Free Republic

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) said Tuesday that the Democratic Party would “effectively” be “put out of business,” if Congress were to pass a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution. “They can’t work with us on balancing the budget,” DeMint said. “Their whole platform is based on more promises from government and more government spending.

COMPLETE TITLE No Guts, No Glory DeMint: Why 'cooperate and compromise' when 'the other team ... are there to beat you' ### South Carolina Republican Sen. Jim DeMint is just saying “no” to compromise with liberals. “I can guarantee you the [Super Bowl] coaches are not telling their players to go out on the field and cooperate and compromise with the other team,” DeMint said at The Heritage Foundation’s Blogger’s Briefing Tuesday, during a discussion about his new book “Now or Never.” “There is a reason for that, the other team has an opposite goal, they are there to beat...

Ted Cruz is surging. Ted Cruz has climbed 6 points to 18% in a new poll, putting him a solid second place in the 8-candidate field. Meanwhile, the frontrunner -- Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst -- has dropped 5 points to 36%. Cruz has cut Dewhurst's lead from 29 points in September down to just 18 points today. This is great news, but it's even better than it looks. If Dewhurst fails to get 50% of the vote in the April 3rd primary, he will be forced into a run-off with the second place finisher. And if Cruz makes it into...

In a recent article published by The Daily Beast, its Washington bureau chief, Howard Kurtz, reasoned that if “moderate” Mitt Romney wins the Republican nomination for President, he’ll need to choose a running mate with the conservative bona fides to balance the ticket. While the notion that Mitt Romney is "on the verge of sewing up the Republican nomination" is still just a neo-con fantasy (especially in light of Ron Paul’s surging poll numbers and his respectable showing in Iowa and New Hampshire), pundits and soi disant opinion makers have suggested that the former Governor of Massachusetts choose a VP...

Everybody was waiting for Jim DeMint. Mitt Romney had reason to hope the South Carolina senator would repeat his 2008 endorsement of his presidential bid. DeMint is the hero of conservatives in South Carolina, so his backing might well have clinched the crucial state for Romney. Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum and Ron Paul had just as much reason to hope DeMint might support them, and put him in the role of kingmaker in the Republican race for the White House.At a convention of the conservative Tea Party movement in Myrtle Beach on Sunday, DeMint made clear, however, they could all...

Fellow Patriots: The presidential primary in South Carolina has intensified and my name is being tossed around a lot. I have complimented several of our candidates when they spoke out on conservative issues, but the media has suggested that I favor one over the others. I'm writing today to make sure you know exactly where I stand. I do not have a favorite in this race and I will not endorse a candidate. I've gotten to know each of the candidates over the past year and they are all far superior to Obama. My view reflects what I've heard from...

Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint are two powerful conservative voices in Republican politics, but they seem to be coming at the race for the Republican presidential nomination from totally different angles. Jim DeMint took to the airwaves on The Laura Ingraham Show to warn former House Speaker Newt Gingrich -- and all of the other presidential candidates -- to tone down their campaign rhetoric in the Palmetto State. “I would encourage all of the candidates, ‘let’s just be as positive as we can.’ I know they’re frustrated if people run negative ads,” DeMint said....

While South Carolina looks like a toss-up, according to the latest Insider Advantage poll, Florida looks like it could become a rout.  The latest Rasmussen poll shows Mitt Romney with a bigger lead than he had in New Hampshire, beating Newt Gingrich by 22 points in a state that could spell the effective end of the primary: Mitt Romney is now running away with the race in the latest Rasmussen Reports’ survey of the end-of-the-month Florida Republican Primary. Coming off his decisive win in Tuesday’s New Hampshire Primary, Romney earns 41% support with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich a distant...

Per Fox News this AM, Demint is supposed to endorse Romney later this AM.... WT??

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) said Wednesday the Republican presidential candidates need to listen to Ron Paul and would benefit from integrating some of his libertarian ideas into their platform. "One of the things that's hurt the so-called conservative alternative is saying negative things about Ron Paul," DeMint told conservative radio host Laura Ingraham. "I'd like to see a Republican Party that embraces a lot of the libertarian ideas." Paul's views on foreign policy have taken plenty of heat from his rivals for the GOP nomination, who have slammed his views on the topic as outside of the mainstream of Republican...

On Mark Levin's radio show this evening, conservative Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina predicted that Republican frontrunner Romney would win the state in the upcoming Presidential primary. "I think Romney's going to win here," said DeMint, "I think that some of the other that might have had an advantage here have really crossed ways with some Republicans as they've criticized free enterprise concepts." DeMint said, clearly referencing Jon Huntsman, Rick Perry and Newt Gingrich's recent attacks on Romney's record at Bain capital. Demint added that he liked Romney's acceptance speech tonight, noting that, "He’s hitting a lot of the...

