Free Republic

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Media inquiries: contact@aipnc.com Fenton, MI – July 23, 2008 – In a statement released today by America’s Independent Party, Chairman Tom Hoefling welcomed California’s American Independent Party to the growing ranks of AIP state affiliates. Hoefling, commenting in the wake of a statement from the office of the California Secretary of State recognizing Edward C. Noonan as the rightful chairman of the American Independent Party and the legitimacy of the actions of the July 5th State Convention in Sacramento, said, “We gratefully accept the AIP State Central Committee’s decision to affiliate nationally with us. We share a...

Alan Keyes' Wrecking CrewBy FrontPage MagazineFrontPageMagazine.com | 7/21/2008 SINCE BEING REJECTED FOR THE REPUBLICAN AND CONSTITUTION PARTY PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATIONS, perennial candidate Alan Keyes is now attempting to inflict himself upon the American Independent Party. A high-decibel Harold Stassen, the Energizer Loser keeps running, and running, and running… Predictably, he failed in the democratic contest for this one-state party’s byline, but his supporters are attempting to force him onto the ballot, anyway.    For those who hadn’t noticed Keyes’ latest presidential campaigns (or perhaps his perpetual campaign, spilling over leap-years), Keyes ran unsuccessfully for Senate in Maryland twice (1988 and 1992),...

(SNIP) Borling, who described himself Friday as a "Republican-leaning independent," praised Abboud as "a fiscal conservative and a social moderate" with "extraordinary judgment and intelligence." He also took a swipe at Manzullo, serving his eighth term by saying: "The nation suffers from career politicians who believe they are owed lifetime appointment." Borling faulted Manzullo for his key role in importing Alan Keyes from Maryland to carry the Illinois Republicans' banner in the 2004 U.S. Senate race, a move that Borling said "was and is an outrage." Borling, who supports abortion rights, said Manzullo exhibits a "lack of toleration and moderation...

CARSON CITY — Everyone loves guns in Nevada. Ducks Unlimited, the National Rifle Association, Republicans, the American Civil Liberties Union, the ... Wait. The ACLU? The Nevada ACLU has declared its support for an individual’s right to bear arms, apparently making it the first state affiliate in the nation to buck the national organization’s position on the Second Amendment. The state board of directors reached the decision this month after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Second Amendment protects the rights of individuals to own handguns.

Conservative black pastors nationwide are caught between irreconcilable opposites - congregations that overwhelmingly favor Sen. Barack Obama versus their personal doubts about the Illinois Democrat's politics, particularly on abortion. "It's a theological contradiction, from the Christian perspective, to be excited about Obama," said the Rev. Levon Yuille, pastor of the 100-member Bible Church in Ypsilanti, Mich. "Very few black pastors have problems supporting Obama because they are fixated on this race thing."

UPDATE 10:52:  The opinion can be downloaded here.  Relevant quotes from the majority opinion can be found here, and a replay of our LiveBlog can be found here.  Tom’s commentary is here. Answering a 127-year old constitutional question, the Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to have a gun, at least in one’s home. The Court, splitting 5-4, struck down a District of Columbia ban on handgun possession.  Although times have changed since 1791, Justice Antonin Scalia said for the majority, “it is not the role of this Court to pronounce the Second...

May 28, 2008Marriage - recent government actions threaten the very basis of our claim to the right of self-governmentI've proposed a platform for Maryland Independent Party. It discusses the defense of marriage as follows: "While we do not acknowledge that our Constitution limits Congress in any way from protecting traditional marriage between one man and one woman, we support passage of a federal marriage Amendment to the U.S. Constitution for the purpose of removing any confusion or misunderstanding in the minds of judges." Since then, the Supreme Court of California has issued its opinion that a similar defense of traditional...

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll has shown a very close race between John McCain and Barack Obama. For most of the past week, they have been essentially tied with typically 4% of voters saying they prefer some other candidate and a similar number remaining undecided. A separate survey found slightly different results when third-party candidates were mentioned by name. In a four-way race, Obama earns 42% of the vote, McCain 38%, Bob Barr 6% and Ralph Nader 4%. Given those options, 11% were undecided. Barr and Nader were mentioned as candidates of the Libertarian Party and the Green...

