Free Republic

NMCEP will lead an event in early 2008 that will define the expectations of Americans that they be provided with reliable and competitively priced energy. This will be the first attempt to inject rural viewpoint into energy policy. Senator Pete V. Domenici is expected to deliver a major address at the event. Additional event details will be up soon.

President Bush threatened to veto the Foreclosure Bill proposed by the democrats. *link* This bill created by democrats wants to allocation billions of taxpayer funds to bail out individuals who basically bit off more they can chew it attempts to prevent foreclosure on homes across the county. Rep. Neugebauer from Texas brings up a valid point “The American people don’t want to make their neighbor’s payment when they’re having trouble making their own”, which is precisely what this bill would do. Assuming the bill passes, and homeowners are pulled from the brink of defaulting on their mortgage loan, what makes...

The Republican free-for-all to replace retiring GOP Rep. John Doolittle is ugly and getting uglier, with the campaigns spending plenty to tag one candidate as a greedy carpetbagger and the other as a big-spending liberal. Those are fighting words in the Fourth Congressional District, which rambles from the Sacramento suburbs of Rocklin and Roseville east to Lake Tahoe and north to the Oregon border. Former Rep. Doug Ose and state Sen. Tom McClintock are brawling for the GOP nomination in a district where Republicans outnumber Democrats 47 percent to 30 percent and the incumbent is leaving after being named in...

WASHINGTON — Local congressman Jerry McNerney, a freshman Democrat, has emerged as one of the Republicans’ top targets in Congress this year, making the race in his district that rarity in California politics — a national battleground contest and a true toss-up. In 2006, McNerney pulled off one of the big upsets of the year when he knocked out Republican Richard Pombo, a committee chairman who earned the ire of environmental groups. Now efforts by the GOP to retake the district, which stretches from Stockton through Alameda County to Morgan Hill, ensures an expensive campaign and one of the state’s...

Congressman Tancredo (R-Colorado) joined Congressman Ortiz in Brownsville on Tuesday for a joint committee meeting regarding the proposed fence building to attempt to curb illegal immigration (amongst other things) in the area. Not surprisingly, Tancredo was met with a rather cold reception with his known favoritism towards building the fence. “It really isn’t a border to most of us who live down here” said Betty Perez local activist. No need to guess which side she’s advocating. Now, on the not so stereo-typical side, you’ve got me to give you some insight into uber minority: the endangered Republican Female Mexican American...

Given recent results in congressional elections and current polls, and given the beating we took in 2006, there is significant concern that 2008 will result in the Democrats making sweeping gains in the House and Senate. Given the electoral history of the past few decades, I believe that the fears of Democrats picking up an additional 5 or more seats in the Senate, or 20 or more seats in the House, are WAY overstated, PROVIDED McCain wins by a few points or more in November. Why? I surveyed the Senate elections occuring in presidential years. In no year at least...

Peninsula GOP leaders asked Atherton Republican Greg Conlon "to take a bullet for the party," he said, and run against Jackie Speier in the special election to replace the late Rep. Tom Lantos earlier this month. The 75-year-old Conlon played the good soldier, dutifully finishing second with 9 percent of the vote, as Democrat Speier grabbed 79 percent for an easy - and expected - victory. Across the Bay Area, more Republicans are being asked to face that same electoral firing squad, marching into legislative contests where they have little or no chance of winning behind an increasingly tattered GOP...

LOS ANGELES, (AP) -- A splinter group of Republicans with ties to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and financed by six-figure donations will recruit candidates with hopes of reversing the party's disappointing record in recent statewide elections. Disclosure of the group Tuesday — California Republicans Aligned for Tomorrow — comes at a time when the California Republican Party has been struggling with financial and management problems and factional strife between moderates and conservatives. A list of supporters comes from across the party's political spectrum, but the organization appears geared to promoting Republicans who can compete statewide in a state that leans Democratic....

Do we have enough young people to carry the flag of conservative values in public office for the next generation? Specifically, people who fit the following description: under the age of 50currently holds office or is a declared candidate for US Senate/House or Governor...or...merits being recruited for officeholds all or most of these (or more) conservative principles: Pro-lifePro-2nd AmmendmentSmaller govermentLower taxesFewer entitlementsSecure bordersAggressively pursue war on terrorism Know anyone who fits the bill?