Attention all Conservatives, Freepers, Tea Partiers, Gingrich Supporters, Now Is the Time to Act! Please contact South Carolina's Senator Jim DeMint's office in Washington, DC at (202)224-6121 or in Charleston at (843)727-4525. Leave a message requesting that Senator DeMint endorse Newt Gingrich now for the SC primary. Mention that Conservatives, Free Republic members and Tea Partiers want to push the Conservative agenda & Newt is the Best Warrior that we have now! Call Now - Weekends or Weekdays, Days or nights. The window of opportunity for the Conservative Cause is Now!

The pressure is on. Four years ago, I picked Barack Obama to win 353 electoral votes and, twice, I correctly tabbed George W. Bush as a winner, including a 2000 forecast he’d beat Al Gore by four electoral votes. Here is a preview of the road to Nov. 6: January: Texas Rep. Ron Paul edges Mitt Romney in Iowa caucuses, and fast-closing Texas Gov. Rick Perry nips Newt Gingrich for third. Romney rebounds to beat Paul in New Hampshire, but Perry edges former Massachusetts governor in South Carolina, driving Gingrich from the race, and also wins Florida. In his State...

The hard choice Democrats have given Republicans has paid off for the big-spenders again. Refusing to work together to cut spending, Democrats demanded that Republicans compromise with them to increase spending, or shut down the government. As a result, Congress rammed through a 1,000-page, trillion-dollar omnibus spending bill that lumped 9 different appropriations bills in a single package at the very last minute rather than debating, amending, and voting on these bills in a transparent manner. Spend more and pass this bill, the Democrats said, or force the government to close its doors. They said the same thing this past...

Last week, Senators Barrasso (R-Wyo.) and DeMint (R-S.C.) offered legislation which seeks to curb some of the more costly burdens placed on companies through the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Their bill, the Startup Expansion and Investment Act, targets Section 404 of Sarbanes-Oxley—a burdensome rule which has greatly increased regulatory compliance costs for many businesses. Rep. Ben Quayle (R-Ariz.) introduced a companion bill in the House earlier this year (H.R. 2941). While implemented with the intention of securitizing and standardizing accounting measures of publicly traded companies, Section 404 has only led to increased costs for these entities, thus discouraging many small...

Fellow Conservatives: Many of you have contacted me to express your support for stronger voices within the Senate Republican leadership. You may be interested to know that Senate Republicans will vote tomorrow to elect a new Vice Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference. U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) recently stepped down from leadership, setting off a mid-session shake up. As a result, U.S. Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) -- a rock-solid conservative and SCF-endorsed candidate in 2010 -- has put his name forward as a candidate for Vice Chair. The Senate Conservatives Fund supported Ron Johnson last year and helped propel...

Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill are moving to block the International Monetary Fund from using U.S. money for European bailouts, as talks intensify across the pond over how to stanch the debt crisis. Some U.S. lawmakers want their concerns addressed as part of the feverish end-of-year budget talks. On the House and Senate side, lawmakers have introduced legislation to wall off U.S. taxpayer money from playing any role in averting a European meltdown. "It's time to stop the bailouts and start restoring fiscal discipline to our own economy," Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., said in a statement, as he and 25...

James Madison, “The Father of the Constitution,” wrote: “In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself.” Enabling governments to “control the governed” has always been easy, as tyranny has long been mankind’s default position: Virtually every regime in history has sought to increase its power. Obliging government to “control itself” has always been the hard part, and nations that value freedom have always tried to place limits on their...

Republicans draw attention to public pension gapsReuters – Thu, Dec 8, 2011 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republicans in Congress on Thursday sought to shift attention back to public pension shortfalls, with estimates of the total deficit ranging from $600 billion up to $3 trillion. Leaders on a joint congressional committee on the economy are releasing a series of reports on states' struggles to cover the costs of pensions for future retirees. "States are already $3 trillion in the red, a crisis four times larger than the Wall Street bailout," said Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina, who released the report with...

With only five weeks until the Iowa caucuses, GOP candidates are scrambling to persuade undecided voters to choose them. To this end, one of the most important tools they have is the endorsement of other prominent conservatives. Three of the most influential figures in Republican politics have yet to announce who they will support. Here we speculate as to who might receive their nod of approval. • Sarah Palin: Though her power among right-leaning voters has eroded in the recent months, the former Alaska governor still delivers "a sizeable army of supporters" says the Telegraph. Her supporters include both tea...