In accord with FR's posting rules, I can only give you a short excerpt, but you can read the full article at http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=59187 His listed reasons: Sen. McCain refused to help me when I fought to pray "in Jesus' name" In 2006, McCain was one of only three Republican senators to vote against defining marriage between one man and one woman. McCain has repeatedly distanced himself from religious groups. The lesser of two evils is still evil. McCain claims to be "pro-life" but supports destruction of human embryos for use as "spare parts" in unproven medical research. McCain wrote the...

Alan Keyes on short list to become John McCain VP pick for the Republican ticket. McCain camp will not deny.

Last week Alan Keyes ended his quixotic quest for the Republican presidential nomination and announced that he was leaving the Republican Party. I know what you are thinking: Alan Keyes was running for the Republican nomination? Even the most ardent followers of presidential politics could be forgiven for not knowing Keyes was actually a GOP contender this year. After making a late entrance into the Republican contest in September 2007, the former ambassador, conservative activist and perennial presidential candidate got very little press attention with the exception of one embarrassing debate performance in Iowa. But when Keyes left the Republican...

Constitution Party stunner: Chuck Baldwin KOs firebrand Alan Keyes Convening its national convention in Kansas City today, the Constitution Party picked radio talk-show host Chuck Baldwin over former Ambassador Alan Keyes as its 2008 presidential candidate. The pick was seen as something of an upset, given Keyes' higher national profile. Known for his fiery stem-winders, Keyes is a two-time GOP presidential candidate who abandoned the Republican Party this month to join the Constitution Party, which believes in limited government and is committed to ending abortion and bringing American troops home from Iraq. But Baldwin's roots in the Constitution Party...

The link to audio of the speech is reproduced in post #2. It's 22 minutes long.

I need the conference call # for Alan Keyes tonight at 10 pm est. My email for it is at work. Private reply ok.

While Democrats and Republicans look months ahead to the national conventions of their parties, one political group gathers in our backyard this week to declare its presidential nominee. The Constitution Party is holding its national convention through Saturday at the Downtown Marriott in Kansas City. As its name implies, the party has as its guiding principle a strict interpretation of the U.S. Constitution. Its mission statement reads, in part: "It is our goal to limit the federal government to its delegated, enumerated, Constitutional functions and to restore American jurisprudence to its original Biblical common-law foundations." The party began in 1992...

So Alan Keyes has announced he’s leaving the Republican Party. Over the last few months, I’ve received numerous emails and comments from those hoping that Keyes would enter the presidential race in some capacity: either as a candidate for the top spot, or that one of those running would select him for veep. Many of those people believe he has the conservative credentials to codify a fractured Republican voting block. I beg to differ. This morning, I received the following press release from a publicist… ALAN KEYES LEAVES REPUBLICAN PARTY Will the Republican Party Go the Way of the Whigs?...

Press conference with Alan Keyes April 15, 2008 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time Hazleton, Pennsylvaniawww.alankeyes.com

At a time when the top two Democratic presidential candidates are caught up squabbling about who's less bitter than whom, GOP insiders say Sen. John McCain's campaign is quietly prepping itself for non-Democratic bumps in the general election road. Those bumps are likely to come in the form of third party candidates like Alan Keyes and former Rep. Bob Barr. The aggressive former House Republican, turned Libertarian, Bob Barr is making rumbles about running for president under the Libertarian Party banner. Beloved by some members of the GOP because of his ties to President Ronald Reagan and his leading role...

“You’ve convinced me that you are going to help put Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama in the White House.” This is how a friend of mine tried to wrap up a political discussion last weekend. The circumstances were unusual, even if the comment was not. Usually, you’ll find a lone Keyes backer being numerically outgunned by a bunch of RINOs. In this case, the sole McCain supporter found himself faced with an enthusiastic and well-informed circle of Keyes people. It is interesting that he had nothing to say about our arguments themselves. A good guy at heart, he conceded the...

