Free Republic

Stunned and angry, national gay rights leaders Wednesday blamed scare-mongering ads — and President Barack Obama's lack of engagement — for a bitter election setback in Maine that could alter the dynamics for both sides in the gay-marriage debate.

Aug 16 2009, 9:11 pm by Marc Ambinder Administration Official: "Sebelius Misspoke." An administration official said tonight that Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius "misspoke" when she told CNN this morning that a government run health insurance option "is not an essential part" of reform. This official asked not to be identified in exchange for providing clarity about the intentions of the President... A second official, Linda Douglass, director of health reform communications for the administration, said that President Obama ... had not backed away from that belief, and that he still wanted to see a public option in...

Geithner: Treas. wanted bonus clause Eamon Javers Eamon Javers 34 mins ago Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner acknowledged Thursday that his department asked Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) to insert language in a stimulus bill that would ensure AIG workers would get their bonuses. Already under fire for his handling of the issue, Geithner said Treasury officials spoke with Dodd about a provision to the economic stimulus bill that would protect the AIG bonuses, because government officials were concerned about lawsuits from AIG employees. “But we also worked with him to strengthen the overall framework,” Geithner said. “And his bill has this...

Sen. John McCain avoided reporters during the lame-duck session of Congress last week. But Tuesday, shortly after President-elect Obama had his own news conference about the economy, McCain broke his silence by speaking with reporters in Phoenix. This came after the two former contenders met last week, and Tuesday, McCain continued to make nice. When asked what advice he had for right-wing supporters who say the prospect of an Obama presidency terrifies them, he was categorical. "Respect this landmark election, respect the fact America faces great challenges, and Americans expect us to work together. That does not mean we won't...

November 17, 2008 Categories: Huckabee Huck unloads on Mitt; Romney camp hits back Mike Huckabee is using his new book, out this week, to settle a few scores, not the least of which is with his fierce primary rival, Mitt Romney. Per Michael Scherer, Huckabee picks up where he left off earlier this year, tweaking Romney as a rich guy and firing what may be the first shots of the 2012 primary. Romney, Huckabee, writes, was "anything but conservative until he changed the light bulbs in his chandelier in time to run for president.” At another point, Huckabee portrays a...

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee is not the sort of politician who likes to bite his tongue. But that's just what he has found himself doing over eight months since he ended his surprising and colorful presidential campaign.(See pictures of Huckabee's campaign here.) What does he think is wrong with the Republican Party? What does he think of his former primary rivals? What is the best direction for the conservative movement? To each question, he answered only in broad strokes, refusing to get too specific or pointed. He was writing a book, he would say. It will come out after...

After the 2006 election, the question you heard conservatives asking over and over again was, "Did the Republicans learn anything from their defeat?" As we now know, regrettably the answer to that question is "no" -- and so we're back once again trying to figure out if the GOP's 2nd savage beating in a row has stirred them from the Beltway bubble they've been firmly ensconced in over the last few years. I would suggest to you that there is one surefire way to tell if the Republican Party has learned anything from the 2nd straight whooping that it has...

Sarah Palin wasn't aware that Africa was a continent and she and her brood behaved like a band of "Wasilla hillbillies looting Neiman Marcus from coast to coast," aides to Republican John McCain are telling prominent news organizations. Less than 24 hours after McCain lost the presidential election to Democrat Barack Obama, those close to him apparently wasted no time burning up the phone lines to dish the dirt on Ms. Palin, the Alaska governor who portrayed herself as a sensible hockey Mom when she was chosen the Arizona senator's running mate in late August. If the anonymous McCain insiders...

Enhanced resources for this story – press conference audio – are available at www.statehousenews.com STATE HOUSE, BOSTON, NOV. 28, 2007…..Former and current Republican leaders blasted one of their own on Wednesday afternoon, ripping the record of former Gov. Mitt Romney in front of the state capitol and touching off an intra-party scuffle that pitted former allies in the small Massachusetts GOP against one another. Tearing into the presidential contender’s fiscal handling of the state and touting former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani as a more reliable candidate, former Gov. Paul Cellucci and former Treasurer Joe Malone, once rivals in the...

A new poll from Rasmussen Reports has some bad news for Republicans—well, almost all Republicans. If you’re Rep. Tom Tancredo (R.-Colo.), the news couldn’t be better. While a generic Republican candidate trails a generic Democrat by 12 percentage points, according to the poll, a third-party candidate who runs on a get-tough-on-immigration platform not only beats the Republican, but also actually runs even with the Democrat. Here’s an excerpt: The survey also asked respondents how they would vote if "a third party candidate ran in 2008 and promised to build a barrier along the Mexican border and make enforcement of immigration...

