Free Republic

The battle for the Republican presidential nomination is beginning to really heat up. The latest log on the fire? Texas has decided to move its 2016 primary to March 1, making it the fifth state to cast votes. Traditionally, small states hold their primaries before the larger ones. This allows candidates to focus on persuading target groups of voters and gain momentum before facing the daunting challenge of wooing the masses. Texas is huge. At 270,000 square miles, a campaign will need a treasure trove of cash to finance television ads across 20 media markets. The presidential candidates are now...

NATIONAL HARBOR, Maryland — In a surprise speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) unloaded on former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush—systematically dismantling Bush’s push for amnesty and a massive increase in guest workers from around the world. “Right now, there are two conferences—one of them in public where candidates are out there having to speak and defend and answer questions on their views and on their positions on important issues facing America,” Sessions said to open up his remarks to the Breitbart News-sponsored meet-and-greet with CPAC activists. “Many people at this conference here and watching...

Did people walk out when Jeb Bush started speaking at CPAC today in Maryand? Sure. Did he get heckled and booed at times during his q and a with conservative commentator Sean Hannity? Sure. Did Bush more than hold his own with an audience that was ready to embarrass him in front of every national reporter in the country? Yes. Bush was energetic -- maybe due at least in part to nervousness in facing a testy crowd -- and informed. He refused to back down -- particularly on immigration -- from positions that he knew would be unpopular with the...

Just as I suspected. Jeb Bush via his Right to Rise PAC suppose in supporters to sit at CPAC during his Q and A with Hannity earlier today. The people who didn’t walk out of Bush’s Q/A stayed and booed. But there were a smattering of applause. Now we know where it came from. Just like a leftist progressive, Jeb Bush had to bus in supporters to make it appears as if the crowd was in his favor. George Soros would be proud.

Seeing some oohing and aahing online this afternoon among political media that Jeb didn’t pander to CPAC’s very conservative crowd on Common Core or immigration (“he stuck to his guns!”), but what would he have gained by doing that? Remember, for all the hype in 2012 that Romney was shifting to the center to run as a technocrat instead of as the culture warrior he ran as in 2008, he was still a fairly doctrinaire righty on most issues, the notable exception of RomneyCare aside. That’s what the “severely conservative” nonsense was all about in his CPAC speech three years...

Scores of CPAC attendees began to file out as soon as Jeb Bush started speaking with talk show host Sean Hannity this afternoon,which did eventually garner plenty of applause. After exiting the main auditorium at the Conservative Political Action Conference, the protesting attendees began chanting “USA, USA” and “Stand with Rand.” Despite the sign of defiance, the main ballroom was as packed for Bush’s talk as it had been for any other 2016 contender, including Scott Walker and Rand Paul. Bush’s comments attracted cheers from some parts of the ballroom, which was more packed than it had been at any...

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker leads former Florida Governor Jeb Bush in an early Nevada 2016 poll. In the Gravis Marketing poll that Breitbart News obtained, Walker leads with 27% support among Republicans while Bush is in second with 19%. Sixteen percent of Nevada Republicans answered “unsure.” New Jersey Governor Chris Christie received 8%, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) received 6%, tied with former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee. Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry received 5% while Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), who spent part of his childhood in the state and recently visited Nevada on his book tour, received 4%, along with former...

Jeb Bush will speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference this afternoon. But Laura Ingraham wasn't going to let him have an easy welcome. In her speech Friday morning, the conservative talk-show host opened with a warning shot at Bush, asking attendees to raise their hands if they were skeptical of another Bush presidency. The crowd applauded. "Jeb and Hillary could run on the same ticket," Ingraham continued. "The idea that we should conduct any kind of coronation ... because 50 rich families decide who will best decide their interests? No way, Jose." She went on to jab at Bush...

The prestigious consulting firm, known for its close ties to Gov. Rick Perry of Texas, was orchestrating an extensive effort to remake his image and prepare him for the 2016 presidential campaign. But that was no deterrent for Jeb Bush. His team hired the firm anyway and quickly made it clear that it wanted undivided allegiance. The company, FP1 Strategies, soon severed ties with Mr. Perry, startling his staff.

In perhaps his most campaign-style speech so far, not-yet-official GOP presidential candidate Jeb Bush vowed Thursday not to alter his views on immigration despite intense opposition among some parts of the Republican base. "If I go beyond the consideration of running, I'm not backing down from something that is a core belief," Bush told a gathering of the conservative Club for Growth in Florida. "Are we supposed to just cower because at the moment people are all upset about something? No way, no how."