Bryan DeWinter spent his summer vacation in Israel, speaking with convicted terrorists at a maximum-security prison and venturing to the Syrian and Lebanese borders, where signs of the 2006 war with Hezbollah still remained. In Washington, D.C., he spent winter break meeting with Department of Homeland Security officials, analyzing government tactics to quell terrorist activities. Although young Democrats have dominated the spotlight this presidential election, helping to swell the ranks of new voters, college Republicans like DeWinter are just as impassioned about the 2008 presidential campaign. But instead of demanding a change of course from the Bush administration's policies, young...

Husband in double slaying had gambling, real estate, political ties; deaths appear 'motive specific,' official says -- The man who was killed alongside his wife in their Pleasanton country club home was a "complicated" and, at times, controversial local figure with political, gambling and real estate ties, those who knew him said. Ernie Scherer, 60, was a passionate conservative who once worked for former Republican Congressman Bill Baker. He dabbled on the professional poker circuit and was an active real estate investor who bought and sold homes across the country. "Local politics was as much a hobby to him as...

PLEASANTON -- A Republican activist and professional poker player and his university lecturer wife found slain inside their country club home in Pleasanton had been dead for several days before their bodies were discovered Friday, authorities said today. Ernest Scherer Jr., 60, and his wife, Charlene Abendroth, 57, were discovered at 12:30 p.m. Friday after their daughter could not reach them and summoned officials with the Castlewood Country Club association to the home at 18 Castlewood Drive. The couple had owned the home for about 18 months, a neighbor said. No arrests have been made, and authorities have not said...

NASHVILLE - Tennessee Republican Chairman Robin Smith says she stands by the state party's use of "Barack Hussein Obama" in party criticism of the Democratic presidential candidate - even though John McCain says it's inappropriate. McCain, holding a big lead in the Republican presidential race, Tuesday apologized for criticism of Obama by a radio talk show host who introduced McCain at a rally. Asked if it was proper to refer to Obama by using his middle name, the Associated Press reports that McCain replied: "No, it is not. Any comment that is disparaging of either Senator Clinton or Senator Obama...

Please Join Us for the Todd Hunter Campaign Kickoff Wednesday, February 20 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. USS Lexington in Corpus Christi with special guests: Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson Texas Railroad Commissioner Michael Williams and hundreds of Coastal Bend residents who want to see real change for common-sense, conservative government

The cash-strapped California Republican Party is facing deeply divisive political and financial problems in this critical election year - beginning with a $3 million loan from a furious contributor who was supposed to have been repaid on Friday. The troubles of the GOP in the nation's most populous state - which backers of Sen. John McCain insist could be competitive in the fall presidential election - come at a crucial time. The California party convention is Feb. 22 in San Francisco, and conservatives and moderates will debate the platform and whether independent voters should be allowed to cast ballots in...

I have the utmost respect for Senator John McCain's service to our country as a career officer in the United States Navy, however, because of positions he has taken as a United States Senator, I can never vote for or support him for any public office, especially for the office of President of the United States. While acknowledging and appreciating Senator McCain's support for the sanctity of human life, his positions in regard to illegal immigration and trade make it impossible for me to support his candidacy for President of the United States, even if he does receive the nomination...

Just off the transom, State GOP Chairman Ron Nehring issued a hearty "congrats" to Senator McCain for his big win here in the Golden State: "Congratulations to Senator McCain for his victory across California today. Based on the results reported by the Secretary of State, Senator McCain has triumphed in every part of California, from the Oregon border to San Diego. California Republicans know how to win in our state, as Governor Schwarzenegger and Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner demonstrated in 2006. While the contest for the Republican presidential nomination appears it may continue, we're confident the issues of this campaign...

