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“There seems to be a movement on the local and state level,” Scott said, of black Democrats who want “to align with their values” rather than with their history as Democrats. “We’ll continue to see that shift.” Artur Davis, a former Democratic congressman from Alabama, has been a Republican for only a few months. But his speech tonight at the Republican convention is important because he reflects a major theme of Mitt Romney’s campaign against President Obama and another theme promoted by the GOP. The Romney theme is that it’s okay to have changed your mind about Obama. Davis, an...

WASHINGTON -- House Republicans are poised to express their anger over the government's politically contentious labor case against Boeing Co. by passing a measure Thursday that would curb the National Labor Relation's enforcement powers. The bill would prohibit the agency from ordering an employer to shut down plants or relocate jobs, even if a company illegally retaliates against unionized employees by moving work. Republican lawmakers say the board should not have the power to dictate where a private business can locate. Union leaders claim the bill would render toothless the board's ability to enforce labor laws when companies simply eliminate...

In response to a series of controversial decisions by the National Labor Relations Board, the House of Representatives will vote on a bill curtailing the power of the NLRB Thursday afternoon. The Protecting Jobs From Government Interference Act, H.R. 2587 is currently being voted on and is expected to pass the Republican-controlled House. An earlier vote on the bill on the floor passed 239-176, with all Republicans and six Democrats voting in favor. The bill would prohibit the National Labor Relations Board from ordering any employer to close, relocate, or transfer employment under any circumstance. The NLRB has been the...

Rep. Allen West (R- Fla.), the lone Republican in the Congressional Black Caucus, said Tuesday morning that he is considering leaving the group in light of comments by caucus whip Rep. Andrè Carson (D-Ind.), who said at a town hall that tea-party affiliated members of Congress see African Americans as "second-class citizens" and would be happy to see blacks "hanging from a tree." "When you start using words such as lynching… that’s a reprehensible word and I think we should move away from that language," West said on Fox & Friends. "One of the things I'm starting to think about...

Myrtle Beach on Monday, Sept. 5. Following the format of his previous town halls with presidential candidates, Rep. Scott will take questions from the live audience as well as from online Facebook followers, allowing as many voters as possible to ask Gov. Perry a question. “I am proud to welcome Gov. Perry to Myrtle Beach to meet our voters,” said Rep. Scott. “Since his announcement speech in Charleston just over two weeks ago, the governor has excited our electorate, and I look forward to continuing that conversation.” “I am thankful to Rep. Scott for inviting me to participate in such...

Speaker John Boehner pushed his debt-ceiling bill through the House Friday night with the support of 218 Republicans. Here are the 22 no votes: Justin Amash (Mich.) Michele Bachmann (Minn.) Chip Cravaack (Minn.) Jason Chaffetz (Utah) Scott Desjarlais (Tenn.) Tom Graves (Ga.) Tim Huelskamp (Kans.) Steve King (Iowa) Tim Johnson (Ill.) Tom McClintock (Calif.) Mick Mulvaney (S.C.) Ron Paul (Texas) Connie Mack (Fla.) Jim Jordan (Ohio) Tim Scott (S.C.) Paul Broun (Ga.) Tom Latham (Iowa) Jeff Duncan (S.C.) Trey Gowdy (S.C.) Steve Southerland (Fla.) Joe Walsh (Ill.) Joe Wilson (S.C.) CORRECTED: Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) voted YES on the Boehner...

The following twenty-two House members stood firm and opposed the Boehner bill, which is nothing more than a vehicle which will be sent to the Senate, reworked by Harry Reid into something even worse than it already is, and then returned to the House. Boehner will dutifully bring it up and the Tea Partiers who voted for it will then vote against it, but it will not matter. Boehner and Reid will pass the Bill in the House with Democrat votes and Obama will sign it. The votes today cast by conservatives, many of whom are good people, are very...

"This president is looking to usurp congressional oversight to find a way to get it done without us. My position is that is an impeachable act from my perspective. There are a lot of things people say, 'Are you going to impeach the president over that?' — No. But this? This is catastrophic. This jeopardizes the credibility of our nation if one man can usurp the entire system set up by our founding fathers over something this significant," Rep. Tim Scott (R-SC) said.

House Republicans are fighting back against President Obama’s misuse of administrative power to punish right-to-work states. On Tuesday, Rep. Tim Scott introduced legislation to protect a Boeing 787 Dreamliner production plant in his South Carolina district from the outrageous complaint filed by pro-union thugs at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The agency wants to force the airline manufacturer to close up operations in Charleston and move the jobs to Puget Sound, where the labor bosses reign, because setting up in South Carolina was allegedly an example of “unfair labor practices.” The Job Protection Act would, if enacted, clarify that...