So clever of BuzzFeed to drop this today, with Bush set to sit down with Sean Hannity onstage at CPAC in 24 hours for Q&A. Think this story might come up? Think it’ll be talked about tonight at the local bars among conservatives already suspicious of Jeb’s ideological leanings? There’s more evidence here than I can fairly excerpt of how strongly Bush’s top advisors feel about this issue, so you’ll have to read the whole thing. Here’s the key bit, though: But inside Bush’s orbit, some believe his personal feelings on the subject may have evolved beyond his on-the-record statements....

It sounds like Jeb Bush’s supporters are taking CPAC pretty seriously this year. Emails provided to Slate show that backers of the former Florida governor are busing supporters from downtown Washington D.C. to CPAC in National Harbor, Maryland, and organizing to get them day passes into the event.

The candidate’s grown-up tone is a breath of fresh air amid so many strident conservative voices RECOMMENDED FOR YOU This Video of the Sun Is the Trippiest Thing You'll See Today This Video of the Sun Is the Trippiest Thing You'll See Today Watch Banksy's Two-Minute Gaza Video Watch Banksy's Two-Minute Gaza Video Watch Justin Bieber Get Egged Watch Justin Bieber Get Egged Obamacare: See this incredibly detailed map of where Americans oppose Obamacare. Promoted Obamacare: See this incredibly detailed map of where Americans… iSideWith Sponsored Links by In a week during which Rudolph Giuliani went crusader-ballistic questioning President Obama’s...

A memo from a top adviser to Jeb Bush gives a clue as to how he could connect with the conservative base of his party if he runs for president: talking about his religious faith. Faith is listed as one of nine “issues you care about” in a memo to Mr. Bush’s supporters from Sally Bradshaw that quotes Mr. Bush on each topic, offering an on-message preview of his potential bid for the Republican nomination. Referring to his conversion to Catholicism, Mr. Bush says, “My faith was strengthened when I converted to my wife’s faith…It gives me a serenity that,...

The UKIP leader will share a stage with high-profile US conservatives including Sarah Palin and NRA gun lobbyists.UKIP leader Nigel Farage is expected to get a celebrity reception in Washington when he addresses America's most high-profile right-wing conference this week. Sarah Palin, Rand Paul, Jeb Bush and the National Rifle Association (NRA) gun lobby will be sharing a stage with the British politician after he was invited to address the Conservative Political Action Committee in the US capital. Aides told Sky News his philosophy has much in common with his republican hosts, who also focus on "the battle for smaller...

Romney’s out and this weekend marks the pre-presidential election year CPAC straw poll, which is a sort of an unofficial beginning of the “exploratory” phase of the battle for the Republican nomination. As many as two dozen candidates, including governors, senators and media personalities, are hinting, some more sincere than others, at making a run for the White House. Below is a listing of the possible Tier I and Tier II contenders for the GOP nod along with handicapping the probability of making the race and their chances of winning. Rand Paul LIKELY CANDIDATE, TIER ONE CONTENDER The Kentucky US...

President Obama would veto the House Republican plan to overhaul the controversial No Child Left Behind law, his administration said Wednesday. The GOP plan, known as the Student Success Act, “represents a significant step backwards in the efforts to help all of the nation's children and their families prepare for their futures,” said the Office of Management and Budget in a statement of administration policy. The bill “abdicates the historic federal role in elementary and secondary education of ensuring the educational progress of all of America's students, including students from low-income families, students with disabilities, English learners and students of...

And the winner is … We had good participation in our Pre-CPAC Reader Poll, in which readers could pick up to 3 candidates. Of course it’s not a “scientific” poll, it’s a snapshot of the Legal Insurrection Readership at a moment in time — more towards the conservative, Tea Party, libertarian …. definitely not “establishment” (however you want to define that, you know it when you see it). There are two clear winners: Ted Cruz who edged out Scott Walker by a narrow margin, after a late surge, with Rand Paul a clear third. No one else was close. There...

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is almost certain to be the Democratic nominee for president in 2016, according to political strategist James Carville. Her chances of winning are “no worse than 50-50,” said Carville who was keynote speaker on the opening day of the sixth annual International Business Conference at Saint Leo University. This year’s conference theme was “Best Practices in Global Organizations.” Before an audience of about 200 people, Carville entertained with funny anecdotes and blunt remarks on the dysfunctions of national politics. The ‘ragin Cajun,” as he is sometimes called, was the Democratic strategist who led Bill...

Well former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush has been ahead in most of the early polls of those seeking the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. But he has been passed by Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker who now takes his turn a top the latest polls. But that lead could change as back in Madison, Gov. Walker faces a battle over strong support from the voters and health care groups that he accept Medicaid Expansion money. According to the Congressional newspaper The Hill, Walker has been informed that Wisconsin could save $400 million over two years if state officials agree to expand Medicaid,...

