeared to be channeling Bill Murray...

Meghan McCain is a person who gets paid to think and say intelligent things about politics on cable news. The daughter of Sen. John McCain, who before joining MSNBC was famous for tweeting a provocative photo of her breasts, joined Lawrence O’Donnell last night to discuss her father’s endorsement of Mitt Romney. Other than stating the obvious about Romney (“[his sons] are just perfect and beautiful”) she took the time to call someone else a “moron”– namely, Rick Santorum who, had Sen. McCain endorsed him, “I mean, I’d be, like, slitting my wrists” over it. RELATED: Meghan McCain Predicts ‘Bedlam...

Former Vice President Dan Quayle will endorse Mitt Romney for president tomorrow at a campaign event in Arizona. The endorsement will take place in Paradise Valley, Arizona, which is located within the congressional district of Ben Quayle, the former Vice President's son, who was elected to the House in 2010 and has yet to make an endorsement in the presidential race....

On CNN’s State of the Union today, Candy Crowley asked Senator John McCain if the Republican party should be worried about courting Hispanic voters in places like his home state of Arizona heading into next year’s presidential election, particularly given the anti-immigration sentiments of many of the candidates. McCain explained the policy of the United States should be “humane” when it comes to dealing with such matters, a word that got Newt Gingrich in hot water with conservatives when he used it about immigration several weeks ago. McCain suggested that the Latino vote might not necessarily go for Obama because...

Just got this from Glenn Beck's The Blaze news blog. Wow, McCain is turning more and more into Walter Matthau each day. Here is the link to the Blaze article. Comment at will. Sorry ahead of time for the short post. More are coming in the next few weeks, as I have been on hiatus for the summer. Look for a list of Repubs that vote for either a Bonner plan or something like it.

PHOENIX -- One of the Valley's leading political analysts said he believes Republican Sarah Palin is setting up a national base in Arizona, but is not planning to run for Jon Kyl’s vacating U.S. Senate seat. Jaime Molera, founding partner of the Molera Alvarez Group, who has held a variety of high-level state positions, said he thinks Palin’s plans are bigger than just running for the U.S. Senate. “I think she’s thinking about running for the presidency,” Molera said. “At the end of the day, being one of 100 senators versus being the leading contender for U.S. President; I think...

As if the death of Osama bin Laden weren’t enough good news for one month to offer the once-sagging political fortunes of the Obama administration — the terrorist mastermind was killed May 1, though it already seems like a year ago — when you include the failure of the Republican Medicare overhaul to pass in the Senate, plus indications that Tea Party darling Sarah Palin might actually run for president, the mood at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue must border on unbridled jubilation. Can’t you see Obama skipping through the halls the White House, swinging his arms wide, perhaps singing a few...

Sarah Palin has deliberately left the question as to whether or not she will run in 2012 open. For those who believe a bid for the GOP nomination is still a possibility for her, The Arizona Republic provides some further evidence: after months of rumors, Palin may have purchased a house in Scotsdale, Arizona. A deal on a secluded, 8,000-square-foot home in far north Scottsdale was recently closed by Safari Investments LLC for $1.695 million cash. The terms of the deal hide the identity of the owner, and when the attorney listed on the property records, Alan Kierman, was asked...

As first reported by New Times, there are rumors that the Tea Party's number-one ding-bat, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, is considering a run for the Senate seat getting vacated by Senator Jon Kyl -- and according to a recently released poll, if she does run, there's a pretty good chance she'd win. The poll, conducted by left-leaning pollsters at Public Policy Polling, finds that Republican voters nationwide don't want Palin to be president. However, Arizona Republicans say "you betchya!" to the idea of Palin being the state's next senator. Palin tops the list of potential GOP candidates with 35...

In a somewhat surprising move, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer on Monday vetoed the so-called “birther bill,” which would require presidential candidates to show proof of citizenship. When the bill passed the Arizona legislature it seemed all but a done deal. Wait. Brewer did?!? Jan Brewer? Yes. Yes, she did. Jan, thank you, Jan. (VIDEO AT LINK) In an uncharacteristic move of sense and sensibility, the Republican governor — who, let’s face it, has a reputation for steering into the crazy, not away from it — surprised everyone with her veto letter, saying the measure “is a bridge too far,” according...