Rep.-elect Tim Scott hasn't even taken office, yet the North Charleston Republican knows that he's already a marked man. It's not his political foes who are targeting him. Scott, with Allen West of Florida the first two black Republicans elected to the U.S. House of Representatives since Reconstruction, stands in the path of a demographic tidal wave that likely will engulf him in the coming months. Thanks to rapid population growth in four counties in his 1st Congressional District — Dorchester, Horry, Berkeley and Charleston — an expected new U.S. House seat for South Carolina as a result of the...

South Carolina Rep.-elect Tim Scott, the first black Republican from the South since Reconstruction, said Wednesday that he will not join the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC). “While I recognize the efforts of the CBC and appreciate their invitation for me to caucus with them, I will not be joining at this time,” Scott said. “My campaign was never about race.” Members of the CBC said before the election that Scott, along with Florida Republican Rep.-elect Allen West, would both be welcomed into the caucus if they wanted to join. West has said he intends to become a member next year....

Throughout his campaign, Scott has downplayed his race, saying he has always lived in a world that was integrated. The other black Republican elected to the U.S. House in November has said he will join the caucus. Allen West of Florida wants to steer the group away from what he called failing liberal policies.

In one of their first acts as a Class, the 80-plus newly elected Republican Members of Congress selected Tim Scott as one of their two representatives to the Elected Leadership Committee (E.L.C.). The Committee is a small group comprising the leadership of the House Republican Conference which meets weekly to plan policy and set the agenda for Congress.

With South Carolina's victory of the first 'Deep South' black Republican to Congress since Reconstruction, one conservative thinks it's evident that the tea party is not racist. Ron Miller, a conservative author, columnist, veteran and tea party member, says Tim Scott's election to Congress is "an impressive victory." "I think it's a great testimony to Americans' ability to evaluate people by the content of their character, rather than the color of their skin..." ----snip. In winning the election, Scott beat out....the son of late Senator Strom Thurmond and the son of former South Carolina Governor Carroll Campbell. ----snip"...they've demonstrated their...

Diversity: Women, Hispanics and two African-American congressmen-elect rode the GOP wave to victory. Sorry, Mr. President, these Republicans will not ride in the back of the bus. They intend to drive it. During the campaign, Col. Allen West speculated on the possibility of joining the Congressional Black Caucus. "I think I have every right to. I would be in Congress, and I would be black and so I should be able to sit with them and, again, bring a different perspective," he said in an interview with the Daily Caller. Congressman-elect West will get that chance now that the Sarah...

Two black Republican victories tonight mark the first time African-Americans will represent the GOP in Congress in seven years. Retired Lt. Colonel Allen West's win in Florida's 22nd District and South Carolina State Rep. Tim Scott's victory in that state's 1st Congressional District is also the first time two black GOP members will serve in Congress since 1996. Scott defeated Democrat Ben Frasier in an open contest to replace retiring Republican Rep. Henry Brown to the first black GOP in Congress since former Oklahoma Congressman J.C. Watts retired in 2003. West defeated incumbent Democratic Rep. Ron Klein shortly after Scott's...

Despite allegations of racism in Tea Party organizations, the Republican Party, and conservative groups, 2010 has witnessed more black Republican activism than ever before. Thirty-seven African Americans in 16 states have been in contention for seats in the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives this year. Fox News reports, “The Republican Party is hoping to put a record number of African Americans in Congress after Tuesday’s election; despite the fact the first black president is highly unpopular within the party.”

TIM SCOTT IS IN THE HOT SEAT. As a Black Republican running for office in the South, he has his fair share of nonbelievers. Today, he faces a room of his most ardent critics-other African-Americans. “What discouraged me is your campaign commercials, which were mostly white and maybe a token Black,” says public relations coordinator Cheryl Harleston. “I recognize your need to play to the base, but why not have more African-Americans standing there with you?”... frpa

Call it being a team player. If you’re a Republican House candidate flush with cash and poised to win, you can score points with leadership if you donate to competitive races. That cred could lead to good committee assignments down the line. Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) followed that model in 2006 and ended up with a prime spot in leadership. Now he’s advising candidates from South Carolina to Missouri to do the same, even suggesting which contenders are most in need of funds for new ads. In a great year for their party, some House Republican challengers are doing more...

Despite allegations of racism in Tea Party organizations, the Republican Party, and conservative groups, 2010 has witnessed more black Republican activism than ever before. Thirty-seven African Americans in 16 states have been in contention for seats in the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives this year. Fox News reports, “The Republican Party is hoping to put a record number of African Americans in Congress after Tuesday’s election; despite the fact the first black president is highly unpopular within the party.” Of course, the effort has not been without some difficulty. According to Onnidan Online, “Black conservatives are used to...