Free Republic

Former Gov. Jim Gilmore picked up the endorsements of two veterans groups today. Vets for Freedom and Iraqi Veterans Group said they are backing Gilmore's U.S. Senate campaign because of his military background and experience in fighting terrorism. Appearing with veterans at a news conference at the General Assembly Building, Gilmore said he supports the U.S. military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy, which allows gays and lesbians to serve in the military until their behavior becomes overt. Gilmore, a Republican, is running against Democrat Mark R. Warner, also a former governor, for the seat of Sen. John W. Warner, a...

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) says Democrats will expand their majority to 250 seats in the House next year and might have gone further if the party had more money. Pelosi’s claim to talk show host Charlie Rose — that resources are the only obstacle holding the party back in the fall elections — is surprising given that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) has raised $120 million, or nearly $30 million more than the House Republican fundraising committee.

Congressman Tim Mahoney's reelection efforts have been "destroyed" by his recently revealed sex scandal, according to the latest polling information on the race for Florida's 16th District.

WASHINGTON - New campaign finance reports show that DFL challenger Al Franken raised nearly twice as much money as Republican Sen. Norm Coleman. But Coleman still had a healthy advantage in cash going into the campaign's final weeks.

Senate Republicans are pulling advertising from the Louisiana Senate race, the only contest in which they were on the offense. The decision, reported by local media, is a blow to the GOP candidate, Louisiana state Treasurer John Kennedy, and good news for Sen. Mary Landrieu, long seen as the lone vulnerable Democratic senator in this cycle. Landrieu won election in 2002 with just 52 percent of the vote, and some believe the state has turned more Republican since Hurricane Katrina, which shrank the size of New Orleans. Still, Landrieu has been comfortably ahead in recent polls. She led by 13...

Last time we wrote this very article, it was 9/26/08. So, let’s take a look at whether any changes are in line. Revisions or changes will be in RED. Here is the Tracker –> Senate Race Table. (Our Methodology: We take the polling average of the 4 MOST RECENT polls and average them together to reach a real number of where the race is at, statistically. That prevents outliers from effecting our numbers too much and needlessly shifting races) We have listed THREE GUARANTEED DEM Pickups: Virginia, New Mexico, and Colorado. Out: Virginia, Senator John Warner and New Mexico Senator...

District 22 Republican congressional candidate Pete Olson picked up the endorsement of Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal during news conference Monday afternoon in Houston. Jindal, whose name was widely circulated as a possible running mate for GOP presidential candidate John McCain, made the announcement during an appearance with Olson at the J.W. Marriott Hotel in the Galleria area. Jindal said he was endorsing Olson because the two shared conservative political philosophies. A two-term congressman from Louisiana and former Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services, Jindal said every day people in Washington wake up and ask what they can do for...

The slogan on the Morton Salt boxes is, "when it rains, it pours." For Republicans, the past few years must seem like monsoon season. On the presidential level, the Gallup national tracking polls have shown Sen. Barack Obama with 50, 51 or 52 percent in every three-day moving average since Oct. 4, with Sen. John McCain between 41 percent and 43 percent in every average over that same period. No presidential contender in modern times has successfully closed this wide a gap in this short a time. At this point, a major international event would be required to shift the...

Darren White and Erik Paulsen were prized Republican recruits, House candidates poised to be the new face of the GOP on Capitol Hill. But as the two head into the homestretch of their campaigns, GOP operatives say they’ll probably have to win — or lose — on their own. The money national Republicans earmarked for White in New Mexico and for Paulsen in Minnesota will likely go instead to protect GOP incumbents who once looked like locks for reelection. GOP Reps. John B. Shadegg of Arizona, Lee Terry of Nebraska, Henry Brown Jr. of South Carolina and Dan Lungren of...

Here are our latest House ratings. Our latest estimate is a Democratic gain of 25-30 seats. Any seats not listed are currently considered to be at limited risk for the incumbent party. For our race-by-race analysis, you must subscribe to the print edition of the Report.

Anyone who has been involved in a school yard fight knows the old rule, 2 against 1 will win every time. At tonight's debate Norm Coleman sat literally in the middle of Independent candidate Dean Barkley and Democrat Al Franken. He was eviscerated by both men. The most devastating moment came when one of the moderators asked, "What do you think is the greatest threat to our country"? The moderator went on to say it could be any threat, not just of the military kind. Al Franken went first and said the biggest threat was Al Qaeda, and that the...

