Free Republic

On January 21 Newt Gingrich won the South Carolina Primary. But he did it, in part, by using racist rhetoric, characterizing President Obama as “the best food stamp president in American history.” Since then, he has continued to drive this distortion hoping it will somehow resonate with voters. It’s not likely to work, because most Americans understand that food is fundamental. Presidents do not put people onto the food stamp rolls. People, predominately people with children to feed, become eligible for food stamps. The food stamp program, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP, is a critical safety net for...

This was in 2008, BEFORE HE WAS RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT!

Georgia Turns Into Shaky Ground for Gingrich By TRIP GABRIEL February 18, 2012 ATLANTA — If Newt Gingrich has any hope of a comeback, it must begin here, in the state he represented for 20 years as a congressman and where the haul of delegates to the Republican National Convention is the biggest prize of the Super Tuesday contests next month. Yet when asked about the once-unthinkable possibility that he might lose the primary in Georgia, where Rick Santorum is surging just as he is nationally, Mr. Gingrich offered a shrug. “Given this kind of a year, who knows?” he...

Newt Gingrich’s campaign is threatening to sue TV stations in upcoming primary states that are airing or plan to broadcast an ad from a pro-Mitt Romney super PAC accusing the former House Speaker of supporting the “one-child” Chinese policy that has been criticized as inhumane. The ad in question, which is the work of the Restore Our Future super PAC and is already airing in the former House Speaker’s home state of Georgia, asserts Gingrich “co-sponsored a bill with Nancy Pelosi that would have given $60 million a year to a U.N. program supporting China’s brutal one-child policy.” A letter...

“We have to look at the root cause of why the economy is struggling as much as it is,” Santorum said. “Government intervention. Government regulation. Government taxation. Government is crushing and destroying the American spirit and the American free enterprise system.” Santorum said that government spending was impinging on personal freedoms and ultimately chipping away at what made the country great. “When the government gets as big as it’s gotten and starts to take over more of your life, then you get smaller as the individual, you get weaker, you lose control over your lives. You lose the rights that...

Washington (CNN) - In a move that could again dramatically shake up the Republican primary race, billionaire and major Republican donor Sheldon Adelson is expected to donate an additional $10 million to the super PAC supporting Newt Gingrich, Winning Our Future, a source with knowledge of the donation told CNN. That contribution is expected soon, before the end of the month, the source said. The timing is important because Gingirch, whose campaign has been lagging, is hoping to do well in several of the upcoming Super Tuesday states that vote on March 6 to boost his effort. His allies will...

Newt Gingrich spent more than 30 years building relationships in Washington, but relatively few of his old colleagues in town have ponied up for him. His campaign reported pulling in just $278,000 from the Washington metro area last year — a drop in the bucket compared with the $2.5 million raised in Washington by his chief rival, Mitt Romney, who has spent little time there. Those numbers, compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics, are for checks of more than $200. Gingrich’s weak showing in Washington is not surprising to many of the former Hill staff, lobbyists and members of...

Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the House and current Republican presidential primary candidate, visited the Hoover Institution on Wednesday, February 15, 2012, for a series of meetings with Hoover fellows to discuss a broad range of issues, from health care to current economic conditions in the United States and abroad to national security. Gingrich asked for and received fellows’ assessments of the problems associated with these issues and the fellows’ suggestions for solutions. Among those participating in the meetings were Hoover Institution director John Raisian; former secretaries of state Condoleezza Rice and George Shultz; former members of the President’s Council...

This is a rush transcript from "On the Record," February 15, 2012. GINGRICH: .... we're going to have to pick up all those delegates in late May, just before the California primary, when we hope to pick up more delegates out here. That still means that on super-Tuesday, we're looking at Georgia, Tennessee, Oklahoma, we're looking at Ohio. It means the week after super- Tuesday, we're looking at Alabama and Mississippi. Now, we have hopes that we're going to keep picking up delegates everywhere and continue. This race is going on for a long time, I think. ... What will...

Ron Paul has said that he will cut a trillion dollars in federal spending, the largest spending cuts proposed by any candidate so far. For years, Americans have elected Republicans who have promised to reduce the size of the federal budget, but have failed to keep their promises, once they get into office. How many remember Papa Bush's promise of "No new taxes?". How many times have Republican Presidential candidates lied, about promising to abolish the Department of Education. Ron Paul's critics are not doubting that he will cut the federal budget. They are simply complaining that his spending cuts...