Former Republican presidential candidate Alan Keyes has chosen April 15 to make a major announcement of his intentions, following indications he has broken with the GOP. A life-long Republican who has increasingly cited the party's failure to match conservative rhetoric with actual performance in the political arena, Keyes said he will reveal his reasons for departing the GOP at a press conference scheduled for 8:30 pm ET, at the Best Western Genetti Inn in Hazleton, PA. The event will be video-streamed live at Keyes' website, www.AlanKeyes.com. Keyes added that he is looking to the Constitution Party as a possible home...

Keyes will make “a major announcement” about his intentions Tuesday, according to his Web site. He is planning a press conference at “the Best Western hotel in Hazleton, Pa.,” the site reports. The Keyes campaign could not be reached for comment Wednesday. According to Smeriglio, Keyes wants to make the announcement in Hazleton because of the city’s stance on illegal immigration. “A good portion of his speech next week will center on illegal immigration,” Smeriglio said. Voice of the People USA opposes illegal immigration, and Smeriglio and his group have been outspoken on the issue since Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta...

This was a great event. The whole thing is at this link, but the first quarter or so is Dr. Keyes' speech.

The term conservative originated back in the days when folks were trying to "conserve the monarchy" -- that is, to keep kings in their place against the onslaught of democratic tide like the French Revolution. Lots of folks in the USA consider themselves conservatives today, but they have no interest in conserving any monarchy. So the definition of conservative has changed. The single most important factor in US conservativism in recent years, as best I can tell, is a desire for smaller role of federal government than currently exists. But I'm not the guy who gets to define what conservatism...

Presidential candidate Sen. John McCain was interviewed tonight by Greta van Susteren for her Fox News Channel show, "On The Record". She asked him what he can do, short-term and long-term, about rising gasoline prices. There's not much that can be done short-term, he said, because we're too dependent on foreign oil. But we can, in the not-too-long-term, develop hybrid cars, and develop a battery that will take a car 100 miles. "We can reemphasize and dramatically increase nuclear power", he added. "We can do so many things in alternate energy to eliminate our dependence on foreign oil." COMMENT: Nuclear.com...

Many conservatives are feeling left out of the 2008 presidential race, with the likes of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama battling for the Democratic nomination and the GOP endorsement likely going to U.S. Sen. John McCain, who has worked with Democrats on campaign limits as well as amnesty for illegal aliens, and in 2004 actually was thought of as a possible running mate for Democratic candidate John Kerry. Some prominent leaders, including Focus on the Family founder James Dobson, even have said they will not vote rather than vote for the liberal leanings of McCain. So is 2008 the year...

During a recent swing through Houston, Galveston, and Dallas, presidential candidate Alan Keyes told voters they don't need to settle for a candidate who isn't a true conservative. "I stood up to run for president this time because I feel people ought always to have [a] choice — a choice they don't have to be ashamed of, they don't have to excuse, they don't have to apologize for, and finally, most importantly, a choice that represents them," Keyes told one group. Keyes said that when he looked at the field of candidates back in September, he felt "like Adam," finding...

In a recent WND column, Janet Folger begs social conservatives to vote for John McCain. She believes McCain will rescue "most everyone" from our political "burning building" – when in fact McCain has already locked arms with the Kennedys, Feingolds and liberal Democrats to keep social conservatives "out" of politics while they burn our constitutional republic to the ground. Like our mutual friend Alan Keyes, I've been a lifelong Republican and never voted third party, but this time I've had enough

After 20 or so years of working within the GOP to try and reform it into a more Christian/conservative Party, Dr. Alan Keyes is leaving the Republican Party. He will soon make this announcement and explain why he can no longer, in good conscience, remain a Republican. Many things over the past two decades or so have contributed to Alan’s decision to leave the GOP. One recent example: A secret meeting of some conservative “leaders” discussing not how to oppose John McCain but what promises McCain might make to allow conservatives to sell-out and support him for President. When Alan...

Plagiarizing the language of liberty and equality for socialism "I don't need Mr. Keyes lecturing me on Christianity. That's why I have a pastor." — Barack Obama By Tom Hoefling March 21, 2008 In 2004, Ambassador Alan Keyes acceded to the persistent pleas of Illinois Republicans to represent them in the U.S. Senate race against Democrat Barack Obama, only after being informed of Obama's history of callous disregard for innocent human life in blocking the legal protection of babies who had survived abortion attempts in that state's hospitals. Dr. Keyes, more than anyone in the country, saw the dangers...