A new SurveyUSA poll suggests Oregon's Senate race may be shifting in the direction of Democrat Jeff Merkley. The poll, broadcast on KATU's noon news, showed Merkley with 46 percent to 41 percent for Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Ore. Constitution Party candidate David Brownlow had 7 percent and the remaining 6 percent were undecided. The margin of error is 4.1 percentage points, plus or minus.

Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman, locked in an increasingly tight and bitter election contest with Democrat Al Franken, said Friday that his campaign would halt negative advertising in a race recently dominated by it. Coleman, a Republican, said the unstable economy demands that the race focus on issues. He said he would also ask independent groups advertising on his behalf to pull negative ads, although by law they are not required to do so. "I decided I was not all that interested in returning to Washington for another six years based on the judgment of voters that I was not as...

Democrat Mark Udall still leads among Colorado's likely voters, but his Republican rival, Bob Schaffer, is narrowing the gap, according to a Denver Post poll. Udall, who had been up by as many as 10 percentage points in previous polls, is favored by 43 percent of registered voters surveyed, to Schaffer's 38 percent. But with 14 percent of respondents saying they haven't made up their minds less than a month before the election, it's clear the race is much tighter than it appeared to be over the summer, said Brad Coker, managing director of Mason-Dixon Polling and Research.

Senator Charles Schumer says he feels confident that the Dems will have a super majority - 60 senators - after this election. Let's not allow this to happen! A super majority can stop any judicial picks by John McCain, and IF (horrors) Barack Obama becomes president, his judicial picks would breeze right through. As an example, I just heard a tape on the radio where Senator McCain said that Justice Thomas was a good pick, and Senator Obama said he would not have picked him. Please support the Republicans in the senate race, even if they are not from your...

FIGHT FOR JIM GILMORE By Dick Armey Dear Virginia Taxpayer, I know what it's like to fight for what you believe in. As a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for 18 years, and the Majority Leader from 1995 to 2002, I know it takes courage and dedication to stand up for working families and protect taxpayers who are facing an ever growing burden as a result of what's happening in Washington. There is always someone who believes bigger government and higher taxes are the answer to every problem, someone determined to take away more and more of...

10/08/2008 Story and video: Murtha challenged By Patty Yauger , Herald-Standard Republican congressional candidate Bill Russell answers questions from the Herald-Standard editorial board. Robert Esquivel/Herald-Standard A retired U.S. Army war veteran is challenging the current 12th Congressional District legislative incumbent for his seat in the U.S. Congress. Republican candidate Bill Russell, who served 28 years in the military, will square-off in the Nov. 4 general election against Democratic U.S. Rep. John Murtha, who has served 34 years in the House, after his active military career. Both men reside in the Johnstown area. Russell recently met with the Herald-Standard Editorial...

Schumer rips Chamber of Commerce By J. Taylor Rushing Posted: 10/08/08 01:17 PM [ET] DSCC Chairman Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) came out swinging Wednesday against the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, saying the business lobby was no longer nonpartisan and “has turned into a wing” of the GOP. In a press conference at Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) headquarters, Schumer said the path and pattern of the contributions indicate that the Chamber is afraid of the Democrats winning the critical Senate threshold of 60 seats — a goal he said is within reach now more than ever. Democrats already have 51 seats...

The National Rifle Association has endorsed New Mexico congressional candidate Ed Tinsley. Tinsley is vying for the seat being vacated by Congressman Steve Pearce, who is running for the U.S. Senate. The Republican candidate is running against Hobbs businessman Harry Teague. The National Rifle Association awarded Tinsley an A rating, which means the candidate is solidly pro-gun. The A rating is usually reserved for incumbents. Teague received an A-Q rating, which means his rating is based solely on a questionnaire. The Tinsley campaign recently criticized Teague's position on the second amendment, citing an Albuquerque Journal interview where the Democrat was...

WINCHESTER — Taxpayers will pay now or later for the $700 billion financial bailout signed into law by President Bush last Friday. Former Gov. Jim Gilmore, a candidate for the Senate seat being vacated by fellow Republican John Warner, talks about the financial bailout package approved last week. He was interviewed Tuesday at The Winchester Star. (Photo by Jeff Taylor) That glum perspective was offered Tuesday by former Gov. Jim Gilmore, campaigning in Winchester for the Senate seat being vacated by fellow Republican John Warner, who is retiring after 30 years. Gilmore is running against his successor as governor, Democrat...

