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Though retiring Republican incumbents hold two western New York seats near Syracuse and the Canadian border, the party is having a difficult time coming up with top-notch candidates to hold the seats. In the past day alone, two top recruits have told the Washington GOP establishment that they will not be seeking their party's nomination to replace Reps. Tom Reynolds and Jim Walsh, while Democrats have largely settled on their candidates. Walsh's Twenty-Fifth District, based around Syracuse, looks like one of the best pickup opportunities Democrats have in the Northeast. Former Congressional aide Dan Maffei, a Democrat who came just...

Hillary's White House itinerary is being released. Question, in late 1999, what were her contacts with Luis Nieves Falcon. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3827/is_199912/ai_n8877467 The FALN terrorists were pardoned for New York Puerto Rican votes for her Senate election. The 16 terrorists were convicted of a variety of charges that included conspiracy, sedition, violation of the Hobbes Act (extortion by force, violence or fear), armed robbery and illegal possession of weapons and explosives -- including large quantities of C-4 plastic explosive, dynamite and huge caches of ammunition. Observed Judge George Layton, who sentenced four FALN defendants for their conspiracy to use military-grade explosives to...

Rumors are flying around Washington D.C. on whether or not Congressman Randy Kuhl is ready to call it quits. Kuhl's name was brought up in a blog posted on Yahoo News Thursday. The Real Clear Politics blog appeared on numerous websites. It says, in just the last few days' five Republican members of the House told House leaders they will not seek reelection this fall. Insiders are saying more are to come. But, is Randy Kuhl one of those members? That question was put to Kuhl during a taping of Coleman and Company. Kuhl would not confirm or deny the...

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...

Mark Steyn’s review of the candidate’s Christmas campaign messages is a must-read today because it’s likely to be the funniest thing you’ll see all day. Here’s a taste: John Edwards’s message is the usual Dickensian affair about the two Americas. I forget the details, but the upshot is that one America is a land of spindly emaciated Tiny Tims with barely three farthings to rub together for their next cup of gruel, while the other’s a marshmallow world where Dick Cheney, high on wassail, shoots a brace of turducken out of season, and then chows down as the Radio City...

Stick a fork in him: With fewer than 20 days until the Iowa caucuses, three men in the Republican Party stand to get their tickets punched out of the Hawkeye State. While everything is still in flux, those likely winners will be Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee and Fred Thompson. Notably missing out on Iowa’s political rocket fuel is national frontrunner Rudy Giuliani. While most political insiders and pundits have known for months that Giuliani had no plans to compete in Iowa, the general American electorate probably does not. Known to not pay attention to the early political pontificating, the average...

Candidate Lee Zeldin (NY-1) ties the lack of faith in MLB ballplayers in the wake of the Mitchell Investigation with the decaying support for the leadership of the 110th Congress. www.zeldin08.com/leesblog/index.php?id=7And also seeks to support the vets who need us most this holiday season: www.zeldin08.com/leesblog/index.php?id=8

State Sen. Eric Johnson was among the first prominent Georgians to jump on the Fred Thompson for President bandwagon. The Savannah Republican helped persuade dozens of state lawmakers to endorse the former Tennessee senator earlier this year. But he remained relatively quiet after Thompson officially entered the GOP race this summer. Until last week, that is. That was when Thompson slipped to fifth place in one national poll after doing only a little better in other recent ones. Earlier, he'd led in one national poll and stayed near the front of the pack in others. Against that backdrop, Johnson weighed...

If history matters to you, then voters should pick Democratic Sen. Hillary Clinton and Republican Fred Thompson as their parties' presidential nominees. That's because they are the choice of America's social studies teachers. In a miniconvention sponsored by Pearson, the education and media giant, Clinton, the former first lady viewed as the most experienced in the field, was first with 41.9 percent, followed by Sen. Barack Obama with 34 percent and John Edwards at 12.3 percent. On the GOP side, Thompson, the actor and former Watergate prober, won 23.2 percent, followed by Rudy Giuliani at 20.5 percent and surging Mike...

Rick Moran has a post up exploring Mike Huckabee’s record as Governor of Arkansas in which he concludes that although Huckabee is a social conservative he most certainly isn’t a ‘real’ conservative. “While Huckabee claims to have cut taxes 90 times totaling $378 million, the state’s Department of Finance and Administration says he also raised taxes 21 times that brought in a whopping $883 million,” Rick writes. “Under his ‘conservative’ governance, the ‘average Arkansan’s tax burden’ went “from $1,969 in the fiscal year that ended June 30, 1997, to $2,902 in the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2005, including...

