Free Republic

In His Debut In Washington’s Power Struggles, Gingrich Threw A Bomb Bob Woodward December 24 On the evening of Oct. 4, 1990, Newt Gingrich and his then-wife, Marianne, were enjoying a VIP reception at a Republican fundraiser when they were suddenly hustled over to have their picture taken with President George H.W. Bush. “I thought it was a bad idea,” Gingrich said in a series of interviews in 1992 that have not been previously published. Days earlier, Gingrich had dramatically walked out of the White House and was leading a very public rebellion against a deficit reduction and tax increase...

When John Bolton was asked the question of what he thought was the greatest misconception that Democrats have about Republicans, I honestly didn’t expect such a brilliantly deep answer. I guess I’ve gotten used to fluff. But Bolton hit it out of the park and I just had to start the day with it:**snip**“The core misimpression is that a fundamental belief in liberty and it’s implications is somehow cruel and uncaring. When in fact, liberty is absolutely central to the most massive economic change in the history of the world that has brought more concrete material advantages to people in...

It used to be common for people to urge us to learn “the lessons of history.” But history gets much less attention these days, and, if there are any lessons that we are offered, they are more likely to be the lessons from current polls or the lessons of political correctness. Even among those who still invoke the lessons of history, some read those lessons very differently than others. Talk-show host Michael Medved, for example, apparently thinks the Republicans need a centrist presidential candidate in 2012. He said, “Most political battles are won by seizing the center.” Moreover, he added:...

One of the things that has always comforted me, being a conservative, is the raw, bare, confidence I have in knowing that the ideas we construct society around (from the conservative viewpoint) are without question based in freedom, dignity, and morality. One of the things I have most despised about conservatives is that while we have these tremendous and high-minded principles, we wimp out way too often, and the fate of the free world suffers. I hate victimization of the innocent more than anything. And when conservatives serve up the self-inflicted victimhood, I want to heave! A couple of examples...

Please rank ( and list percentages) the priorities that most motivate our current Congress Critters: A. Jobs (Insuring my re-election) B. Cultural/Moral Issues (Insuring those photos of me are never released) C. Defense/Security (Insuring those photos of me are never released) D. Economic (Insuring my lifetime perks and benefits) E. Systemic Political Improvement (Moving the nation towards global Marxism) E. Constitutional (Upholding my oath of office)

The majority of the nation doesn’t know that investigators have turned up a hatched-scheme in which Union bosses coordinated efforts with public education officials. Further that 44 of 56 school districts in the Atlanta Public Schools system strategically convinced Superintendents, Principals and teachers to cheat–primarily by going back and erasing answers on tests and replacing them with correct ones–in order to have a higher means score for the No Child Left Behind funding qualifications. The evidence is overwhelming. 2100 Interviews… 178 educators involved… 38 principals involved… 80 confessions to the schemes… 800,000 documents as evidence…

DALLAS, March 4, 2011 – Recalling his own experience as an Eagle Scout, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates last night praised scouting for instilling principles, integrity and honor in tomorrow’s leaders. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates thanks former President George W. Bush after he is introduced during the Circle Ten Council Friends of Scouting dinner in Dallas, March 3, 2011. Gates, a former Eagle Scout, gave a keynote speech. DOD photo by Master Sgt. Jerry Morrison  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Gates was the keynote speaker at a Circle Ten Council Friends of Scouting dinner here. The secretary told...

I have a very personal message for those half wits who are calling for "civility". Ready ? Here we go: Shove it. Shove it where the sun doesn't shine. Shove it up sideways. Shove it up sideways and twist it around. Now I'm sure there will be those who will call me a hatemonger. It certainly wouldn't be the first time, and I'm sure it won't be the last time. Oh well. I'm crying a river, let me tell you. Really. Boo-hoo. See, I look at the current political environment as more than the Hatfield and McCoy nonsense that we...

Edmund Burke, one of history's greatest conservatives, warned that abstractions are the enemy of responsible government. "I never govern myself, no rational man ever did govern himself, by abstractions and universals," Burke wrote. "A statesman differs from a professor in a university; the latter has only the general view of society; the former, the statesman, has a number of circumstances to combine with those general ideas." Alas for all of us and for American conservatism in particular, the new Republican majority that took control of the House on Wednesday is embarked on an experiment in government by abstractions. Many in...

