Free Republic

President Barack Obama and the Democratic Party end the year far weaker than they started it, according to a McClatchy-Ipsos poll released Tuesday. Obama has the lowest approval rating of his presidency - 49 percent - slipping below 50 percent in the poll for the first time and entering a danger zone for presidents heading into a midterm election year. The sinking numbers extend to his party as well. The Democratic Party has lost double-digit ground to the Republican Party on every issue, including the economy, other domestic issues such as health care and foreign affairs. On the economy, for...

A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in Connecticut now finds Dodd attracting just 35% to 40% of the vote against three possible Republican challengers. Former GOP Congressman Rob Simmons is still his toughest opponent, leading Dodd 48% to 35%. Seven percent (7%) prefer some other candidate in this contest, and 11% are undecided. Those figures are a slight improvement for Simmons since September. The newest Republican in the race, Linda McMahon, the ex-CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, earns 44% of the vote to Dodd’s 38%. Eight percent (8%) opt for another candidate, with nine percent (9%) not sure. Long-shot candidate...

Freshman Rep. Dina Titus (D-Nev.) is tied with Republican challenger Joe Heck in a new poll of 3rd district voters conducted by Mason Dixon Polling for the Las Vegas Review-Journal Nov. 30 through Dec. 2. The poll's 300-person sample was small, however, while it had a 6 percent margin of error. Titus and Heck, a Henderson, Nev. physician who switched from the governor's race to the congressional field in October, each received 40 percent of the vote in the hypothetical match-up, while 20 percent of the electorate remained undecided. While Heck received the support of 80 percent of GOP voters,...

If you relish drama, 2009 had it all. In a cliffhanger, the very visible hand of government helped wrest the U.S. economy from the abyss. Following the longest and steepest recession since World War II, initial reports indicated gross domestic product grew 3.5% in the third quarter. Anticipating the end of the downturn, a nearly comatose stock market bottomed on March 9, then soared 60% in just seven months. What’s in store for 2010? Recessions stemming from financial crises tend to be severe and are usually followed by relatively anemic economic recoveries. This time will be no exception, with one...

LA Sec/State Jay Dardenne (R) is contemplating a bid against Sen. David Vitter (R), he told the Baton Rouge Advocate this weekend. Allies have urged Dardenne to commission a poll, he said. "I've had a lot of people suggest that I do that. I'd have to raise some money. I may do that," he told the paper. "A lot of people have suggested that's a step that should be taken before making a final decision." Dardenne's name has frequently been floated as a potential candidate. A former state senator, Dardenne was first elected statewide in '06 before winning a full...

Like most Americans, I am grateful for Sen. John McCain's heroic service as a fighter pilot, a prisoner of war and, for nearly a generation, a member of the House and the Senate. But I am troubled by reports in recent weeks that Mr. McCain has been, as Politico put it, "working behind-the-scenes to reshape the Republican Party in his own center-right image" and has "emerged as a political godfather" to moderate candidates, including my opponent in the race for the Republican Senate nomination in Kansas. In that spirit, I would like to make Mr. McCain an offer he shouldn't...

BY STEPHANIE SIMON DENVER -- To retake Colorado, the Republican Party wants voters like Michael Schneider. A proud member of the diffuse 'tea-party movement' that gained steam during this summer's town-hall meetings on health care, Dr. Schneider is on the hunt for candidates who promise to buck the political establishment, defy the party elite and hew tightly to conservative principles. Colorado Republicans last week made a bold move to woo him and other restive tea-party activists by setting forth a conservative agenda -- dubbed the "Platform for Prosperity" -- and encouraging all candidates for state office to adopt it. The...

Rudy Giuliani has just signed a major security consulting deal with the city of Rio de Janiero. Giuliani's company will be tasked with advising the government as to ways to provide security during the 2016 Olympics. Rio de Janiero is one of the most unsafe major cities in the world with 40 people dying in the month of October where drug wars played a significant factor.

It’s relatively new fundraising and political turf for Republicans. Unlike other well-educated and traditionally profitable professions, such as trial law, physicians comparatively are not as politically involved, according to several GOP Members and candidates. “It is a good fundraising base, and I do think right now with the health care issues in the Congress and the Senate that doctors are more open than normal to contributing to political candidates,” said heart surgeon Larry Bucshon (R), who is challenging Rep. Brad Ellsworth (D-Ind.). “Doctors, in general, don’t give a lot of money to candidates.” There are 16 doctors in the House...

