Free Republic

He's been courted by the likes of Jeb Bush, Charlie Crist and legions of Tampa Bay Republican activists. Last week, Darryl Rouson, the never dull former president of the St. Petersburg NAACP, took the plunge and became a Republican. "It's our heritage, and it can be our legacy," said Rouson, invoking past Republicans including Booker T. Washington, George Washington Carver and Frederick Douglass. "I know it's not a very popular thing among a lot of African-Americans, but I just believe we should be at every table and speak the truth." The St. Petersburg lawyer and vocal antidrug crusader had already...

Opportunity. That was the key word in remarks by Ken Mehlman, chairman of the Republican National Committee, who was in Harrisburg yesterday. He appeared at a fund-raising rally for City Councilman Otto Banks, who is seeking re-election. A longtime Democrat, Banks recently switched to the GOP. Mehlman said his visit here was part of an ongoing effort to support minority candidates across the country, and to recruit minorities into the Republican party. Those objectives can be accomplished through "education reform, [supporting] small-businesses, home-ownership initiatives," Mehlman said. He said the Republican agenda is "designed to help working Americans." Mehlman said the...

OFF TO THE RACES Butler's Chances Black Minister From Detroit May Prove To Be A GOP Exception By Charlie Cook Tuesday, May 3, 2005 Central to the job of a political analyst is to assess the partisanship and voting patterns of a state or congressional district, the strengths and weaknesses of the incumbent if one is running and of the other candidates in the field, the availability of resources and any other circumstances that might become important in the contest, and then weigh the importance of each of these factors. After almost three decades of watching congressional elections, I have...

LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- The Rev. Keith Butler is expected Tuesday to jump into the Republican race for the U.S. Senate seat now held by Democrat Debbie Stabenow, according to Dave Doyle of Lansing-based Marketing Resource Group, which is helping with Butler's campaign. Butler is the founding pastor of the 21,000-member nondenominational Word of Faith International Christian Center Church in Southfield and a former Detroit City Council member. According to his Web site, his 1989 election made him the first known Republican elected to the council since before World War II. Butler plans to unveil his candidacy during a two-day...

The 'Kickoff Rally' for George Fassitt, the Republican Candidate for the Biloxi City Council's newly created Sixth Ward and potentially the first African American GOP member was held this morning at the Biloxi Beachfront Hotel, in Biloxi, Mississippi. Several press outlets, including local television stations were in attendance, and Mr. Fassitt gave a thoughtful, yet rousing campaign speech about the needs, as he sees them, for Biloxi's newest ward. During his talk, Fassitt announced that his campaign's website http://www.georgefassitt.com is now in operation (click to view) Mr. Fassitt's kickoff speech was followed by a prayer and then a light luncheon...

Gibbons’ Wife to Explore Run for His House Seat By Nicole Duran Roll Call Staff January 10, 2005 Talk has begun in earnest that Rep. Jim Gibbons (R-Nev.) once again wants his wife to succeed him in a legislative body, as he seems certain to vacate his House seat for a run at the governor’s mansion.

When Mary Frances Berry left the U.S. Civil Rights Commission in early December, after 25 years as either vice-chairman or chairman, she did so without the anticipated bruising public fight. (The Bush administration apparently changed the locks on the Commission offices and reassigned the bank accounts.) Berry, whom new vice-chairman Abigail Thernstrom characterizes as "a remarkably divisive person," had a history of picking fights, and in fact took pride in it. The fights tended to devolve to a single issue: that Berry, representing all African Americans, had been discriminated against, and was going to get hers (and theirs) back. Thus...

The likely next president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference is a familiar name to most students of the Civil Rights Movement. The Rev. Ralph David Abernathy, III is the son of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s closest ally and successor at the SCLC. In an interview with The Louisiana Weekly, Abernathy argued that African Americans may be wasting their votes by exclusively considering Democrats in elections. Instead, he argued that the best route to guarantee "human rights" of education and health care could come through supporting candidates of both parties. Abernathy came to Louisiana with the goal of beginning what...

For approximately ten years I have been without political affiliation.  I am not a member of a political party.  Today, I plan to change that.  First, I will vote for the reelection of President George W. Bush.  Secondly, I will join the Republican Party. Why?  Well, many (many, many) African Americans will say,"because he is an idiot".  I understand and respect that response.  I know the hurt we feel (and have felt for hundreds of years).  I am aware of the blatant racism the Republican Party has condoned (and in some cases still condones).  My reasons for the stance taken...

We think it was quite a shame there weren't more hours in primetime speaking slots at the Republican National Convention. Because if there were, then perhaps more Americans could have seen Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele's truly conservative and inspirational speech on the second night of the convention. We don't want to take away from either California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger or Laura Bush, who both spoke in the precious 10 to 11 p.m. slot aired by the major television networks, but it was in fact Mr. Steele's earlier, and far less covered, speech that Republicans, not to say Americans, should...

