Free Republic

The right wing of the Republican Party is going to get whipped in Tuesday night’s primaries, but its grip is strengthening around the real prize: 2016. Tonight, the Tea Party is going to lose some elections. Its Senate candidates in Kentucky and Georgia are going to lose—and lose really, really badly in at least in Kentucky. The theme of the night on cable (and for the balance of the week really) will be the death of the Tea Party. Everybody’s waiting with a safety net, as Elvis Costello (nearly) sang, but I say don’t bury them ’cuz they’re not dead...

During a recent visit to Daemen College, Democratic National Committee Chairwoman, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, was asked what was needed to break the gridlock in Congress when it comes to fighting Climate Change. Her answer: Elect fewer members of the Tea Party (00:00-00:14) Video below: Reporter: ‘What can we do to get the Congress unstuck and stop denying science?” Wasserman Schultz: “Elect fewer members of the Tea Party. That’s the political answer.” Congresswoman Schultz then proceeded to mock Marco Rubio’s belief that man made Climate Change doesn’t exist and she continued to spread the myth that 97% of scientists believe in...

Democrats in Florida's 13th Congressional District are in trouble. When the candidate the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee hoped to nominate refused to run, leaving them with the less-than-ideal option of endorsing a non-party affiliated political novice with an embellished resume, they held their noses and did so anyway. But that was a mistake. The man they went out on a limb for -- and endorsed -- dropped out of the race today: Adam Smith @adamsmithtimes Dems' candidate to take on @DavidJollyCD13 - Ed Jany - is dropping out. Cites work conflict, days after we found holes in resume claims 11:19...

(VIDEO-AT-LINK)New York Rep. Peter King is stepping up his attacks on 2016 GOP hopefuls Sens. Ted Cruz and Rand Paul as he builds on his burgeoning presidential campaign with planned trips to Iowa and South Carolina. “I don’t want the Republican Party taken over isolationists such as Rand Paul, or people like Ted Cruz who want to shut the government down,” he said while visiting Harvard University’s Institute of Politics. “I want there to be an alternative voice which I feel is in the tradition of Eisenhower, of Reagan, and you know, traditional Republicans who believe in strong national defense...

Earlier this week, Speaker John Boehner announced the formation of a new select committee to investigate Benghazi led by Rep. Trey Gowdy. All three of my brothers served in the military, and I know firsthand how much Americans serving abroad -- and their families -- sacrifice. What happened in Benghazi on Sept. 11, 2012 was a tragedy. Four Americans died putting themselves in harm's way in service to peace, diplomacy, and their country. I look at what happened in Benghazi with sadness, with seriousness, and as yet another call to honor the men and women who keep us safe. So...

After the Republican establishment gloated on Tuesday for surviving primary challenges against underfunded Tea Party challengers, conservative talk radio host Mark Levin ripped into the Republican leadership for preferring candidates they can coerce to support policies their conservative constituents oppose. Levin said the question of whether the Tea Party is dead is a stupid one, and he asked why establishment Republicans were spending "millions of dollars laundered through Karl Rove's group and Mitch McConnell's National Republican Senatorial Committee" to fight and trash conservatives: "These "Republican leaders" only want to be in the majority if they can control the people we...

C’mon. RINOs can’t do a little high-fiving after their guy (who’s not much of a RINO, by the way) pulled off a big win in North Carolina? Granted, granted, some of the celebrating is excessive, but let’s be real. If Ben Sasse nukes Shane Osborn next week and then Matt Bevin upsets Mitch McConnell, there’ll be fireworks lit throughout tea-party America. Why wouldn’t there be? Her full statement is at the first link above, but here’s the meat of it: "Congratulations to candidates in yesterday’s small pool of state primary elections who will now move on to their respective general...

Former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (D) said Tuesday that a “big reason” why he left the Republican Party was because many in the GOP were hostile to President Obama due to his race. Crist, who is running for his old office against Gov. Rick Scott (R), said in an interview with Fusion’s Jorge Ramos that he felt uncomfortable with his previous party affiliation. Republicans are perceived as “anti-women, anti-immigrant, anti-minority, [and] anti-gay,” he said, and they refuse to compromise with Obama. The ex-governor said he feels, “liberated as a Democrat.” “I couldn’t be consistent with myself and my core beliefs,...

What happens to the House Republican caucus if Speaker John Boehner (Ohio) forces a vote on immigration reform? Here are three predictions: 1. The bill passes. An overwhelming majority of Republicans vote for it. With Republican primaries finished by June, incumbents will be free from any far-right, anti-immigration threat to their seats. The GOP vote will be so large it will isolate right-wing talk radio hosts and the Tea Party opposition. 2. Boehner strengthens his position as the party’s leader in the House. He gains added financial backing from a business community that wants immigration reform. And he rises as...