This is a very thin bulwark against an Obama/Lib rampage through America.

John Warner might vote for Democrat By MIKE ALLEN | 10/4/08 1:55 PM EDT Text Size: Retiring Sen. John W. Warner (R-Va.) beat his Democratic opponent, Mark R. Warner, by 6 percentage points in the Old Dominion’s “Warner vs. Warner” race of 1996. Now, he might cross party lines and vote for him. Mark Warner, who went on to become a popular governor, is running to succeed John Warner in the Senate. Mark Warner’s opponent is another former governor, James S. Gilmore III, a Republican who has received little support from the state’s power structure and lags by 26 points...

  October 3, 2008 For Immediate Release   THE CHOICE IS CLEAR: JIM GILMORE WHO FIGHTS FOR THE TAXPAYERS OR MARK WARNER WHO WILL FIGHT FOR THE HIGH ROLLERS ON WALL STREET Alexandria – Former Gov. Jim Gilmore, candidate for the Virginia U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Sen. John Warner, said today in a debate with Mark Warner on statewide television the choice for Virginia voters in the November 4th election is clear -- a U.S. Senator like Jim Gilmore who will fight for taxpayers and oppose federal government bailouts or a U.S. Senator like Mark Warner who...

Udall has 7�Point Lead in U.S. Senate Race In the latest Ciruli Associates statewide voter poll, conducted just prior to the September 26 presidential debate, the race in Colorado was deadlocked at 44 percent for Senator Barack Obama and 43 percent for Senator John McCain. Presidential Election Senate Election Mark Udall has a seven-point lead in the U.S. Senate race over Bob Schaffer, 45 percent to 38 percent. Senate Election Ciruli Associates, N501, 2008 Question: Let me ask you about the U.S. Senate race here in Colorado. If you had to vote today for U.S. Senator, would you vote for...

After months of showing the U.S. Senate race as a statistical dead heat, the latest SurveyUSA poll finds Norm Coleman with a solid 10-point lead. The incumbent draws support from 43 percent of respondents, with Democrat Al Franken trailing at 33 percent. Perhaps most notable, however, is the strong showing of Independence Party candidate Dean Barkley. Despite his late entry into the race and raising almost no money, Barkley garners support from 19 percent of those polled. Assessments of the IP candidate’s strength have varied widely in recent weeks. A pair of polls last month showed him in double digits,...

Rep. Mark Udall (D-Colo.) said Sunday that House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) should step down from his chairmanship while an ethics investigation takes place. Questioned by host Tom Brokaw on NBC’s ‘Meet the Press’, Udall initially cited the ethics process and demurred. When pressed, though, he said that it would be “helpful” if Rangel stepped down. “I think it would be helpful if Charles Rangel stepped down,” Udall said.

Pledging support Despite Warner’s reluctance to talk about these issues, numerous gay Virginia residents have pledged their support to the candidate. About 60 people attending the Virginia Partisans barbecue last month showed their support by cheering Warner during his speech and urging him to pursue the White House. Warner focused on non-gay issues during his speech, but he briefly acknowledged gay Virginians. “I thank the GLBT community for their active support, and more importantly for their engagement in Virginia,” he said. Osborne, who hosted the barbecue at his home, said it could be problematic for Warner to bring gay issues...

I was in Crystal City, Virginia this morning driving along Jeff Davis Hwy. In the median were 3 campaign signs: McCain-Palin, Mark Warner, McCain-Palin. The Mark Warner sign was in-between the two McCain-Palin signs. The last name Warner is in big white letters with his first name very small and above the last name. They are doing this on purpose. Voters will see this and believe it to be John Warner, especially since it is mixed in with the McCain-Palin signs. Is there any way to stop this fraud?

Republican congressional candidate Jeff Taylor said Thursday he is quitting the Republican Party because it has turned away from the family and small-government values he admires. Taylor, 49, a Salinas agribusinessman who won the GOP nomination in June to challenge long-time incumbent Democratic Rep. Sam Farr of Carmel, said he changed his party registration from Republican to "decline to state." "It's been on my heart for months," Taylor said after a news conference to announce his departure from the GOP fold. "I have been hearing this nagging spirit say, 'This is the way I want you to go.'" Taylor said...