If you go out to dinner at a local Margarita's restaurant, it is hard to miss one of the most popular dishes — the fajitas. The unmistakable sizzling, popping sound of a cracking hot plate covered in steak draws attention from diners throughout the restaurant, and that sound is an integral part of the dining experience. But no one would order fajitas if all they got was the noise — we enjoy the sizzle, but what we really want is the steak. While several of the candidates for the Republican Presidential nomination have proven themselves more than capable of producing...

If the Republican presidential contenders wish to remain truthful to their rhetoric of decentralization of power in Washington, they should take a break from wooing social conservatives and stand for states' rights in regard to gay marriage. Because many likely Iowa caucus-goers describe themselves as very conservative on social issues such as gay marriage and abortion, many candidates feel they need to reach out to the far-right if they plan to get the presidential nod. However, a staunch, conservative position on social issues will likely hurt them in the long run, because it undermines their more-appealing small-government policies.... The three...

Conservatives are constantly being accused of wanting no government. When we talk about wanting to eliminate things like the IRS, the Departments of Energy and Education or rein in rouge agencies like the EPA and the NLRB we are accused of wanting no government at all. That’s simply false. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a conservative speak about wanting to eliminate all government, or even the federal government. Most conservatives understand that the absence of functional government brings chaos. In an environment where chaos reigns, at some point someone will step in and impose order. That person or...

This ain't rocket science. The country is going bankrupt because of big spending, big taxing, big government Marxists, socialists, liberals, progressives, moderates and RINOS!! We don't need a higher credit limit or higher taxes. We need to cut the damned government! Cut the spending! Cut the stifling regulations! Cut the taxes!! Cut it NOW!! Not ten years from now, not five years from now, not two years from now, CUT IT NOW!! Get the government out of our pockets, out of our faces, out of our business, off our backs and OUT of our lives!! Set our people free, turn...

Christian conservatives looking to put a Republican in the White House heard a lot about the economy on Friday in a sign that their social issues may take a back seat in 2012. Many political speakers at the Faith and Freedom Coalition, including Republican White House hopefuls, emphasized jobs, debt and deficits... In contrast to some previous presidential campaigns, social issues like gay marriage and abortion have not been prominent topics for Republicans hopefuls seeking to replace President Barack Obama in next year's election. The weakness of the economy has triggered a debate within the Republican Party about whether conservatives...

A former Republican state senator plans to announce a new advocacy group to build conservative support for gay marriage in Iowa. Jeff Angelo of Creston is expected to appear outside the Capitol in Des Moines on Wednesday to launch Iowa Republicans for Freedom. He'll make stops at Green Square Park in Cedar Rapids and at the Davenport Public Library on Thursday. According to a media release, the group will "give voice to Iowans who believe that conservative values of smaller government should keep government out of the private lives of all Iowans."...

2011 Boston TEA Party Rally Disrupted by Union Thugs (illegally?) enabled by Boston Police (Parts 1,2,3) Just as the 2011 Boston TEA Party rally was beginning, a group of Public Sector Union thugs marched in, planted themselves directly in front of the podium and blocked the speakers. They chanted offensive slogans on the 3 megaphones they had brought and continued to do so for the entire 2 hours! The Boston Police, also Public Sector Union members, came in and stood in front of them. The police did not ask the disruptors to leave, even after Michael Graham on the bandstand...

There's been lots of talk lately about a turn to the right in American politics. President Obama's declining poll numbers, the sharp rise in opposition to his health-care plan during 2009, the growth of the grass-roots Tea Party movement, and the polls predicting a Republican takeover of the House of Representatives all point to a resurgence of conservatism in the electorate. But as I noted last year, there are also trends in the direction of social tolerance these days. Some indeed have described current political trends as a libertarian resurgence. California voters are getting ready to vote on a marijuana...

Judicial activism is pushing America to the breaking point. This week, a federal judge blocked key provisions of Arizona's immigration law, thwarting the will of the people. The decision was ominous and will reverberate for years to come. Judge Susan Bolton, appointed by former President Bill Clinton, is a liberal elitist who believes judicial imperialism trumps democracy. Her ruling states that local police cannot check the immigration status of people arrested or stopped for violations of the law. In her view, that would amount to an abuse of civil liberties and unduly burden the federal immigration system. She also stipulated...