View to 2010: Downside Risks At Least As Great As Upside Potential J.D. Steinhilber December 07, 2009 Our stock market outlook is neutral as we move towards the end of 2009. The weight of the evidence seems to favor a continuation of the bull market into the first half of 2010, with the potential for additional gains in the broad averages of 10% to perhaps 20%. However, we expect bear market conditions will return at some point next year. The performance of the economy and corporate earnings will disappoint, as the private sector continues its deleveraging process, and government stimulus...

In my piece about Randall Terry’s Tea Party-driven comeback, I broke the news that Terry’s activists were going to mount congressional campaigns in 2010 for the express purpose of putting anti-abortion rights TV ads on the air inside the beltway. Along those same lines, the persistent Obama conspiracy figure Larry Sinclair — a felon who managed to get 1 million YouTube viewers to watch a video about his off-the-wall sex and drugs allegations about the president — has transitioned into a run for Congress in Florida’s 24th district, a swing seat that elected a Democrat in 2008. I found out...

"The stunning Rasmussen Poll showing the Republican Party finishing a decided third to a hypothetical 'Tea Party' candidate should send shock waves through the GOP. It demonstrates once again that the timid, tepid Republican leadership is leading its party to the brink of disaster. Tens of millions of Americans are looking for strong leadership to stand up to the Obama-Reid-Pelosi leftwing onslaught. Instead, the Republican Party is giving them the same shilly-shally two-step that cost it a majority in Congress, and the Oval Office. Looks like the American people are telling the GOP in no uncertain terms, 'Lead, follow --...

Today, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid showed his fear of losing the health care vote. He let go an outburst that was as offense as it was historically inaccurate: Instead of joining us on the right side of history, all the Republicans can come up with is this:, 'slow down, stop everything, let's start over.' If you think you've heard these same excuses before, you're right. When this country belatedly recognized the wrongs of slavery, there were those who dug in their heels and said, 'Slow down, it's too early, let's wait, things aren't bad enough.' When women spoke up...

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid took his GOP-blasting rhetoric to a new level Monday, comparing Republicans who oppose health care reform to lawmakers who clung to the institution of slavery more than a century ago. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid took his GOP-blasting rhetoric to a new level Monday, comparing Republicans who oppose health care reform to lawmakers who clung to the institution of slavery more than a century ago. The Nevada Democrat, in a sweeping set of accusations on the Senate floor, also compared health care foes to those who opposed women's suffrage and the civil rights movement. "Instead...

Grayson and heads of agencies across state government have sent letters to State Budget Director Mary Lassiter explaining potential ramifications of 6% cuts that the Governor has called for.

Paul believes in and promises to uphold the 9 Principles & 12 Values of the 912 Project 1. America is good 2. I believe in God and He is the Center of my Life. God “The propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which Heaven itself has ordained.” from George Washington’s first Inaugural address. 3. I must always try to be a more honest person than I was yesterday 4. The family is sacred. I and my family are the ultimate authority, not the government. Marriage/Family “It...

“This is the opportunity that pretty much all of these people have labored in the vineyards for years to bring to fruition,” Kensinger said. “And the spirit around them is pretty good.” Former state Sen. Nick Jordan, who lost to Moore by 16 points in 2008, was in a good position to hit the ground running after Moore’s announcement. He said he had been actively considering another run against Moore for the past two months and was boosted by a poll paid for by some of his donors that showed him with a strong name identification in the 3rd District...

WASHINGTON - Soon after the Senate opened its long-awaited debate on health care legislation this week, John McCain strode into the chamber to spearhead his party's efforts to reshape the massive bill. He offered Republicans' first amendment and leveled the party's most politically stinging charge--that its cuts in Medicare spending will hurt the elderly. A day later, McCain took the lead in grilling President Obama's team on its newly minted plan for the Afghanistan war. Why, McCain pressed, had the president set a deadline for withdrawing U.S. troops? "A withdrawal date only emboldens al Qaeda and the Taliban," he complained....

A new poll suggests even more trouble for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in his home state. Only 38 percent of the 625 registered Nevada voters polled had a favorable opinion of Reid in the poll released by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research that was commissioned by the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Forty-nine percent of respondents had an unfavorable opinion of Reid in the poll with 13 percent remaining neutral. The results follow an aggressive early advertising campaign by Reid.

"SEIU is the largest union of immigrant workers in the country..."

"All the signs are in place for 2010 to be (as Marco Rubio suggested the other day) a costume party where liberal Republicans dress up as fiscal conservatives or perhaps just run on not being lunatic Democrats bent on national destruction."

