Free Republic

Newly energized by last month's landslide victories in state elections, Virginia Republicans are laying the groundwork to mount aggressive challenges against four Democratic congressmen next year. Republican leaders think that they can reclaim at least two of the three seats they lost last year, when President Obama became the first Democrat in 44 years to win Virginia. They also think that the political climate has changed so decisively that they can unseat U.S. Rep. Rick C. Boucher, a 28-year incumbent from the far southwestern part of the state, where antipathy toward Obama and national Democratic policies run strong. And they...

I've taken an interest in this sleazy "blue dog" who manages to hold onto his seat in the conservative coal district of Virginia. He voted for cap-n-trade!! He believes he's untouchable, yet I noticed he voted against Pelosicare, after talking up the takeover before. That he started out supporting it, and then voted against it points to a deal he must have cut with Pelosi. So he just might feel his seat threatened. Any sign of a Republican challenger?

From Cantor's office: Below is a list of 31 Democrats, from coast-to-coast & north to south, who have listened to their constituents and joined Republicans in a bipartisan fashion to oppose Speaker Pelosi’s trillion dollar plus overhaul of the nation’s health care system (Updated is bold): 1. Rep. John Adler (NJ) 2. Rep. Brian Baird (WA) 3. Rep. John Barrow (GA) 4. Rep. Dan Boren (OK) 5. Rep. Rick Boucher (VA) 6. Rep. Allen Boyd (FL) 7. Rep. Bobby Bright (AL) 8. Rep. Travis Childers (MS) 9. Rep. Artur Davis (AL) 10. Rep. Chet Edwards (TX) 11. Rep. Bart Gordon...

A cycle after the Democrats did their best to stretch the map to new lengths, Republicans are doing their best imitation. Rep. Ike Skelton hasn’t taken less than 62 percent of the vote in 27 years; Rep. Alan Mollohan hasn’t taken less than 64 percent since 1984; and Rep. Rick Boucher hasn’t taken less than 59 percent in the last quarter-century. snip...

State Del. Terry Kilgore (R) acknowledged Wednesday that top Republican leaders in Washington, D.C., are encouraging him to challenge Rep. Rick Boucher (D) in the Southwestern Virginia 9th district next year. If he were to run, Kilgore would immediately be considered a top recruit in the conservative district, where Republicans have been frustrated by their inability to field a top-tier candidate to challenge the popular 14-term Congressman. House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) has talked to Kilgore “a couple of times” about a Congressional bid and National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Pete Sessions (Texas) has called to talk to Kilgore...

DUBLIN -- Emotions ran high as about 1,200 people packed an auditorium at New River Community College on Tuesday to tell U.S. Rep. Rick Boucher why they opposed or supported the attempt to overhaul health care. Boucher, D-Abingdon, said he would not endorse or condemn any legislation during the three-hour town hall meeting, but he did offer insight into his thoughts on some key components of the latest proposals.

Hearing from some very good national R sources that the NRCC was polling the 9th district in the last few weeks. Apparently the environment is so bad out there that Delegate Terry Kilgore is leading Congressman Rick Boucher by 6 points!Background posts: "Boucher (D-VA9) Vacillates On Health Care Reform" - - http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2306593/posts "Boucher Responds To Carbon Tax Critics" - - http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2290344/posts

This is the info I have been able to find so far on Health Care Townhalls coming up in Virginia. Rep. Rick Boucher DUBLIN: 08/18 09:00 AM: Town Hall - New River Valley Community College Edwards Hall, Dublin, VA, ABINGTON: 08/20 09:00 AM: Town Hall - Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center, Abingdon, VA, =================== Rep. Gerry Connolly ANNANDALE: 08/22/09 10 AM -12 Noon. Health Care Tea Party. 4115 Annandale Road, Suite 103 Details: http://teapartypatriots.org/Group/Northern_Virginia_Tea_Party =================== Rep. James Moran RESTON: 08/25 07:00 PM - 09:00 PM: Town Hall - South Lakes High School , 11400 South Lakes Drive, Reston, VA. Also...

Democratic Congressman Rick Boucher, who represents the Ninth District in southwestern Virginia, has come under fire recently for his support of the cap-and-trade bill. The letters-to-the-editors columns in the local papers have been burning up with criticisms, along with a smattering of support. Recently Boucher voted “no” on the current House version of the Obamacare bill, however, and he has scheduled a “town hall meeting” later this month to take some constituent input on the matter.

Virginia Congressman Rick Boucher (D-9th District) raised eyebrows recently when he voted in favor of the Waxman-Markey “Carbon Tax” bill – - among coal-country Congressmen, Boucher’s “aye” stood out like a sore thumb when the vote tally was posted. The resulting flack included an ad sponsored by American Solutions for Winning the Future (ASWF) in the Roanoke Times asking, “Why did Rick Boucher vote to kill Virginia jobs?” Boucher has now responded with a lengthy letter, which is reproduced below. First, the back-story.