The first principles and ordinances of the gospel are "first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost" (A of F 4). The resurrected Savior taught that these principles constitute his "gospel": "Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctihttp://www.lightplanet.com/mormons/basic/godhead/index.htmfied by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day. Verily, verily, I say unto you, this...

Having moved into the life as a former candidate (WA-01), a citizen running for the first time, I can tell you that I’m pretty sick of the following phrases, “Well, that’s politics”, “It’s all about the money”, “We have to unite”, “Politics is dirty”, and “You can’t say that. You have to get the independent vote”. Do you think the Founding Fathers thought that way, or would accept working in such a political system?...

You had to live through it to recognize the metamorphosis. During those early days of June 2004, as the nation mourned the passing of Ronald Reagan, you would have never known he had been ridiculed and treated with disdain for most of his political career—not only by Democrats but by establishment Republicans. Frankly, I was stunned by the display of love and gratitude in 2004. As the Reagan motorcade drove toward the Reagan Library for the final tribute, ordinary citizens along the route were paying their final tributes as well. It was an amazing moment. But it was not always...

We know, based on economic experience, theory, and logic, how to create another economic boom that will last 25 years, or a generation into the future. We achieved that in America from the end of 1982 to the end of 2007, with only two, short, shallow recessions that barely interrupted sustained, robust, economic growth. But that was not the only instance of success. Several times in the last 100 years, whenever the nation's economic policies adhered to the timeless principles of economic growth and prosperity, our economy has boomed. When it has departed from those policies, it has fallen into...

We recommit ourselves to the ideas of the American Founding. Through the Constitution, the Founders created an enduring framework of limited government based on the rule of law. They sought to secure national independence, provide for economic opportunity, establish true religious liberty and maintain a flourishing society of republican self-government. These principles define us as a country and inspire us as a people. They are responsible for a prosperous, just nation unlike any other in the world. They are our highest achievements, serving not only as powerful beacons to all who strive for freedom and seek self-government, but as warnings...

"I think he’s struggling to translate that to policy."

An interesting thing happened on the way to the congressional election in New York's 23rd district. The Republican candidate, Dede Scozzafava, dropped out of the race. This bodes well for the Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman, who, as it turns out happens to be a Republican who ran on a third party ticket against Scozzafava and the Democrat Bill Owens. This is a fascinating race to watch, because it forces those in the Republican Party to take a hard look at what has become of the GOP. In the last few weeks, there has been a huge rift within the...

I was almost overcome by government insanity overload the other evening and writing this was the cure . . . In 2010 we have to turn the House around big time and get the Senate going that way to. I don't want to ever vote for another politician. I only want to vote for people who know, value and act on the principles that created our great country and are selfless enough to help this country get on track by serving up to two terms. Cut the federal government to 1/3 its present size. Stoke the engines of wealth creation...

If you've spent any time at all on Internet message boards or in college debate class you'll have seen the rafters vibrate with righteous condemnation against the "slippery slope argument." It is claimed that a worst case, ultimate extrapolation of a thing is a bad argument because it isn't necessarily a truism. Supporters of the Second Amendment, for instance, are scolded by liberals when the supporter says that any new gun law is "one more step to banning guns." The gun restricter says that the gun supporter is employing a "slippery slope" argument and that it is idiotic to claim...

This week the 1,600 or so members of Harvard's Class of 2009 will leave campus with a coveted Ivy degree. Of this number, seven will leave with something else: the gold bars of a second lieutenant. At a time when institutions from our banks and auto makers to our churches and public schools seem to have trouble honoring their most basic promises, these young officers enter a life where words have meaning, meaning has consequences, and those consequences can include a flag-draped coffin. Tomorrow on Harvard Yard, Gen. David Petraeus will address these young men and women -- four Army,...

Based upon our observations of American soldiers and their officers captured in this war, the following facts are evidenced," a foreign intelligence officer wrote. "There is little knowledge or understanding, even among United States university graduates, of American political history and philosophy ... of safeguards to freedom; and of how these things supposedly operate within their own system." Believe it or not, those words weren't written by an al Qaeda operative. They were written during the Korean War (1950-53) by the chief intelligence officer of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army in North Korea. In a 1957 response to those remarks,...

