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The last time there was a speaker vote, Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-S.C.) didn't vote for John A. Boehner, protesting against the Ohio Republican by voting for no one. On Tuesday, he did vote for Boehner. And he had some not-so-nice things to say about the movement to try to defeat the top Republican. Below is his full statement, which is remarkably blunt and the kind of thing that is rarely seen from a member of Congress. (Seriously, it's worth reading the whole thing.)

U.S. Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., missed the first vote of the new Congress on Tuesday – a vote to determine the next speaker of the House – due to a cancelled flight, according to a statement from the Upstate congressman’s office. Despite being named as a potential replacement for Speaker John Boehner, Gowdy has said multiple times he is not interested in the job, according to news reports. Gowdy, in the statement, said his support does lie with Boehner, who is expected to officially win the speaker post for another term. "Had our flight not been cancelled, I would have...

His coalition of evangelicals could be broken up by new alternatives like Ted Cruz.Mike Huckabee loyalists still believe their guy was screwed in 2008. After pulling off an impressive upset of the better-funded Mitt Romney in the Iowa presidential caucuses, the former Arkansas governor eyed a second Republican primary win in South Carolina. His allies are convinced the Palmetto State should’ve been his for the taking – if not for the peculiar, lethargic candidacy of former Sen. Fred Thompson, a friend of Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who siphoned conservative voters from Huckabee in South Carolina. Thompson’s 16 percent slice of...

CONWAY, S.C. – Police say a South Carolina man charged with sexual assault of his nephew's girlfriend was beaten by the relative, who won't be charged in the incident. Fifty-two-year-old William Mattson of Conway is charged with first-degree criminal sexual conduct. Local media outlets report that a judge denied him bond Saturday. Mattson was arrested New Year's Day. Authorities say Mattson's nephew told them he came home and found his girlfriend and uncle in bed together. The nephew said the woman was naked, and Mattson was clothed. The man said he beat Mattson until he was out of the house....

~~snip~~ Voting against Boehner (10) Gohmert* Yoho* Rep. Steve King (Iowa) Rep. Jim Bridenstine (Okla.)* Rep. Dave Brat (Va.) (freshman) Rep. Walter Jones (N.C.)* Rep. Gary Palmer (Ala.) (freshman) Rep. Thomas Massie (Ky.)* Rep. Paul Gosar (Ariz.) Rep. Marlin Stutzman (Ind.) Said prior to 2014 election that they would vote against Boehner (2) Rep. Jody Hice (Ga.) (freshman) Rep. John Ratfliffe (Tex.) (freshman) Voted against Boehner in 2013/haven't weighed in (2) Rep. Steve Pearce (N.M.) (spokesman says he's "undecided") Rep. Justin Amash (Mich.) Voted against Boehner in 2013/will support him (3) Rep. Mick Mulvaney (S.C.) Rep. Raul Labrador (Idaho) Rep....

Sen. Ted Cruz, Texas Republican, is scheduled to be a featured speaker at the fourth annual South Carolina Tea Party Coalition Convention to be held Jan. 17-19 in Myrtle Beach.Joe Dugan, founder and executive producer of the convention, said Friday that the event will also feature training classes for grassroots leaders and activists and panel discussions.The convention offers a platform for possible 2016 contenders to pitch their message to potential voters in the early presidential state; other speakers scheduled to appear include retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson and former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania.Mr. Cruz, Mr. Santorum, and Mr. Carson are...

Kenneth Byrd and his family were settled in their North Carolina home Monday night when there was a knock at their door. A stranger claimed his car was having mechanical problems and asked for water, according to a statement released by the Robeson County Sheriff's Office and obtained by PEOPLE. Suddenly, two more men appeared and demanded money. They were dressed in black and wearing ski masks. The suspects were armed with handguns and attempted to rape Byrd's 19-year-old granddaughter. "Mr. Byrd retrieved a weapon and several shots were fired between Mr. Byrd and the suspects in the house," according...

CONWAY, SC (WIS TV) - A man accused of sexually assaulting a victim Thursday was beaten by an acquaintance of the victim before the police even arrived. William Mattson's mugshot clearly shows the result of what happened to him early Thursday morning before officers with the Conway Police Department came to the scene around 12:57 a.m. Police found the mangled Mattson, 52, at the Highway 905 residence with the victim claiming the sexual assault. Investigators stopped short of saying who exactly beat Mattson, but said the person was "acting in defense for the victim." Mattson was then arrested and taken...

...Initial reports say the officer was not hit and is uninjured. The suspect has taken off on foot, and authorities in the area are searching for him

TEXAN LOOKING TO SHORE UP “CONSERVATIVE” SUPPORT IN PALMETTO STATE. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz will attend the 2015 South Carolina Tea Party convention next month, sources close to the event tell FITS. The Texan – who along with U.S. Sen. Rand Paul is seeking to emerge as a leading alternative to the GOP “establishment” – is the third presumptive “Republican” presidential prospect to commit to the event, which is being held in mid-January in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Also attending? Social conservative Rick Santorum – who ran unsuccessfully for the GOP nomination in 2012 – and neurosurgeon/ author Ben Carson, who...