Like noxious bugs swarming over a crumbling tenement, followers of Ron Paul have invaded the blogosphere. Their target is anyone who dares to criticize their hero. Bloggers have dealt with them in various ways. Some have tried banning them outright. Others allow readers to engage them in back-and-forth debates that can easily take a thread to several hundred responses. I used to find the Paulites annoying, but recently I had a revelation: Far from being scorned, Paul’s rabid fans should be welcomed and encouraged. We should do everything we can to make certain they keep pushing their man, sending him...

Among the top tier Republican candidates, Rush says that only Fred has been a consistent conservative. You have been given your marching orders. Now you know who to vote for. RUSH: …the genuine moderate as opposed to conservative aspects of three of the top-tier, four of the top-tier candidates were on full-fledged display last night. There was one candidate who did not display any moderateness or liberalism or have any of his past forays into those areas displayed, and that candidate was Fred Thompson. … …we have a campaign now where most of the candidates are not genuine conservatives. They...

Falsehoods, exaggerations and stumbles Summary The CNN/YouTube debate among Republicans lacked any talking snowmen, but we did note a few false and misleading statements by the candidates. * Romney claimed New York called itself a “sanctuary city” for illegal aliens. It didn’t. * Giuliani denied New York actually was a “sanctuary city.” But the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service has classified it as such, based on immigrant-friendly policies Giuliani still defends. * Huckabee claimed he would “abolish the IRS.” He failed to mention that he’d replace it with another big tax bureaucracy. * Huckabee said he had proposed to make children...

It’s still early in the process, and a lot can happen in the next few weeks, but it’s getting increasingly difficult to see how Rudy Giuliani’s campaign survives a series of early (and humiliating) defeats. In Iowa, Giuliani has gone from first to third, and he’s not done dropping yet. In New Hampshire, Giuliani is either a distant second possibly even third. And then there’s South Carolina, where Giuliani was, up until fairly recently, hanging onto to a first-place lead. Not anymore. On the heels of polls showing Rudy dropping fast in New Hampshire and out of contention in Iowa,...

"I just want to give my buddies here a little air time." -- Fred Thompson sounding like Ronald Reagan (after showing a video about Romney and Huckabee that would take the bark off the trees, and being told the others would have time to respond) ... Thompson's video utilized YouTube clips that have been circulating for quite some time on YouTube. Only this time, they are also being broadcast on CNN. My bet is getting this negative information out is a lot better use of his time than merely putting out some puff-piece ...

According to MSNBC host Chris Matthews, 2008 Republican candidate Mike Huckabee has been given "the biggest free ride from the liberal media that I have ever seen in my life." Appearing on Monday's edition of "Morning Joe," the "Hardball" anchor speculated that left-wingers would enjoy seeing the GOP "chaos" that a Huckabee victory in Iowa would produce and, as a result, are ignoring the Republican's "crazy" views on gun control. Matthews derided as "black helicopter stuff," the former Arkansas governor's assertion that owning a gun gives Americans the ability to fight tyranny. "It sounds crazy," he told "Morning Joe" host...

Right Wing News emailed more than 240 right-of-center bloggers and asked them to answer 8 questions about the 2008 candidates. The following 61 blogs responded: The Absurd Report, David All Group, AtlanticBlog, The American Princess, Betsy's Page, Bit's Blog, BizzyBlog, Blogs of War, Blonde Sagacity, Bluey Blog, Boi From Troy, Bookworm Room, Keith Burgess-Jackson, Cassy Fiano, Dr. Melissa Clouthier, Cold Fury, Conservative Grapevine, Damian Penny, Dispatches from Blogblivion, Argghhhh!, Ed Driscoll, Eckernet, Musings, Fraters Libertas, Ian Schwartz, Jeff Gannon - A Voice of the New Media, Ghost of a Flea, (Michael) GOPUSA Northeast, (Hank) GOPUSA Northeast, GraniteGrok, Gocinatlanta, Guardian Watchblog,...

Republican presidential candidates have pulled out their knives for Mr. Nice Guy. A surprising surge of support for Mike Huckabee, the former governor of Arkansas, who had long seemed a rank outsider in the 2008 presidential race has turned him into a target six weeks before voting in Iowa. The Times of London reports that “running on a shoestring budget as an affable conservative with unrivalled religious qualifications (he is a former Baptist minister), Huckabee has been previously dismissed as an under-funded no-hoper. He is mostly known for a quirky sense of humor and his skills on bass guitar -...