DONALD TRUMP is in “secret talks” to run for president in 2016 after a new national poll has him beating out top Republican names for the nomination. The National ENQUIRER can reveal that the billionaire businessman – and star of NBC’s “The Apprentice” – is meeting with Washington, D.C., insiders clamoring for The Donald to take on expected Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton in the race for the White House! Even former doubters have woken up to the popularity of the real estate mogul, with Donald as the most popular candidate in a political survey that included top GOP contenders like...

It’s that time of year and Americans are honoring some of our favorite presidents. How about honoring our female presidents this time around? Oh, I forgot. There aren’t any. Frankly, I find America’s two-centuries-and-counting streak of all-male presidents astounding. You’d think it was against the law to elect a woman. (It probably would have been if the founding fathers had even thought it could happen — it’s not like they let them vote or anything.) And it’s not that women haven’t tried. Most people don’t know about the first woman to run for our highest office. Victoria Woodhull gave it...

Scott Walker was not planning to outsource the job of defining his presidential campaign to Rudy Giuliani, a last-minute add-on to his New York speaking appearance. But that is exactly what transpired. While unplanned, Giuliani expressed a question of fundamental importance within the Republican Party, which allowed Walker to define himself unmistakably. Giuliani defends his original claim in a Wall Street Journal op-ed today. In it, Giuliani argues that Obama is “criticizing his country more than other presidents have done, regardless of their political affiliation,” and likewise fails to express “a fundamental belief in the country’s greatness and the example...

One of the more memorable moments during the last presidential campaign was a GOP debate in August, 2011. Fox’s Bret Baier asked the eight candidates if they would agree to $1 in new taxes for every $10 in spending cuts. Not one person raised his (or her) hand. Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and Richard Nixon—all tax hikers at one point or another during their presidencies—would have raised their hands, and might have been booed off stage. That’s how much the Republican party has changed. Which brings us to Jeb Bush. During his eight years as governor of Florida (1999-2007),...

Oddly, the cardinal attribute now sought in a presidential candidate is the ability to successfully evade horrid questions. And Scott Walker is learning that the hard way. The Wisconsin governor’s most recent error was complaining aloud about a puerile question posed by the WaPo about what Walker believed President Obama believes about Jesus Christ. In so doing, Walker gave the kind of response his questioners were hoping for, because the words “I don’t know” were part of a soliloquy on media bias. A question like this is the rhetorical equivalent of throwing a wolverine at a man’s face and then...

The Lone Star State has more than a lone contender in the GOP presidential race, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott pointed out — but he isn't yet declaring a favorite. Abbott appeared Sunday on "Face the Nation," where host Bob Schieffer noted that Abbott's predecessor in the governor's office, Rick Perry, is expected to make a second bid. Then there are Sen. Ted Cruz and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who was born and raised in Texas. "I would not be surprised if they all run," Abbott said, but added there are a couple of more names Schieffer left out. Former...

Ted Cruz came to Jacksonville Friday night and called out Jeb Bush on Common Core. More so than most of the other Republicans testing the waters for 2016, Cruz has taken shots at Bush over Common Core. But this time Cruz fired away at Bush in his own backyard. Cruz said he and Bush had “significant policy disagreements” on Common Core and would not weigh in if the former Florida governor was a conservative, saying that was something voters had to decide for themselves. Of course, Cruz also touched on other topics -- repeal Obamacare, get rid of the IRS...

Less than 11 months remain before the first votes are cast in the process of selecting our next president. The Granite Staters like to say Iowa picks corn and New Hampshire picks presidents. The truth is Iowans decide who's left for New Hampshire to pick from. I wrote last month I'd be exploring the GOP field in my coming columns, but this column will be my last for the Journal so I’m compelled to do a Cliff Notes version. Ted Cruz: The Spoiler. The junior senator from Texas has made as many, if not more trips to Iowa than anyone...

Wisconsin governor's NYC visit drew sizable New Jersey wallets Scott Walker spent a profitable 24 hours in town and departed with plenty of NYC cash. But perhaps even more encouraging for fans of the Wisconsin governor is that his haul included dollars from at least four prominent New Jersey contributors, the Observer has learned. *** The Observer has learned that last night’s fundraiser was attended by at least four prominent New Jersey donors, further calling into question the hold New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie can exert over his home state contributors. Mason Simpson, an attorney from Holmdel who practices law...

