Free Republic

A Democratic Georgia state legislator from Atlanta has defected to the Republican Party in astonishing move after her party turned on her for backing school vouchers wanting to get tougher on prosecutors. Rep. Mesha Mainor, 48, switched sides to become the only black member of the state GOP after ripping into her former colleagues for trying to 'sabotage' everything she did and embracing 'left-wing radicalism'. Mainor said legislative Democrats drove her out of the party for breaking what they think are party norms including being soft on crime. At a Tuesday news conference outside the Georgia Capitol, she said they...

The end of the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling was the culmination of decades of work by Republicans and social conservatives — one that came to pass only after a former Democrat from New York who had once supported abortion rights helped muscle through three Supreme Court justices. Publicly, former President Donald J. Trump heralded the Supreme Court’s ruling on Friday ending federal abortion protections as a victory. Yet, as he faces possible prosecution over his efforts to subvert the 2020 election and prepares for a likely 2024 presidential campaign, Mr. Trump has privately told friends and advisers the ruling...

HOBART — Mayor Brian Snedecor has joined the Republican Party. Surrounded by family, elected officials and supporters, Snedecor became emotional as he made the announcement Wednesday at Festival Park. “I must be true to my God, my family, myself and those that have supported and believed in me,” Snedecor said. “So today I am formally announcing that I am leaving the Democratic Party and that I am joining the Republican party.” He said he’s become increasingly concerned during the last several months as the national Democratic platform has moved “more and more to the left.” “The efforts of the progressive...

No amount of false bravado, professorial sounding outrage or political denials can erase the truth about Common Core Dr. William J. (Bill) Bennett, former Secretary of Education under President Ronald Reagan from 1986 to 1988, advocates for Common Core in a CNN op-ed published on Dec. 2, 2014, and as recently as Feb. 1, 2015, in a televised debate with Texas Governor Greg Abbott. In his CNN op-ed, Dr. Bennett concludes that because America “offers no better alternative”, we should accept Common Core. His argument dovetails closely with establishment Republican and Democrat ideology; one imbedded with flawed logic, compounded falsehoods...

<p>Mayor Bloomberg - who has already cracked down on smoking, trans fats, salt and super-sized drinks - is embarking on a new crusade: preventing New Yorkers from going deaf.</p> <p>Hizzoner's health officials are planning a social-media campaign to warn young people about the risk of losing their hearing from listening to music at high volume on personal MP3 players, The Post has learned.</p>

I voted for Virgil Goode.

Former Virginia congressman Virgil Goode says voters should turn to a third party if they want real change in the nation. By Trevor Brown tbrown@wyomingnews.com CHEYENNE -- Voters need to look to a third party if they want to see real change for the country, Constitution Party presidential candidate Virgil Goode says. A former congressman from Virginia, Goode stopped here Wednesday during a campaign swing through Wyoming. “If America wants a true grassroots president who will answer the telephone from somebody sitting in this audience … as quick as they would take a call from somebody like Warren Buffett or...

RICHMOND, Va. (WTVR) — Monday the State Board of Elections voted unanimously for the Attorney General’s office to investigate forms submitted by Virgil Goode in his attempt to appear on the ballot as a presidential candidate. A spokesperson for the board confirmed the request and that the Attorney General’s involvement. Goode is a former congressman running for president under the “Constitution Party.” He will appear on the ballot in many other states, but he has yet to qualify for his home state of Virginia. Virgil Goode represented Virginia’s 5th congressional district until he was defeated by Democrat Tom Perriello in...

While many on the right fear that Constitution Party presidential candidate Virgil Goode might just draw enough votes in his native Virginia to tip the Old Dominion’s 14 electoral votes from Mitt Romney to Barack Obama, the former six-term congressman made it clear he doesn’t care. Goode, in fact, feels that “in many ways, for conservatives, it might be better to have Obama as president next year rather than Romney.” The 65-year-old Goode spoke to Human Events last week as he and his supporters were in the process of gathering the 10,000 signatures they need to submit before the Aug....

. Rick Perry -- A Sadly Failed POTUS Job Interview ... Politics is a brutal profession. Just ask George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Harry Truman, and George Bush (41 and 43). However, it's merely just another profession, in many ways no different from Accounting, Engineering, and Medicine. With the professional perks likewise come the required "Stand and Deliver" moments, such as Annual Reports, Board Meetings, Project Proposals, and Engineering Design Reviews. However, the "premier" stand-and-deliver moment is the Job Interview. All other professional moments pale to insignificance. A successful Job Interview is the gateway to all the other professional accomplishments, perks...