Behind the scenes, Republican supporters of Arizona Sen. John McCain are grumbling about what they say was state GOP Chairman Ron Nehring’s glaring failure tonight to publicly congratulate the apparent GOP winner in California. (SEE UPDATE BELOW WITH NEHRING’S STATEMENT ON McCAIN’S APPARENT WIN.)Starting about 9:30p.m., media outlets projected McCain would take California but Nehring remained silent.Nehring, reached by phone a few minutes ago from San Diego, where the state party held its Election Night party, called it a non-issue and said he never planned to call the election himself or give a speech from the podium.“We will absolutely unify...

Dear RNC: I am very concerned about the direction toward which it appears that the Republican Party is headed. In the words of Presidential hopeful John McCain, “they voted us in to change government, and the government changed us.” John McCain’s own admission of how he failed in his duty as Senator, along with the rest of our fellow Republicans who were voted out of office in 2006, to make the changes that he promised is very telling. More specifically, his admission raises suspicion as to whether he will fulfill his current promises, which not only mirror the past promises...

9:53PM - Add Senator Mel Martinez to the list of winners tonight. He looks a lot better backing a winning presidential candidate than he does stepping down prematurely as chair of the RNC. - REID WILSON 9:46PM - The other big winner tonight? Gov. Charlie Crist. From the St. Petersburg Times today on the Crist endorsement: "For Crist, the move is a risky one, but one with a big payoff if it makes him look like a kingmaker." - BLAKE DVORAK 9:42PM - Giuliani dropping out helps McCain, right? Well, not so fast. According to the exit polls, 49% of...

THE MCCAIN WAY: ATTACK REPUBLICANS A Top 10 List… 1. Defending His Amnesty Bill, Sen. McCain Lost His Temper And “Screamed, ‘F*ck You!’ At Texas Sen. John Cornyn” (R-TX). “Presidential hopeful John McCain - who has been dogged for years by questions about his volcanic temper - erupted in an angry, profanity-laced tirade at a fellow Republican senator, sources told The Post yesterday. In a heated dispute over immigration-law overhaul, McCain screamed, ‘F— you!’ at Texas Sen. John Cornyn, who had been raising concerns about the legislation. ‘This is chickens—stuff,’ McCain snapped at Cornyn, according to several people in the...

Via the folks at the Trinity Foundation/Wittenburg Door, there is a report that GOP presidential candidate Mike Huckabee reached out to televangelist Kenneth Copeland for some fundraising help. Copeland is one of several televangelists under investigation by U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) and a proponent of the so-called "prosperity gospel." Trinity cites a blog post by former George H.W. Bush staffer Doug Wead to the effect that Huckabee called Copeland during a ministers' conference last week that Copeland was hosting. Wead reports: "Copeland, carefully observing all the laws governing non profits, as a private citizen, re-convened a private meeting, turned...

Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, polling a distant fourth in the upcoming Florida primaries, continued to attack former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, while offering implicit support for his other rival, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in his appearance on "Fox News Sunday." When asked to take sides on a dispute between Romney and McCain over whether the former Massachusetts governor called for a timetable for withdrawal in Iraq last April, Huckabee sided squarely with McCain. “Dishonest? I’ve never seen John McCain say something that is just blatantly untrue,” Huckabee said. Huckabee later praised McCain, saying “we have a civil approach to...

That's the name of a new anti-Huckabee web site started by former Thompson staffer Darrel Ng. Jonathan Martin has more on the site: Now that his candidate is out of the race, one Thompson staffer has gone the next stop and is actively working against Huck. Sorta. Darrel Ng, perhaps the heartiest and most dogged of Thompson's aides and somebody who logged many a mile on the Fred bus, has launched a website called "Boycott Chuck Norris." Yup, Ng now wants people to show their disregard for Huck by not patronizing any companies that use Norris as a pitchman. The...

This is a weird article. I was never one who believed that politicians were - on the whole - smart enough to pull off something like this. I never thought the Democrats would pull Hillary in as the Party's savior in 2004. And I'm skeptical of what Steven Stark writes in the above-linked piece. What do you guys think? Is this author on to something, or is he certifiable? If McCain loses in Florida, the Republicans may well be headed to a deadlocked race and convention. And history teaches us that the likeliest candidate to emerge in that scenario is...