There has been much harrumphing and hand wringing about Rudy Giuliani's comments about Barack Obama not loving this country. The NY Slimes, as usual, went right after Giuliani instead of even considering the content of Giuliani's words: His remarks this week mostly drew derision and outrage, and seemed to further distance Mr. Giuliani from the heroic, above-the-fray image he carefully burnished after the Sept. 11 attacks, aligning him more squarely with the hard right of the Republican Party than at any other time in his career. After his initial comments caused an uproar, Mr. Giuliani did little to tamp down...

The Washington Post’s Chris Cilliza explains… A prominent Republican consultant — who isn’t working for any of the 2016 presidential candidates and has been right more times than I can count — said something that shocked me when we had lunch recently. He said that Sen. Ted Cruz (Tex.) had about the same odds of becoming the Republican presidential nominee as former Florida governor Jeb Bush. Jaw-dropper, right? After all, the conventional wisdom is that Bush, the son and brother of presidents, is the Republican standard-bearer, while Cruz, a conservative’s conservative, is a factor, sure, but not someone who could...

Jeb Bush plans to name Tim Miller, executive director of America Rising PAC, as his top communications aide, Republican sources told POLITICO on Friday. Miller initially will be a senior adviser to Bush’s Right to Rise PAC, and is expected to become communications director if Bush launches his campaign. Kristy Campbell, who has been the PAC’s chief spokesperson, likely will be national press secretary of the campaign, or have some senior communications adviser role.

I should hope so. After signing a separate resolution calling for a path to citizenship in 2002, how could he turn down a sequel? Are we sure Jeb Bush is the most pro-amnesty candidate in the field? Remember, unlike some people, Jeb (supposedly) opposes a path to citizenship for adult illegals. But the likely presidential candidate apparently stood on another side of that debate as the Milwaukee County Executive in 2006. That year, he signed a resolution calling on Congress to pass the Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act, a bill authored by John McCain and Teddy Kennedy that was...

No Republican presidential hopeful since George W. Bush in 2000 has generated widespread support across the party's class and cultural divides. The next GOP nominee may be the candidate who most closely matches his success. The Republican presidential primary electorate now divides about evenly between two factions. The GOP's "managerial" wing consists of voters who are generally more affluent, better educated, more secular, and somewhat less ideological. The party's "populist" wing draws on the overlapping circles of evangelical Christians, blue-collar voters, and the most committed conservative believers. As a Harvard MBA who memorably identified "Jesus" as his favorite philosopher, Bush...

The United States’ political parties have always been amalgams of factions rather than vehicles for any single interest. Partly because of the pressures of the electoral system and partly because of the republic’s vastness, forging either of the two major parties into a political monolith has been impossible; the need to cater to a wide base of Americans tends to keep the parties broad and relatively inclusive. This embedded pluralism of the U.S. party system has diminished somewhat in the current era of polarization but it has not evaporated entirely. The parties are still relatively broad churches. This is clearest...

I am quite baffled that some folks think Jeb Bush is an establishment candidate and not a true conservative. Granted, the former Florida governor's support for the Common Core educational initiative and immigration reform might give that impression. But the truth is, Jeb Bush governed Florida as a strong conservative, and he has long identified, even before becoming governor, with the pro-growth, conservative ideas championed by the likes of Ronald Reagan and Jack Kemp. In my mind, the 2016 election will not be about ideology, it will be about finding solutions to America's problems. Jeb is a solutions guy who...

So far in the 2016 presidential race -- and we are not yet very far into it -- Jeb Bush has been the key player. His December announcement of interest completely changed the timetable of the entire field of wannabes. He's already ahead in some key state polls like New Hampshire, even before announcing a candidacy. And his fundraising prowess is apparently off-and-running, though actual numbers won't be available until mid-July's report. And while many candidates must plead with news media for coverage, the free publicity that is any campaign's lifeblood, reporters and cameras flock to every Jeb Bush appearance....

A top Jeb Bush ally said that Jeb Bush will not back down on his support for comprehensive amnesty legislation and is willing to win or lose the GOP nomination based on the issue. On Thursday, Clint Bolick, who co-wrote Immigration Wars with the former Florida governor, said Bush “is either going to win or lose with a mandate on immigration.” “He’s not going to shift his position on this,”Bolick told MSNBC’s Jose Diaz Balart. “He believes in this with his absolute heart and soul.”

