Free Republic

JACKSON, Miss. - At a fundraiser at a country club in Mississippi this evening that was expected to raise a record-breaking $1.7 million, Mitt Romney defended the Republican Party against its reputation as the "party of the rich" explaining that really, it is a party focused on helping the poor. "We're accused, by the way - in our party - of being the party of the rich," Romney said. "And it's an awful moniker, because that's just not true. We're the party of people who want to get rich. And we're also the party of people who want to care...

One of the great legends of political consulting is the Dog Food Problem: an apocryphal tale of a company that had the best packaging, the best advertising, the best marketing. But there was only one problem: the dog wouldn't eat it. Forevermore we should no longer call it a Dog Food Problem. We should call it a Mitt Romney Problem. In truth Romney is still probably the most likely GOP nominee. He has the most money, the best organization, the most endorsements, and the best hair. There is only one thing wrong with the Mitt Romney campaign: Mitt Romney. If...

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"...

Haley Barbour is all about Newt Gingrich Continue Reading "I'm crazy about Newt," Barbour told reporters after a breakfast at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce after he was asked about Gingrich's likely presidential announcement. "We've been friends for a very long time." Gingrich is considering a presidential run and has been the focus of intense speculation this week after it was reported that he planned to announce the formation of an exploratory committee on Thursday. His spokesman, Rick Tyler, issued a strong statement Tuesday night insisting Gingrich would not use his Thursday trip to Georgia to make a presidential announcement.....

President Barack Obama is one of America's best politicians ever, according to one of his potential rivals for re-election in 2012. "The president is one of the greatest politicians in the history of the United States," Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press."Barbour's comments came during a discussion of Wisconsin's budget battle - a fight that's sparked widespread protests as Republican Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has tried to curtail collective bargaining rights for public employees. Obama is "quiet [on the issue] because most Americans know this has to be done,"

So it may not actually have been cut yet, but Haley Barbour's rivals will struggle to beat his repurposing of this direct-to-camera endorsement from his 1982 Senate race: "I'd like to take a moment to talk with you about our country's future and a very special leader - Haley Barbour. The problems of the 1980's are rapidly changing and demanding new solutions and fresh vigorous ideas. I've learned first hand that Haley Barbour has the intelligence, courage and experience to make a great United States Senator. These are difficult times but slowly and surely we are making America prosperous again....

Mississippi Gov Haley Barbour will visit the Republican-heavy Upstate of South Carolina Wednesday for two private events with local GOP officials to discuss a potential presidential run, POLITICO has learned. Barbour will meet with Republicans first in Greenville and then in Spartanburg. The closed-door gatherings will include party leaders and current and former elected officials, according to a South Carolina source familiar with the events. Barbour's trip to the first-in-the-South Palmetto State illustrates his increasing seriousness about a presidential bid. His appearance in the two Upstate cities comes just a few weeks after he appeared in Columbia for the inauguration...

JACKSON -- The good news for Haley Barbour is that the left wing is after him. That means he’s being taken as a serious contender. The ruckus over Barbour’s latest interview is a typical example of taking individual words out of context. For instance, Barbour is being blasted for saying that something -- we don’t know what -- “wasn’t that bad.” The liberal bloggers argue that Barbour was saying the Citizens Council and the KKK “wasn’t that bad” but, in fact, Barbour said no such thing. Here’s is the exact text of the Weekly Standard article. “In interviews Barbour doesn’t...

“Hi, this is Sarah Palin. I’m calling to encourage you to send a message to Washington in this election. Steven Palazzo is a principled conservative like you and me. We can depend on him to support our values and stand up to the liberals in Washington. Let’s change things on Tuesday. Vote conservative Republican Steven Palazzo for Congress. Thank you.” – Governor Sarah Palin Steven had this to say: “I’m honored to be endorsed by Governor Sarah Palin. She is a great representative of the Tea Party’s ideals. As our momentum continues to build, we look forward to Election Day.”...