Here is video of Ed Schultz talking to far-left blogger Markos Moulitsas about President Obama's decision on a Surge in Afghanistan. Moulitsas also mentioned the 2010 elections during his conversation, and he said pointedly that Obama's base is "actually very unmotivated" to turn out and vote. He said Democrats will be facing a great deal of "pain" in the 2010 midterms, as they try and defend Obama's decision to their base. . . . (VIDEO)

Regular readers of this column know that I’ve been rating the most vulnerable House seats — open and incumbent — for years. It’s that time again, and since there aren’t yet enough competitive open seats to rate by themselves, this list includes the dozen most vulnerable seats in the House. There are two caveats that go with the list. First, there are strong arguments for including at least half a dozen other districts on the list. So, not being on this list doesn’t mean a contest is not extremely competitive. Second, since the midterm elections are still almost a year...

Former Republican Congresssman John Hostettler announced today he's launching a bid to challenge Indiana Senator Evan Bayh next year. Hostettler represented Indiana's 8th Congressional district for six terms from 1994 to 2006, eventually losing in a landslide to Democrat Brad Ellsworth.

The latest Rasmussen poll shows some numbers that may startle outsiders to Arizona's political scene. A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of likely 2010 Republican Primary voters in Arizona finds the longtime incumbent in a virtual tie with potential challenger J.D. Hayworth. McCain earns 45% of the vote, while Hayworth picks up 43%. Hayworth, a harsh critic of McCain on immigration policy who doggedly attacks the senior Senator over his many breaks with conservative ideology most afternoons and evenings on his highly rated Phoenix talk show, has not yet announced his candidacy. In the interest of disclosure, I'm a big...

After the Senate voted to start the debate on the so-called health-care reform bill, the Democrats held a press conference, patting themselves on the back for the success of their underhanded tactics in thwarting the will of the people. How I'd have loved for some journalist to demand that the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, answer one particular question: "Sir, is it true that this bill won't kick in till 2014 but taxpayers will start paying for it immediately?" Of course, no one in our elite media had the gumption to demand an answer from Democrat leaders. Nor are they...

Intelligence officials on Wednesday disputed suggestions that President Obama is sending 30,000 more troops just to fight 100 Al Qaeda operatives estimated to be remaining in Afghanistan, arguing that their influence with the thousands-strong Taliban makes them far more harmful than their numbers would indicate. The officials responded after an ABC News story referred to the intelligence community estimate on the number of Al Qaeda operatives in Afghanistan as "Obama's secret," and something he deliberately omitted mentioning in his speech Tuesday night. Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., invoked the 100 figure in her response to Obama's Afghanistan strategy speech Tuesday night....

Republican candidates have a seven-point lead over Democrats for the second straight week in the latest edition of the Generic Congressional Ballot. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 44% would vote for their district’s Republican congressional candidate while 37% would opt for his or her Democratic opponent. Support for the candidates from both parties remains unchanged from last week. Republicans have held the lead for over four months now. Democrats currently have majority control of both the House and Senate. Voters not affiliated with either party continue to heavily favor Republicans, 43% to 24%.

The political force our new, and frequently loud, “silent majority” has unleashed in 2009 will determine America's future in 2010 and 2012. It should not be underestimated. In November 1969 President Nixon addressed the American people from the Oval Office about his plans to end the Vietnam War. Most of the speech was dedicated to that topic but towards the end he uttered this one line that has defined the speech ever since. “And so tonight to you, the great silent majority of my fellow Americans, I ask for your support.” The reaction to the speech was extremely positive as...

Cook Political Report House analyst David Wasserman notes a telling indicator that the political environment in 2010 is shaping up to be favorable for Republicans: Several Democratic candidates have decided to drop out of tough races, while Democratic members of Congress who rarely face serious challenges are finding themselves with their toughest re-elections in years. Over the last week, three Democratic candidates touted by national strategists abruptly withdrew from their races: Solano Beach Councilman Dave Roberts (running against California Rep. Brian Bilbray), state Rep. Todd Book (running against Ohio Rep. Jean Schmidt) and Tennessee Commerce and Insurance Commissioner Paula Flowers...

Here is video of Dick Morris tonight on Hannity where he said he is ready to predict that Republicans will retake control of BOTH Houses of Congress in the 2010 Elections. Morris says this beginning at the 5:53 mark of the video. Morris names the seats he believes the GOP will take in the Senate: Six fairly easy pickups according to Morris - Dodd in Connecticut, Delaware, Reid in Nevada, Lincoln in Arkansas, Specter in Pennsylvania, and Colorado. He believes the Governor of North Dakota could run and beat Dorgan, and that Rudy Giuliani can run and beat Gillibrand in...