Is Mitch Daniels, the governor of Indiana, going to run for president in 2012? Mr. Daniels, a wonkish Republican, has not yet said whether he will seek his party’s nomination, but his comments Wednesday about immigration could make it a bit more difficult if he does. Faced with lawmakers who are considering an Arizona-style immigration law, Mr. Daniels said he did not support controversial provisions that sparked a national debate last year that would provide police officers the power to question and detain people they think are illegal immigrants. “I think that legislation will be changed,” Mr. Daniels said Wednesday,...

On Monday, Meghan McCain told Kennesaw State University that she wants Mitt Romney, not Sarah Palin, to be the next president. As McCain explained, "My personal favorite right now is Mitt Romney. I like that he's not so radical. I like that he has really, really played his cards right, almost perfectly since the last election" (as reported by Marietta Daily Journal). McCain's endorsement may be a double-edged sword for Romney. On the one hand, her endorsement is a boon because she chose him over her own father's running mate. And McCain enjoys a devoted following among independents, moderate Republicans...

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Politicians from both parties are buzzing about the prospect of Sarah Palin choosing Scottsdale to headquarter her 2012 presidential campaign. Politco.com and other online sites are reporting Palin plans to run for president, and will launch her campaign from Scottsdale. "I just recently heard the buzz," state Republican Party Chairman Tom Morrissey said. "There's all sorts of rumors floating around," state Democratic Party Chairman Andrei Cherny responded. Political analyst Jamie Molera cited several reasons to give the rumor credit. "I don't think its something where she threw a dart on the board and said, 'Arizona's going to...

In the spirit of civility, Arizona House Democrats posted the following on their Facebook page, calling tea party members tea baggers after the Arizona State Senate passed a bill that would allow for people to obtain a tea party themed Arizona license plate.(Graphic at link)Keeping it classy!

SCOTTSDALE - Members of Sarah Palin's camp are considering basing her presidential campaign in Scottsdale, according to Politico.com. She hasn't yet decided whether she will run, but Politico reports that sources within her camp think Scottsdale is a top headquarters location. For one, Palin's daughter Bristol bought a home in Maricopa a few months ago. In the wake of the Tucson shootings, Palin was blasted for a "crosshairs map" she released during the 2010 election that marked Gabrielle Giffords in Tucson as a Democratic to vote out. Some critics connected that rhetoric to the shooting, later leading her to release...

Today's big political sensation seems to be a video released by Sarah Palin providing her presumably definitive commentary on the shootings in Tucson, the controversy over her PAC's targeting of Gabby Giffords with what looked like a bullseye on her district, and the broader argument about the possible connection of violent anti-government rhetoric with acts of violence against government officials. Most of the commentary on the video has focused on her use of the term "blood libel" to characterize accusations of conservative responsibility for the outbreak of violence in Arizona. The term originally referred to persistent medieval claims that Jews...

2008 Republican presidential nominee Senator John McCain from Arizona announced this week he would not be making an endorsement in the 2012 presidential race in the Republican primary. McCain told Politico, “I think I’m staying out of this for the first time in many years.” In abstaining from presidential politics, McCain may be depriving some of his closest political allies a major campaign boost. One potential recipient of a McCain endorsement could have been former running mate Sarah Palin whose presidential hopes may depend on polling numbers in early primary states. McCain’s blessing would have given needed credibility to Palin’s...

President Barack Obama and Republican Senator John McCain, have had their first face-to-face meeting at the White House since the 2008 presidential election. The two men discussed a range of topics in the Oval Office sit-down, including domestic political issues and foreign policy matters including the situation in Egypt. The White House did not grant media access, even for still photographers, to Wednesday's meeting in the Oval Office, which also covered the situation in Egypt. After the meeting, a McCain spokeswoman issued a statement saying he and the president had a "productive meeting on a range of issues" including the...

The Daily Beast columnist Meghan McCain was on 'The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell' (Wed., 8PM on MSNBC), where she and the host responded to GOP Congresswoman Michele Bachmann's response to the State of the Union address. MSNBC did not air the response, but CNN did, which McCain thinks they "should be ashamed of." Lawrence called Bachmann's statements the "second response to the State of the Union Address," because the designated Republican response had already been given. He agreed with McCain "about how there were these different people who are just using their platforms to their own personal advantage, rather...

