Free Republic

The catfight between former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele and his replacement, Reince Priebus, has reached screech level, with Steele belittling the party's new focus on minorities as old news. Appearing on the "Andrea Tantaros Show," a nationally syndicated radio show, Steele called the GOP establishment that on Monday unveiled a $10 million minority outreach effort a bunch of "numb nuts" for ignoring the plan he instituted four years ago. Steele also sounded ready to beat up Priebus. Asked by Tantaros who would win in a cage fight, Steele said, "Oh, no question, I would clean his clock." How?...

Hard to argue with that assessment today of all days, but … Mitt Romney’s also been invited this year. The future doesn’t get any more limited than that. Also, since when is one’s prospects in the GOP a litmus test for whether you’re CPAC-worthy or not? Every time someone objects to GOPround’s exclusion, the rejoinder inevitably comes that it’s the “Conservative Political Action Conference,” not the “Republican Political Action Conference.” Okay, in that case, who cares about Christie’s future in the GOP? Either his ideas are conservative enough or they aren’t. Verdict: They aren’t. Or rather, one isn’t. New Jersey...

So last week, I was surprised and oddly delighted by something that my friend Rachel Maddow also picked up on: “They have invited Chris Hayes to CPAC this year, Chris Hayes host of Up w/ Chris Hayes here on MSNBC invited to speak on a panel with Ralph Reed…I don’t know if he’s going to go, but it’s cool that they asked him.” Yes, the legendary Conservative Political Action Conference had invited yours truly to participate at its 40th annual conference this March. I was specifically invited to be part of a panel called: “CSI Washington, D.C.: November 2012 Autopsy”...

This week, as lawmakers in Congress braced themselves for a protracted and impassioned debate over gun control, Democratic governors moved swiftly to push tough new gun laws in response to the school massacre in Newtown, Connecticut. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo easily shepherded legislation through a divided state legislature to produce the strictest gun laws in the country. Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley has proposed similarly stringent measures, including a ban on assault weapons, while Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper has called for universal background checks on all gun sales. And what do all three governors have in common (besides a strong...

Is there any calumny that Barack Obama and his minions have not tried to use against Mitt Romney? They have accused him of being: •A murderer. Remember the Joe Soptic ad? •A felon. Remember Stephanie Cutter calling Romney a felon? •A man who tolerates those who are soft on rape. But those slanders weren’t enough. Now the Democratic governor of Maryland, Martin O’Malley, who has ambitions for 2016, has called Romney a racist, and you’ll never guess which site gave him a megaphone to use. That’s correct: Politico. Here’s the Maryland party hack’s attack: "When you have a party that...

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) on Monday endorsed former Maryland Gov. Robert Ehrlich in the state's GOP gubernatorial primary, pitting him against his former presidential running mate, Sarah Palin. The former GOP Alaska governor and potential 2012 presidential candidate endorsed Republican investor Brian Murphy, a once-little-known candidate who is mounting a primary challenge against Ehrlich. McCain told the Associated Press that Ehrlich is a "fine guy" and that he is backing his shot at another term in office. The Maryland governor's primary is one of the first in which McCain and Palin have found themselves supporting opposing candidates. Palin has endorsed...

Conservative darling and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has endorsed gubernatorial candidate Brian Murphy today, according to a post on her Facebook page. It is the first Palin endorsement in Maryland. Murphy is running for the state GOP nomination as a more conservative alternative to Republican former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., who has most of the establishment GOP support in the state. So far, Murphy has not shown up in polls or had much of an impact on the race, but in other states a nod from Palin has given outlying candidates momentum. On the stump Murphy says both...

Maryland could use some serious help in defeating Steny Hoyer in November... yeah it CAN be done. Charles Lollar for Congress Marylands 5th District http://www.lollarforcongress.com/index.php/home This guy has the potential and I believe is a serious challenger. Lollar is a former Marine officer who spent time overseas in Kosovo and continues to serve in a reserve capacity as an Intelligence Analyst at the Pentagon. Former Charles County Republican Party chairman Charles Lollar is intent on unseating House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer this fall, thus ending the Maryland Democrat’s 28-year run in Congress. “The demographics are different across Prince George’s, Calvert...

Brigadier General (R) Anthony J. Tata wrote a great piece today for Big Government in which he, among other things, recalled Governor Palin's visit to Walter Reed Army Medical Center last December: "As a retired flag officer, I often have the privilege of visiting with our wounded and their families and so I commit some time and money, donating so far 100% of the book royalties to the USO Metro DC Hospital Services Fund for our wounded warriors at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Bethesda National Naval Medical Center. The huge response my review of her book generated, and...

