Free Republic

Club for Growth President Chris Chocola gave six-term Sen. Dick Lugar (R-Ind.) some unsolicited advice Tuesday: Retire. Chocola, a former Congressman from Indiana who served in the House from 2003 to 2007, told ABC’s “Top Line” that his fiscally conservative organization is considering getting involved in Lugar’s 2012 re-election campaign in the Hoosier State. The club has already met with Lugar’s primary opponent, state Treasurer Richard Mourdock (R). “We are looking at that race very closely,” Chocola said. “We do have some concerns about Sen. Lugar and his service. We think it would probably be best if he would retire...

It was a moment of unintentional comedy earlier this year when newly appointed U.S. Sen. George LeMieux called himself a " Charlie Crist Republican." No doubt LeMieux spoke in earnest about the man who appointed him to the Senate, and who is now running to succeed him in it. But the joke was that nobody knew what he meant. What is a "Charlie Crist Republican" anyway? Honestly, do you know how Charlie Crist would vote on a federal takeover of health care, on a cap-and-trade energy tax, on massive new spending bills, or on another stimulus boondoggle?

After pumping more than $1 million into an upstate New York House race to elect the Conservative Party’s Doug Hoffman, the Club for Growth is on the hunt again. Chris Chocola, president of the conservative political action committee, made it clear the PAC is looking for more GOP targets who don’t embrace the Club’s limited-government approach. Priority No. 1 is likely to be the Senate contest in Florida, where Republican Gov. Charlie Crist, who embraced President Barack Obama’s stimulus package, is being challenged by former State House Speaker Marco Rubio. . . . . . Beyond Florida, other establishment Republicans...

The Club for Growth, a conservative anti-tax group, is considering running ads in the Republican Party's Senate primary race against Florida Gov. Charlie Crist for supporting higher state taxes and President Obama's $787 billion economic stimulus spending package. Mr. Crist's opponent for the Republican Party's nomination next year is former state Speaker of the House Marco Rubio, a young conservative running on cutting government spending and taxes who recently met here with the Club for Growth, which has a strong reputation for defeating liberal and moderate Republicans in party primaries with its aggressive ad campaigns. "We recently interviewed Marco Rubio...

WASHINGTON — Although Chris Chocola isn't in Congress anymore, he's here in the fight for a Republican Congress — his brand of Republican. Chocola, the Elkhart County Republican who represented Indiana's 2nd Congressional District for two terms before losing to Democrat Joe Donnelly in 2006, now is president of the Club for Growth, a conservative group that targets Republicans it regards as too wishy-washy moderate on taxation and government expansion. He is in the fight for the soul of the GOP. "I never thought I'd be doing the weekly commute again, raising funds again," Chocola says during an interview in...

Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter's switch to the Democratic Party underscores the clout of Club For Growth, a conservative group that targets Republicans it brands insufficiently committed to low taxes and small government. The move also has inflamed a debate within the party: Are the group's tactics good or bad for Republicans? [welcome to the club] Mr. Specter fingered Club For Growth as the key factor behind his decision, saying he would have lost the Republican primary to a Club-backed rival. His decision has prompted some Republicans to turn on the organization, saying it backs those who are so conservative that...

WASHINGTON — A fundamental debate broke out among Republicans on Wednesday over how to rebuild the party in the wake of Senator Arlen Specter’s departure: Should it purge moderate voices like Mr. Specter and embrace its conservative roots or seek to broaden its appeal to regain a competitive position against Democrats? With consensus growing among Republicans that the party is in its worst political position in recent memory, some conservatives applauded Mr. Specter’s departure. They said it cleared the way for the party to distance itself from its record of expanding government during the Bush years and to re-emphasize the...

A new Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee poll showing Democrat Joe Donnelly leading incumbent U.S. Rep. Chris Chocola, R-2nd, by a 16-percentage-point count "has no basis in reality," according to a Chocola source. The poll results, released amid reports that Democrats are pulling ahead in several races nationwide, were backed as accurate by the DCCC and embraced by the Donnelly campaign. "Joe Donnelly's winning," said DCCC spokesman Bill Burton. "It's clear from everything we're seeing that Indiana families are sick of what they see in Washington, and that's what we're seeing in these polls." But Burton cautioned that the race is...

I noted with interest the recent publication of a Research 2000 poll from Indiana's 2nd Congressional District. It showed Democratic challenger Joe Donnelly with an impressive 8% lead over 2-term representative Chris Chocola. Even more worrisome for Chocola is that Donnelly has hit 50%. What is more, several previous polls have given Donnelly a lead outside the margin of error.The Indiana 02 race serves as an interesting contrast to what has been happening in many districts around the nation. Races that, perhaps in the Spring, seemed to be vulnerable for the Republicans are now appearing to be less vulnerable....