The goal must be to challenge liberal premises. Liberal premises necessarily lead to liberal policies. ----snip---- These are softballs lobbed up to the plate that should be swung at with Ruthian clouts and smacked out of the park with ease. Dispute the liberal premise, offer the conservative alternative and let the listener complete the logic for himself. ----snip---- But there are three pre-requisites for all the above: Belief, patience and courage. Belief, in that far too many GOP higher-ups don't really believe in conservatism. One only diligently goes to the mat for that which one truly and fully believes in...

I started thinking several months ago about possible ways to get the party of Lincoln and Reagan back on track. Following the 1994 Contract with America, there was a period of time when the representatives were directly serving the will of the people. We unified under an agreement about specific reforms we all agreed were needed. They promised to act on them, and they did for the most part. We promised to elect them, and we did. We need to bring about the same kind of unity within the Republican Party (based on a conservative foundation) and with like-minded citizens...

I have felt like conservatives need a set of rules to counter the "Rules for Radicals" written by Saul Alinsky. This is my first draft. Comments and ideas are solicited.

Glenn Beck warns about falling for 'Wizard of Oz lie' Talk show dynamo Glenn Beck is warning Americans not to fall for the "Wizard of Oz lie" – the one that says just because a big government voice is large and intimidating it is right. Remember that "once you pull the curtain away you realize that there are only a few people pressing the buttons, and their voices are weak," he writes on his website promoting Friday's "We Surround Them" special program. It airs at 5 p.m. Eastern Time on the Fox News Channel. But is there hope yet for...

Don't Hold It Against Conservatives Who Voted Against McCain March 10, 2009 RUSH: I want to answer one question that was asked of me by Susan from Grosse Pointe, Michigan, about conservatives who voted for McCain, and I want to say up front here that this explanation that you are about to hear is one of these that will be ripe for taking out of context by my friends on the right to once again smear my meaning. Here goes. I said just before the previous hour concluded, I don't hold it against any conservative who voted against McCain....

Looking back on his eight years in the White House, President George W. Bush pinpointed incorrect intelligence that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction as "biggest regret of all the presidency." President sits down with ABC's Charles Gibson for an exit interview."I think I was unprepared for war," Bush told ABC News' Charlie Gibson in an interview airing today on "World News." Despite failed intelligence and accusations of mismanaging the war, Bush said his decision not to prematurely . . .

The aftermath of the 2008 General Election has evoked both soul-searching and recrimination in an attempt to understand its result. The former is useful, that is, to reflect on what has and has not worked for both the party and the conservative movement in general. The latter is useless, as all it serves to do is delay our recovery.In this election, we spent a considerable amount of time exploring unanswered questions about, and the limitations of, the opposition candidate. Given the failure of the media to fulfill its duty to the nation, that's completely appropriate. I'm not a conspiracy theorist,...

All of the frenzied recriminations and strategizing you are seeing are for naught. Before the conservative movement can even think about regaining political power, it must reform itself. Not by abandoning conservatism, but by reestablishing its principles.What is it we as conservatives believe? Until we can answer that question clearly and convincingly, we will largely be on the sidelines.We need not try to find candidates for the next electoral cycle at this time, because we have to discuss our principles first, and come to an agreement on them that the various factions within conservatism can agree on. If I were...

    'National Review' Allows Diverse Opinions, Former Staffer Says By S. T. Karnick (http://stkarnick.com)       A former associate editor of National Review magazine says Christopher Buckley's departure from his back-page column was not a firing, and the magazine embraces diverse viewpoints within conservatism. But that's the real problem with the contemporary right: it lacks a set of coherent principles.   Recently a well-publicized conflict at National Review magazine created a stir on the right and much schadenfreude on the left. Christopher Buckley, the son of the magazine's late founder-editor and a highly respected writer himself, announced...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President George W. Bush, who will host a global summit on the financial crisis next month, said on Saturday that agreeing on common principles to reform regulators would be essential to preventing another disaster. His comments came one day after a worldwide sell-off in stock markets amid growing fears of a global recession. Friday's session was the lowest closing level for all three major U.S. stock indexes since the spring of 2003. "In recent weeks, concerns about the availability of credit, the safety of financial assets, and the volatility of the stock market have made many families...

Once upon a time, there was a country called the United States of America. This fairy tale land was founded by giants. But these giants were unlike those mean giants who grind men’s bones to make their bread. These giants respected all men’s bones, no matter how very small they were. In fact, these giants went to war against a wicked King who lived across an ocean, a King who was stealing the money of the little men to pay for things he wanted. When the good giants won the war, the little men were so grateful that they offered...