One of the important public policy issues making its way through the Courts is "school choice" or more accurately, "Parental Choice" - since parents are the ones who should make the educational decision for their children. The unwillingness of those in charge of the Federal Educational Bureaucracy to consider this approach at a time when we all know the educational system is broken exposes the difference between rhetoric and reality. To support "Parental Choice in Education" is to affirm that Parents are the ones who should be able to make the choice of how to best extend their own teaching...

...and I always try so hard to hate all politicians! Gov. Christie makes it hard: "I came here to govern, not to worry about re-election." New Jersey Governor Chris Christie contrasts his beliefs in "less government and less taxes" with his opponents in the legislature. This was removed from Youtube, but we have it up.

Little did Aaron Sorkin suspect, when he wrote the lefty drama "A Few Good Men," that the only thing anyone would ever remember about it was Jack Nicholson’s Col. Jessep speech, which Sorkin accidentally made more convincing than any liberal argument he ever offered: "Son, we live in a world that has walls and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. You want me on that wall — you need me on that wall. My existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives." Col. Jessup, shake hands with your 21st-century equivalent: Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark....

For Immediate Release January 23, 2010, Oklahoma City, OK - While in Oklahoma City to film probably the most important footage of his career, independent filmmaker William Lewis' hotel room was ransacked, the thieves getting away with everything...but his camera, cell phone and the clothes on his back.

A recent poll conducted by Rasmussen Reports reveals that 66% of U.S. voters favor lower taxes along with a smaller government that provides fewer services. The poll also found that 88% of Republicans like a smaller government.

'Government dead wood'--the term I use to describe those who live off the taxes of others, including elected officials who propose bigger and more powerful government, along with their constituents who hold out their hands for the loot--can be permanently removed from power without firing a single shot.

Michelle Roberts, AP writer writes in her piece San Antonio, restaurants fight fat by cooperating that San Antonio health officials, along with the help of the of our beloved Major Julian Castro, and the San Antonio Restaurant Association have decided to change the way food is consumed in this city. They are targeting local eateries and encouraging (read: threatening) them to offer healthier meal options, lest the restaurant be faced with future regulations or fines for non-compliance. The argue that the city is "getting heavier" and this is a viable options to combat that. Lest we succumb to the ravages...

Pension trustees and insurance company portfolio managers look away now. Your increased commitment to government bond holdings in recent times is about to blow up spectacularly. At least, that is the view of Ron Paul, the US congressman who ran against John McCain in last year’s Republican Party presidential nomination. His is a minority view. Yields on government bonds worldwide have been falling fast over the past few months and in the UK, the commencement of “quantitative easing” this month sent bond prices soaring. But the credibility of both western governments and their currencies is waning, and has been ever...

As Obamaniacs whoop it up, the Right is undergoing the same self-examination it went through starting in 1977. Some decisions will be easy, others less so. Few will claim that "big government Republicanism" — or, as Goldwater referred to it, a "Dime Store New Deal" — is the wave of the future. Conservatives know that competing for the affection of voters by leasing their souls to corrupt lobbyists has been a fool's errand. Within days will come a restatement of minimalist government principles, especially by the economic right.

America is not as conservative as it seemed in 2004 and it isn't as liberal as it looks this morning. What happened is that four years ago, voters put their trust in one political party to run the country and they didn't like the results, and so, over the course of two elections, they systematically threw out that political party and turned to a different one. If Democrats disappoint the public, they could be waking up on a not so distant November morning just as devastated as Republicans are today. Those who are in the profession of writing the first...

Why the Republicans Must Lose Nothing short of defeat will put the GOP back on its limited government track I grew up in a particularly conservative part of the already conservative state of Indiana. I voted for Bob Dole in 1996 and George Bush in 2000, generally because—though I'm not a conservative (I'm a libertarian)—I'd always thought the GOP was the party of limited government. By 2002, I was less sure of that. And by 2004, I was so fed up with the party that I did what I thought I'd never do—vote for an unabashed leftist for president. Since...

People who put faith in government to solve national or even individual problems are headed for deep disappointment, if it hasn't already arrived. Still, that doesn't stop politicians from attempting to sell political snake oil to the gullible. No one ever lost money betting on the ignorance of the uninformed masses. What should be required viewing before the election is "John Stossel's Politically Incorrect Guide to Politics," a "20/20" report critical of the U.S. government's ability to get things done (abcnews.com). The report looked at facts, not opinions, or "feelings" concerning government's inability to live up to the high expectations...

