Free Republic

Mike Huckabee doesn’t have a lot of prominent defenders, and I am not volunteering for the job. Huckabee has always struck me as a right-wing populist-progressive. A deeply religious — and by all accounts decent — man, Huckabee nonetheless has a view of the state that would have jibed almost perfectly with such forgotten titans of the Progressive Era as Richard Ely, Josephus Daniels, and even William Jennings Bryan. Ely, a mentor to Woodrow Wilson and Teddy Roosevelt and the founder of the “Wisconsin school” of progressivism, believed that “God works through the state in carrying out His purposes more...

WASHINGTON — Sen. Ted Cruz — who lives in Houston and has his presidential campaign headquarters there — will join Gov. Greg Abbott this afternoon for a briefing on storm damage, a Cruz aide said.They’ll hear from emergency officials and law enforcement, and attend a news conference at 4pm CT at the Houston Office Of Emergency Management.Abbott announced earlier that he would survey flood damage and meet with local leaders to discuss state recovery resources. He spoke a few hours ago with President Barack Obama, and a federal emergency declaration of some sort seems likely.

Actress Rose McGowan offered an apology — of sorts — this week after sharing what appeared to be an inflammatory quote from Texas Sen. Ted Cruz on Josh Duggar’s departure from the Family Research Council last Friday. Duggar’s resignation followed his acknowledgement of reports that he sexually molested younger children as a teenager, including his own sisters. Story Continued Below “While there may have been an age difference, Josh Duggar’s transgressions are far less an affront to God than what gays do with each other - Ted Cruz, 5/22/15,” read the text next to the photo of Duggar and Cruz...

Josh Duggar is from Arkansas ... so it's totally cool if he dates his siblings. Back in 2008 -- long before Duggar's molestation past came to light -- he made a quip during an episode of what was then called "17 Kids and Counting." Josh describes a double date scenario with his then-fiancée Anna ... he ended up going with 2 of his siblings. Josh explains, "We chose Jana and John David. We thought why not, have a double date ... We are from Arkansas!" He then broke out in laughter. Not so funny now ...

Eight years ago, Alice gave a thorough and detailed account of events that are nearly identical to those outlined in the police report that became public this week: "In January, the whole family went to Chicago and taped Oprah Winfrey show... As you may have noticed, that show never aired and it never will," Alice posted before delivering the bombshell that The Oprah Winfrey Show staffers had been told that Josh had molested five minor girls. Alice then wrote, "Yes, this is the truth ... They have been investigated to some length..." On the subject of Josh's parents Jim Bob,...

The Talk Shows May 24th, 2015 Guests to be interviewed today on major television talk shows: FOX NEWS SUNDAY (Fox Network): Former Gov. Mike Huckabee, R-Ark.; John Bolton, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.MEET THE PRESS (NBC): Pre-empted by coverage of the Monaco Grand Prix.FACE THE NATION (CBS): Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.; Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif.THIS WEEK (ABC): Gov. John Kasich, R-Ohio; Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn.STATE OF THE UNION (CNN): Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro; Reps. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., and Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii; Defense Secretary Ashton Carter.

FULL TITLE: 19 Kids and Counting taken off the air by TLC in wake of revelation that son Josh molested young girls and his parents Jim Bob and Michelle covered it up 19 Kids and Counting has been taken off the air. The show has not been officially cancelled at this time, but has been removed from the network's lineup. The move comes one day after Josh Duggar, the oldest son of the family featured on the program, admitted that he molested young girls when he was a teenager. Making matters worse, it was also revealed that his parents worked...

[caption id="attachment_1211" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Image credit: Washington Post[/caption] Many people have been hoping for this day for years.  The day when the Duggars fell.  Today they got their wish. By “the Duggars” I mean any member of the Duggar extended family—the ones “as seen on TV” in their hit show “19 Kids and Counting.”  And by “fell” I mean not just dipping below the sainted status conveyed by their television persona, but really falling in a public, humiliating and tragic way. Josh Duggar publicly confessed that accusations of his being investigated for child abuse 12 years ago are true. "Twelve...

In the wake of a tabloid report alleging that he molested several underage girls while he was a teenager, reality-television star Josh Duggar said Thursday that he “acted inexcusably” and was “deeply sorry” for what he called “my wrongdoing.” The 27-year-old Duggar, a high-profile member of the evangelical Christian family that stars on TLC’s “19 Kids and Counting,” also resigned his post with the Family Research Council, a conservative lobbying organization. “Twelve years ago, as a young teenager, I acted inexcusably for which I am extremely sorry and deeply regret,” Duggar said in a statement posted on Facebook on Thursday....