In her new campaign commercial, U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu highlights the endorsement of St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Jack Strain. In the commercial, Strain touts Landrieu’s leadership and what she has delivered to the parish post-Katrina. The fact that a prominent Republican in the only Republican majority parish in the state is not endorsing the Republican candidate is quite telling. Strain is not alone either, for other Republican elected officials on the Northshore are also endorsing Landrieu. For example, St. Tammany Parish Assessor Patricia Schwartz Core and St. Tammany Parish President Kevin Davis are both supporting Landrieu. What makes matters even...

Mark Warner/Obama Like Plug and Play

During John McCain's speech at the Republican National Convention, he promised to veto the kind of me-first, country-second pork-barrel spending that many legislators have used to help keep themselves in office over the years. He vowed to make the names of such earmark gluttons famous—or infamous, as the case may be. Debbie Joslin, president of Eagle Forum Alaska and the state's Republican national committeewoman, stood among the throng at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn., and watched in amazement as her fellow representatives from Alaska cheered and hollered their approval—seemingly unaware that their party's U.S. Senate nominee Ted...

For the fifth time this year, two of the three gubernatorial candidates met for a debate. This time, it was a different two. Republican Pat McCrory and Libertarian Mike Munger debated the economy, health care and education in an hour-long event hosted by UNC-TV, agreeing more than they disagreed. Democrat Beverly Perdue skipped the debate. Though they agreed more than they disagreed during the debate, McCrory and Munger differed on offshore drilling and the death penalty. McCrory argued drilling would lower gas prices eventually, while Munger said it was a gimmick but worth doing anyway. McCrory said he would move...

The Illinois Federation for Right to Life Political Action Committee (IFRL-PAC) is pleased to announce the endorsement of Steve Sauerberg Republican Candidate for the U. S. Senate in the general election to be held November 4, 2008. The foundation upon which our country was built is the protection of human life. The protection of unborn children in Illinois is of primary importance. If we do not restore and maintain the protection of the right to life for the weakest and most helpless members of our Society, we ourselves will become endangered. We are proud to announce our endorsement of Steve...

INCREASED OIL/GAS PRODUCTION ANWR Development · Increasing domestic oil production from the vast reserves of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) is a solid first step towards making American energy independent; the Department of the Interior estimates ANWR has between 10 to 18 billion barrels of oil. · ANWR is unique among potential energy solutions in that the cost for its development would be met by private industry. · The development of ANWR would foster immediate job growth around the country; estimates show that in Virginia alone between 3000 and almost 7000 jobs would be created. Offshore Drilling · We...

HARRISONBURG - Former Gov. Jim Gilmore, a Republican, is not ready to support the Bush administration's proposed $700 billion bailout of America's troubled financial institutions. Gilmore, seeking the seat now held by retiring Sen. John Warner, R-Va., said accountability has to be built into any plan to rescue such firms as insurance giant American International Group Inc. and other lenders saddled with billions of dollars in bad debt. Gilmore, who was in Harrisonburg on Monday to address the Rotary Club, made his remarks with six weeks to go before Election Day. Gilmore is facing another former governor, Mark Warner, on...

Defend Our Heros (William Russell for Congress) Please help fight Jack Murtha join the Russell Brigade and keep this ad running in PA! http://russellbrigade.com/defend-our-heroes/

Important interview, since Q&R's home-base station covers much of the 12th district.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Call it the overlooked election. An intense battle is going on right now for control of Congress, but it's overshadowed in the media by a historic race for the White House. So which party has the upper hand in the fight for Capitol Hill? The answer, according to a new national poll, appears to be the Democrats. In a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey released Tuesday, 56 percent of those questioned are backing the Democratic candidate for Congress, while 42 percent support the Republicans. That's a change from immediately after the GOP convention, when the Democrats had only...

The U.S. Senate race in Colorado has gotten even closer over the past month. The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in the state now finds Democrat Mark Udall with a modest 46% to 44% edge over Republican Bob Schaffer. In August, Udall led the race by a 48% to 41% margin. The gap has steadily decreased since Udall’s biggest lead in mid-June. The two men are competing to replace retiring Republican Senator Wayne Allard. Though his lead overall has slipped, Udall is still ahead 47% to 34% among unaffiliated voters. He also leads 50% to 39% among women. Schaffer has...