The 2012 endorsement battle is starting to heat up, with former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney sprinting to an early advantage. Over the weekend, Romney landed the backing of two of the top GOP elected officials in New Hampshire: Sen. Kelly Ayotte and Rep. Charlie Bass. But while these types of endorsements (known as “state-specific” on The Fix’s handy-dandy Endorsement Hierarchy) can help a candidate, they are rarely more than a single-day story. Meanwhile, the bigger endorsements — the sort that can say something broader about a candidate and genuinely help him or her over the long haul — are, largely,...

A group of Republican senators has proposed a plan to reform welfare — not so much because they expect it to succeed, but to make an important point: that the deficit supercommittee can meet its $1.2 trillion goal without raising taxes. “I think there’s kind of an acceptance that as long as there’s Democratic control of the Senate, we’re not going to pass anything good,” said Sen. Jim DeMint (R., S.C.), one of the bill’s cosponsors. “Our point here is to show that there is a lot of money that we could save and deal with our deficit in a...

Fellow Conservatives: Despite bipartisan promises to cut spending after the 2010 elections, Washington politicians are still voting to make the government even bigger and more expensive than ever. Don't believe me? Even though the federal government is nearly $15 trillion in debt, it's spending at record-high levels. Federal spending has gone up 5 percent in the first nine months of this year alone. Just two weeks ago, Democrats and Republicans in the Senate passed three new spending bills to increase 2012 funding above 2011 funding levels. The bills will increase spending for the Department of Agriculture by $6.4 billion; for...

SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- Some presidential debates feature moderator questions, audience questions or even online questions, but at Saturday night's GOP debate in South Carolina, the pair of Republican U.S. senators from the Palmetto State will join the questioning. Sen. Jim DeMint, a member of the Committee on Foreign Relations and Sen. Lindsey Graham, a member of the Committee on Armed Services, will each ask questions at the debate. Organizers of the debate at Wofford College in Spartanburg are calling it the "Commander-in-Chief Debate" because it will focus on foreign relations and national security issues. Graham is a member of the...

Republican Senate candidate Don Stenberg on Tuesday got the endorsement he wanted. South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint, sometimes described as a kingmaker for candidates seeking conservative support, said Stenberg was "a lifelong conservative with the principles, integrity and courage needed to stand up to the big spenders in both political parties in Washington." Stenberg is "not only the strongest conservative in the race, but we also believe he's the most electable," DeMint said in a statement issued through his Senate Conservatives Fund website.

No, it’s not a joke. President Obama really is imposing a special new tax on Christmas trees. And while the policy seems a ludicrous political misstep – and possibly an unconstitutional one at that – in truth, the Obama Christmas Tree Tax is much worse than that. The $2 million the Obama Administration expects the tax to raise will not reduce the deficit or cover needed government services. Instead, it will serve as a marketing slush fund for the Christmas tree industry. The money will set up a brand new government agency called (no, seriously) the Christmas Tree Promotion Board....

My colleague Marc Thiessen breaks some news in reporting that Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) will not be endorsing a Republican presidential candidate in the primary. This is a surprising but understandable recognition (as Bill Kristol did in his own way) that there is no viable not-Romney in the race. Anyone who expected he might endorse Mitt Romney hasn’t been paying much attention to either the GOP race or DeMint’s role in the Tea Party movement. When DeMint did offer supportive words for Romney, he was beset by angry activists and soon backed off. DeMint is not about to sacrifice his...

Sen. Jim DeMint is trying to stop the federal government from banning a popular over-the-counter asthma inhaler, introducing an amendment that would yank funding for the ban set to go into effect in January. The Food and Drug Administration rule would take off the shelves the epinephrine asthma inhaler known as Primatene Mist. The product is currently the only FDA-approved over-the-counter inhaler and is being banned because it uses something called chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) as a propellant -- the substance is considered harmful to the ozone layer.

South Carolina Republican U.S. Senator Jim DeMint downplayed speculation that he is preparing to endorse Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, saying reports were little more than “fabrication.” “That story is a fabrication made up of anonymous sources that obviously have no clue what Senator DeMint is thinking,” DeMint spokesman Wesley Denton said. “He has said over and over again that he is not leaning toward any candidate yet and may end up not endorsing in the presidential race.”