In a speech Tuesday night at a pro-life event in Houston, former presidential candidate Sarah Palin said abortion is an "essential" issues for the pro-life movement in the 2010 elections. Palin said it is important to take advantage of the opportunity the elections present to mitigate President Barack Obama's pro-abortion agenda. Palin said Obama has been responsible for "the biggest advance of the abortion industry in America" thanks to the ObamaCare bill that includes abortion funding, she said, according to CNN. She added Obama is "the most pro-abortion president to ever occupy the White House," "That's why it's essential that...

Video of Bennie Thompson's opponent ambushing him at town hall last week. David went looking for Goliath last week and found him.

President Obama repeatedly said yesterday during his press conference on the Gulf oil spill that he takes responsibility for the disaster. Nevertheless, Republicans are pounding the president for failing to step up as a leader during the crisis. Some are also questioning his decision to extend for six months a moratorium on new offshore drilling plans. Millions of gallons of oil have flowed into the Gulf of Mexico since the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded on April 20. Oil company BP, which was operating the rig, is responsible for the cost of the clean up and containment efforts under the...

Like Mike Huckabee did in the 2008 GOP Primary, a dark horse candidate from the South could rise up to win some big races in 2012. But who could that little known candidate be? I’ll offer some suggestions about who could be a household name in two years. In my last column “Why Republicans are in trouble in 2012” I described the woes of the Grand Old Party for 2012. A combination of weak candidates with surprisingly thin resumes and potential nominees with bad luck in their state’s history could hand what might be a winnable race against President Obama...

Ever since Rep. Travis Childers (D) won a stunning special election victory in the 1st district in May 2008, Republicans have been itching to win back this conservative district previously held for seven terms by now-Sen. Roger Wicker (R).

After watching the debate live and now having had a couple days to fully absorb what was all too obvious that night: McCain won--oh, my mistake--John. It's hard to not be partisan when saying who won--especially since each candidate did express their positions rather clearly, but I'll give it a shot. I try to imagine what it would have been like if I'd just woken up from a coma, or had never heard of either candidate before. What would I admire in each of them? What are their strengths and weaknesses? Are they smokers or non-smokers? The most important answers...

Every single pundit and political analyst in America today is spinning the result of yesterday’s debate towards his own personal ideological preference. Generally though, most do agree that John McCain did a lot better than Barack Obama, because he was able to continually (and effectively) get his main talking point through, “Mr. Obama doesn’t understand”, without appearing condescending or angry. McCain was able to constantly tell the audience that the problem with Obama was not his “bad faith” or lack of motivation, but simple naivete and inexperience. Barack Obama, on his part, was simply unable to get his talking point...

It looks like Obama has firmly declared he will be at the debate, while McCain has allowed a little wiggle room by "requesting" the debate be postponed -- and "challenging" Obama to agree. Regardless, this "staring contest" over whether or not to debate tomorrow night, could have real political ramifications. McCain's opening salvo was shrewd and bold, but Obama's comeback was good, too ("Part of the president's job is to deal with more than one thing at once.") Following are some thoughts on how McCain might respond to Obama's insistence on continuing with the debate: 1. McCain could still show...

The Republican race for Mississippi's third congressional district will go to a runoff. Charlie Ross won the most votes out of a field of seven candidates. Gregg Harper came in second place, with David Landrum trailing in third. Ross, a former state senator, was cheered by a crowd of supporters Tuesday night at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum. The 52-year-old Brandon resident told WLBT Tuesday afternoon that he expected to be in a runoff. He said he was excited about leading the pack of qualified candidates. "It's like we're in the third quarter of a ball game,"...

The GOP contest for Rep. Chip Pickering’s (R-Miss.) seat looks to be a two-candidate race, according to a poll conducted for businessman David Landrum’s campaign in late January. Former state Sen. Charlie Ross leads Landrum 30 to 24 percent ahead of the March 11 primary, with no other candidate in the double digits. If no candidate reaches 50 percent in the primary, a runoff will be held April 1. A previous poll suggested that Ross, who ran for lieutenant governor last year and is the only well-known political figure in the race, held a large early lead. But Landrum has...