MONTGOMERY, AL (WSFA) - Former Republican presidential candidate endorses Montgomery's gubernatorial candidate. WSFA 12 News confirmed overnight that Mitt Romney will endorse state treasurer Kate Ivey in her Republican race for governor. Romney cited Ivey's conservative background as the main reason for his support. Ivey served as Alabama chair-person of Romney's 2008 presidential campaign.

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Representative Ron Paul proved to be a surprising presence in the presidential race in 2008. Now his son, Dr. Rand Paul, has become an unexpected contender in the 2010 Senate race in Kentucky. Dr. Paul — an ophthalmologist and a son of the congressman, a Texas Republican and former presidential candidate — has become a serious challenger in the race to succeed Senator Jim Bunning. Capitalizing on a hearty distrust of government and an anti-Republican-establishment fervor among conservatives, he has used the Internet to raise more than $1.3 million since he began his campaign in August. “This...

(snip) Trey Grayson, a Republican candidate for US Senate, was the keynote speaker on the issue of global warming last year at Eastern Kentucky University as part of the National Focus the Nation event. Now, why is that such a big deal? Well, the Special Adviser for Green Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation for Focus the Nation is none other than Van Jones. Yes, that's right, the self-proclaimed communist Obama hired to be the Green Jobs Czar that had to tuck tail and resign at midnight. WHOA Now, let's back up a bit. Here's a bit of history on Focus the...

The joy of rebuilding November 26, 2009Fred Hutchison, RA analyst Conservatives will soon have one of the great joys of this life: the joy of rebuilding with like-minded comrades. I happen to believe that the time for rebuilding is coming soon. First, consider the following facts that convince me that this is so. Subsequently, I shall portray rebuilding as a time of special blessing for united groups of like-minded people. The suburbs in revolt The recent election victories can be credited to moderate and independent suburban voters who are swinging away from liberals and Democrats and voting for conservatives and...

Last month the unemployment rate climbed above 10% for the first time in more than a quarter century. Less noticed is that male workers crossed this same threshold six months earlier. Since the U.S. became the world's dominant economic power, no downturn has fallen more disproportionately on one gender. The unemployment rate for men, 11.4%, based on seasonally adjusted data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, outpaces the rate for women, 8.8%. We now have the largest jobless gender gap since tracking became possible in 1948. The gap reached its previous peak, 2.5 points, in 1967 and 1978. Today's gap...

Democrats in Congress may need redemption with voters next year. But can President Obama save them? Some strategists believe replicating the model that produced Democratic gains in the past two election cycles--a combination of mobilizing new voters and independents, along with an energized party base--is the answer. Victories over the past four years even convinced some an enduring Democratic majority had emerged. President Obama's 2008 win only punctuated that ascendancy. Others believe dancing on the Republicans' grave is premature. Sinking the GOP was an easy target when the party had controlled the White House since 2001. Republican unpopularity--in an environment...

(CNN) - The battle for NY-23 is over. The battle for NY-23 has just begun. After conceding the congressional race to Democrat Bill Owens for the second time in the district’s special congressional election, Doug Hoffman has announced the launch of his 2010 campaign for the seat. “So where to now? Full speed ahead to 2010,” the 2009 Conservative Party nominee told supporters in a message posted on his campaign’s Web site. “Although I’m conceding an election today, I do it with the certainty that we will win back this seat a year from now.”

It’s not too early, apparently, to test opinion on the 2012 presidential race. Pollster Scott Rasmussen has asked likely voters to decide between Barack Obama and three reasonably well-known Republicans, Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee and Sarah Palin. He also asked about their preferences in three-way pairings between those candidates and recently-resigned CNN commentator Lou Dobbs. There are three interesting findings. Number one. Obama is essentially tied with all three Republicans, leading Huckabee 45%-41% and Palin 46%-43% and even with Romney at 44%-44%. In other words, Obama is running at his job approval ratinRg level, which Rasmussen has at 46%-54%. This...