President Obama's approval rating got a big bounce in the latest Wall Street Journal/NBC poll, jumping to 53 percent, his highest rating since July '09; if you've been paying attention, you'll know that's just before Tea Party zealots started disrupting Democrats' town halls over healthcare reform and carrying guns to Obama rallies. The president's numbers swung 15 points in a month; in December, 48 percent of voters disapproved of the job he was doing, while only 45 percent approved. Obama's disapproval number is now down to 41 percent. Obama's numbers have been climbing in other recent polls, most of which...

On Wednesday, controversial former Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Fla.) mocked former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, outlined death threats he and other Members received last year and detailed inflammatory rhetoric, asking his supporters to “stand against it.” “[T]here has been a stream of violence and threats of violence by the right wing against Democrats. [Rep. Gabrielle Giffords] warned against it, and then became a terrible victim of it. Palin has instigated it, and then tried to pretend that it doesn’t exist,” Grayson wrote in an e-mail to supporters. Grayson said it was Palin’s appearance on “The Sean Hannity Show,” where she complained...

"No one wants the country to suffer another catastrophe," Time's Mark Halperin wrote after the 2010 midterms -- while saying disaster was just what President Obama needed. He was hardly alone in this theory: Something similar occurred to President Clinton's adviser Mark Penn. "President Clinton reconnected with Oklahoma," he said to Chris Matthews. "Obama needs a similar kind of ... yeah." To some on the left, when your typical paranoid loner, Jared Loughner, shot Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, R-Ariz., outside a Safeway in Tucson, wounding 13 people and killing six, it seemed the "kind of ... yeah" moment had come. Now...

John McCain has extended a hand to his old rival. Writing in the pages of the Washington Post, McCain praises President Obama for his remarks at the Tucson memorial on Wednesday and makes his own commitment to not let his passion get the best of him. He also bears witness. Referring to the president, McCain writes: "He is a patriot sincerely intent on using his time in office to advance our country's cause. I reject accusations that his policies and beliefs make him unworthy to lead America or opposed to its founding ideals." McCain also defends Sarah Palin, though he...

Last Night On "TingleBall", Chris Matthews continued his rants on Sarah Palin as if she was the primary culprit behind the Saturday Shootings. He put together a compilation Sarah Palin video with bits of her "Reloading Related Remarks",and in the video,there is a carefully edited bit of Palin shooting the caribou/reindeer.The shooting of the deer was the focus.Chrissy Tingles Matthews actually thinks that the average American will believe that Sarah Palin shooting the deer is the Primary Reason A Lunatic Went On A Shooting Spree In Tuscon! Could a cable news anchor BE ANY MORE IGNORANT? !!

On Wednesday's Washington Unplugged, CBS News chief political consultant Marc Ambinder weighed in on Sarah Palin's video statement responding to critics who have blamed her for Saturday's shootings. "It's a remarkable video for several reasons," Ambinder said. "If you look at the video, and you look at the scope of what she says, it's almost presidential-esque. " Ambinder noted to CBS News senior White House correspondent Bill Plante that her response before President Obama's scheduled remarks Wednesday evening elevates her status as a prominent Republican, "I think it makes her the most prominent Republican, in a sense, to respond or...

Chris Matthews, on Monday's Hardball, used the attempt on Gabrielle Giffords' life, to not only portray America as some sort of gun crazed country, but also to blame the likes of Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann for political violence as he blurted: "Sarah Palin using gun play language. What is she talking about crosshairs and reloading...and Bachmann out there with her kind of talk. I mean it seems like the way people talk now has, has gotten more ballistic...Why are guns talked about so much, especially on the right? Why?" First up, Matthews depicted the United States as a uniquely...

Senator Dick Durbin appeared on CNN’s State of the Union and told Candy Crowley that Sarah Palin’s gun imagery of targeting certain congressional districts was “beyond the bounds” and “not acceptable rhetoric.” Although when pressed by Crowley, Durbin did not want to suggest there was a direct connection between the rhetoric and yesterday’s shooting of Congresswoman Giffords, nor whether there was similarly unacceptable rhetoric amongst Democrats. Durbin explained: “We live in a world of violent images and violent words, but those of us in public life and the journalists who cover us, should be thoughtful in response to this and...

Some prominent liberal bloggers wasted little time before politicizing the horrific and tragic shooting of a congresswoman in Arizona on Saturday. Almost immediately after the nation learned of the shooting of Arizona Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and several others (including a federal judge), a few prominent liberal web writers sought to blame Sarah Palin and other conservatives for the action. Linking to a map of U.S. House districts that Sarah Palin's pac wanted to "target" during the 2010 mid-term elections -- which sadly included crosshairs over Rep. Giffords' district (among others) -- DailyKos founder Markos Moulitsas Tweeted, "Mission accomplished, Sarah...

