Free Republic

The bad news for Perry fans? The group behind this poll is Make Us Great Again, a super PAC formed to benefit — ta da — Rick Perry. The good news? Their numbers are in line with the latest Iowa polls from left-leaning PPP (which has it Perry 21, Romney 18, Bachmann 15) and right-leaning Magellan (Perry 24, Bachmann 22, Romney 19). Read the fine print and the news gets even better: The poll also shows Perry leading the way when respondents were asked to name the candidate they felt would be best at creating jobs and improving the country’s...

In the coming days we’ll sort through the repercussions of S&P’s downgrade of our credit rating, including concerns about the impact a potential interest rate increase would have on our ability to service our suffocating $14.5 trillion debt. I’m surprised that so many people seem surprised by S&P’s decision. Weren’t people paying attention over the last year or so when we were getting warning after warning from various credit rating agencies that this was coming? I’ve been writing and speaking about it myself for quite some time.

Two UCLA economists say they have figured out why the Great Depression dragged on for almost 15 years, and they blame a suspect previously thought to be beyond reproach: President Franklin D. Roosevelt. After scrutinizing Roosevelt's record for four years, Harold L. Cole and Lee E. Ohanian conclude in a new study that New Deal policies signed into law 71 years ago thwarted economic recovery for seven long years. "Why the Great Depression lasted so long has always been a great mystery, and because we never really knew the reason, we have always worried whether we would have another 10-...

The Daily Caller is reporting that Public Policy Polling is not only treating Tim Pawlenty as a candidate with, shall we say, “less than first tier status” these days, but is taking the additional step of not even including him as a choice in certain poll questions. As a result of Tim Pawlenty’s poor performance in its latest national poll, Public Policy Polling will no longer include the former Minnesota governor on the list of candidates it polls in a direct match-up against President Barack Obama at the state level. Pawlenty will still be included in PPP’s Republican primary polls

On his radio program today, Rush Limbaugh flagged this stunning, impassioned and oh-so-encouraging speech by Florida GOP freshman Sen. Marco Rubio, which he recently made on the Senate floor: Let’s stop talking about new taxes and start talking about new taxpayers, which means jobs. This debt is the No. 1 issue on everyone’s minds and rightfully so. It is a major issue, but everywhere else, in the real world, the No. 1 issue on people’s minds is jobs. And I tell you, every other problem facing America — a mortgage crisis, a home foreclosure crisis, this debt problem — all...

I am pro-life and believe that abortion should be limited to only instances of rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother.... --- As much as I share the goals of the Susan B. Anthony List, its well-meaning pledge is overly broad and would have unintended consequences. That is why I could not sign it. It is one thing to end federal funding for an organization like Planned Parenthood; it is entirely another to end all federal funding for thousands of hospitals across America. That is precisely what the pledge would demand and require of a president who...

Yesterday, Allahpundit noted Tim Pawlenty’s admission on Twitter that he missed an opportunity at Monday’s debate. Later in the evening, Pawlenty appeared on Fox with Sean Hannity, who led into the discussion by defending Pawlenty’s approach in the debate, approving of focusing attacks on Barack Obama rather than other Republicans. Pawlenty disagreed and launched into an attack on Mitt Romney as a “co-conspirator” of ObamaCare (via The Corner):

In related news, Tim Pawlenty just changed his name to “Generic Republican.” Jim Geraghty’s feeling cautiously optimistic about the data, and understandably so given that independents favor the GOP 42/32 at this point. Excellent news — but I’m not sure what to make of it given prior history:

Americans tonight are united in celebration and gratitude. God bless all the brave men and women in our military and our intelligence services who contributed to carrying out the successful mission to bring bin Laden to justice and who laid the groundwork over the years to make this victory possible. It’s a testament to the hard work and dedication of these brave Americans who relentlessly hunted down our enemy. This is a victory for the American people, for the victims who were heartlessly murdered on September 11 and in Al Qaeda’s other numerous attacks, and for all the peace-loving people...

The union-led school closures and demonstrations in Madison have left most ordinary Americans shaking their heads in disbelief. Months ago, I penned a message to my fellow union brothers and sisters when I found myself on the receiving end of union boss Richard Trumka’s wrath. Yesterday’s demonstrations reminded me of the full-page ads taken out against me when I put my foot down in dealing with union demands while I served as governor. My message then and now to good union brothers and sisters is that you have another option. You don’t have to kowtow to the union bosses who...

