Free Republic

Hunter Biden's only qualification for obtaining a seat on the Amtrak board of directors in 2006 was that he often rode trains. That's according to his father Joe Biden's Delaware colleague in the Senate, Tom Carper, who offered the sole nomination speech for the younger Biden when his name was presented in the Senate Commerce Committee. In his prepared remarks, Carper said Biden would be an "excellent addition" to the board, but was unable to list any reason beyond his frequent use of trains. "More significantly, Hunter has spent a lot of time on Amtrak trains," Carper said after listing...

Last week, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush announced his intention to "actively explore" a run for president. That announcement spurred spasms of joy in some segments of the Republican Party who have been itching for an effective counter to the enthusiasm of the grassroots right. Those Republicans -- largely coastal donors who scorn social conservatives as rubes, and shun the supposed fiscal extremism of the tea party -- have been searching for a candidate who will buck the base on immigration, who doesn't mind hand-in-glove corporatism, and who, most of all, feels the same way they do about the grassroots....

Lawyers for the Delaware Republican Party and the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), Michael Toner and Brandis Zehr, now face a complaint before the DC Bar for false statements and a frivolous September 9, 2010, complaint against Christine O'Donnell and the Tea Party Express. The Federal Election Commission is also being asked to update its "First General Counsel Report" with a "SECOND General Counsel Report" correcting the obvious error launched into circulation by Michael Toner and Brandis Zehr. The rules governing attorneys in D.C., the District of Columbia Rules of Professional Conduct, require attorneys to take affirmative action to CORRECT...

Violations of campaign finance laws were committed NOT by Christine O'Donnell, but apparently instead by former Congressman Mike Castle, the candidate for U.S. Senate in Delaware, as revealed in his Federal Election Commission campaign finance reports. Unlike O'Donnell who was clearly a candidate for office in January 2009, Mike Castle did not file a Statement of Candidacy until October 19, 2009. As a result, none of Mike Castle's expenses from January 2009 through October 2009 would qualify as legitimate campaign expenses -- at least if we apply the Delaware Republican Party's own standards from their attacks on Christine O'Donnell. Castle's...

Mike Castle would have lost the US Senate race in Delaware to Democrat Chris Coons, according to surprising exit polls by CNN in Delaware on election day, November 2, 2010. Contradicting theories advanced by Delaware Republican insiders, voters in Delaware on November 2 would have elected Democrat Chris Coons regardless of whether the Republican nominee were Mike Castle or Christine O’Donnell. The analysis places the focus on calls for systemic reforms of the Republican Party of Delaware. According to CNN: “despite pre-election polls that showed longtime Republican Rep. Mike Castle handily beating Coons in a hypothetical match-up, the voters who...

Christine O'Donnell is a hero to all for taking out Mike Castle. His "Dream Act" vote cemented that. His yes vote in the house would have been at much more strength, as he could have easily voted for cloture, giving the horrendous act of amnesty bipartition cover. Primaries for RINOs is the only way to save our republic, and my this Castle vote be the first topic Hannity of the other talking heads bring up to Tokyo Rove.

With all of the debate about the 2010 US Senate race in Delaware, the candidate herself, Christine O'Donnell, provided her own analysis of her own US Senate race in 2010. The video of O'Donnell's analysis is available for viewing on-line at: http://www.DelawareNewsCenter.com/ODonnellAnalyzesSenateRace.wmv Christine O'Donnell addressed questions about whether the tea party got behind flawed candidates, and attempts to discredit the tea party generally. The following excerpt (5 minutes) is from Christine O'Donnell's speech to the Second Annual Banquet of the Northern Virginia Tea Party on December 7. http://www.DelawareNewsCenter.com/ODonnellAnalyzesSenateRace.wmv Christine O'Donnell drew an overflow crowd of 250 guests, the maximum number...

(CNN) – The thing about Delaware is: it's no Kentucky. The Tea Party's first Senate loss of the night may be no big surprise - the only question heading into tonight's been how big a victory margin Chris Coons would capture over Christine O'Donnell. But the exit polls lay out the political and demographic roadblocks facing any Tea Party favorite here. [Snip] If GOP voters are feeling any buyer's remorse, they may take some solace in one surprising stat: despite pre-election polls that showed longtime Republican Rep. Mike Castle handily beating Coons in a hypothetical matchup, the voters who turned...

Everytime I see Lamar Alexander I think of those red flannel sweaters he and his supporters wore in his run for the Republican nomination in 1996...Anyway, Lamar is headed to Delaware politicalticker Lamar Alexander, the third-ranking Republican in the Senate, will make a campaign appearance Friday in Delaware with GOP Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell, CNN has learned.The Tennessee senator is the first member of the Senate Republican leadership to appear with O'Donnell, according to an Alexander aide. O'Donnell stunned and disappointed the GOP establishment when she beat Rep. Mike Castle in the Republican primary. Castle was considered a sure winner...