Jeb Bush—former President George W. Bush's younger brother and member of one of the most esteemed Republican families in the country—announced his opposition to Arizona's SB 1070 laws over the weekend. At the National League of Cities convention in Denver, Colorado, he explained that doesn't believe racial profiling is an affective way to determine citizenship and pointed out that his half-Latino children (he is married to a Mexican woman) could be suspects. "It's the wrong approach," Bush said according to the Denver Post. "The net result is not much has been done." Bush went on to criticize the call for...

It seems almost unfair for an intellectual lightweight like Meghan McCain to take Palin on. While I personally find the Palin-Reagan comparisons a little insulting to the Gipper, Palin is still vastly more intelligent than the majority of PDS-sufferers and is certainly smarter than Meggie-Poo. If this was a boxing match, Sarah would be Mike Tyson facing off against Meggie Mac as Screech. While McCain’s rambling, nonsensical columns are usually full of schadenfreude-y goodness, the columns where she attempts to attack Sarah Palin are simultaneously the most groan-worthy and the most entertaining. In her latest pathetic excuse for a column,...

Meghan McCain had a few choice words for Christine O'Donnell on 'The Talk' (weekdays, syndicated), questioning the GOP Senate candidate's state of mind, but declining to comment specifically on Sarah Palin. "I ... called her a nutjob," McCain said tersely of O'Donnell. "I feel the same way right now." When asked by Julie Chen whether she thought Palin was unfair to father John McCain's campaign team after the 2008 Presidential election, McCain was cagey and instead mentioned who she plans to support in 2012. "It's irrelevant at this point. I've so moved on," she said. "I'm looking at 2012. I've...

Sarah Palin is picking up her online and fundraising efforts on behalf of three Republicans looking to unseat incumbent Arizona Democrats in November. Palin is urging her supporters to get behind David Schweikert, Paul Gosar and Jesse Kelly in their bids against U.S. Reps. Harry Mitchell of Tempe, Ann Kirkpatrick of Flagstaff and Gabrielle Giffords of Tucson. Palin has targeted 20 races nationwide where she wants to help Republican challengers. The three Arizona races could be indicators of how well Republicans are doing nationally in a year when Democrats and President Barack Obama could face voters’ wrath over the economy...

O’Donnell’s victory in Delaware is already being credited to Sarah Palin and the Tea Party Movement, but more credit probably goes to a backlash against a GOP that provided a coronation to a liberal_Republican and used vicious and hate-filled tactics against his opponents, that doubtlessly reminded many Republicans of the tactics Democrats were using against Sarah Palin. I would much rather have had Hayworth knock out McCain, than have O’Donnell knock out Mike Castle. That would have removed one of the Senate’s biggest liberal Republicans, and would have probably given his obnoxious daughter the boot out of the spotlight too....

Meghan McCain, the chatty daughter of 2008 Republican presidential nominee John McCain, says she joining up with "team Romney" for the 2012 campaign for the White House. At least, that's her leaning at this early stage. McCain, 25, told NBC "Tonight Show" host Jay Leno she "is so sick and tired of this us-versus-them mentality" in politics. "I just want a candidate that's going to stop being so versus them. So right now I am team Romney." In 2008, Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, was a rival who clearly got under the skin of Sen. McCain in the...

As the dust settled yesterday on the Tuesday Primary, Conservatives counted their victories and losses. Outstanding victories in Flordia for Marco Rubio and Rick Scott have given rise to a narrative that the Tea Parties have galvanized the Conservative Base of the Republican Party. In Rick Scott's case, his opponent Bill McCollum was the insider endorsed by Jeb Bush and Mike "Huckles" Huckabee. Sadly, Sen. John "Amnesty" McCain will be roaming the Senate for 6 more years. J.D. Hayworth was done in by two things: a $21 million war chest and an open primary with many Democrats running over to...

Here is a breakdown of tomorrow’s Republican primary elections. We have 5 states voting: Alaska, Arizona, Florida, Vermont, and a run-off in Oklahoma. Leave your thoughts on the various candidates in the comments section. Don’t forget to be here tomorrow for our LIVE Chat starting at 8 am at our Election HQ. Just go to our Front page and click on our Election HQ, and join the Election Watch!