Having just returned from the e21 and Manhattan Institute-sponsored Conversation with Paul Ryan (very ably conducted by Paul Gigot)--and having seen Marco Rubio speak recently as well, I'll just say this: Wouldn't it be easier just to agree now on a Ryan-Rubio ticket, and save everyone an awful lot of time, effort, and money over the next year and a half?

Have a look at some of the “questionable ballots” being flagged by Joe Miller’s team. The one I posted in the thumbnail on the front page is being challenged, I think, because the “r” in “Murkowski” looks vaguely like a “v”. That’s what it’s come to here. If you’re wondering why Team Miller is forced to resort to frivolous challenges like these, it’s simple math. Murky evidently did a bang-up job of instructing her supporters on how to spell her name, to the point where just 1.5 percent of the write-ins thus far have been tossed out due to successful...

Is independent Tom Tancredo now becoming the de facto Republican candidate for governor of Colorado? He’s now moved to within four points of Democrat John Hickenlooper to turn the race into a toss-up. The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Voters in Colorado finds Hickenlooper with 42% support, while Tancredo, the candidate of the American Constitution Party, earns 38% of the vote. Support for Republican Dan Maes continues to fall and now stands at 12%. Two percent (2%) prefer some other candidate, and six percent (6%) are undecided.

Democrat Chris Coons holds an 11-point lead over Republican Christine O’Donnell in Delaware’s U.S. Senate race following the candidates’ debate Wednesday night. The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Voters in Delaware shows Coons earning 51% of the vote, while O’Donnell draws 40% support. Five percent (5%) prefer some other candidate in the race, and four percent (4%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

MODERATOR: "Mr. President, we asked people to send in their greatest hopes or fears. I'll read a couple of the fears here first. 'My greatest fear is we're turning into a communist country.'

A federal judge in Florida has allowed key parts of a lawsuit against the federal health care overhaul to proceed, presaging a long legal battle over the legislation. Judge Roger Vinson of Florida's Northern District, a Reagan appointee, ruled that two elements of a lawsuit brought by Bill McCollum and 19 other attorneys general, along with the National Federation of Independent Business, could proceed. A Michigan judge recently ruled against a similar suit. The charges that survive: That "the individual mandate and concomitant penalty exceed Congress’s authority under the Commerce Clause and violate the Ninth and Tenth Amendments"; and "the...

How desperate have Democrats become to keep their grip on power? Even some of their colleagues have become disgusted enough with their machinations to start speaking out in New Jersey’s 3rd CD, where John Adler faces a strong challenge from Republican Jon Runyan. According to sources within the party, the Courier Post reports that Adler backed a phony “Tea Party” independent candidate to split the conservative vote: Congressman John Adler’s campaign and the Camden County Democratic Committee recruited “”NJ Tea Party” candidate Peter DeStefano to confuse conservative voters and hurt Adler’s Republican challenger this fall, Democratic operatives say.

Nothing concrete, but this nightmare scenario has been on our collective radar screen for so long that it only stands to reason that something must be up. Simply put, Meek can’t win; with less than a month to go, there’s no longer any doubt about it. Even if Crist dropped out and endorsed him, he’d probably still lose to Rubio as centrist Republicans in Crist’s camp tilted back towards the GOP nominee. Meek’s only role in this race at this point is to make Rubio’s path to the Senate nice and easy, which he’s doing a splendid job of.

In statewide elections in California today 10/04/10, as early voting begins, 3 high-profile contests are fiercely fought, separated by 5 or fewer points, according to this latest exclusive SurveyUSA polling for KABC-TV Los Angeles, KPIX-TV San Francisco, KGTV-TV San Diego, and KFSN-TV Fresno. In the race for US Senator, incumbent Democrat Barbara Boxer clings today to a narrow 46% to 43% advantage. Compared to an identical SurveyUSA poll released 12 days ago, Boxer is down 3 points; Republican Carly Fiorina is flat. Seniors are moving toward Boxer; voters under age 50 are giving Fiorina another look. In the race for...

Sarah Palin made it to the Dancing With the Stars set Monday night after much speculation that she was going to come last week, but it’s unclear if it was a warm welcome or not. When last week’s winner, Jennifer Grey and her partner were getting their scores, audible booing was heard. Co-host Brooke Burke said, “There’s booing in the ballroom. We don’t know why.” Grey then asked, “Why is there booing?” The camera quickly cut to co-host Tom Bergeron, who was sitting next to Sarah Palin, sporting a stunned look on her face and shaking her head.