The judiciary is becoming an important election issue. John McCain is warning conservatives that control of today's finely balanced Supreme Court depends on his election. Unfortunately, his jurisprudence is likely to be anything but conservative. The idea of a "living Constitution" long has been popular on the political left. Conservatives routinely dismiss such result-oriented justice, denouncing "judicial activism" and proclaiming their fidelity to "original intent." However, many Republicans, like Mr. McCain, are just as result-oriented as their Democratic opponents. They only disagree over the result desired. Judge-made rights are wrong because there is no constitutional warrant behind them. The Constitution...

Local toll road activist Terri Hall, the Spring Branch home schooling mom who's campaign against toll roads made her WOAI's San Antonian of the Year for 2007,. is taking her populist campaign nationwide. Hall is among the speakers for Saturday's 'Freedom March,' in Washington DC, organized by supporters of former Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul, and designed to keep alive his message of smaller government and vigilance against encroaching government power. "They wanted someone to speak about the Trans Texas Corridor, and what's happening here, and the eminent domain abuses, and how all these toll roads are tied to corporate...

Together, you and we cleared the first 4 hurdles to putting the END the Income Tax Initiative on the November 4th Ballot. First, we wrote the legal language for the Initiative - and got it legally certified by the Attorney General's Office. Second, we collected 76,085 certified petition signatures to qualify our END the Income Tax Initiative for legislative action - and move it toward the ballot. Third, we survived an under-the-radar, stealth campaign run by the Massachusetts Teachers Union to disqualify our ballot initiative. Fourth, although the Massachusetts Constitution requires the state legislature to take testimony on and vote...

Show Us the Money: Open the Books for all Massachusetts State Government Income and Spending **** An Open Letter to the Massachusetts State Legislature **** from Michael Cloud and Carla Howell Dear Massachusetts State Legislators, On behalf of the 3,000,000+ taxpayers of Massachusetts, For the purposes of transparency and accountability of the Massachusetts state government, We request that you show us the money: open the books for all Massachusetts State Government income and spending. We ask that you post the Massachusetts state government budget - every dollar of all state government income and spending online - on an open, free,...

Apparently, small government Republicans [Huckabee’s] aides are wary of New Hampshire. “It’s all no tax, no government there,” said Bob Wickers, a top strategist. “It’s not ideal.” But they believe that the message of economic anxiety that he preaches will help in Michigan’s primary on Jan. 15 and in states in the South, which have high poverty rates in addition to strong groups of social conservatives.” Mike Huckabee is skipping New Hampshire because it’s too fiscally conservative. Instructive, yes? Huckabee’s brand of identity politics is as dangerous as anyone else’s - after nearly eight years of a fiscally liberal Republican...

Fred Thompson or Ron Paul? Like Perry and some others, I would rather see a big government Democrat elected than a big government Republican. At least that would bring back some opposition. Republicans in Congress have a much better record of reining in the Democrats' presidents than their own. And as I explain later, I think that one of these two is the only Republican candidate capable of winning the national election. Ron Paul answering the What programs? question by naming three cabinet level departments ... Wow. Good answer. If there was no rest-of-the-world, he would possibly have my vote....

What if there was a "just say no" movement on the part of conservative communities to REFUSE federal handouts? What if we just went back to the way it was before? What if we just say thanks but no thanks. Time was all towns lived within their means and just spent what they could afford. Why don't we go back to that?

Today, Oct. 22, marks the 273rd anniversary of the birth of an American icon: Daniel Boone. This death-defying adventurer axed his way through the Appalachian Mountains to settle Kentucky and open the Western frontier. Stamped across his rock-hard life is the trademark of America: the pioneer spirit to cross new frontiers and control one's destiny. Back then, people ran their own lives. Today, our vastly expanded Nanny State looks after us. Is this a good thing? Imagine you're a pioneer of yesteryear. How would you fare with today's nanny on your back? As you prepare your covered wagon for journeying...

Republican presidential hopeful Ron Paul said today that he could see no possible reason to ever launch military action or initiate a war, vowing instead to battle efforts he said are undermining the individual liberties of people in America. In an interview with Washingtonpost.com's PostTalk program, the Texas congressman said he could see "no reason" to justify military action if he were elected president. He compared the United States to a schoolyard bully and said the country has no reason to flex its muscles overseas. "There's nobody in this world that could possibly attack us today," he said in the...