Cannot be posted due to copyright issues: http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071119/NEWS/71119048

Presidential candidate Fred Thompson will be a special guest at a tribute dinner for state Republican Party Chairman Jim Herring on Nov. 19 at the Jackson Hilton on County Line Road. Thompson will join Herring and other state GOP leaders at the event beginning with a 5:30 p.m. reception. The dinner is being hosted by the Mississippi Republican Elected Officials Association. When he considers the position of the Republican Party in Mississippi, Herring thinks the hard work in the past is paying huge dividends in the present. "The most satisfying part of it is seeing your organization grow and prosper,...

Several prominent Mississippi politicians, including a Democrat who served in President Clinton’s Cabinet, are endorsing Republican Haley Barbour for a second term as governor. ‘‘We’ve got to do what’s best for Mississippi, and in this case, it has to be the person over the party,’’ Mike Espy, who was Clinton’s first secretary of agriculture, said Wednesday. Espy stood by Barbour and the governor’s wife, Marsha, during a news conference at the state Capitol. About two dozen other politicians, ministers and businesspeople stood on the marble steps behind them.

A former aide to Republican U.S. Rep. Chip Pickering said he's going to run for the seat being vacated by the 3rd District congressman. “I'm getting ready and, in the next few weeks, will be formally announcing it,” said John Rounsaville, who resigned his job Thursday as Mississippi director of the USDA Office of Rural Development. Appointed to the U.S. Department of Agriculture post last November, Rounsaville previously served as Pickering's deputy chief of staff for five years and then worked three years for Republican Gov. Haley Barbour as a policy adviser. Pickering announced last month that he won't seek...

Republicans are likely to retain the Mississippi Congressional District being left open because of the retirement of Rep. Chip Pickering, but that doesn’t mean that Mississippi 3rd District voters won't see a competitive campaign. Contrary to initial reports, Pickering will not resign his seat. Instead, he will serve out his term but not seek reelection. GOP insiders describe the district as overflowing with potential Republican candidates and expect a multi-candidate primary. Atop the list are two statewide names: Tate Reeves and Amy Tuck. Reeves is Mississippi's 32 year old state Treasurer, the first Republican to hold the office since Reconstruction....

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You guys should check this group out. I met one of their members out in Ohio working with a congressional candidate. They knew what they were doing and I was impressed but i didn't realize that Alex had his own team until yesterday. I looked at their website its got some really solid ideas in terms of strategy. Check it out: http://www.vandenberg-strategies.com

Agriculture Commissioner Lester Spell has switched to the Republican Party almost 10 years in office as a Democrat, saying his work within his department is more in line with the principals of the GOP.

State Rep. Erik Fleming, who endorsed Lyndon LaRouche's 2004 Presidential Campaign, is currently the only announced candidate against Trent Lott.

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Gannett Fails One-Newspaper Communities/Counties- Port Huron Times Herald a Queue for Government Intervention? In particular, with today’s concentration of all reporting medium with just a few companies- who determines the void or lack of reporting in the best interest to citizens. I’ve challenged a Gannett newspaper, the Times Herald of Port Huron Michigan of its obligation citizens in one-newspaper counties. There appears to be an immediate need to make certain legislation be brought requiring corporate newspapers to better report news and serving the communities they cover. At a crucial time with the 2004 Primary literally days away- this particular newspaper,...

The poll of 600 likely Republican voters in St. Clair County Michigan’s State Representative District 81 countywide found Alloway leading Pavlov by 12 points, 48 percent to 40 percent in a three-way race with Yale Republican Steve Pray Nader included in the ballot test.