Rumors are swirling that South Carolina Senator and staunch conservative Jim DeMint may endorse Mitt Romney for President. From Roll Call: Mitt Romney is the favorite to receive Sen. Jim DeMint's (R-S.C.) much-sought-after endorsement in the race for the Republican presidential nomination, according to knowledgeable GOP sources. DeMint, who endorsed the former Massachusetts governor in 2008, made clear in an interview late last week that he has made no decisions on whom he will support in the 2012 primary. But Republican operatives familiar with the DeMint-Romney relationship and privy to the conservative Senator's private assessment of the GOP field believe...

Herman Cain named Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) as potential running mates should he secure the Republican presidential nomination for the 2012 election. Speaking Thursday on "The Steve Gill Show," Cain outlined the qualities he would like in a running mate, and then, unprovoked, offered specific names. “There are some people in Congress that are very, very good, that I respect and admire and that I would love to have on my team,” Cain said. “Whether that would be in a V.P. slot or in a key Cabinet slot … I’ll give you a name —...

Sen. Mike Lee's bold, outspoken conservatism isn't sitting well with many of his more senior Republican colleagues in a chamber where even the staunchest of rivals tend to refer to each other as "my good friend." The freshman Utah Republican's willingness to offer opinionated advice on policy and political strategy during closed-door Conference meetings has irked Members accustomed to Senate tradition, which values the input of tenured Members and expects the newly elected to maintain a deferential profile. Lee ousted Sen. Bob Bennett last year in a GOP primary, a factor that might have contributed to the tension. "He's not...

The Senate is supposed to be the "World's Greatest Deliberative Body". That means debating, amending, and voting on legislation -- all things Harry Reid has sought to avoid during his tenure as Senate Majority Leader. Folks, we're teetering on tyranny. We must elect a conservative majority in 2012 to stop this madness. This latest attempt to ignore the rules and force bad legislation on the American people is alarming, but it's not that surprising. Democrats have been ignoring the U.S. Constitution and blowing through its stop signs for years. Republicans can protect their rights in the Senate but it requires...

Calling President Barack Obama a “socialist” used to be considered taboo by left-wing critics of the right. But the president has not done much to alter that perception, at least according to South Carolina Republican Sen. Jim DeMint. In an appearance on Wednesday’s “On the Record,” host Greta van Sustren asked DeMint if there was anywhere he could find common ground with Obama.

Columbia, S.C. – Sen. Jim DeMint tells National Review Online that he is tired of being treated like a child by President Obama. “He believes people are stupid, or at least not smart enough to catch onto him,” DeMint says, shaking his head, days before the president unveils his jobs plan. “In some ways, to position himself as a leader, he calls us all in like children in the Congress, coming over to announce his jobs program. At least the implications, the subtleties there, suggest he’s leading us. That’s what he’s trying to do. But from a businessman’s perspective, it’s...

South Carolina senator Jim DeMint, Iowa congressman Steve King, and Princeton’s Robert P. George questioned Republican presidential candidates Labor Day afternoon in a Saddleback-type Palmetto Freedom Forum, sponsored by the American Principles Project. Submitting to questions were Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, and Mitt Romney — Rick Perry bowing out on account of wildfires in Texas. Some of those who watched comment.

President Barack Obama made a speech today that was a preview of a speech he'll make on Thursday that, from all indications, will be a repeat of the same speech he's made many times before. Everyone who has paid even the slightest bit of attention has already heard his message for more government spending, more government borrowing and more government regulations. Obviously he is the one not getting the message that more speeches calling for more government is not what's needed and Thursday night may provide the next best opportunity to send it.

(CNN) - Republican presidential candidate and Texas Gov. Rick Perry will not attend the Palmetto Freedom Forum of GOP candidates Monday night, sponsored by Sen. Jim DeMint, and will instead return to Texas to deal with the wildfires in the state, DeMint's office told CNN.

(CBS News) The Labor Day weekend marks the unofficial start of the presidential campaign season, and many of the leading candidates for the Republican nomination have started to take shots at each other, not just at President Obama, reports CBS News political correspondent Jan Crawford. Several jabbed at Texas Gov. Rick Perry, perceived by many pundits as the latest frontrunner. That list included Sarah Palin - who's managing to keep speculation alive about whether she's going to toss her hat into the GOP ring. At a Tea Party rally in Indianola, Iowa, the former Alaska governor and Republican vice presidential...

Half of a dozen Presidential candidates will make their way to South Carolina Monday, for a GOP forum hosted by Senator Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina). According to CNN, Mitt Romney, Rick Perry, Michelle Bachman, Herman Cain, Ron Paul and Newt Gingrich have agreed to attend the "Palmetto Freedom Forum" in Columbia. The "Palmetto Freedom Forum" starts at 3:00pm Monday. CNN and ETV will broadcast the event.