Yesterday, Senator Fred Thompson issued a statement on the Supreme Court's decision to grant certiorari in the District of Columbia gun ban case. It reads, in part: I’ve always understood the Second Amendment to mean what it says – it guarantees a citizen the right to “keep and bear” firearms, and that’s why I’ve been supportive of the National Rifle Association’s efforts to have the DC law overturned. In general, lawful gun ownership is a pretty simple matter. The Founders established gun-owner rights so that citizens would possess and be able to exercise the universal right of self-defense. Guns enable...

I believe I represent the average Republican voter, or at least a significant slice of the R base. My positions - in no particular order - are as follows: Immigration - Amnesty is a deal breaker. If they are here illegally and we come into contact with them, send them home. Iraq - We were winning, we are winning, and we will win. The various pitfalls and difficulties that we have had do not equal defeat. We need a President to stand firm, and to fire all the traitors(I am not using this word lightly) in the State Department and...

Whodunnit? Here is why it is unlikely that Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson or any top-tier challenger to Mitt Romney had anything to do with the wave of anti-Mormon, Anti-Romney phone calls in Iowa and New Hampshire. Think about the reward. Would the questions asked by the firm elicit any meaningful data for the campaign who wrote them? Would the relative reward of a few dozen voters changing their minds about Romney because of his Mormonism be worth the avalanche of embarassment and ill-will that would accrue to the candidate who authorized the phone calls? Political consultants aren't stupid -- they...

Lately, Democrats have taken to showcasing the hallmark courage overflowing their party’s ranks. For instance, Senator Clinton has boldly unveiled her plan to fix the looming train wreck that is Social Security—namely, to dodge unveiling a plan to fix Social Security. Who knew? One-upping this bawdy exhibition of true grit, Senator Obama, presented his own daring strategy. His plan? “Tax the rich!” Brilliant! Of course, by “rich” he means you, through raising the payroll tax cap to get at even more of your income. How “innovative.” An added bonus: deepening the eventual crisis by reducing tax receipts, but that’s a...

In the last week or so we've seen some people stating that Fred Thompson's campaign was beginning to fade. Well, that looks to me like wishful thinking on someone's part, because that is just not the case. Now according to Rasmussen, Rudy Giuliani is in danger of no longer being recognized as the most electable candidate on the Republican side. Here's more.. "The perception that Rudy Giuliani is the most electable Republican may be slipping a bit. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 66% of Republicans believe that Giuliani at least somewhat likely to win the White...

The way to avoid a Rudy nomination is to simply bury him in the primaries. Let's examine a few key facts. 1) The current national polls have Rudy at about 30%, Thompson at 21%, McCain at 13%, Romney at 11%, and Huckabee at 6%. The other 19% are either going for a minor candidate or are undecided. 2) Rudy is mostly leading because a) he's the only pro-choice candidate against seven pro-life candidates and b) he's supported by some conservatives because he's seen as the best chance to win. 3) While McCain is listed as third here, it's pretty generally...

The Politico's Martin looks at large discrepancy between the number of staffers the leading Dems have in Iowa and New Hampshire versus the leading Republican candidates. In fact, Martin finds the second-tier Democratic candidates have more staffers on the ground in the early states than all of the LEADING GOP candidates. (By the way, considering how little of an organizational advantage Romney may actually have in the first two states, does that mean Thompson can get up to speed in Iowa faster than some believe?) --snip-- NBC/NJ's Memoli notes that Ann Romney seemed to take personally Thompson’s "actor" barb in...

All bets are on Fred Thompson, well at least enough to push Rudy Giuliani from 3-1 to 5-1, thus no longer making the one time New York City Mayor a favorite. This announcement from Sportsbook.com comes in conjunction with the slashing of Ron Paul odds from 8-1 to 6-1. Fred Thompson opened with 4-1 odds even before his Presidential candidacy was officially announced, however, this is the first time that Giuliani is not listed as the favorite. John McCain remained with 5-1 odds and Mitt Romney sat with 8-1 odds. McCain is believed to have enjoyed early action at Sportsbook.com...

