Free Republic

FORT WORTH -- Hoping to fire up supporters as early voting in the gubernatorial race begins today, U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison kicked off a "Declare Your Independence" tour Monday, encouraging Texas voters to declare their independence from Republican Gov. Rick Perry. Hutchison will be among several candidates casting their ballots today to bring attention to early voting. March 2, the date of the primary election, is also Texas' Independence Day. "I'm asking for your vote and I'm asking for your help," Hutchison told a crowd of more than 40 gathered in a back room at Billy Miner's Saloon...

If she gets 4500 signatures, she's on the ballot. And she's a neophyte the state party doesn't like and apparently a leftish ideologue, so she can't win. Beautiful.

Remember that last-minute filing deadline that Ed talked about this morning, how Indiana Democrats would be forced to go through a caucus process because no one qualified for the ballot in time? Well, “no one” is on the verge of becoming someone. Red State’s got the right idea. She claims she needs 500 signatures by tomorrow, especially from the 8th District, although she’d feel safer with 1,000. If you’re a conservative Hoosier and you get a knock on the door, you know what to do. It would be something close to a nightmare scenario for Democrats: were [Tamyra] D’Ippolito to...

In the run up to the mid-term elections of 2010 it seems as if incumbents can read the proverbial writing on the wall. Evan Bayh's announcement is the most recent in a long stream of retirements. What better way to heal the "body politic" than to purge from its bowels the parasites that infect it. What better way to address the financial meltdown we have experienced than to give Congress a colonic and flush away the detritus that litters both sides of the aisle.

QUANTICO, Va. – Retired Admiral and former U.S. Sen. Jeremiah Denton had some tough words in the mess hall of the National Museum of the Marine Corps, packed with fellow servicemen, including some who spent time with him as a prisoner of war in the Hanoi Hilton. In an emotional speech last night about his newly updated classic work, "When Hell Was in Session," Denton said he feared the imminent death of the United States of America due to immorality, lack of patriotism and lack of appreciation for the unique form of government bestowed by the country's founders. "When Hell...

Back in 1988, Sen. Dan Coats, R-Ind., decided not to seek another term rather than take on popular ex-Gov. Evan Byah. With Coats out, Bayh won easily. Coats recently threw his hat into the ring for 2010, setting the stage for the Hoosier State showdown 12 years later. But now Bayh, in a shocker, says he won’t run. The Bayh-Coats angst-no-action drama resembles that of boxing, where top fighters often fail to face each other

Repeat the lie often enough and people will believe it. Taking a cue from the Democrat playbook, the White House is preparing to kick communications propaganda into overdrive to spread their message in 2010. Apparently 158 interviews during Obama’s first year wasn’t enough face time for the Campaigner-In-Chief. Let’s face it, only 90 were on TV. The Washington Post reports President Obama’s new strategy campaign will have four planks: First, “Return to the disciplined messaging that was a hallmark of the 2008 campaign, in which unhelpful themes were filtered out in favor of topics that advanced the candidate’s goals.” [Translation:...

So Toyota is in trouble, big, big trouble. They made some shoddy parts, or more truthfully, allowed their suppliers to make some shoddy parts and as a result some people died. This is not why they are in trouble. The reason that a cold chill is running down the collective spine of Toyota's employee base is that their old arch rival GM is on the ropes and the new GM CEO Barack Obama and corporate board, the House and Senate, have decided to destroy their sales base in the USA. Looking for proof ? The Secretary of Transportation actually went...

QUANTICO, Va. – Retired Admiral and former U.S. Sen. Jeremiah Denton had some tough words in the mess hall of the National Museum of the Marine Corps, packed with fellow servicemen, including some who spent time with him as a prisoner of war in the Hanoi Hilton. In an emotional speech last night about his newly updated classic work, "When Hell Was in Session," Denton said he feared the imminent death of the United States of America due to immorality, lack of patriotism and lack of appreciation for the unique form of government bestowed by the country's founders.

With last year's death of Ted Kennedy and the announcement this week that his son Patrick, a congressman in Rhode Island, is bowing out of politics, next year could mark the first time in 63 years that no Kennedy is holding elected office in Washington. But before there's a postmortem on the Kennedy era in national politics, there are a few family members left who could mount a bid to revive the Camelot

Tea Party groups have been called everything by our illustrious leaders in Washington: "fringe," "wingnuts," "lunatics" and famously, "Astroturf" by none other than Queen "Stretch" Pelosi Herself. But the true astroturfers are all on the Democrat side of the ledger, from Obama advisor David Axelrod, who became synonymous with Astroturfing as a prominent PR executive, to their busloads of "paid volunteer" Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and ACORN flunkies storming Tea Party rallies. But the latest in the Democrat's increasingly transparent Astroturf campaign is an organization which personifies the word: http://www.theteapartyisover.org/. Presenting itself as a group whose mission is to...