As the GOP seeks to seize control of the U.S. Senate in the midterms, and hopefully takes back the White House in 2016, the party faithful is increasingly turning to female and minority candidates. We conservatives tend to oppose affirmative action in favor of merit, and resent the use of identity politics when employed by the Left. So perhaps encouraging GOP candidates to politicize — either subtly or explicitly — their gender or race seems like a philosophical conundrum. At the same time, it is an entirely rational act of self-preservation. We're seeing hints of it in places like Michigan,...

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi has been accused by a leading black Republican strategist of attempting to start "an ugly race war" in Congress. Ron Christie, a former member of Vice President Dick Cheney’s staff, wrote in The Daily Beast that Democrats will "stop at nothing to consolidate their perks and power … by smearing Republicans [by accusing them] of being racist." In his column, titled "Cynical Race-Baiting Will Fail to Save Democrats," Christie continued, "Their latest ploy? Republicans must be racist for resisting calls by the Democrats and President Obama to pass comprehensive immigration reform." He was referring to...

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin endorsed Maryland Congressional candidate, former Secret Service agent for Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, and best-selling author Dan Bongino Friday. Palin called Bongino, who is running in Maryland's Sixth Congressional District, a "unique candidate in politics today" because "his boots on the ground experience in Washington, D.C. has given him the wisdom and warrior spirit we need to stop the far left liberal agenda that is fundamentally transforming America." Palin cited Bongino's background of "rigorous training as a U.S. Secret Service agent." She said he will "put to good use the positive characteristics...

Updated 6:37 p.m. | Sen. Ted Cruz gathered a group of House conservatives in his office Tuesday night, talking about immigration and House GOP leadership elections slated for after the midterm elections. As CQ Roll Call first reported last October, Cruz held a secret meeting with members at Tortilla Coast during the height of the government shutdown drama. Many of these same Republicans are the agitators who aren’t happy with Speaker John A. Boehner. The Texas Republican gathered roughly 10 members of the GOP Conference at 8 p.m. Tuesday for a 90-minute session that included candy bars, crackers and soda....

Former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin is endorsing the main challenger in the 3rd Congressional District’s Republican primary. Taylor Griffin, who worked with Palin during Sen. John McCain’s failed 2008 presidential bid, released a statement Wednesday with Palin’s endorsement. “Todd (Palin’s husband) and I are happy to honor your request and support your candidacy,” Palin said. “In Washington, we need you to stay true to your beliefs of smaller government, protecting life and furthering conservative principles.” ******* Do you think an endorsement from Sara Palin helps or hurts a candidate? Vote at reflector.com.

On the same week that former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin doubled down on waterboarding remarks she made, the campaign of CD3 GOP Primary candidate Steve Lonegan said it would welcome Palin in to campaign with the movement conservative candidate. “Darn right I’d do whatever it takes to foil [terrorists’] murderous jihadist plots – including waterboarding,” Palin, a Republican, wrote in a Facebook post Monday night, following up on controversial comments made last weekend at the annual National Rifle Association meeting in Indianapolis. “Well, if I were in charge, they would know that waterboarding is how we’d baptize terrorists,” Palin told...

Link only: http://www.ohio.com/news/latourette-says-gop-at-crossroads-must-shift-from-right-to-have-shot-at-white-house-senate-1.482707

A devastating new poll finds that Independent voters overwhelmingly back candidates who oppose Obamacare by a 25% margin (54% to 29%). The Fox News poll, released on Monday, also found that the general electorate backs anti-Obamacare candidates by 14% (53% to 39%). Nearly one in five voters (19%) said a congressional candidate's position on Obamacare will be the "single most important factor" driving their voting decision. A full 51% of those polled said 20 years from now Obamacare will be seen as "one of the worst" things President Barack Obama did as president, a sentiment with which even one in...

Despite all of the negative ads attempting to make Curt Clawson "An Evil Rich Republican",his poll numbers have never budged.All looks well for the honorable Curt Clawson in next weeks election.

One rainy morning this month, the man who thought he would be president boarded a train near his beach house in San Diego. He stepped off in Burbank, Calif., and caught a ride to a sound stage, where his on-again, off-again political consigliere, Mike Murphy, was waiting to shoot a commercial on a set that bore more than a passing resemblance to the Oval Office. Looking and sounding like a president out of central casting, he nailed his lines. The crew called him “one-take Romney,” and before he departed, they swarmed, extending arms around his shoulders and angling their iPhones...

Endorsments can be overrated but in a conservative primary with a lot of noise and mud, could a high-profile name give a candidate the edge? Congressional District 19 candidate Lizbeth Benacquisto recently got the backing of Sarah Palin, who held a fundraiser and sang the candidate's praises on Fox News. Yesterday, Curt Clawson scored the endorsement of Sen. Rand Paul, among the first tea party backed candidates to make it big. "Washington is desperate for outside leadership," Paul said. "Curt Clawson is an outsider who will bring refreshing ideas to the halls of Congress. Today, I proudly stand with Curt...