SOUTH BEND -- Democrat Joe Donnelly appears to be increasing his lead over incumbent U.S. Rep. Chris Chocola in what is still a tight 2nd District congressional race. A weekend Tribune/WSBT-TV poll of 400 likely voters showed Donnelly with a 50 percent to 42 percent lead over Chocola, with 8 percent undecided and a 5 percent margin of error. That compares to a July poll that showed Donnelly with a 46 percent to 41 percent lead over Chocola, with 13 percent undecided and the same 5 percent margin of error.

Protesters from Move-on infiltrated a town hall meeting in South Bend Sunday, disrupting House Majority Whip Chris Chocola's town-hall meeting on Social Security reform.

Social Security: Ideas, no solutions Chocola town hall sessions decidedly different. There are a lot of ideas on how to save Social Security. What 2nd District Rep. Chris Chocola, R-Bristol, sought in back-to-back town hall meetings in Elkhart and South Bend Saturday was a solution to the problem. He's still looking. Chocola, who predicted that Congress will vote by the end of this year on a Social Security bill, laid out what he said is essentially a cash-flow problem in both town hall sessions. Beginning in 2018, with the first of the Baby Boomer generation already well into retirement, Social...

Chocola up 15 points in latest poll Long Thompson's staff disputes 'flawed' survey Sat, Nov 2, 2002 By Trevor Wendzonka Truth Staff Even before President Bush's visit Thursday, a new poll shows Republican Chris Chocola had opened a 15-point lead in Indiana's Second Congressional District. The survey of voters was conducted by Brian Vargus of Indiana University's public opinion laboratory -- the same pollster who showed Chocola with a 12-point edge over Democrat Jill Long Thompson in the middle of October. The first poll was commissioned by The Truth and WNDU NewsCenter 16, and Vargus explained he did the follow-up...

New survey shows Chocola gaining ground Long Thompson: Bush wouldn't visit if race were decided By JACK COLWELL Tribune Political Writer SOUTH BEND -- A new Tribune/WSBT-TV poll shows Chris Chocola has gained some momentum. But the congressional race remains basically a tossup as President Bush heads here today to try to provide that final push needed for a Chocola victory. Chocola, the Republican nominee in the close, contentious and costly 2nd Congressional District race, said the president's visit will send "a message loud and clear" on his behalf in a district where Bush is popular. Jill Long Thompson, the...

News poll shows a leader in the race for second district seat A new poll shows one candidate taking the lead Posted: 10/20/2002 05:57 pm Indiana’s second district congressional race is being closely watched across the nation. Both parties have dedicated a significant amount of resources to this race in the hopes that the winner will sway the balance of power in the House of Representatives. Now, an "Elkhart Truth", NewsCenter 16 poll shows republican Chris Chocola with a statistically significant lead, over democrat Jill Long Thompson. About 400 registered voters took part in the poll. The poll takers only...

A dead heat in 2nd District Long Thompson leads among women; more men back Chocola By JACK COLWELL Tribune Political Writer SOUTH BEND -- A new poll conducted for The Tribune and WSBT-TV shows Democrat Jill Long Thompson with a 1 percentage point lead over Republican Chris Chocola among likely voters in Indiana's 2nd Congressional District. That's a statistical tie. A dead heat. But if only men were voting, Chocola would be heading for Congress. He leads by 8 percentage points with men. And if only women were voting, Long Thompson would be the one to represent the district. She...

2nd District still dead heat in poll Long Thompson's edge gains by 1 percentage point By JACK COLWELL Tribune Political Writer SOUTH BEND -- A new poll conducted for The Tribune and WSBT-TV shows Democrat Jill Long Thompson still slightly ahead of Republican Chris Chocola -- this time by 4 percentage points -- in the race for Congress in Indiana's 2nd District. "Basically, it's a dead heat," said pollster Del Ali, whose firm conducted the survey of likely voters throughout the district. "This goes right down to the wire," Ali concluded. The pollster said the results are good news for...

Statistical tie in 2nd District Long Thompson, Chocola find pluses in latest survey By JACK COLWELL Tribune Political Writer SOUTH BEND -- A poll conducted for The Tribune and WSBT-TV by a nationally-known polling firm shows Democrat Jill Long Thompson ahead of Republican Chris Chocola by 3 percentage points, verification that the race for the 2nd District seat in Congress is a toss-up. The poll also shows why both candidates are stressing the Social Security issue so much in their TV spots. Long Thompson has a significant lead among likely voters who picked Social Security as the most important issue...