If one were to believe the fawning praise of inside the beltway political pundits, a shrewd strategist devising a plan on November 8, 2006 for a Democrat to win the White House on November 5, 2008 would propose that a candidate: 1) Change positions on the Iraq War with every release of a new Gallup Poll; 2) Vote to cut off funds to the troops in the field; 3) Slander the commanding general of a successful surge of troops in the field on national television by calling him a liar with a cute phrase worthy of those bewildered by the...

The Ohio Republican Party announced today the results of its 2007 Presidential Straw Poll, declaring former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson the winner with 33 percent of the vote. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani took second with 24 percent, and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney placed third with 17 percent of the ballots cast. A Fred vs. Hillary matchup would be an interesting repolarization of Ohio, as one would expect that the southern-oriented south and southwest Ohio would be quite friendly to Fred. I would think that Northeast Ohio would remain friendly to Hillary, leaving a big fight over...

A supporter of Rudy Giuliani's is throwing a party that aims to raise $9.11 per person for the Republican's presidential campaign. Abraham Sofaer is having a fundraiser at his Palo Alto, Calif., home on Wednesday, when Giuliani backers across the country are participating in the campaign's national house party night. But Sofaer said he had nothing to do with the "$9.11 for Rudy" theme. "There are some young people who came up with it," Sofaer said when reached by telephone Monday evening. He referred other questions to Giuliani's campaign. "I'm just providing support for him. He's an old friend of...

Over the past four months, Rasmussen Reports polling has consistently shown Fred Thompson and Rudy Giuliani holding the top two slots in the race for the Republican Presidential Nomination. During that time, the weekly poll results have shown Thompson’s support ranging from a low of 20% to a high of 28%. Giuliani’s range has been similar, from 19% to 27%. Although Thompson and Giuliani are the frontrunners, both men still have plenty of detractors who say they can’t possibly win the nomination. For the week ending September 23, it’s Thompson 26% and Giuliani 22%. Occupying a precarious niche somewhere between...

In a statewide survey of registered Florida voters who said they were likely to vote in next January’s Republican primary, former Sen. Fred Thompson led former Mayor Rudy Giuliani by a six-point margin. The telephone survey of 500 likely voters in the GOP primary - conducted as part of a larger survey for the Florida Chamber of Commerce Sept 6-10 - had a margin of error of 4 percent and was weighted for age, race, gender, and political affiliation. The poll was first reported by our sister publication, Southern Political Report. On the Republican side, the results were: Thompson: 27%...

Gallup has a poll out today looking at the GOP side of the White House race, finding that Rudy Giuliani is down to 30%, leading Fred Thompson (22%), John McCain (18%) and Mitt Romney (7%). But what we find interesting is Giuliani's negatives, which are rising. Just before he announced his plans to run, with buzz practically roaring back in December, just 12% of the country didn't like him. Since then, it's risen steadily to 38%. Not exactly danger territory, and a pretty common in campaigns. But we're still a long way from the election and the trend suggests the...

In fact, even while saying his backing of Thompson "is not a personal repudiation of Rudy," D'Amato managed to make it clear Giuliani shouldn't set his sights too high. Perhaps he could be a vice president, the former senator suggested. "He might make a great addition to the ticket" headed by Thompson, D'Amato told The Associated Press.

Former U.S. Rep. John Sweeney is laying the groundwork to attempt a political comeback, possibly in a 2008 challenge to the woman who defeated him in November, said Warren County Republican Chairman Michael Grasso. "There's a few scenarios that could play out," Grasso said. "Let's just say none of those options would be for lower office (than the House of Representatives)." U.S. Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-Greenport, defeated Sweeney, a four-term Republican incumbent from Clifton Park, in November. About a week before the election, Sweeney and his wife, Gayle, acknowledged the State Police came to their home on Dec. 2, 2005,...

NYYRC December Political Forum Thursday, December 14 Time: 7:30pm - 9:30pm Location: The Grand Hyatt New York, 109 East 42nd Street, in the Alvin Room, which is located on the Conference level Our Guest Speaker: Max Boot Max Boot is a Senior Fellow in National Security Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. He is also a weekly foreign-affairs columnist for the Los Angeles Times, a contributing editor to The Weekly Standard, and a regular contributor to The New York Times, The Financial Times, Foreign Affairs, and many other publications. The award-winning author and former editorial page...