Josh Duggar, one of the members of the family that stars in TLC's "19 Kids and Counting" ... was the subject of a police investigation for allegedly sexually molesting 5 girls, some of whom are his sisters. The story was broken by In Touch Weekly, but TMZ has confirmed with law enforcement that Josh Duggar -- who was around 14 at the time -- was the alleged molester against 5 girls starting in 2002. According to the police report, Josh fondled the genitals and breasts of the girls, some of whom were sleeping, but sometimes they were interacting with him...

A 2006 police report obtained by In Touch Weekly magazine revealed that one of the Duggar siblings, of TLC's "19 Kids and Counting," allegedly sexually assaulted four female siblings in the large family, plus an additional female victim.

A new report claims that 19 Kids and Counting star Josh Duggar was named in an underage sexual abuse probe. According to InTouch, Josh's father Jim Bob turned him in to Arkansas State Police after 'he caught him leaving a young girl’s bedroom and learned something inappropriate happened.' The charge being pursued at that time was sexual assault in the fourth deg

<p>That’s the blunt warning a group of prominent religious leaders is sending to the Supreme Court of the United States as they consider same-sex marriage.</p> <p>“We respectfully warn the Supreme Court not to cross that line,” read a document titled, Pledge in Solidarity to Defend Marriage. “We stand united together in defense of marriage. Make no mistake about our resolve.”</p>

April 23, 2015 (LifeSiteNews) - On Saturday, thousands of pro-family Americans are expected to flock to Washington, D.C. for the third annual March for Marriage.Organized by the National Organization for Marriage (NOM), March-related events will begin at noon, with a rally from 12:00-1:00, and then the march itself at 1:00. Participants will gather at the mall in front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C.  On Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments as to whether there is a constitutional right to same-sex "marriage," or if states should be allowed to make their own marriage policy.The will take place...

The reality show clan backed Mike Huckabee in '08 and Rick Santorum in '12. Now, they may face a real tough choice. It may be that the fastest-growing demographic in the Republican Party is pro-life, telegenic, homeschooled, and mostly under the age of 27—you know, the Duggars. As in the stars of the TLC reality show 19 Kids and Counting. In the past couple election cycles, this birth-control-shunning family has emerged as a political player on the right. And now it looks likely that they will face a tough decision when it comes to which social conservative GOPer to back...

Starting Saturday at 10 a.m. ET, the Iowa Freedom Summit will be livestreamed in its entirety. Speakers include: Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Mike Lee (R-UT), former Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-AR), former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA), Reps. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Steve King (R-IA), real estate mogul Donald Trump, former Johns Hopkins neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton and former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina and many others.

Josh Duggar released a video with his “Thanksgiving” message, but it quickly turned very political, leaving some believing that he is becoming politically ambitious, and others thinking he’s just weird. Josh, the eldest of the Duggar brood from the popular TLC show 19 Kids and Counting, does begin the video by extending his Thanksgiving wishes to everyone, but quickly launches into his role as the executive director of the Family Research Council Action in Washington, D.C. The FRC is listed as a certified hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. The SPLC justifies their position on their website.

The one thing cropping up faster than children for the Duggar family is controversy. A petition on Change.org urging TLC to cancel the family's reality show, "19 Kids and Counting," is gaining momentum. "End LGBTQ fear mongering by the Duggars," a letter posted on petition page reads. "The Duggars have been using their fame to promote discrimination, hate, and fear-mongering against gays and transgendered people. You need to take a stand on the side of justice and cancel their show." The petition currently has over 12,500 signatures. Last week, the couple posted a Facebook photo of them kissing and encouraged...

Retired NFL quarterback Brett Favre pitches his support for Sen. Thad Cochran in a new TV ad paid for by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. It's the latest in a string of celebrity endorsements in a hard-fought and often bizarre race... ---snip--- Former GOP presidential candidates Sarah Palin, Rick Santorum and Ron Paul have been to Mississippi to campaign for McDaniel, as have the parents from the reality show ''19 Kids and Counting,'' Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, and their oldest son, Josh Duggar, director of the lobbying arm of the conservative Family Research Council....

Sen. Thad Cochran’s (R-Miss.) primary challenger, Mississippi state Sen. Chris McDaniel, is leading the incumbent by 8 points in a new internal poll of the competitive runoff. The survey, conducted by WPA Research for McDaniel’s campaign, shows him with 49 percent support to Cochran’s 41 percent support among likely GOP primary voters. McDaniel’s also got a more solid base of support, with 43 percent of his supporters saying they’ll “definitely” vote for him in the runoff, while 38 percent say the same of Cochran. Ten percent of respondents said they were undecided. The results align with two other surveys of...