Free Republic

So much for the great trucker-tea party alliance. Barely a week after conservative activists were counting on a massive protest by truck drivers to snarl the Beltway and bring President Barack Obama to heel, the head of the nation’s largest trucking industry organization denounced the right-wing movement Monday as a “corrosive” force that threatens the business community’s ties to the GOP. “What’s most alarming is the collapse of the Republican Party and the emergence of the conservative wing of the party, most often referred to as the Tea Party, and its emergence as a very corrosive force,” American Trucking Associations...

A Johnson County Republican and second cousin of President Barack Obama is expected to move ahead Tuesday with planning for a primary challenge to U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts, of Kansas. Milton Wolf, who advocates for a divinely inspired return to limited government and individual liberty, invited supporters to a "major announcement" regarding the 2014 Senate campaign at an Overland Park hotel. The event will feature a performance by “American Idol” singer Krista Branch. Wolf, a 42-year-old physician and a political novice, could highlight in Kansas the division playing out nationally among tea party conservatives and others in the Republican Party....

Steven J. Anderson, former budget director for Kansas Governor Sam Brownback, talks about budget, taxes, spending and what not being reported by Kansas' media during a luncheon speech at the Wichita Pachyderm Club Sept. 6, 2013. This video is of the full speech. A 13 minute highlights video is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8sfew...

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Thursday linked outgoing Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) to one of the “saddest” Senate votes in years and suggested DeMint’s values won't be missed on Capitol Hill. Pelosi criticized the resigning South Carolina lawmaker and other GOP senators for voting Tuesday against Senate ratification of a United Nations treaty on rights for the disabled. “For them [DeMint and other treaty opponents] to slap the face of our veterans, of people with disabilities, of families with children with disabilities, that was one of the saddest days,” Pelosi said in the Capitol, taking care to avoid...

It’s becoming clearer why Schweikert, Huelskamp, Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.) and Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.) were yanked from their committee posts. It wasn’t ideological, sources involved with the negotiations said. Instead, they said, the lawmakers lost their spots because they worked against their colleagues or leadership. Huelskamp, for example, voted against Rep. Paul Ryan’s (R-Wis.) budget in committee, in addition to trying to bring down the farm bill. Other members affected by the discipline voted against measures in committee, as well.

A research attorney for a Kansas Court of Appeals judge has been temporarily suspended from her job pending an investigation about tweets she posted during a court hearing in former Attorney General Phill Kline’s ethics case. Ron Keefover, spokesman for the judicial branch, said Sarah Peterson Herr was suspended Friday while an investigation is conducted. She is a research attorney for Judge Christel Marquardt. The tweets were posted Thursday during a Kansas Supreme Court hearing deciding whether Kline’s law license should be indefinitely suspended for his conduct during investigations of abortion providers. The tweets predicted that Kline would be disbarred...

Senate President Steve Morris' performance on the state legislative stage will draw to an involuntary close after a 20-year run. The southwest Kansas Republican's place in the Capitol will be taken in January by someone voters thought offered more robust conservative credentials. Morris was driven into retirement along with seven other moderate Republicans in the Senate. All lost August primaries. It remains to be seen how Democrats fare in November, but the Senate will undoubtedly be led by members loyal to the conservative label.

House Speaker Mike O'Neal's retirement from elective office afforded the 28-year legislative veteran an opportunity to assess his personal political transformation and movement of the Republican Party to dominance in Kansas. The Hutchinson attorney who defeated an incumbent Democrat in 1984 on an economic development platform said he would emerge with a more conservative view of public policy. He said this journey coincided with growth in conservative sentiment among Kansas voters — especially on state budget issues.

Mitt Romney's presidential campaign would like to be focusing its attacks on Democratic President Barack Obama around now. But after failing to seize control of the Republican nomination race on "Super Tuesday," Romney cannot shake off rival Rick Santorum, whom he criticized on Thursday as a political insider. Opening up a new front against Santorum, the Romney campaign accused him of being a lobbyist in his home state of Pennsylvania even before he went to Washington in 1991. Romney's campaign also attacked Santorum for holding regular meetings with lobbyists as a Senate leader, part of the Republican "K Street Project"...

In this episode of the Conscience of Kansas radio program we talk about the Big First Tea Party being refused usage of Hays Kansas public library for the purpose of an educational video class on the Constitution. In this show I interview Constitutional attorney Richard Fry about the incident. We invite you to listen and comment.