"When you call the Iraq War a mistake, you disrespect the service and the sacrifice of everyone who has died promoting freedom". I haven't seen this posted on FR before, but even if it has been, it is such a powerful and moving message it's worth re-posting. It will bring tears in your eyes and a lump in your throat, guaranteed.

Every once in a while, there is a news story that so perfectly illustrates one of today's political absurdities, no made-up illustration could ever be so effective. According to Michael Graham's article, "Bank unduly scapegoated": "activists for the newest civil right - the right to skip your mortgage payments - have taken to the streets of Roxbury." The protest is over the fact that a bank that loaned a certain Paula Taylor, $260,000 to buy a condo, now, "actually want her to pay it back!" If you think this is absurd, the politicians are on the side of Paula Taylor...

What Is Modern Conservatism? Part 1: A Comparison There's been a lot of talk recently about the conservative movement being "adrift." People asking where the movement "goes from here" and so forth.Blather. Conservatism is just fine. Conservatives may feel a bit unmoored lately. The GOP may have strayed from conservative principles in recent years. But the principles themselves are the same as they've always been. The same can be said of the left. Their principles remain the same too, and the contrast between our two ideologies is quite stark indeed. To wit: Never forget what you stand for. Never forget...

Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., has reluctantly come to the conclusion that he will have to vote for Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., whose immigration reform bill Tancredo blasted as amnesty. "Sometimes I say to myself, 'Can I really do this?'" Tancredo said of voting for McCain, according to the Rocky Mountain News. "And then you listen to Obama or Hillary and say, 'Yeah, I have to.'" At a debate last October Tancredo sounded less sure of such an idea. "You know, I've said I don't know how many times, that I am absolutely tired and sick and tired of being forced...

Many in the great state of Texas have a lot to say about a proposed network of toll roads and railway lines known as the Trans-Texas Corridor. The Texas Department of Transportation received more than 27,000 public comments during a three-month comment period on a proposed corridor project called the TTC-69, said TxDOT spokesman Mark Cross. Transportation officials had 47 public hearings in February and March and accepted written comments through April 18 on the environmental and social impact of the corridor. Comments ranged from flat-out opposition to the corridor to suggestions about how to lessen its impact, Cross told...

State Rep. Lois Kolkhorst said it’s time for Texas transportation officials to talk about real reforms to address the public outrage over the proposed Trans-Texas Corridor. The Brenham Republican’s reaction followed Thursday’s actions taken by the Texas Transportation Commission. The panel adopted a set of guiding principals and policies which will govern the development, construction and operation of all toll road projects on the state highway system and the controversial Trans-Texas Corridor. Bob Colwell, Texas Department of Transportation public information officer for the Bryan district, said the adoption of the guidelines does not reflect the final approval of Interstate 69...

PHOENIX - Republican John McCain, reaching out to both independents and green-minded social conservatives, argues that global warming is undeniable and the country must take steps to bring it under control while adhering to free-market principles. In remarks prepared for delivery Monday at a Portland, Ore., wind turbine manufacturer, the presidential contender says expanded nuclear power must be considered to reduce carbon-fuel emissions. He also sets a goal that by 2050, the country will reduce carbon emissions to a level 60 percent below that emitted in 1990. "For all of the last century, the profit motive basically led in one...

With Joe Scarborough away, the cats did play during the opening segment of today's Morning Joe . . . WILLIE GEIST [facetiously]: David, I know how you like to speak for Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and the rest of that group. MIKA BRZEZINSKI: He's going to the [CPAC] convention. GEIST: You're the voice of that community, but can you make sense out of this? Are they willing, the conservatives, the Limbaughs, the Hannitys of the world, to concede the election, to not have John McCain be president, to take Hillary Clinton over them, just to take a principled stand? View...

Principles used to mean something in this Country. One of the reasons our Country is in the mess it's in, is because we've lost our way, and abandoned our principles. What lessons do we teach our Children, our Families, our friends, and our peers, if we, so easily, abandon what's important, and what has made us this great Country, and what the Founders fought for. Did they not teach us that principles are worth every human effort possible? Did they not set out before us a Document that, in great explication, perfects our Principles? FRed Thompson called his campaign the...