Chicago is Barack Obama's kind of town The city has a unique history of launching the careers of powerful black politicians -- which is part of the reason Obama moved there. By Edward McClelland Pages 1 2 Share Email Digg Facebook Del.icio.us Reddit My Yahoo Print RSS Font: S / S+ / S++ REUTERS/Frank Polichi Barack Obama smiles as his wife, Michelle (right), answers a reporter's question in Chicago, Nov. 2, 2004. Jan. 14, 2008 | CHICAGO -- For the hundreds of thousands of poor Southern blacks who made the trek north in the early 20th century, Chicago was literally...

March 18, 2008Alan Keyes for President - public telephone conference call at 10 pm ET tonightOn Tuesdays and Thursdays over the past several months, the Keyes campaign has hosted conference calls. I expect tonight will be one you won't regret joining, as Alan has been thinking long and hard about how best to have his ideas represented to the nation now that Sen. McCain has won enough delegates to win the GOP nomination. Call in to 231-962-8000 and enter code 340794# If your phone has its own mute button, please use it, to cut down on background noise. If not,...

Exclusive: Gordon James Klingenschmitt on why Alan Keyes will be his choice In a recent WND column, Janet Folger begs social conservatives to vote for John McCain. She believes McCain will rescue "most everyone" from our political "burning building" – when in fact McCain has already locked arms with the Kennedys, Feingolds and liberal Democrats to keep social conservatives "out" of politics while they burn our constitutional republic to the ground. Like our mutual friend Alan Keyes, I've been a lifelong Republican and never voted third party, but this time I've had enough (and apparently so has Alan Keyes, who...

Alan Keyes Leaving Republican Party By John Lofton, Editor, TheAmericanView.com JLof@aol.com After 20 or so years of working within the GOP to try and reform it into a more Christian/conservative Party, Dr. Alan Keyes is leaving the Republican Party. He will soon make this announcement and explain why he can no longer, in good conscience, remain a Republican. Many things over the past two decades or so have contributed to Alan’s decision to leave the GOP. One recent example: A secret meeting of some conservative “leaders” discussing not how to oppose John McCain but what promises McCain might make to...

Over the past several months, I have been privileged to attend (and sometimes endure) several significant gatherings of a variety of conservatives. Some of the meetings were large; others were small. The meetings sometimes featured mostly grassroots activists and sometimes very high-profile and notable conservative icons. In some of these meetings, I was allowed a platform to speak; in others, I was merely a spectator. In most of the meetings, there was a large percentage of Christian conservatives present. The meetings occurred in locations all over the country. After witnessing the philosophizing, postulating, and pontificating of the various conservative speakers...

Presidential candidate Alan Keyes may be leaving the GOP. In a conference call last night, Keyes is said to have told supporters that staying in the Republican Party would be "an occasion of sin" and he's ready to bolt. Keyes ... reportedly wants no part in selecting the "type of deodorant we need to make a stinking candidate acceptable to conservatives." A Keyes supporter confirms to Radar that the former Reagan administration official "stated in the conference call that he could no longer remain in the Republican Party." As for what's next, a third party bid seems like a good...

PART ONEPART TWO PART THREE

Morning show host Mark Davis provides a highlights mp3 file each day. Today's is filled by his interview of Alan Keyes. They start off talking about McCain, with Keyes criticizing McCain's performance in Senate on judicial nominees, border control, and campaign finance. Liberty and national security are amongst the topics discussed as the interview proceeds.

Dr Keyes has been campaigning in Texas for about a month. Join this in-progress event to see and hear him in action.

Bottom line: Mr. Keyes cannot support Mr. McCain at the ballot box without abandoning his conservative principles. As he put it, "There's not a single constituency of true conservatives that doesn't have one of John McCain's knives stickin' out of our backs."