Less than two weeks after voting in favor of the American Clean Energy and Security Act, Rep. Rick Boucher (D-VA-9th District) defended his vote Tuesday. The commonly called “Cap and Trade Bill” narrowly passed the U.S. House of Representatives last month. Senate debate is expected in the fall. Boucher is one of 219 representatives who voted in favor of the legislation. Proponents claim the act will reduce emissions of green house gases, increase the country’s use of green power, and decrease dependence on foreign oil. Opponents say it will dramatically drive up the price of everything from gasoline to electricity...

Al Gore’s campaign against global warming is shifting into high gear. Reporters and commentators follow his every move and bombard the public with notice of his activities and opinions. But while the mainstream media promote his ideas about the state of planet Earth, they are mostly silent about the dramatic impact his economic proposals would have on America. And journalists routinely ignore evidence that he may personally benefit from his programs. Would the romance fizzle if Gore’s followers realized how much their man stands to gain? Earlier this year Gore experienced a notable public relations debacle. The Tennessee Center for...

STATEMENT OF CONGRESSMAN RICK BOUCHER Consideration of the American Clean Energy and Security Act June 26, 2009 I thank the gentleman for yielding. I rise in support of the bill and urge its approval by the House. It achieves broad reductions in greenhouse gases, enhances America's energy security, and by placing a price on carbon dioxide emissions will unleash investments in clean energy technologies that will create millions of new jobs. These energy technologies will evolve from America's laboratories. They will be deployed at home. They will be exported around the world. They will be the foundation for our next...

Kathmandu, Feb 11 (PTI) Nepal's ruling Maoists, who joined the mainstream politics over two years ago after giving up arms, may be taken off a terrorism blacklist of the US, top American diplomat Richard Boucher told Premier Prachanda here today. Boucher, the US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs who is here on a two-day visit, assured Prachanda of continued US support to the Maoist-led government during a meeting between them. He discussed with Prachanda issues relating to political situation in Nepal, the peace process, army integration, Constitution drafting and economic cooperation, according to Prime Minister's...

Henry Waxman moved to consolidate his coup d'etat at the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee just hours after he was installed as the new chairman this week. It appears that the California liberal, with his customary subtlety, is plotting a night of the climate-change long knives... Democrats dumped the current Chairman John Dingell because he does not favor global-warming action aggressive enough to suit the party's green wing. Now his lieutenants, who've been known to share his views, are targets too. ... But the Dingell ally who should be looking over his shoulder most nervously is Rick Boucher, chairman...

BRISTOL, Va. — U.S. Rep. Rick Boucher went on the offensive Monday defending Sen. Barack Obama’s voting record and stand on coal issues following comments made by Sen. John McCain. “It’s an 11th-hour desperate tactic, but Southwest Virginians are not going to be misled,” said Boucher, D-Va., of comments made by the McCain camp Monday and late last week about a quote given by Obama to the San Francisco Chronicle in January about energy proposals that could “bankrupt” coal-fired power plants. “So if somebody wants to build a coal-powered plant, they can; it’s just that it will bankrupt them because...

Excerpt - WASHINGTON — Zalmay Khalilzad, the American ambassador to the United Nations, is facing angry questions from other senior Bush administration officials over what they describe as unauthorized contacts with Asif Ali Zardari, a contender to succeed Pervez Musharraf as president of Pakistan. Mr. Khalilzad had spoken by telephone with Mr. Zardari, the leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party, several times a week for the past month until he was confronted about the unauthorized contacts, a senior United States official said. Other officials said Mr. Khalilzad had planned to meet with Mr. Zardari privately next Tuesday while on vacation...

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) - U.S. Representative Rick Boucher (D-VA), Chairman of the House Energy and Air Quality Subcommittee, today introduced bipartisan federal legislation to advance the development and deployment of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies. CCS is a method of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by capturing and injecting underground the carbon dioxide emitted from electricity generation plants that use fossil fuels. (snip) "Coal is America's most abundant domestic fuel, and today, coal accounts for more than one-half of the fuel used for electricity generation. Given our large coal reserves, its lower cost in comparison with other fuels, and the inadequate...

On Wednesday, the buzz was that the Democrats came out for nationalization of the oil industry and refineries. There were clips of a congressman making the declaration. It was plain, unambiguous talk. That is important, because he did not botch the job like Maxine Waters who earlier got so nervous she couldn’t come up with the word and blurted socialize instead of nationalize. So there we have it. The American liberals are in fact socialists. They can’t hide behind their favorite euphemism “progressive”. Nationalization is not progressiveism, it is pure ol’ Hugo Chavez Socialism. Capitalist business is bad, government ownership...

U.S. Rep. Frederick C. “Rick” Boucher, D-Va., introduced legislation in congress today with broad-based bipartisan support that will pump $1 billion into technology aimed at developing viable carbon capture and storage to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by capturing and injecting underground, the carbon dioxide emitted from electricity generation plants that use fossil fuels. “Coal is America’s most abundant domestic fuel, and today, coal accounts for more than one-half of the fuel used for electricity generation,” Boucher was quoted as stating in a press release. Boucher is chairman of the House Energy and Air Quality Subcommittee. “Given our large coal reserves,...