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) expressed doubt on Sunday that President Obam can provide any viable economic policies to create jobs and gain bipartisan support. “Frankly I am so tired of his speeches, it's going to be hard for me to watch,” said DeMint on CNN’s State of the Union. “We need a plan in writing, he needs to send it to us and tell us what it is going to cost so not only Congress and the American people can read it, businesses can read it.”

Texas governor Rick Perry's previous support of Democrats was dismissed as irrelevant by aTea Party leader, in a sign that the rapidly rising Republican frontrunner for president is gaining allies despite questions about his record. "We know people change. Reagan was a Democrat," said Mr DeMint on ABC's "This Week with Christiane Amanpour". "I want to give ... [all of the candidates] a little room to change. I know I've changed some positions I had 10 years ago, because the country's in a very different situation. So I'm going to listen and look and do my homework. And I'm not...

(CNN) - Republican Sen. Jim DeMint said Sunday he wants a jobs plan in writing from President Barack Obama, not just another speech. "I am so tired of his speeches, it's going to be hard for me to watch," DeMint said on CNN's "State of the Union." A written proposal from the president would enable Congress to decipher the cost and the American people and businesses to weigh the plan, said the South Carolina Republican who is a favorite of tea party conservatives. "Without sending something in writing, the president makes all of these grand gestures, and then it doesn't...

In Jonathan's story this morning — about the Romney team's plan to dial up their intensity a bit against Rick Perry without going into full-on panic mode — there's this intriguing nugget about the South Carolina senator: “He’s a good friend and we wanted to do what we could to make it work,” said senior Romney adviser Eric Fehrnstrom of their change of heart. DeMint was a key Romney backer in 2008, but is holding out this election cycle. Romney’s reconsideration suggests that the South Carolinian hasn’t ruled out endorsing the former governor again.

Sen. Jim DeMint vowed Wednesday to try to block President Barack Obama from addressing a joint session of Congress on the same day as a Republican presidential debate next week. Obama could learn something from the GOP, DeMint reasoned, in adding his voice — and his vote — to a growing chorus of Republican objections. “The president should pick another night. I’m planning to watch the Republican primary debate … and the president should watch it, too,” The iconic South Carolina conservative said. “If he has a jobs proposal, put it in writing, give us a cost estimate, and send...

While stressing the need for more like-minded conservatives in Washington, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) speculated Tuesday about his own retirement. DeMint was the guest speaker at a quarterly Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce meeting, followed by his own town hall breakfast with regional GOP members. DeMint's speech to Republicans at the Daniel Island Club was one part victory lap and one part troop rally. He lamented his own decision to go rogue in 2008, angering the Republican leadership as he began supporting conservative challengers in GOP primaries and chased a few moderate senators into early retirement. "I decided we had...

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney won’t be on stage for a conservative GOP forum organized by tea party favorite Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), a move that is likely to be seen by some in the Palmetto State as a snub. An aide to Romney, who has been dethroned as the GOP presidential nomination front-runner in recent polls by Texas Gov. Rick Perry, said the former Massachusetts governor will spend time in New Hampshire instead but is not ignoring South Carolina, a crucial early primary state. ... At issue is Romney’s record on health care; DeMint has said that he would...

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) will skip a South Carolina forum for presidential candidates hosted by Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), scheduled for Labor Day. Romney will spend the day in New Hampshire instead, a campaign official said Wednesday; the former Massachusetts governor has concentrated heavily on winning the first-in-the-nation primary.

(CNN) – Mitt Romney will not attend a Labor Day forum in South Carolina organized by conservative kingmaker Sen. Jim DeMint, who endorsed Romney's run for president four years ago. Romney spokesperson Ryan Williams, citing scheduling conflicts, said the candidate will instead spend the day in New Hampshire, sending another signal that the former Massachusetts governor is not focusing on the early Southern primary state like he did in 2008. He was not previously listed as attending the event by the organizers. Last week CNN confirmed Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, Texas Rep. Ron Paul and businessman...

U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, businessman Herman Cain of Atlanta, U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas and Texas Gov. Rick Perry will appear at U.S. Jim DeMint’s Labor Day forum in Columbia for GOP presidential candidates. Also invited were U.S. House Newt Gingrich, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. They have until 5 p.m. Wednesday to accept. GOP candidates had to average 5 percent support in realclearpolitics’ poll average to be invited. Not qualifying — because of weak support — were former Nevada Gov. Jon Huntsman and...