Fox News anchor Sean Hannity, also a nationally syndicated radio host, is tripling down on his calls to demand new blood in House GOP leadership. In the wake of Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC) rebuffing his call to run against Speaker John Boehner after the white supremacy scandal that has rocked Boehner’s ally, House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, Hannity is calling on every Republican member of the House of Representatives to reconsider whether Boehner is in fact an effective leader. “Every Republican member needs to ask themselves if John Boehner is really the best person to lead the conservative movement at...

Conservative members of Congress are frustrated with House Speaker John Boehner’s (shown) leadership and are expected to opt for a change on January 6, when the official speaker’s election is held. While this vote is typically just a formality, conservative lawmakers are hoping to use the opportunity to remove the Ohio Republican, who has served as speaker since 2011. After the November elections, Republicans had decided behind closed doors that they would be nominating Boehner (R-Ohio) for speaker and did not offer any other nominees. “Rep. Boehner was selected as the House Republican Conference’s choice for Speaker last month,” Boehner...

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said Saturday that the Senate will take up an Iran sanctions bill in January, setting up a tough vote for Democrats. During an appearance alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel, Graham said there will be a vote on legislation drafted by Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) in January. The measure would impose additional sanctions on Iran if it violates the interim nuclear agreement or walks away from talks. "I’m here to tell you, Mr. Prime Minister, that the Congress will follow your lead," Graham said. "In January...

What is it about conservatives anyway? Not only do they keep picking fights they cannot win, but they keep dragging the rest of us down with them. You might say it started with the Civil War, and it is still going on as lawyers seek payment from the state of South Carolina for their work defending the right of a gay couple to marry against the political ambitions of state Attorney General Alan Wilson. Attorneys for Colleen Condon and Nichols Bleckley have asked a federal judge to order the AG to pay $152,710 for their time and service. As The...

H. 3087, “Registration by Party” Pre-filed by Chip Limehouse It is time to begin asking YOUR representative to support this bill. We know Senator Shane Martin is on board, and I believe our Senators Lee Bright and Tom Corbin will also support this when the time comes. The Spartanburg County Republican Party sent out a press release in September 2014 urging our Spartanburg Delegation to support Registration by Party legislation. Therefore, the Spartanburg County Republican Party calls on Representatives Rita Allison, Doug Brannon, Bill Chumley, Derham Cole, Mike Forrester, Eddie Tallon and Donna Wood, Senators Lee Bright, Tom Corbin, Shane...

The Jerusalem Post reports: Secretary of State John Kerry would not guarantee the US will veto unilateral Palestinian actions at the United Nations, speaking to reporters on Tuesday. “We’ve made no determinations about language, approaches, specific resolutions, any of that,” the secretary told the press in London. “This isn’t the time to detail private conversations. or speculate on a UN Security Council resolution that hasn’t even been tabled.” Tabled yet or not, Jordan and France have publicly declared their intentions to move forward with resolutions that would set a UN-mandated timeline for Israel’s withdrawal from the West Bank, without approval...

Alexander (R-TN) Ayotte (R-NH) Barrasso (R-WY) Coats (R-IN) Cochran (R-MS) Collins (R-ME) Corker (R-TN) Cornyn (R-TX) Enzi (R-WY) Flake (R-AZ) Graham (R-SC) Hatch (R-UT) Heller (R-NV) Johnson (R-WI) Kirk (R-IL) McCain (R-AZ) McConnell (R-KY) Murkowski (R-AK) Toomey (R-PA) Wicker (R-MS) Not Voting Chambliss (R-GA) Coburn (R-OK)

It’s a question that will prove crucial next year when Mitch McConnell takes the reins of a new Senate: Just how big is the Ted Cruz caucus? Three votes on the “cromnibus” late Saturday night suggest it could be as large as 22 senators — a dangerously high number for McConnell — or as few as a handful. Let’s break down the three votes — on filibustering the $1.1 trillion package, on Cruz’s point of order aimed at targeting the president’s immigration action, and final passage. The high-water mark for the Texas Republican came on his point of order vote,...

Did you know that there’s been a massive uptick in white thugs setting black folks on fire, yet the media has been virtually silent on this horrendous subject? Sure, we all have heard of Darren Wilson's shooting Michael Brown, but there has been no coverage of the aforementioned. Like in zero… nada… nothing… zilch. What kind of racist “news outlets” would be so heinous to cover up such gross and unspeakable evil? Why haven’t the most powerful people in our government and the entertainment industry spoken out and condemned this obvious xenophobic act of viciousness? How come there has been...

<p>A soldier returning home for the holidays to see his wife and newborn baby in Central is being kicked out of his wife's apartment after the landlord said he is overstaying the time allowed for visitors.</p> <p>Sergeant William Bolt is stationed in Missouri, but his wife has been in Central. She gave birth to their daughter two weeks ago.</p>