Don't be discouraged by this week's report that traffic congestion is worse than ever across America. Relief is on the way from Congress, thanks to one of the designated 3,800 "high-priority projects" in the new highway bill. It's a new transit system guaranteed to free you from bumper-to-bumper traffic, as long as you have a horse. This addition to the nation's transportation infrastructure is the brainchild of Representative Rick Boucher, a Democrat from the southwestern Virginia mountains that Daniel Boone traversed on the way to Kentucky. Mr. Boucher secured $750,000 of highway money for the "construction of horse trails and...

CRAWFORD, Texas (Reuters) - President Bush (news - web sites) has chosen a White House veteran to succeed Richard Boucher, who became a public face of U.S. Iraq (news - web sites) war policy, as the State Department's chief spokesman, the White House said on Thursday.   Bush will nominate Sean McCormack as assistant secretary of state for public affairs, which will make him one of the most visible mouthpieces for U.S. diplomacy. McCormack, 40, served as spokesman for then-national security adviser Condoleezza Rice (news - web sites) and as deputy White House press secretary for foreign policy before Rice...

Burma PM 'behind Suu Kyi attack' From correspondents in Washington 21oct04 THE new prime minister of military-ruled Burma was directly behind an attack on opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her convoy last year, the US charged today. US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said Washington had a credible report that Lieutenant General Soe Win, an ally of hardline junta chief Than Shwe, was "directly involved in the decision to carry out the brutal attack on Aung San Suu Kyi and her convoy on May 30, 2003". "We did look into the matter extensively," Mr Boucher said when asked...

Abingdon, VA—Press Release) Today, in a press conference held at the Bristol Motor Speedway, NASCAR drivers Jeff Burton, and Ken Schrader and NASCAR car owner Ray Evernham endorsed Kevin Triplett, candidate for Virginia’s 9th congressional district, and touted work ethic and fairness in his time at NASCAR. Jeff Burton, who made a trip to Abingdon in December to endorse Triplett, cited a need for a change of leadership in Southwest Virginia and believes Kevin Triplett is the right man to make that change.

Concern about Iran's nuclear program is prompting the Bush administration to consult with other nations on how the international watchdog agency can apply restraints. The result could be a proposed resolution for the meeting Monday in Vienna, Austria, of the International Atomic Energy Agency. "We would look for the board to take appropriate action," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said Thursday. He did not elaborate, saying only "the board can take actions of various kinds." Nor would he or other State Department officials describe what the resolution might say. There apparently was no decision yet within the department. A diplomat...

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Senior aides to US President George W. Bush met this week to consider ways to punish France for its opposition to the war on Iraq, including sidelining Paris at NATO and limiting its participation in transatlantic forums, officials said Tuesday. Participants in the meeting, held Monday at the White House after a similar gathering last week was postponed, did not arrive at any decisions but are expected to gather again, possibly next week, in an effort to reach consensus, the officials said. The officials, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said Vice President Dick Cheney's...

This page was created by James Layne, a proud ex-liberal who once supported this evil man for office. This is my very public penance for that crime. DO YOU WANT A CONGRESSMAN WHO DOESN'T REPRESENT YOUR VALUES OR YOUR INTERESTS BUT WHO GETS RE-ELECTED JUST BECAUSE HE KEEPS IN TOUCH WITH HIS CONSTITUENTS WITH HIS LIES? PLEASE, SOMEONE STEP FORWARD IN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY WHO CAN SHOW THIS JERK A THING OR TWO ABOUT THE VALUES OF SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA! THE ELECTION IS COMING, GET YOUR COMBAT GEAR READY, BECAUSE CHRISTIANS AND OTHER PEOPLE OF GOOD WILL, INCLUDING DEMOCRATS ARE TIRED...

WASHINGTON, Oct 16 (AFP) - Here is the text of US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher's statement on North Korea's admission that it has a secret nuclear weapons development program: Earlier this month, senior US officials traveled to North Korea to begin talks on a wide range of issues. During those talks, Assistant Secretary James Kelly and his delegation advised the North Koreans that we had recently acquired information that indicates that North Korea has a program to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons in violation of the Agreed Framework and other agreements. North Korean officials acknowledged that they have...

Editor's Note: In his address before a packed house at the Open Source Convention, Lawrence Lessig challenges the audience to get more involved in the political process. Lawrence, a tireless advocate for open source, is a professor of law at Stanford Law School and the founder of the school's Center for Internet and Society. He is also the author of the best-selling book Code, and Other Laws of Cyberspace. Here is the complete transcript of Lawrence's keynote presentation made on July 24, 2002. (You can also download an MP3 version of this presentation (20.2MB).) Advertisement Lawrence Lessig: I have been...