As has been reported elsewhere today, Fred Thompson's mother is gravely ill right now. Our prayers ought to be with Sen. Thompson, his mother, his wife, and their family. This must be a very difficult time for them. All of this political stuff is of only secondary importance right now. That said, here is what I would do, politically, if I were Thompson: I would just lay low. Just wait. See what happens in Louisiana's caucuses tomorrow. See what happens in Florida next week. See who drops out of the race at some point. And then consider reviving my campaign,...

McCain has become the closest thing here to the establishment candidate in a race that lacks a consensus pick. Photo: AP COLUMBIA, S.C. —The national media thinks John McCain is under siege again, and his campaign is only too happy to help reporters file their stories.At a rally Thursday, outside McCain’s headquarters just down the street from the state capitol here, the candidate and a key local supporter, Sen. Lindsey Graham, are explaining that sorcerers of the dark political arts are at work.“There’s a lot being said out there on phone calls, in the mail, that’s a bunch of garbage —...

While the once-imperiled California condor has made a striking comeback, there is another ailing bird in the state that should probably be considered for the endangered species list: California Republicans. As the 2008 Republican presidential contenders turn their sights toward California on Feb. 5, they might want to take stock of the sorry state of the GOP in the Golden State. Registered Republicans now constitute barely a third of the electorate in the biggest state — 34 percent — a decline from 39 percent just two decades ago. Even in Orange County, regularly described as “the most Republican county in...

Oh boy one has to believe that Huckabee will be getting some blow-back from this. These push polls have even brought out the South Carolina Attorney General to make this statement: “Last evening the Associated Press reported that that an out-of-state special interest group, Common Sense Issues, had launched a massive push polling effort disparaging John McCain and other candidates for president. In their push poll, Common Sense Issues makes several misleading claims regarding John McCain’s record.“Allow me to set the record straight. In the U.S. Senate, John McCain has been an unwavering voice for the rights of the unborn....

As we move on to South Carolina team Thompson is doing something a little different and fun. They are putting up a fun set of videos from their tour down there. They are getting video snapshots of folks who have flipped to Fred from other Candidates. Here is Riley, who flipped from Romney to Fred. Karen flips from Romney to Fred: Ann flips from Huckabee to Thompson: Jason goes from Romney to Fred: Well you get the idea. There is plenty more here. Meanwhile Fred layed the smackdown on the field on Fox News last night. So much so that...

Welcome to our Phone for Fred online phone bank! Person to person contact is the most effective way to make a difference in an election. We created the Phone for Fred program for all of you Friends of Fred who want to volunteer and do more for Fred! We need your help in the early primary states. Our Phone for Fred online phone bank makes it easy for you to make a difference! Fred only needs a small commitment of time and you will soon see that your phone calls and person to person contact will help Fred win!

The Republican Party in Minnesota, where the GOP will crown its nominee this summer, is a perfect reflection right now of the national party. It is all mixed up on the presidential race and struggling to hold an increasingly fragile coalition together. "There's a real battle going on here for what it means to be conservative, to be Republican," said Andy Aplikowski, a local party chairman. "Is it religion, is it defense, free markets ... states' rights? There's no common message." In Minnesota, as across the country, evangelicals are lining up behind pastor-turned-politician Mike Huckabee despite his record of tax...

Senator, I realize that John McCain is a friend and that you do not do your friends dirty. Unfortunately, Senator McCain is already doing himself dirty on the immigration issue. His backpedaling, blatant Janus-like turns on the border fence, open disdain for those of us who appreciate the rule of law, and shameless demagoguing on this issue is souring people on him more and more every day. These are voters you not only need on your side, but should very much want. These are not, as some would have us believe, a howling mob of racists or bunch of cruel-hearted...