The New York Young Republican Club, the oldest Young Republican Club is proud to announce political commentator and electioneer Dick Morris as our main speaker for our October Monthly Formum. October Monthly Forum The next New York Young Republican Club, Inc meeting will be held on Thursday, October 12, 2006. Our Main Speaker will be Dick Morris. Dick Morris is a political renaissance man. He has been a political consultant for Bill Clinton, Trent Lott, and numerous foreign leaders. He is a political commentator for Fox News and writes a column carried by dozens of newspapers including the New York...

A house in Franklin Square exploded this morning, injuring at least one person, fire officials said. Details were sketchy, but an a-line style cape at 223 Ribbon St. exploded at about 6:55 a.m. "It's rubble," said a fire official of the house. Everything in the immediate area is completely blackened. The homeowner, Joseph Sicari, 79, who lived alone, was taken to Nassau University Medical Center with second- and third-degree burns over 80 percent of his body. He is listed in critical condition. Police said he was sitting in his living room and had just lit a cigarette when the explosion...

Group says huge blow to organized labor WASHINGTON, April 18 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The National Alliance for Worker and Employer Rights today praised Judge Jones historic decision protecting the security and right to work for all New Yorkers enforcing the Taylor Law against TWU Local 100 illegal strike.

When Al D'Amato and Bill Buckley are quoted on the same day saying nice things about Madame Evita Rotten Klintoon, the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. It sounds like a bit of preplanning for another Clinton Administration. I have a very sick feeling that the fix may already be in.

President Bush did not actually invite the Taliban to visit Texas. He merely voiced his approval, in reference to the invitation, his buddies in Unocal set forth to the Taliban. No other clarifications are necessary, for the truth cannot be improved upon. I’ve listened closely to all the responses, and in doing so, I‘ve become confused about what a “Conservative”, actually is. It has always been my impression that conservatives believe in hard work, character, integrity, and above all, self-reliance. Many times I’ve heard tales of conservatives that started from nothing, and using sheer determination and will, maybe some inherent...

President Bush did not actually invite the Taliban to visit Texas. He merely voiced his approval, in reference to the invitation, his buddies in Unocal set forth to the Taliban. No other clarifications are necessary, for the truth cannot be improved upon. I’ve listened closely to all the responses, and in doing so, I‘ve become confused about what a “Conservative”, actually is. It has always been my impression that conservatives believe in hard work, character, integrity, and above all, self-reliance. Many times I’ve heard tales of conservatives that started from nothing, and using sheer determination and will, maybe some inherent...

Rep. Sherwood Boehlert, the longest-serving New York Republican in Congress and the outgoing chairman of the House Science Committee, had a private chat about his future with President Bush Tuesday. Boehlert said he would announce within days whether he will retire.

"By the middle of March, I'm going to fish or cut bait," he said.

Staten Island District Attorney Dan Donovan — the little-known Republican thinking of challenging Jeanine Pirro in the attorney-general primary — says he's getting encouragement from all across the state. "The phone's been ringing off the hook," he said. "I've been receiving more and more support as this has gotten out."

Just hours after the polls closed with uncertainty about whether there would be a Democratic primary runoff in the race for mayor, NY1 has learned that second place finisher Anthony Weiner will concede to Fernando Ferrer. Weiner is scheduled to make a formal announcement outside his childhood home in Brooklyn at noon Wednesday When the polls closed last night, Ferrer appeared to fall just short of the 40 percent needed to avoid a runoff, with absentee ballots yet to be counted. Weiner made a campaign stop early Wednesday morning in Harlem and gave no indication that he could concede at...

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

This needs OUR HELP.. VOTE! Do you support John Bolton's nomination to be the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations? Yes 25% 8433 votes No 75% 25534 votes Total: 33967 votes VOTE!

A Little Brief on the "Hillary Issue": 1. Hillary wants to be President, Nothing Less. 2. Hillary needs to keep her Senate seat to be a large voice in the 2008 election. 3. Hillary needs to demonstrate her ability to win an election in today's political climate. Her senate re-election will, in part, determine in her national electibility in the public's mind. 4. We should defeat her in NY. 5. Jeanine Pirro is likely to run as a Moderate Republican to defeat her. 6. "Pirro 2006" in NY. Spread the Word. ;-) ANNOUNCEMENT: http://cbsnewyork.com/topstories/topstoriesny_story_143111337.html May 23, 2005 5:06 pm US/Eastern...

Students for Bloomberg at Columbia University is always looking for help. If interested, please contact studentsforbloomberg@gmail.com Thanks!

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