A top adviser to Mitt Romney's 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns has backed a likely White House run by former Florida governor Jeb Bush, a Bush aide confirmed to Fox News late Tuesday. Vin Weber, a former Minnesota congressman, has been meeting with and speaking to conservative heavyweights in effort to persuade them of Bush's credentials, a Washington-based GOP operative said.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush on Wednesday offered a vocal defense of the National Security Agency's mass collection of U.S. phone call data, saying the program is "hugely important" to keeping Americans safe from terrorists. During a foreign policy speech in Chicago, the likely Republican candidate for president said the mass surveillance is an essential ingredient in the fight against those seeking to do harm to the United States. "That requires responsible intelligence-gathering and analysis, including the NSA metadata program, which contributes to awareness of potential terrorist cells and interdiction efforts on a global scale," Bush said. "For the life...

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush could be poised to raise more than $4 million in the Windy City on Wednesday as he prepares to run for president, according to people helping to organize two fundraising events there. "It will be a blockbuster day in Illinois," said one, who said Bush's total haul "should be north of $4 million."

A conservative group is launching a campaign calling former Gov. Jeb Bush (R-Fla.) “unelectable” because he gave presumed Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton an award in 2013. In the minds of ForAmerica, a conservative group founded by Brent Bozell, the president of the Media Research Center, that one appearance is enough to disqualify him from a 2016 bid entirely. “Anytime Jeb calls Hillary 'Obama 2.0,' any criticism he makes of her awful record as Secretary of State, any time he shows how much of an extremist she is on the issues, will be completely dismissed when she reminds everyone that he...

By this time next year we will have likely have been through the Iowa Caucuses and the New Hampshire Primaries. We might have been through the hype of Nevada and headed to the warm welcome of South Carolina. So. Let's take a look at where we are. These are in no particular order, so please don't demand to know why your favorite wasn't mentioned first. On the Republican side, the surprise du jour has been Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker's quick start largely as a result of a speech he gave in Iowa a couple of weeks ago. Walker has run...

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On Wednesday, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush reiterated that immigration reform is “hugely important” for America even though the country’s middle class, as Bush acknowledged, is getting more squeezed. “Immigration reform for our country is so hugely important. Race is not a national identifier in this country. We’re 34 flavors. We’re as diverse as diverse can get,” Bush said during a question-and-answer session after his foreign policy address at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. “And that is a huge strength looking over the horizon right now, where multiculturalism kind of creates pockets of despair in Europe in many cases.”...

Former Florida governor Jeb Bush will announce his foreign policy vision in a speech Wednesday in Chicago. Accompanying that speech is a rollout of a slate of experts who will help guide the candidate on foreign policy issues. If Bush's goal is to present himself as his "own man," that list of advisers undermines the point somewhat: 19 of the 21 people on it worked in the administrations of his father or brother. We've identified the roles each played in the past three Republican administrations, divvying them up as needed in the following Venn diagram.

If the 2016 presidential election were held today, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would be in a virtual tie with Florida Gov. Jeb Bush in the race for Virginia, according to a new Quinnipiac Poll released this morning. The survey of potential presidential candidates in the swing states shows that Clinton, a likely Democratic nominee, and Bush, the son and brother of former Republican presidents are tied, 42-42 in Virginia. With a margin of error of +/- 3 percent, Clinton is also in a statistical tie with Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, with a 44-42 edge, as well as former...

In November 2013, Jeb Bush took to the rostrum at New York’s Marriott Marquis for the annual meeting of the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, alongside such industry stars as Goldman Sachs’ Lloyd Blankfein and Blackrock’s Larry Fink. Bush’s remarks, and his chatting afterwards, left many attendees convinced he was preparing to run for president. Word of Bush’s interest ricocheted around the political world. But Bush, a private citizen for eight years since leaving the Florida governor’s mansion, had no real infrastructure to handle such an endeavor. And as the third member of a storied political family to seek...

Jeb Bush, seizing on a federal judge’s ruling Tuesday, took to Facebook to attack President Barack Obama over his executive action on immigration. “Last year, the president overstepped his executive authority and, in turn, hurt the effort toward a commonsense immigration solution,” the former Florida governor wrote. “That’s not leadership. The millions of families affected across the country deserve better.” Story Continued Below . . “Now, more than ever, we need President Obama to work with Congress to secure the border and fix our broken immigration system,” Bush added. Bush, an outspoken advocate of comprehensive immigration reform and the co-author...

Scott Walker climbs the rankings after a great start to the year, while Paul and Christie stumbled down the list.Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio and a surging Scott Walker top Hotline's new GOP Presidential Power Rankings – in part because they're that good, and in part because the competition has been so bad. If you're going to make mistakes in the presidential race, it's better to make them early. But Rand Paul and Chris Christie have stumbled so often they've slipped from the top-tier slots they occupied in the first round of the Power Rankings we released last month. Walker is...