In five days, Arizonan Republicans elect their candidate for the U.S. Senate, and the stakes could not be higher. McCain is the Official #1 RINO for his long and storied history of Progressive Positions and Policies. Since Sen. McCain resides at #1 on the RINO Top Ten, the staff here at RINOList.org have decided to Live Chat the election coverage the whole day on the 24th! Come to the front page on the 24th after 8 am, and click the Election HQ to get sent to the Chat Page. Join us all day as we watch eagerly for the election...

There are so many candidates running in AZ-03 to replace John Shadegg that fundraising is tough unless your last name is Quayle. Pamela Gorman has up what might amount to a closing argument after a great grassroots campaign. This reflects exactly why I’m supporting Pamela Gorman. Unlike every single other candidate in that race, Pamela Gorman has bled for cause. She stood up to Democrats. She stood up to Republicans. The fights cost her friends and power, but she held the course. Pamela Gorman has been tested and done well. She will not waver, falter, tire, or go astray. We...

(VIDEO AT LINK) Well, it wouldn't be a Republican primary if Sarah Palin didn't somehow get involved. Robert Mayer, the former Tucson Tea Party activist who is now backing Jonathan Paton in the Congressional District 8 race against Jesse Kelly, has posted two videos in which Kelly busts on St. Sarah for endorsing too many moderates. Kelly responds via email: "Taping me will still not distract voters from Paton's record of voting for big-spending budgets and against tort reform." Espresso Pundit wonders if it's enough to bring Sarah to CD8 in support of Paton. Even the right Facebook post could...

Arizona House candidate Ben Quayle (R) accused the media of focusing on his recent foibles because of his famous last name.
 The son of former Vice Prsidnet Dan Quayle has admitted he wrote for a racy website called DirtyScottsdale.com but denied he had a column under the byline, "Brock Landers." Quayle said he was used to "being made fun of" because of his name. "Having the last name of Quayle, we're used to being made fun of and [having] some parody and having things that aren't true being said about you," he told CNN's John King Friday. "So, you know,...

This week, fellow Tea Party Patriots came together to endorse J. D. Hayworth for the Republican Party’s nomination to the Senate. This endorsement follows a long line of prominent public groups and persons who have endorsed and campaigned for J. D. That list includes Sheriff Joe.

Former Republican vice presidential hopeful Sarah Palin is not letting up in her constant drumbeat of criticism directed about President Obama. After saying Sunday that Arizona's female Republican governor has more "cojones" than Obama when it comes to immigration and border security, Palin suggested Wednesday night that the 44th president is still trying to figure out his governing philosophy. Asked about a narrative – which is a persistent theme particularly in Republican and conservative circles – that Obama is too weak when it comes to issues like national security and immigration, Palin shared her insights on Fox News Channel about...

The courts have turned against us...

Former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin tweeted her opinions of President Barack Obama's interview on "The View" this morning. Palin wrote: "President with no time to visit porous US/Mexican border to offer help to those risking life to secure us, but lotso' (lots of) time to chat on 'The View?'" A later tweet read: "I'm headed to border in near future... let's see how quickly his travel schedule will allow that border visit after all." While on "The View," Obama spoke on a variety of topics ranging from the unemployment rate and the war in Afghanistan, to Lindsay Lohan and...

PRESCOTT, Ariz. -- Today, Governor Sarah Palin endorsed Dr. Paul Gosar for Congress. Gosar is running in the Republican Primary Election in Arizona's First Congressional District. In announcing her endorsement on Facebook, Governor Palin stated: "I'm also proud to endorse Dr. Paul Gosar for Arizona's 1st Congressional District. Thankfully, Paul shares our belief that the federal government's reckless spending is putting us on a dangerous path towards insolvency – and he's determined to do something about that. In addition to being a proud family man, Paul is a dentist, and as a small business owner running his practice, Paul understands...

Arizona Republican congressional candidate Pamela Gorman shoots four separate firearms, including an automatic rifle, in her latest ad. The ad splices together glamour shots of Gorman, a state senator, with her firing off rounds in the Arizona desert. “This year a lot of folks think this is our best shot at changing Congress,” the narrator of the ad says. “Course that all depends on the caliber of our candidates.” The ad then cuts from a shot of Gorman standing with her hair blowing in the wind to her firing a Thompson submachine gun, the favorite weapon of Chicago mobsters and...