The lay of the political presidential landscape is looking pretty strange these days. One prominent Republican candidate is essentially advocating that too much drive is a bad thing, so vote for him! Others have incredible drive, but would use it to take the country down questionable paths of populism or personal ambition. Some of the candidates possess excellent leadership skills, but would lead us down dark paths of dependency upon government or paths of social experimentation. You might say: I know who is for the Status Quo, for they have no fire in the belly; but why is that a...

The author posits these as the necessary 6 conservative principles: A preference for limited government A desire to means-test or otherwise target government benefits A concern about the behavioral consequences of assistance. Conservatives believe that no-strings-attached assistance has often been a catastrophe -- creating even more dependency and a fertile ground for social problems A deference to mediating institutions. Everyone seems eager to harness family, church and other voluntary associations Respect for private choice, often in the form of markets. Humility bred from disappointing experiences -- and the likelihood of unintended consequences. ...When a problem seems bad enough, people often...

BURLINGTON, Iowa (AP) Republican presidential hopeful Fred Thompson said Sunday "the political pendulum is swinging" against his party, and Republicans needs to work harder to win over independent voters. "Everybody knows what's at stake next year, but I wonder if we've come to terms with the difficulty we've got as Republicans, and the fact that we're going to have to do a lot of things very well to prevail," the former Tennessee senator said. What the Republican Party needs, Thompson said, is to nominate a candidate like himself who can "go before the American people and ask for the vote...

Our government, we're been told, is one of laws, not of men. Yet, our politics have fast become a politics devoid of ideas and focusing instead on personalities. Patrick Ruffini, writing on Hugh Hewitt's blog, recently declared, "policy is boring and politics is interesting." A journalist told me something similar a while back. And heretofore the campaign coverage has aligned with that fact. The truth is, we've had a campaign of irrelevancy with red herring being the fish of the day. We've talked about John Edwards' haircut, Hillary Clinton's cleavage, what some Huckabee supporter said about Catholicism, and the smack...

The majority of threads created, the majority of posts written... From the knee-jerk and oft-times erroneous reports regarding illegal Immigration and the Politics behind it...to the divisions drawn up as a result of have so many phony hack politicians thinking that they can become a President...to the Terry Chiavo case...to Libertarians posing as Conservatives down to the moronic slander railed against President Bush... I can only conclude that the so called Conservatives here at Free Republic have gotten off track. Do all of us [Conservatives] have valid opinions? Of course. Do all of us [Conservatives] have legitimate concerns? Of course....

As a very political year approaches an end, and a new presidential election cycle looms, it’s a good time for conservatives to step back from partisan politics and reflect on their cause. What do conservatives believe? Here are 10 principles worth pondering. 1. God’s Law Governs Nations as Well as Men. The Ten Commandments should not only be enshrined in our courthouses, they should be engraved in our hearts and minds as guides to all behavior, public and private. As the Founders acknowledged in the Declaration of Independence, laws and policies that violate the natural law are abuses of government...

People should not be so cavalier about this last loss and how there is no difference between Republicans and Democrats.

[Final two pharagraphs] So in the nature of things conservatives and libertarians can conclude no friendly pact. Conservatives have no intention of compromising with socialists; but even such an alliance, ridiculous though it would be, is more nearly conceivable than the coalition of conservatives and libertarians. The socialists at least declare the existence of some sort of moral order; the libertarians are quite bottomless. It is of high importance, indeed, that American conservatives dissociate themselves altogether from the little sour remnant called libertarians. In a time requiring long views and self-denial, alliance with a faction founded upon doctrinaire selfishness would...

Some day a great biography will be written about Arnold Schwarzenegger, a born-again American who proved able to remake himself in whatever ways proved necessary to succeed. Properly explored, however, there may be pathos in Mr. Schwarzenegger's story, as well as triumph. Because it begins to appear the story of the current governor of California -- or should that be "Kauli-fornia"? -- helps crystallize the story of the one place in the world where that success story was possible: America. Most of the story is well-known. With little else to work with, Mr. Schwarzenegger made his own body the tool...

In a word, yes! Living in America (legally or illegally) does not make one an American. Accepting, adopting, understanding, believing in, living, promoting and defending real American foundational principles, (the American dream), makes one an American. Nothing less will do. One who works to stop others from smoking can’t be called anything short of anti-smoking. One who works to stop others from owning guns would certainly and appropriately be deemed anti-gun rights, or anti-Second Amendment. If you work to stop abortions, you are certainly anti-abortion and if you work to undermine fundamental American principles, you are obviously anti-American. Does this...