I just saw on Foxnews that President Bush's poll numbers have taken another dive. Gee I wonder why? Maybe the average American isn't thrilled about our President hosting the Red Chinese..complete with marching bands..and a 21 gun salute. Maybe the average American isn't thrilled that 12000 illegal aliens enter the US every day. Screw guest workers, screw the economy..if the terrorist sneak some sort of bomb in here..its all gonna be blown to hell anyways. Maybe the average American isn't thrilled that Iran was named CHAIRMAN of the disarm committee of the UN..and we don't hear A PEEP from our...

Just announced on Fox News, the Justice Department is going to investigate leaks pertaining to Goverment Wiretapping and Security programs.

Saturday October 22nd (news black hole) with a Luttig, McConnell or other utterly immaculate pick announced on Monday October 24th. Reason: Bush needs people back in his corner before the Plame / Wilson grand jury reports at the end of the month. If Rove is indicted while Miers is still the nominee, Bush will really know what loneliness feels like.

Think of 1958, so distant in the past that the Los Angeles Times ran front page stories about Alaska finally being voted the 49th state and Russia launching a rocket that nearly reached the moon — "farther than any object man has sent from the Earth." Something that didn't make headlines — because the reality of it wouldn't become clear for years — was the fact that 1958 was the last time Republicans controlled the state Legislature, aside from an occasional oddball year or two. It was the year California went Democrat, and never went back. I mention 1958 because...

May 31, 8:22 AM (ET) By JEREMIAH MARQUEZ COMPTON, Calif. (AP) - Residents in this community were still fixing shattered windows and bullet-pocked walls when a lawyer issued an apology from sheriff's deputies who fired 120 rounds at an unarmed driver in a Compton neighborhood. The televised news conference earlier this month was a rare instance of officers defying a common police taboo against 'mea culpas' - based on the fear of lawsuits or prosecution. Yet the apology was not expected to prompt severe repercussions in any potential lawsuits because it was carefully worded as an expression of sympathy, not...

It would appear that Rick Santorum is trying to make himself appear as a closet Liberal. According to cited sources, he has "proposed raising the minimum wage; suggested that the death penalty be reserved for the most dangerous of killers; voted with Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., on curbing sex and violence in the media; and sided with Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., on a bill protecting religious freedom in the workplace." Of course his real turn coat action of late has been his suggestion Sunday that "embattled House Majority Leader Tom DeLay needs to answer questions about his ethics and...

Rick Santorum will not be elected to a third U.S. Senate term. But it's not because Pennsylvania's junior senator is "too conservative." He is anything but, as a succinct National Journal analysis shows. No, Mr. Santorum will lose his 2006 race for re-election to presumptive Democrat nominee Bob Casey Jr. because he has thumbed his nose and furiously waggled his fingers at a large cross-section of his conservative base. How can this be? Santorum is an unwavering abortion foe, right? Sure. And to him homosexual marriage is an abomination that will open the door to legally sanctioned man-canine matrimony, right?...

Some very smart people believe that U.S. Senator Rick Santorum is poised to become ex- Senator Santorum, a casualty of his scheduled re-election contest next year with State Treasurer Bob Casey. .... In fact, a close look at the record suggests that his confrontational style and conservative rhetoric conceals more than it reveals. Too much attention has been spent on Santorum the cultural ideologue and not enough on his pragmatism and political opportunism; inside this raging bull of a conservative is a pragmatist for whom getting re-elected always trumps ideology, which may not make him any different than other politicians....

We must make it perfectly clear to Rick Santorum that if he lets Specter chair the judiciary committee, we WILL NOT SUPPORT HIM in 2006 for Senate. Instead, we will support Pat Toomey. We must also make it perfectly clear to Bill Frist that if he does not block Specter Chairmanship, he might as well not even enter the 2008 primaries. Both of these men hold the power over Specter and we must threaten to boycott their futures if they ignore their base.

Hehehe....The Republicans can really dish it out but can't take it. They cry like little "Wussies" when they are told the truth! Maybe you guys can support your buddies the Republicans by supplying them hankies for when they start to cry. Oh. Your posts sound more and more like "Fagot Republican Bush Supporters" with your silly comments. I guess Kerry's got you boys squirming now. Ha!Ha!Ha! Now the sorry Republicans are trashing Kerry for being friends with Jane Fonda. Kerry could care less what you clowns think of him.