Incumbent Republican Senator John Sununu can breathe a little easier in New Hampshire if the numbers keep trending his way in his rematch race against former Governor Jeanne Shaheen. Sununu, viewed until recently as perhaps the GOP’s most endangered senator, now leads Shaheen 52% to 45%, according to the latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of voters in the state. A month ago Sununu was down by 10, but in July the volatile Senate race was a five-point affair. In June Shaheen had her largest lead ever.

SANTA FE — The New Mexico Secretary of State's Office can't seem to avoid controversy in choosing a new Bureau of Elections director. Just three weeks after the office's previous choice, the son-in-law of Democratic Rep. and U.S. Senate candidate Tom Udall, declined the job amidst a flurry of criticism, the new pick for the post has come under similar fire. Gerald Gonzalez, a Santa Fe attorney, also has connections to Udall, having worked for the congressman while Udall was New Mexico attorney general from 1995 to 1998 and later serving as Udall's chief of staff during his first term...

When choosing who to support in politics, different people have various standards. Some are single issue voters and won’t cast a ballot for a candidate who disagrees with them on a specific issue, such as eliminating secret ballot elections. Others choose a candidate based on specific areas of concern, like national security or fiscal responsibility. And still others may seek out candidates they believe most closely shares their values. This weekend, liberal, Hollywood Democrats are choosing to support the candidates they believe most closely represent their values. This Saturday, the Hollywood crowd is hosting a fundraiser for like-minded Senate candidates...

It isn't often that public outrage peaks so close to an election, but this is a rare moment in history when "we the people" can exact a price from the political leadership that has duped, scammed and lied to them, contributing mightily to the current financial mess. At the Senate Banking Committee hearings Tuesday, Democrats, led by Chairman Chris Dodd of Connecticut, seemed to think the mortgage crisis, aided and abetted by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, AIG, Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers and other disasters, occurred on someone else's watch. Dodd, joined by ranking Republican Richard Shelby of Alabama, criticized...

With embattled House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel scheduled to host a fundraiser for him today, U.S. Rep. Paul E. Kanjorski is sticking by his longtime friend. He won’t cancel the fundraiser or return $21,000 in campaign contributions from political action committees controlled by the Democratic New York City congressman. Mr. Rangel is facing questions about whether he violated state and federal laws by failing to report rental income on a Dominican Republic villa on state and federal tax returns. “I go with the people that brung me, and Charlie’s a friend of mine, and Charlie’s done nothing...

Colorado is turning purple because of migration. There have been other, longer explanations for why traditionally Republican Colorado is in play this election. Real Clear Politics has all the numbers. Ryan Lizza in the New Yorker has a good article on the ascendance of Democratic politicians in the state. Christopher Beam does the same fine job of parsing the politics of the state on Slate. But migration tells a better story. Colorado hasn't become what Stuart Rothenberg calls the most important state in November because of what politicians have or have not done or because of a new array of...

Former Marine lance corporal, Justin Sharratt, files suit against Congressman John MurthaSecond defamation suit to be filed by a Marine who Murtha said "murdered innocent civilians in cold-blood". Sharratt is a constituent of Murtha in Pennsylvania's 12th District. Press conferences tomorrow. Developing. Story to follow.

The video features red title cards and the theme music from the movie, "The Untouchables." It accuses state Sen. John Boccieri (D-Alliance) of using "Youngstown tactics" in his campaign against state Sen. Kirk Schuring (R-Jackson Township) in the race to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Ralph Regula (R-Navarre) in Ohio's 16th Congressional District.

In an election for United States Senator from South Carolina held today, incumbent Republican Lindsey Graham is elected to his second term, according to this latest WCSC-TV poll conducted by SurveyUSA. Today, it’s Graham 54%, Democrat Bob Conley 40%. Among men, Graham leads by 8 points; among women, Graham leads by 18. Graham leads by 8 points among voters age 18 to 49, by 19 points among voters 50+. Graham leads by 23 points Upstate, by 19 points in the Low Country. Graham ties with Conley, a commercial pilot and flight instructor, in the Midlands.