Does anyone know if there is a website that contains not only who the winners were but also what their records are for being like pro-life, pro-nra etc? I have folks I am trying to convert to cross the line and would like some info to go on.

There's been much in the news lately regarding the "birther movement," or more specifically, whether the Big First congressional candidates believe President Obama is a legitimate U.S. citizen. The controversy began when the Hutchinson News withdrew their endorsement for Tracey Mann, following radio comments in which Mann said Obama "needs to come forth with his papers and show everyone that he is an American citizen." The Hays Daily News asked all six Republican candidates to weigh in on the matter. Here are their responses: Jim Barnett: "First of all, there are many important issues facing our nation. When I see...

The Kansas State Rifle Association and U.S. Senate Candidate Todd Tiahrt will hold a press conference on Monday, July 26th at 1:00 p.m. The press conference will be held in the Old Supreme Court Room at the State Capitol Building, Topeka, Kansas. The Kansas State Rifle Association will discuss Tiahrt’s long record of fighting for the rights of firearm owners and his success in protecting our Second Amendment rights. Tiahrt is the leading conservative running to replace Sam Brownback in the United States Senate. He is known nationally for protecting the privacy rights of firearm owners as the author of...

First is the assumption that it is unfashionable for African-Americans, or anyone for that matter, to break from the liberal mantra that all good things come from the Democratic Party. Second, and equally unpopular, is the illumination of numerous pivotal points in history when republicans, not democrats, created opportunities for minorities to ascend to positions of justly earned greatness.Note: People can comment directly to article without putting their name or registering by clicking the (Site Comment) spot at the bottom right of the page.

Kansas Republicans go to the polls next month to choose their nominee for the U.S. Senate seat now held by Republican Sam Brownback, who is leaving Congress to run for governor. And the Aug. 3 GOP primary is likely to determine the next senator from Kansas. The state hasn't sent a Democrat to the Senate since 1932. Brownback's would-be successors, Jerry Moran and Todd Tiahrt — both GOP members of the House — share what to the naked eye would seem almost identical voting records in Congress. Nonetheless, each is trying to convince voters that he has the most conservative...

Olathe , Kan. - Former State Rep. Patricia Lightner, Republican candidate for Congress in the 3rd District of Kansas, will be appearing on the Fred Thompson Show on Friday, April 30 at approximately 11:45 CT. Lightner will be discussing her candidacy as well as Preserving American Liberty's "Winning America Back" event this Saturday in Independence , Mo. The event features Fred & Jeri Thompson, Sarah Palin, and other prominent national figures.

Washington, D.C. - Concerned Women Political Action Committee (CWPAC) has announced its endorsement of Patricia Lightner in Kansas' 3rd Congressional District. Concerned Women PAC, established in 2002 by Founder and Chairman Mrs. Beverly LaHaye, is affiliated with Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee (CWALAC), the nation's largest public policy women's organization with more than 500,000 grassroots members nationwide. "Concerned Women Political Action Committee endorses Patricia Lightner because she will be a voice for traditional family values and the lives of the unborn in Congress," said Mrs. Penny Nance, CEO of Concerned Women Political Action Committee.

Facing crowded field in District 3 race, former state Rep. isn't afraid to assert herself.

Dear Free Republic, I just wanted to briefly introduce myself. Several volunteers on my campaign are posters here and recommended I make an introduction. I hope I am posting right! I am a conservative Republican running in the 3rd District of Kansas -- my campaign is dedicated to the principles of limited government, individual liberty, economic freedom, the rule of law, and a culture of life. I encourage you to take a look at my website at http://www.patricialightner.com -- take particular notice to the Issues, Newsroom, "Patricia's Desk" and Ask Patricia sections. Thank you for your consideration! All the best,...

A large number of seats to see Sarah Palin speak in Salina have been added. According to the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce, due to a reconfiguration of seating for the February 5th annual meeting, about 600 additional gallery seats for the event have opened up. There is only one way to purchase additional gallery seats, which cost $25 per ticket and do not include dinner. You must contact Sandy Cole directly at the following special phone number: 827-9310 ext. 123. The former Alaska Governor and 2008 GOP Vice Presidential Candidate will be the featured speaker at the annual Salina...