Our campaign has had a fantastic month! From dominant debate performances to standing room only crowds, Fred is really hitting his stride just in time for the most important contest of the race so far. As much emphasis as is placed on Iowa and New Hampshire, South Carolina is the real bellwether in the GOP nominating process. On Saturday, voters in the Palmetto State will go to the polls and make a statement about the direction of our Party and our nation. As Fred pointed out in last Thursday's debate in Myrtle Beach, we are in a battle for the...

epublicans gear up for Michigan Getty Image removed Michigan could be make-or-break for Mitt Romney, analysts say Voters in the US state of Michigan are gearing up for the Republican primary on Tuesday in the next stage of the race for the White House.Polls suggest a very close battle between Arizona senator John McCain and local boy Mitt Romney. The Democratic contest has been weakened because Michigan chose to hold its vote early and the party barred its delegates from the final convention. Analysts say Michigan's fragile economy is the main issue. High unemployment Some commentators say this could be...

"United States policy must continue to stand with the Cuban people and against those who have oppressed, terrorized, and murdered so many Cubans over the past half-century. This was my position when I served in the Senate; it is my position today; it will be my position as President. Fidel and Raul Castro are unaccountable dictators who can serve no role in Cuba’s future. We must continue supporting the growing internal opposition in Cuba while also denying the regime any source of funding that could prop up this cruel, illegitimate government. This means keeping current sanctions in place, and increasing...

Sorry, Rudy: In an interview to air this Sunday, state Conservative Party Chairman Mike Long tells WNBC's Gabe Pressman the party is likely to give an early nod to Fred Thompson if he manages to "break through" in South Carolina. "As a Conservative, as the chairman of the New York state Conservative Party, my favorite candidate, naturally, is Fred Thompson," Long said. "He did very well this week in the debate. Certainly, I think in South Carolina. If he does well there, if he breaks through in South Carolina, he changes the face of this Republican race again. He becomes...

Fred Thompson has raised over $200,000 online since his boffo debate performance last night, says spokesman Todd Harris. For a candidate who is putting everything on South Carolina, the showing could not have come in a better place (Myrtle Beach) or on a better network (Fox) or at a more critical time (just over a week before the South Carolina primary). The debate got front-page previews in both the Charleston and Myrtle Beach papers yesterday, and many conservatives were already likely tuning in to their favorite station. The South Carolina papers had similarly prominent coverage of the debate this morning....

The liberal Web site Daily Kos is encouraging Democrats in Michigan to cross over and vote for Mitt Romney in Michigan Tuesday primary. Apparently, the thinking of the liberals encouraging the crossover vote is that a Romney victory there will further muddle the Republican presidential picture and help the Democrats win the White House in November. Fox News reports that “it’s a classic dirty trick, but perfectly legal. And while Machiavellian political ploys of this sort rarely work, the author’s logic is thus: ‘A Romney victory in Michigan will keep him in the presidential race. And the more candidates slugging...

LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. - When former House Speaker Newt Gingrich decided in late September he would not run for president this year, Bob Walker went looking for another Republican he could support. He found Fred Thompson. "I'm interested in somebody who is seriously considering the issues not just as a political gimmick, but has real, long-term ideas in mind for fixing some very large problems we face immediately and down the road," Walker says. "I came to the conclusion that Fred Thompson was the guy in the race who had that kind of serious attitude," says Walker, a Lititz resident...

Marc Ambinder declares Fred the winner: On points, Fred Thompson won the debate. Every answer was thoughtful and well-crafted; his tone matched the tone of the question; he wisely refrained from interjecting in the back and forth squabbling. He very deftly reminded viewers that he served on key Senate national security panels and is bringing his experience to bear. Even his insults were subtly and gently constructed In some ways, Thompson did McCain’s bidding. You skeptical readers can tell me that if Thompson had finished a solid fourth in Iowa, I might not be writing about Thompson at all, that...

Apparently, small government Republicans [Huckabee’s] aides are wary of New Hampshire. “It’s all no tax, no government there,” said Bob Wickers, a top strategist. “It’s not ideal.” But they believe that the message of economic anxiety that he preaches will help in Michigan’s primary on Jan. 15 and in states in the South, which have high poverty rates in addition to strong groups of social conservatives.” Mike Huckabee is skipping New Hampshire because it’s too fiscally conservative. Instructive, yes? Huckabee’s brand of identity politics is as dangerous as anyone else’s - after nearly eight years of a fiscally liberal Republican...