Here is video of Mike Castle on with CNN’s John King today where he refused to endorse Delaware GOP U.S. Senate nominee Christine O’Donnell – who defeated him in the GOP Primary. Castle said he had a “nasty” primary with O’Donnell, both “politically and personally,” and because of that did not want to make any endorsement. King also asked Castle to respond to GOP Sen. Jim DeMint’s belief that it is better to nominate “pure” conservative candidates and lose than have RINO candidates be nominated and win. Castle, of course, said he believes DeMint is wrong, and said it is...

Congressman Mike Castle will not launch a write-in campaign for the U.S. Senate seat he once was heavily favored to win. castle Castle had been considering the option of running as a write-in candidate since his lost to Tea Party favorite Christine O’Donnell in Delaware’s Republican primary election. “While I would have been honored to represent Delaware in the U.S. Senate, I do not believe that seeking office in this manner is in the best interest of all Delawareans. Therefore, it’s time for Jane (his wife) and me to begin thinking about the next chapter of our lives,” Castle said...

He conceded it would have been a long-shot. And he ultimately decided against it. Rep. Mike Castle (R-DE) announced late Wednesday night that he would not launch a write-in bid for Senate. Two weeks ago, Christine O'Donnell shocked the political establishment when she upset Castle in his effort to be the Republican standard bearer for Senate this fall.

Rep. Mike Castle will not run a write-in campaign for Delaware's open Senate seat, the Republican said in a statement Wednesday night. "While I would have been honored to represent Delaware in the U.S. Senate, I do not believe that seeking office in this manner is in the best interest of all Delawareans. Therefore, it's time for Jane and me to begin thinking about the next chapter of our lives," he said, referring to his wife. SNIP He did not mention O'Donnell in the statement.

Now RINO Mike Castle Wants A Write-In Campaign Too - We Must STOP Him! Just when you think this election cycle can't get any more bizarre - we have now learned that liberal RINO Mike Castle is trying to follow in the footsteps of Lisa Murkowski to launch a write-in campaign for U.S. Senate after voters rejected him in the GOP primary.Castle is now conducting a poll to see if his write-in campaign can win.  Here's the report from Politico: What part of "NO" does Mike Castle not understand?  It's looking like we have the same pattern being repeated that we saw with Lisa...

The head of communications for Delaware's state Republican Party announced Friday morning that he is leaving the state. The announcement, by Tom Doheny, comes 11 days after conservative pundit Christine O'Donnell shocked the nation by upsetting the strong favorite of the state and national party, Rep. Mike Castle, in the First State's Republican primary. "After a hard-fought campaign, I have decided to move on to a new opportunity working for the Republican Party of Pennsylvania,"

One of my Delaware guys — very plugged into state Republican circles, closer to the Mike Castle fans than the Christine O’Donnell fans — sends me a bombshell: I am hearing from a credible source that Castle’s odds of mounting a write-in campaign are as high as 50-50. They believe they can win, and lots of anecdotal evidence that I can share tells me this: most independents and even many Democrats are very unhappy with the choice between O’Donnell and Coons. People are telling me: O’Donnell is awful on personal character but right on the public policy issues. Coons has...

Suppose a 40-year-old teacher wanted take his class of 30 14-year-old high school freshmen on an 80-mile daylong field trip into the next state to visit a national historical site. Do you think the school would require him to notify the parents of these children he was taking them away for the day? Now, suppose another 40-year-old man wanted to take just one 14-year-old high student on an 80-mile daylong trip across the same state line to visit an abortion clinic because he had impregnated the 14-year-old, wanted her to get an abortion and sought to evade the law in...

We've been telling you about Lisa Murkowski's attacks against all of you who have supported the Tea Party Express.Today she stepped up her attacks on you, and showed utter contempt for the people of Alaska who rejected her candidacy in the Republican primary.  You've got to see her in her own words from this clip on CNN - watch it below: These liberal RINO politicians are shameful - they tell us about their "big tent" and then display complete hypocrisy when the voters reject them.Remember Arlen Specter?  He left the Republican Party when it was clear he would lose against his...

Between Arlen Specter, Charlie Crist, Mike Castle refusing to endorse O’Donnell — a forgivable sentiment the day after a bitter defeat, less so as time goes by — and the rumor that Murkowski is running, the RINO-hunters have a point that the moderates never seem to be willing to compromise or put the party’s interest first. The NRSC will help elect a lot of winning GOP candidates this year, but between Specter, Crist, and Murkowski, they have had an embarrassing cycle . . .

Upon reading the reviews of Christine O’Donnell’s win over Mike Castle in the Delaware Republican Senate primary, one could be forgiven for conjuring up images of monks (a la Monty Python) walking around in a circle, whacking themselves with boards and chanting “Woe, verily woe!” Ruth Marcus over at the Washington Post is scared and despondent: … I had thought the silver lining of this election year might be to produce a Senate with a more robust cadre of moderate Republicans. […] Now, it’s as plausible to envision a bolstered Jim DeMint caucus, following the disturbingly powerful junior senator from...