For the first time in over 30 years I am considering supporting a Republican for president of the United States. This may seem a little out of character for me, but I offer the following reasons that led me to make this decision. First, but not least, is the fact I have always been opposed to one party controlling the Senate, the House of Representatives and the White House at the same time, even if it is my own party. Division of powers allows for more checks and balances. Recent actions seem to validate this concern. The second reason is...

When Eastern Europe broke free in 1989, we all realized just how little thought had been given to the transition from socialism to capitalism. Mises had told us the collapse was coming, and we should have been prepared. As America comes to resemble a command economy, we need a transition plan here too. Yuri Maltsev proposed a "One-Year Plan" for the U.S.S.R. We're not in that bad a shape (yet), so we could do it in 30 days. DAY ONE: The federal income tax is abolished and April 15th is declared a national holiday. The 40% reduction in federal revenues...

As we all look forward to more sputtering news conference antics from Sen. Larry Craig, here's hoping that the Idaho politician will eventually draw on traditional Republican principles and stand up for his right to engage in consensual sex in toilet stalls with men. Craig, a critic of the Patriot Act who weakened some of its worst provisions during last year's renewal vote, clearly understands the need to keep the government from snooping willy-nilly on its citizens. At first flush, the news that the 62-year-old senior senator from the Gem State pleaded guilty Aug. 8 to misdemeanor charges of disorderly...

Former Senator from Tennessee Fred Thompson announced this week that he may dive into the bloody presidential election waters head first, perhaps as early as July 5th. Who is Fred Thompson, and is he a candidate that true small government believers can support? Before quitting this week to pursue his political aspirations, Thompson, 65, played a District Attorney on NBC's “Law & Order” television program. He lives in Northern Virginia and enjoys a membership within the Council on Foreign Relations and is a Visiting Fellow with the American Enterprise Institute. “After two years in Washington, I often long for the...

'Free to lose' isn't good philosophy for the right wing November 19, 2006 BY MARK STEYN Sun-Times Columnist If Milton Friedman had to die, then a week after the defeat of a Republican Congress that had apparently forgotten every lesson Friedman taught in Free To Choose is eerily apt timing. As it happens, had ill health not intervened, Professor Friedman would have been disembarking round about now from a National Review post-election cruise with yours truly and various other pundits and commentators. Instead, we were obliged to sail without him, and in the days that followed I found myself wondering...

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Lawrence W. Reed is one of those people with so much passion for an unusual line of work that he invented a new occupation, and it has helped shape the conservative movement from here to the Himalayas. Mr. Reed runs a conservative think tank school. Twice a year, ideological allies from across the globe travel to his program at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy in Midland, Mich., to study the tricks of the idea-peddling trade. Policy institutes have been central to a national organizing strategy that has long won the right a reputation for savvy,...

Proud to be a Texan Republican In an time where federal Republicans don't seem to remember the party's values, it makes me proud to know that Rick Perry and the Texas GOP stand loyal to them. Texas Republicans still believe that wasteful and excessive spending should be dramatically cut down. Texas Republicans still stand tough against illegal immigration and understand the need to preserve the American way of life. Texas Republicans still hold conservative values dear, yet they oppose excessive government encroachment in folks' private lifes. And, above all, Texas Republicans still believe in the power of the individual,...

GOP needs tough love, not abandonment -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By Star Parker, World Net Daily, October 14, 2006 A survey just released by the Pew Center shows that 51 percent of Democrats are enthusiastic about voting in 2006 as opposed to 33 percent of Republicans. This is almost a mirror image of what the picture looked like in 1994. A Pew Center poll also shows a precipitous drop in support for Republicans and the Bush administration among white evangelicals. It's now a little over 50 percent, whereas in 2004 it was closer to 75 percent. Given the realities staring us in the...

I would be willing to bet that if I went onto the street and asked ten random people what the 10th Amendment to the Constitution said, that none of them would know it. Yet, in truth, the 10th Amendment represents one of the most important defining aspects of our government. Unfortunately, it is also the Amendment that our government most frequently ignores. -snip-

I joined the Republican Party a little bit later than most, as a direct result of the messages I heard from Ronald Reagan. When I began my own business, I discovered that most of the things I had been taught in college about government were wrong. As Ronald Reagan said and I quickly learned, government was a lot like a baby; a large appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other. I could find precious few government agencies that accomplished their actual mission, and none that did so efficiently. I came to the conclusion that the...