“A Michigan Impossible until we work together ending illegal state house electioneering practices” Joe Alloway-R Michigan House District 81 St. Clair County Michigan PORT HURON – JULY 11, 2004 - Please listen to a recent interview (http://66.92.134.175/~benburch/old/TrupianoShow-(10-5-2004).mp3) exposing Michigan’s #1 area to reform and that’s ending illegal activities in Michigan’s House Republican Caucus Communications Office! Very few citizens asked have no idea of what that word means. Folks, the bottom line is we’ve had some major problems in this antiquated, 50-person staffed office and they’re just coming public. Take recent revelations of state employees assigned to representatives as campaign managers...

I just got back last week from driving across the country, I live in Washington State and drove to PA in see my wifes family and took I-80 and I-90 back home. With my Bush/Cheney sticker from 2000 in my back window along with my W-04 sticker I got a aproviel rating of about 75% judging from the honks and thumbs ups from fellow drivers. Funny how I got the 1 finger salute from the folks with the Kerry stickers. My question to you is do you vent your hate and anger at fellow drivers on the road with a...

Last night, I was told that a report was recently published by some DC think-tank. This report ranked members of congress in order of taxpayer-friendliness, i.e. it examined their votes on tax-related bills and determined where any particular member of congress came in on higher or lower taxes for their constituents. The same person who told me about the report told me that a whopping 75% of house and senate members from my state were in the top 20 LEAST friendly to taxpayers in their voting records. Have any of you heard of this report? Can you point me to...

Are you a registered voter?? Do you know anyone who needs to register?? Check this out: http://www.ConservativeAlerts.com/vote.htm Ultra liberal "MoveOn" is attempting to register 100,000 new left wing voters. WE need to register 200,000 new conservative voters!! Just click on the above link, click on your State, fill in the necessary information, print it out, and mail it in!! It's a simple as that!! As you all know, this will be the most important election in our lifetime. Our future depends on it, and the future of our children depends on it. It is an election we MUST win!! DO...

<p>Mr. Tom Hamill was captured when his convoy was attacked by Muslim guerrillas. He showed great courage and patriotism when interviewed immediately after being captured he said, " Our convoy was attacked, thats all I'm saying."</p> <p>Militants threatened to kill American hostage Thomas Hamill, 43, of Macon, Miss., who was the latest in a series of kidnappings in Iraq.</p>

I've seen the senate races heating up, but not nearly as much on the house seats. I'm mostly using information from DC POLITICAL REPORT and POLITICS1. STATES Alabama DISTRICT 3 - The other Mike Rogers (R) won in 02 with 50.3% over Democrat Joe Turnham(48.2%) in an open seat. So far, it looks as he is facing Democrat Bill Fuller, Ex-State Human Resources Commissioner. I haven't heard much about this race, but the first defense is hardest. Alaska SENATE - Lisa Murkowski(R) vs Ex governor Tony Knowles. This will be a tough race as Knowles is an ex-governor and Murkowski...

Journalists, political pundits and other Hysteric Left activists are desperately trying to spin some cosmic significance out of Sunday's Spanish elections. The "conventional wisdom" is that the Spanish Election results are some sort of significant defeat for President Bush and the War on Terror. As usual the "News Media's" thinking is neither conventional nor wise. What all the various activists miss is the reality of American Exceptionalism. As much as the International Political Left hates, and try's to deny, the reality is the USA operates on a completely different political level then the rest of the world. On Sunday, the...

This audio (The Warroom with Jim Quinn - WPGB Pittsburgh) contains a partial recording of the Kerry debacle the media is hiding. It was broadcast in it's entire state on Jackson, MS local television. Anyone have the audio links? How can you resist Kerry muttering the words "my brother" to be followed by a chorus of laughter? Then receiving rounding boo's and catcalls for his equating the civil rights to gay rights? You've got help me here ...

State Representative Mike Lott handily won the Republican primary Tuesday to face Congressman Gene Taylor.

The reason for my apology was that throughout this primary season we have been hearing about the record turnout of voters participating in Democrat caucuses and primaries. I bought the lie. The truth is that, except for Iowa and New Hampshire, there has not been any sort of record turnout for the Democrats. Even in New Hampshire the vote was far less than what the Republicans had when they last had a contested primary in 2000. The Democrats this year had 219,787 votes in their primary. The GOP in 2000 had 239,523 votes. That 20,000 difference is major in a...