Welcome to the Wyoming Republican Party Calendar. This page is maintained to the best of our ability, however the WYGOP does not guarantee the information contained herein has not changed. Please use the contact information on events to verify times, dates and places. Event: Weston County Convention Day: Saturday, January 05, 2008 Time: 8:30 AM ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Event: Albany County Convention Day: Saturday, January 05, 2008 Time: 8:00 AM ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Event: Goshen County Convention Day: Saturday, January 05, 2008 Time: 9:00 AM ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Event: Crook County Convention Day: Saturday, January 05, 2008 Time: 2:00 PM ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Event: Campbell County Convention Day:...

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney is already attacking the politician who appears to be his chief rival in New Hampshire, Arizona Sen. John McCain. On MSNBC's Morning Joe, Romney attempted to spin the Iowa caucuses as a defeat for John McCain, lumping McCain with Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton as the big losers. "The Washington insiders are being rejected," Romney said. Romney placed a distant second to former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee. McCain and Fred Thompson were in a virtual tie for third. Romney continued to say that placing ahead of big-name candidates Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson, and McCain in Iowa...

Ed Rollins is a nasty, nasty piece of work. Here he was tonight on Fox News: Rollins: The wise men like you who say Huckabee doesn’t have a snowball’s chance in heck - well, he can still go out and take his message to the people. And we’ve seen all the wisdom doesn’t live in Washington, and all the wisdom doesn’t live in the press corps.” Wallace: You can accuse me of a lot of things, but I would note we’ve had Mike Huckabee on Fox News Sunday several times— Rollins: —and we’re very grateful for the opportunity to take...

Johnny Dollar’s got the video of that irascible Ed Rollins shooting off his mouth. Nothing serious. Usually when Rollins shoots off his mouth he finds himself in the unemployment line or wounding the candidate he alleges to support with friendly fire. The Man Who Helped Reagan Win 49 States ™ indeed. Yea. Take “Reagan” out of that bio and what’s left of Vallejo’s finest? Ed Rollins - guiding the gay, yet somehow married to Arianna, Michael Huffington to Senate defeat? The mastermind behind billionaire Ross Perot’s Presidency? Claiming that he bribed black ministers to suppress the black vote to help...

Well, that's the rumor from Zogby polling. Musing on the Thompson campaign, there was an interesting post earlier this week by Paul Marks at Samizdata: "Fred Thompson: Too Sane to Be President?" Marks writes that the media equates a passion for campaigning with a passion for governing and serving one's country -- I'd note that "Campaign Carl" Cameron of Fox News has been particularly derisive of Thompson in this regard -- but that they're actually two different things. Marks: "But what sort of person is passionate about the political process? Not getting things done - but the process of gaining...

Ok, yeah I have small children. But that’s beside the point. I think Fred Thompson has a strong shot at 2nd place in Iowa. I don’t want to get my hopes up too high because it is more likely that he will finish 3rd. But if, as I am getting from the news coverage, this McCain, Huckabee, Romney food fight on the airwaves in Iowa is souring voters to those candidates, Fred Thompson could be the beneficiary of that sentiment. Going negative in Iowa has always carried risks and Iowa is the place where dark horses rise to the top....

A recent Wealthy Dentist survey asked dentists who they would like to see win the upcoming US presidential election. Two out of three dentists responding to this survey said they would rather see a Republican in the Oval Office than a Democrat. Among the dentists surveyed, the Republican favorite was Mitt Romney, while Democrats prefer Hillary Clinton. Though this poll only surveyed dentists, the implications reach beyond the profession of dentistry. Dentists see over 30 million Americans each month, allowing them to both hear and influence people's opinions on a wide range of topics. Among the 71% of dentists who...

His liberal record went right up until his final days in office as governor. Despite what he has said since leaving office, he was always there, ready to help out to keep abortions safe and legal. His new claim is that he would have blocked it if he had the chance. Of course, Mitt. Of course you would have done that. If only the track record didn't get in the way of facts. Why do facts always have to get in the way of a good story? More hypocrisy from Mitt, after the jump. Former governor Mitt Romney's economic development...