Republican Party officials are planning a meet-the-candidate tour for the U.S. Senate nominee they hope to name at a meeting Tuesday to replace former candidate Jack Ryan. ..... Republican sources said a late entry into the race may be former presidential candidate Alan Keyes, a conservative who served as an ambassador to the United Nations in the Reagan administration and ran far behind George W. Bush in the 2000 Republican presidential primaries. Keyes, a Harvard-educated radio commentator from Maryland, also ran unsuccessfully for president in 1996, and for U.S. senator from Maryland in 1988 and 1992. "I know he has...

Bush Aide Resigns to Explore Ill. Senate Run Friday, July 09, 2004 SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The deputy director of President Bush's drug-control office resigned Friday to explore a run for the U.S. Senate in place of Jack Ryan (search), the Republican nominee who dropped out over sex club allegations. Andrea Grubb Barthwell (search), a Chicago-area physician, had been deputy director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (search) in Washington since 2002, focusing on reducing demand for drugs. Federal law barred her from seeking the Republican nomination while she worked for the government. Michael Barnes, an attorney and Barthwell...

<p>GOP hopes black mayor can nab House seat in N.Y.</p> <p>NEW YORK — Long Island's first black mayor, James Arthur Garner, is a conservative Republican who the GOP believes can unseat four-term Democratic Rep. Carolyn McCarthy and attract black voters to the party he has re-christened "The Grow Out Party."</p>

Rep. Hooley should brace for a tough race Both Sen. Jackie Winters and Jim Zupacncic are formidable foes. April 17, 2004 Voters in the 5th Congressional District can choose between the strongest Republican candidates in years. Either state Sen. Jackie Winters of Salem or lawyer Jim Zupancic of Lake Oswego would be a formidable opponent to Democratic Rep. Darlene Hooley. Winters’ and Zupancic’s views are alike in many ways. Both support President Bush’s tax cut, his No Child Left Behind act and his approach to thinning public forests. Each vows to cut government waste and paints the other as more...

From the desk of Perry A. Atkinson Oregon Republican Party Chairman 1999-2003 Monday, April 12, 2004 Dear Fellow Republican, It is rare that I get involved in a Republican Primary but when I learned that Senator Jackie Winters’ opponent in the Fifth Congressional District race, downtown Portland Lawyer Jim Zupancic, had contributed money to Democrat Attorney General Hardy Meyers, it bothered me deeply. This is the same Hardy Meyers that recently refused to enforce the state law banning gay marriage in Multnomah County. While I was trying to lead the Party, at a time when then candidate George W. Bush...

A Race For Wisconsin's 4th District? You may remember that in January Congressman Jerry Kleczka decided not to run for his 11th term. He's a staunch liberal Democrat who has represented Wisconsin's 4th district for the last 20 years. The 4th District consists of the city of Milwaukee and a few of the suburbs. It was widely believed by most, including me, that this seat is a solid Democratic seat, but that belief may be unfounded. The Republican candidate who is running for this seat is Corey Hoze. He is a lifetime Milwaukee resident who has worked both in government...

“I am grateful to all the NRA members for their continued support. I am honored to forward you the following NRA-PVF endorsement I received today,” Senator Jackie Winters. NRA Political Victory Fund Institute for Legislative Action 11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax, Virginia 22030 March 31, 2004 The Honorable Jackie Winters 3282 25th Street SE Salem, Oregon 97302 Dear Senator Winters: On behalf of our four million members, the National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund is proud to endorse your candidacy for the United States House of Representatives in the 5th congressional district of Oregon. During your tenure in the Oregon...

Collins exiting from Ga. Senate race? Isakson leads pack; pizza king Cain running strong A leading Georgia Republican Party official has cast doubt on Rep. Mac Collins’s Senate prospects, raising the possibility that he could drop out of the July Republican Senate primary and run for a seventh term in the House. “When all is said and done, Isakson and Cain will be the last two standing,” said Kay Godwin, who oversees the state GOP in all Georgia counties with fewer than 80,000 people. Godwin was referring to three-term Rep. Johnny Isakson and pizza magnate Herman Cain, also running in...

Tireless campaigner made a strong showing in GOP primary. Clinton B. LeSueur amply demonstrated in Tuesday's congressional primary that he is no flash in the pan. The indefatigable fellow knows how to get votes. LeSueur set up a November rematch with incumbent Rep. Bennie Thompson after easily dispatching two challengers for the Republican nomination. Although the turnout was terribly light, LeSueur did a good job of showing the Republican Party leadership that his campaign will be worth investing in. He more than doubled his vote total from the 2002 GOP primary while capturing 85 percent of the vote. He still...

Republican Cain joins U.S. Senate race facing east Cobb Rep. Isakson Tuesday, March 9, 2004 4:00 AM EST E-mail this story to a friend | Printable version By David Burch Marietta Daily Journal Staff Writer MARIETTA - An African- American Republican with no prior political experience, U.S. Senate candidate Herman Cain said he sees his status as a Washington outsider as a virtue rather than a drawback headed into the July 20 Republican primary. "I'm in a position to challenge the status quo," Cain, who worked most recently as chairman and CEO of the national chain Godfather's Pizza, said Monday...