Rashad Hussein, White House official and President Obama’s newly appointed Special Envoy to the Organization of Islamic Conference, has a history of participation in events connected with the U.S. Muslim Brotherhood as well as support for Brotherhood causes, once having called prosecution of the U.S. leader of a Palestinian terrorist organization one of many “politically motivated persecutions.” Mr. Hussain’s official biography states: Rashad Hussain is presently Deputy Associate Counsel to President Obama. His work at the White House focuses on national security, new media, and science and technology issues. Mr. Hussain has also worked with the National Security Staff in...

US lawmakers on Thursday proposed legislation intended to mitigate the effects of the recent Supreme Court decision easing restrictions on political campaign spending by corporations. The proposal was put forth by Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Representative Chris van Hollen (D-MD). As outlined, the legislation would ban foreign companies, or those controlled by foreign companies or governments, from contributing to US elections. Additionally, it would ban government contractors and the recipients of Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) funds from contributing. The legislative outline also proposed that corporate CEOs be required to appear at the end of any political advertising they...

PHOENIX, ARIZONA. FEBRUARY 14, 2010. President’s Day will be the day an almost-President will formally feel a hard charge from his right. Conservative former Congressman and talk radio host J.D. Hayworth will announce his campaign for the U.S. Senate, a seat now held by the 24-year incumbent John McCain, at Hayworth's new campaign headquarters in Phoenix. Republican stalwarts, Team Party patriots and a few surprises will be on hand. The Hayworth campaign will also launch a “Money Bomb” on Monday too. Details about this online fundraising effort can be found at www.JDforSenate.com, which formally debuts with Hayworth’s announcement.

In some of the most reliably Democratic states in the nation, well-known Democrats are suddenly vulnerable. And the GOP, counted out in the region not long ago, is eyeing a resurgence. Since the 2008 election, no Republicans represent the six New England states in the US House of Representatives. But a recent WMUR Granite State poll indicates that if the election were held now, the New Hampshire GOP would probably recapture both congressional seats lost to the Democrats four years ago and retain the Senate seat Judd Gregg is relinquishing.

He's only been a senator for a week but the drumbeat already has begun for Scott Brown to run for president in 2012. After the Massachusetts Republican captured the seat previously held by Ted Kennedy in an upset election last month, ending the Democrats supermajority in the Senate, Brown's supporters have launched a Facebook page devoted to discussing a potential presidential bid. They've also scooped up several "Scott Brown for President" domain names, including scottbrown2012.com, scottbrown2016.com and scottbrownforpresident.com -- a site that offers "Scott Brown for President" bumper stickers. And a new Gallup poll ranks Brown fourth among 11 potential...

Oh, by the way, have you heard of the young man by the name of Serafin Quintanar? He made his initial announcement of his run for Congress against Jim Costa. I think we should keep our eyes on Mr. Quintanar. I really like his vision on what he would like to do for our valley and our country.

She is a former beauty queen; he is a one-time nude model. She has written a bestselling memoir; he is negotiating a contract to write one. Both drive pick-up trucks and base their appeal on folksy common sense. The former Miss Wasilla and America’s sexiest man, aka Sarah Palin and Scott Brown, may sound like contestants in a celebrity game show. But to the bemusement of many Americans, the unlikely duo are the most visible Republicans in the country and may become rivals to Barack Obama in the next presidential election. Two years ago most Americans had heard of neither....

U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy’s abrupt announcement that he’s not seeking re-election to Congress has gleeful Republicans eyeing incumbent New England Democrats and asking, “Who’s next?” “Long-term incumbents who don’t have a fire in their belly are in trouble,” said GOP consultant Ron Kaufman, in response to news the Rhode Island congressman is stepping aside. “There’s an anti-incumbent fever, and that helps Republicans.” In Massachusetts, the National Republican Congressional Committee - tasting victory after the come-from-behind Senate win of Scott Brown last month - has targeted U.S. Rep. William Delahunt and U.S. Rep. Niki Tsongas - both from districts where Brown...

Besides her access to voters via Fox News, there’s her fearlessness. Pilloried from the moment she arrived on the McCain ticket, she keeps bouncing back. Her response to the latest White House jibe was to write “Hi Mom!” on her hand. This isn’t a normal politician. This is Godzilla in heels. At the back of liberal minds is the fear that Palin will slip through to the presidency. They laughed at Reagan and Bush Jnr too, remember? She has a year to brush up her act, a long time in politics. Watch that space between her ears: it’s filling up...