Calling himself not the most likely candidate to unseat U.S. Senator Chris Dodd, State Sen. Sam Caligiuri withdrew from that race Tuesday and entered the Fifth Congressional District race. His move came about one week after Connecticut Republican Party chairman Chris Healy encouraged him to switch. In so doing, Caligiuri runs against fellow Republicans Justin Bernier and Mark Greenberg, and Democratic incumbent Chris Murphy. State Sen. Andrew Roraback, R-30, endorsed Caligiuri, with whom he has worked for years. Calling Caligiuri a person of integrity, Roraback does not believe Caligiuri hurts himself by switching races. “I think he is helped because...

Some great numbers to head into the Thanksgiving holiday from Scott Rasmussen. Rasmussen has released some numbers for the 2012 Presidential Election with the usual Republican suspects.

It is now extremely clear how the democrats plan to pursue their toxic legislative agenda in spite of overwhelming opposition to their plans. And how they plan to combat the consequences of their toxic actions in the 2010 election. They are going to use the taxpayers money to buy support from the unions and special interests. YOUR money will be used against YOU to allow these corrupt politicians to continue to pursue their toxic agenda. A clear example … In what is being reported as the “Second Louisiana Purchase,” the democrats have modified the Obamacare legislation to provide at least...

There is very little difference between democrats and republicans and the people get frustrated with that. On the surface they pretend they are different and quibble about things; but at the end of the day they both want the same stuff, bigger government. They might argue on how we grow it but they all want it to be bigger and the argument is :should the taxes be 38% or 32%?’ No one is talking about having them zero or ten percent. They argue about the trivial stuff, there is no substantial difference. The Republicans are making a big deal about...

Former Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R-Ariz.) emailed supporters today to say he's considering a primary against John McCain and to ask for funds to pay off his 2006 campaign debt. "You have contacted me with words of encouragement following the release of a Rasmussen Reports Poll which finds me in a statistical dead heat with John McCain for the Republican nomination for the United States Senate in 2010," Hayworth wrote, referring to this poll. "Miss Mary, our children, and I will do a lot of praying and a lot of talking in the days ahead, as we determine the best course...

Republican candidates have extended their lead over Democrats to seven points, their biggest lead since early September, in the latest edition of the Generic Congressional Ballot. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 44% would vote for their district’s Republican congressional candidate while 37% would opt for his or her Democratic opponent. Support for the Republican party held steady from last week, while support for Democrats dropped slightly. Republicans have held the lead for over four months now. Democrats currently have majority control of both the House and Senate. Voters not affiliated with either party continue to heavily...

Raleigh, N.C. – Democrats are having to work harder than expected to defend a lot of their Senate seats in 2010, but it doesn’t look like Wisconsin will be one of them. Russ Feingold leads former Governor Tommy Thompson 50-41 in a possible match up. He takes 88% of the Democratic vote to Thompson’s 82% of the Republican vote and also holds a 47-41 lead with independents. Thompson no longer has the popularity that propelled him to four terms as Governor. 45% of voters in the state have an unfavorable opinion of him to just 38% who view him positively....

Former Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R-Ariz.) is unlikely to run in a GOP primary against Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), let alone win, Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) said Monday. Kyl, the second-ranking Republican in the Senate, said he expects the former congressman, who's been mulling a primary challenge to McCain's right next year, to carry on his activities as host of a radio show, and not as a candidate.

State Rep. Kevin Yoder (R) wasted little time acting on Rep. Dennis Moore's (D-Kan.) retirement announcement, opening an exploratory committee this morning. Yoder, an attorney, made the announcement in a press release. He is currently in his fourth term in the state House, where he serves as chairman of the Appropriations Committee. "As our nation faces unprecedented challenges, we must have new energy and a fresh response" Yoder said. "Wasteful overspending in Washington threatens to bankrupt our nation's future. Government must learn to live within its means and we must endeavor to reduce bureaucracy and barriers to success."

WASHINGTON (CNN) - The Republican National Committee will announce Monday that veteran political strategist Alex Castellanos will assume a senior communications role at the committee, an RNC official tells CNN. (snip) "Now the RNC has a new focus and direction - the 2010 elections," Castellanos said when reached by telephone. "And I am happy to help."

A new Rasmussen poll shows the Arizona Senator in a dead heat with potential GOP primary challenger J.D. Hayworth. BY ALYSSIA FINLEY John McCain may have been the GOP's national standard-bearer just a year ago, but now he's in electoral trouble at home. And this time no one can claim it's because of Sarah Palin. A new Rasmussen poll shows the Arizona Senator in a dead heat with potential GOP primary challenger J.D. Hayworth. Mr. Hayworth served as a congressman from 1995 to 2006, when he lost in a squeaker to Democratic Tempe Mayor Harry Mitchell, who prevailed by hounding...