Perry and Gingrich inch their way back to form new second tier Aaron Blake November 4, 2011 Rick Perry and Newt Gingrich have recovered some of the ground that they lost and are back in double digits in the GOP presidential race, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.The two men now make up, along with Rep. Ron Paul (Texas), a pretty distinct new second tier in a race that hasn’t really had defined tiers until now — apart from the top tier, of course.The two men have now positioned themselves as potential beneficiaries if Herman Cain ’s problems...

Former presidential candidate and current media mogul Steve Forbes said Thursday the Texas Republican governor Rick Perry is likely to capture the Republican presidential nomination. "He was good on taxes and spending in Texas; he was very good on tort reform. Texas has been a cesspool for injury lawyers, and he made major changes - and the proof of it was they all moved to Oklahoma. And obviously I like his ideas on a flat tax. I think he genuinely wants to get the thing done. So it seems to be a good combination," Mr. Forbes said in an interview...

The Washington Post ran a story today about a group of Ohio voters here.  While the story centered around Herman Cain, there was a section buried deep in the story that offered an amazing insight into Rick Perry's current problems.  At one point, Hart asked the participants to think back to fifth grade and the types of students they had encountered. From a list that included descriptions such as “teacher’s pet,” “loner,” “hard worker,” “nerd” and “know it all,” Hart asked them to write down which most applied to Cain, to Romney, to Perry and to Obama. The majority described Cain...

Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry unveiled a sweeping economic agenda Monday highlighted by a plan to level a voluntary 20 percent “flat tax” on all taxpayers who will accept it in place of what they’re paying now.

Stumbles aside, Perry to remain a top contender Advantages outweigh setbacks October 3, 2011 Although Texas Gov. Rick Perry has been hurt by poor debate and straw-poll performances - and in recent days by associations with a racial slur - top Republican officials think he nonetheless can survive the blows and remain a major contender for the party’s presidential nomination. These party officials, whose neutrality in nomination contests requires their anonymity in discussing the candidates, have told The Washington Times that the structure of the 2012 primary race, funding advantages and weaknesses in other candidates mean Mr. Perry can hang...

I have desperately been waiting for a true conservative to step up to the plate and win me over. I had thought Rick Perry was the guy. On the issues as a whole I’m in Perry’s corner. I would prefer his position on the issues to go forward as our standard, but then there was his defense of Texas’ “Dream Act”. I respect Rick Perry defending his position on illegal immigration. He stuck to his guns despite its being a liability in Republican primaries. Most voters disagree with him, but he defended it. Ok. That’s why we have debates after...

Mitt Romney may not be Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s biggest problem. The nonprofit group Texans for Public Justice, a good-government foundation that has been keeping tabs on him for years, may claim that title. Its Web site’s homepage features a quote from its Crony Capitalism report: “As Texas Governor Rick Perry’s influence at the RGA increased over the past five years the political finances of both the governor and the Governors Association skyrocketed. The RGA raised a record $216.9 million during the Perry years between January 2006 and June 30, 2011.

Since Rick Perry has surged to the front of the GOP pack, questions have been raised about his past membership in the Democratic party, which ended in 1989. Ron Paul recently posted a pretty hard-hitting web video blasting Perry for having backed Al Gore in 1988, and Joe Scarborough – MSNBC’s token Republican – made some snarky comments about Perry last week. Is there anything to this criticism? I don’t think so. Let's remember that Perry is not the first former Democrat to run for the Republican nomination. He's not even the first from Texas. He's the third. John Connally...

[excerpt of ONE analysis in the article that includes an "executive imager," and "sociology and urban research" professors who pick over Gov. Rick Perry and rural people] [snip] ...Perry is a “no” man, says James Hoggard, an author and English professor at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls. “He fits into what Stuart Chase, a political economist, called ‘no’ men and ‘yes’ men. ‘No’ men tend to be associated with a rural or an agrarian society, which means they’re farmers and they’re going to be working by themselves as opposed to in groups, the way people in towns work. ‘Yes’...

(RALEIGH) -- Texas Gov. Rick Perry has been in the Presidential race for barely more than a week, but Tom Jensen with Public Policy Polling said a recent round of polling in North Carolina and Colorado already ranks Perry close to deserving front runner status. "We're already finding Perry tied for the lead in both North Carolina and Colorado and these polls were conducted before he even officially entered the race," said Jensen. In North Carolina Perry is in a three way tie with Mitt Romney and Sarah Palin. Each getting 17-percent. Perry also led a poll conducted in Virginia...