Republican presidential candidate Alan Keyes commented last week on the exit of Mitt Romney from the race for president, and weighed in on leading contenders John McCain and Mike Huckabee. Keyes' assessment? He wouldn't support any of them at the ballot box. When asked by Seattle radio host Thor Tolo if he could have publicly supported the departed Romney, the former Reagan administration diplomat said, "Well, no. I've made it very clear with respect to Rudy Giuliani, with respect to Mitt Romney, and others, that I'm not buying into this whole phony business that's been going on. I think that...

Weaving a patchwork rhetoric of conservative politics and biblical allegories, Republican presidential candidate Alan Keyes urged Lubbock residents Monday evening to consider their religious morals the next time they exercise their rights to vote. During his speech at the Holy Spirit Catholic Church in south Lubbock, Keyes addressed his political and moral beliefs concerning, among other things, taxation, immigration, abortion, health care and governmental spending to an audience of parishioners and local residents. Democracy, he said, is best conducted by those who are willing to acknowledge that the inherent power of God rests at the heart of a democratic society....

Every weekend is a political weekend these days. Breakfast forums, accountability sessions, campaigning door-to-door. One such event Saturday was the Pearson Group, a two-part event: A debate between District 77 state representative candidates Paul Moreno, the incumbent, and challenger Marisa Marquez; preceding the debate, a speech by presidential candidate Alan Keyes, a Republican from Illinois who ran unsuccessfully for Senate against Barack Obama in 2004. Keyes was an assistant secretary of state under Ronald Reagan from 1985-88, and his campaign literature mentions Reagan often. Keyes focuses on abortion as the key issue of our time, and writes that he is...

Free Republic Opinion Poll: (2/9) If you had to pick one of the remaining GOP contenders for ALL grassroots conservatives to unite behind for the remainder of the primaries to prevent John McCain from earning the required number of delegates to win the nomination, which one would it be?

... KEYES: "... I am motivated by a desire to see this country restored to the godly principle of its founding, starting with the simple premise of liberty, that our rights come from God and must be exercised with respect for the authority of God. ... We had to make a judgment on where to concehtrate our efforts to make a breakthrough. ... I've been in Texas since mid-January. ... We knew that Super Tuesday would not decide the outcome. It is the important decision of the people from Texas. ... I started in San Antonio, have traveled to Austin...

How did you vote and why?

So, when the Democrat Party chooses Hillary, and the RINOs choose McCain, how in the 11th hour can a third party candidate steal the election away from the ol' guard? By gathering up the disenfranchised from both parties. Easy, if you had a candidate who could identify with African-Americans (who are about to have their faces spat on by the Dems when Obama and his supporters are left out of convention) and could equally identify with the Conservatives (who have been offered no one who conservative Socially, AND Fiscally, AND Security-wise). There is such a candidate. His name is Alan...

Why has the campaign of Alan Keyes, who has been dedicated to the causes we hold dear for years, been so neglected by Christian and conservative media and organizations? Alan Keyes came to Florida with constitutional argument in hand for Jeb Bush to prevent the deliberate starvation of Terri Shiavo. He stood with Judge Roy Moore when he was rejected for his installation of a historical monument including the Ten Commandments. He has stood for a chaplain who was reprimanded for praying in Jesus' name. He has stood with Minutemen by our borders where our federal government fails to carry...

For years now, as conservatives, we’ve blamed liberals for the progressive decline and destruction of America, but today we’re facing an even greater crisis. The Republican Party has lost its moral compass--having all but severed the cord connecting us to the Anchor that has stabilized and held us together for so long. They are casting us adrift amidst political and global upheaval--both at home and abroad--that is creating incoming political tides of tsunamic proportion. With open borders allowing--or rather inviting--thousands of illegal aliens to enter this country daily, there is no hope of preventing the kind of vicious terrorist attacks...

Have you ever asked yourself why the Democratic frontrunner —whoever that may be at the moment — is never mistaken for a closet Republican? Do you ever hear liberals complaining that their party has abandoned them, wishing there was a candidate they could support wholeheartedly — or wondering why the leadership of the various facets of their movement has jumped ship, endorsing someone who holds views antithetical to those the leaders themselves say they stand for? When’s the last time you heard a person planning to vote in the Democratic primaries being lectured about the fact that the vast majority...