For Immediate Release Vaughn is the Republican Party’s best hope in claiming Maryland’s U.S. Senate Seat Baltimore, Md.--, Corrogan R. Vaughn is the Republican Party’s best hope at reclaiming the U.S. Senate Seat currently held by Barbara Mikulski. Vaughn, a Baltimore Resident and businessman has long been active in Maryland’s Republican Party becoming one of its rising stars over the years. Vaughn, a behind-the-scenes conservative who has seen his influence grow as of late due to his association with the Tea Party Movement, opposition to Government-Run Health Care and the renewed interest in conservative fiscal and social values espoused by...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UBFkzGMADU

With freshman Rep. Frank Kratovil’s (D-Md.) conservative Eastern Shore district near the top of the Republican target list next year, Maryland state Sen. Andy Harris aims to avenge what turned out to be one of the most disappointing losses of 2008 for the GOP. But he might not be alone. Sources say state Sen. E.J. Pipkin is also leaning toward entering the primary for a second-straight cycle, and former state House Minority Leader Al Redmer told The Hill on Monday that he too could run against Harris.

Del. Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio (R-Dist. 37B) of Newcomb At just 31 years old, Haddaway-Riccio has long been considered one of the GOP's rising stars. Some see her as an ideal candidate for the 1st Congressional District. She's the daughter of an Eastern Shore waterman, boasts a strong environmental record, owns a graphic design company and is a fiscal conservative who has strong crossover appeal. Her composed presence within the GOP caucus and her strong debating skills on the House floor have earned kudos. She also has won plaudits for her advocacy of women's issues and her promotion of rural broadband. "Jeannie's...

I can’t really find too much to argue with what Michelle Malkin said here regarding RNC Chair Michael Steele’s recent comments (audio and video here of Steele’s comments and Rush’s response) about Rush Limbaugh and how Steele fed right into the mainstream media/lefty (but I repeat myself) playbook in agreeing with their over-simplistic characterizations of Rush Limbaugh - and of the convention goers at the GOP National Convention. For the last comment, where he didn’t speak up and protest when the interviewer (CNN’s D.L. Hughley) said that the GOP convention looked like “Nazi Germany,” Steele owes every single conservative an...

Today, the Club for Growth PAC endorsed Republican Maryland State Senator Andrew Harris in Maryland’s first congressional district’s Republican primary. State Senator Andrew Harris has a consistent track record of fighting for limited government and pro-growth policies. Harris led the floor fight against the Wal-Mart Tax bill in the Maryland State Senate and sponsored a repeal of the Maryland inheritance tax (SB 160, 2000). In a demonstration of his principled independence, he voted against 6 out of 9 state budgets (SB 323, HB 935, SB 508, HB 147, AP 03/28/06, HB 50) and sponsored of a constitutional amendment to protect...

Former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. has thrown his support behind state Sen. Andrew P. Harris' attempt to unseat a fellow Republican, Rep. Wayne T. Gilchrest, in the upcoming congressional races. Mr. Ehrlich's chief fundraiser, Richard E. Hug, has joined Mr. Harris' exploratory committee and cultivated donors for a Harris fundraiser last week in Baltimore that featured an appearance by Mr. Ehrlich. "Many of you know [Mr. Harris]. He is a tireless campaigner and has an excellent shot at winning this seat," Mr. Hug wrote to supporters in advance of the fundraiser. In addition, Mr. Harris is a frequent guest...

House Republican Wayne T. Gilchrest's votes to stop funding the war in Iraq has challengers saying the long-term congressman may have run his course. Two Democrats -- Eastern Shore lawyers Frank M. Kratovil Jr. and Christopher R. Robinson -- announced they will run for Mr. Gilchrest's seat, and state Sen. Andrew P. Harris, a Baltimore County Republican, is expected to announce that he is running.

Subject: Restoring Reason and Balance (Please visit my Brother John R. Austin's website, He is running for The Maryland House of Delegates

Great video ad in response to phoney Mike J Fox attacks ads on Stem Cells

It turns out the numbers in the Comptroller's race aren't the only interesting ones in a new poll commissioned by Del. Peter Franchot (D-Montgomery), a hopeful for the office. The same poll, conducted by Garin Hart Yang, showed the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in a statistical dead heat between Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin of Baltimore and Kweisi Mfume, the former congressman and NAACP leader. Cardin had the support of 32 percent of likely Democratic voters, while Mfune netted 31 percent. No other caniddate received more than 3 percent and 32 percent were undecided. In the Democratic primary for governor,...