Vote.com has a vote on President Bush's current Ads. Please take a minute to vote here http://www.vote.com/vote/60212434/index.phtml

http://newsmax.com/archives/ic/2004/3/6/121052.shtml Well isn't this intresting. The "objective news media" supposed 9-11 surviors protesting Bush's ads are actually anti-war stooges financed by John Kerry's wife. Please take a moment and vist the New York Times, Washington Post, MSNBC, CBS, NBC and ABC etc to email the Omsbudsman, the Publisher, the News Editor and demand to know why they allowed clearly partisan advocates of Kerry's Presidential Campaign were presented on their "News" programs with no reference to their ties to the Kerry camp. We absolutely must demand the "News Media" be held accountable for their free advertising for the Kerry camp.

http://www.georgewbush.com/tvads/ Here is a link to the 1st three Bush Re-election ads. As expected the DNC directed its "Objective News Media" mouthpieces at CNN, NBC, CBS and ABC to generate phoney hysteria about these ads. Compared to the demogagery and lies spread by the Kerry Campaign, Moveon.org and the DNC about Bush for the last 6 months, this is probably the mildest sets of ads that have run so far this political season. Please email this link to every person on you email contact list. We need to get as many people as possible to see these ads. They are...

Conservatives should write in Tom Tancredo in the primary ballot to demonstrate the depth of concern we have with the President. If enough do this, he will get the message.

Jackson, MS -- Stephanie Summers-O’Neal, a Jackson native and local business owner, announced her historic candidacy for Mississippi’s second congressional district during press conferences in Jackson and Greenville today. Summers-O’Neal will be the first African-American, female, Republican elected to the U.S. Congress when Mississippians send her to Congress next November. “As a citizen of the Second District, I believe we deserve the best this country has to offer. We deserve better job opportunities so we can build better lives, quality education so our children can contribute to society, access to the best in health care, and strong communities in which...

Below is a list of each state and its "Political Party statistics", meaning that state's current governor, U.S. Senators, U.S. Congressmen, and who they voted for in the 2000 election.  This is useful data in trying to predict future voting trends.   AlabamaGovernor Bob Riley (R)Senator Richard Shelby (R)Senator Jeff Sessions (R)5 Republican Congressmen2 Democrat Congressmen2000 Election: Bush AlaskaGovernor Frank Murkowski (R)Senator Lisa Murkowski (R)Senator Ted Stevens (R)1 Republican Congressman2000 Election: Bush ArizonaGovernor Janet Napolitano (D)Senator John McCain (R)Senator Jon Kyl (R)6 Republican Congressmen2 Democrat Congressmen2000 Election: Bush ArkansasGovernor Mike Huckabee (R)Senator Blanche Lincoln (D)Senator Mark Pryor (D)3 Democrat Congressmen1 Republican Congressman2000 Election:...

CORINTH - Northeast Mississippi voters will decide who will serve as governor for the next four years, Mississippi Republican Party Chairman Jim Herring predicted Thursday at a Rotary Club address in Corinth. "Whoever wins in Northeast Mississippi will be the governor," Herring said. "It is the battleground area of this state. If the Republicans establish dominance in Northeast Mississippi this year, we will win." Herring, who has served as head of the state party for three years, said his analysis of state elections four years ago showed Republican Mike Parker could have won the governor's race if the party had...

The black vote means plenty in a state with one of the highest proportions of African-American populations in the nation. Knowing this, many would-be political figures dedicate a fair percentage of their campaign resources to appealing to the African-American vote in Mississippi. This campaign tactic, however, is largely a rarity among Republicans running for statewide office, say political experts. Former gubernatorial candidate Mike Parker, for instance, did not spend a disproportionate amount of revenues upon wooing the black vote, neither did Gov. Kirk Fordice. vRepublican Mississippi governor candidate Haley Barbour is doing things differently, however. Barbour has enlisted the help...