Free Republic

Continuing the rant on O'Donnell

The Tea Party Movement, which has fueled the downward spiral of Gov. Charlie Crist's Senate campaign in Florida, is now targeting Republican Sen. Bob Bennett in Utah. Bennett, who is seeking a fourth term this year, is facing a long list of potential primary challengers, including businesswoman Cherilyn Eagar, millionaire entrepreneur Tim Bridgewater, businessman James Williams and Mike Lee, a former assistant U.S. attorney. But Tea Party activists are seeking to torpedo Bennett's re-election campaign because he supported the $700 billion financial bailout plan and has "missed a lot of the basic blocking and tackling," a political operative with close...

Ken Mehlman is the unflappable efficiency expert who chairs the Republican National Committee. Because he's not known for histrionics, his warning last week to GOP congressional staffers about this November's elections caused many on Capitol Hill to bolt upright. Mr. Mehlman traveled to Capitol Hill to warn the staffers that they risked a disaster at the polls if they didn't pass meaningful legislation the conservative base cares about. Other GOP strategists go even further. "If the election were held today, I'd say the odds are 90% that we'd lose the House," says GOP consultant Mike Murphy. Other Republicans aren't as...

WASHINGTON - A battle is shaping up between conservatives who want to cut government spending and moderates seeking to protect education and health programs as House Republicans start acting on President Bush's proposed budget for next year. The conservative-dominated House Budget Committee was expected to act favorably Wednesday on a $2.8 trillion budget blueprint for the budget year that begins Oct. 1. Moderates already are demanding a rewrite to boost popular domestic programs. "I will not vote for a House budget resolution that would result in real cuts to critical federal investments in education, health care, housing veterans' services, social...