Free Republic

Jeb Bush may have made his first notable gaffe of the 2016 presidential campaign, declaring in an interview that Americans need to “work longer hours” for substantial economic growth to return. The Republican presidential candidate was conducting a recorded interview with New Hampshire’s The Union-Leader and was answering a question about his tax plan, which he used as an opportunity to state his goals for economic growth. “My aspiration for the country and I believe we can achieve it, is 4 percent growth as far as the eye can see,” Bush said. “Which means we have to be a lot...

Today, Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush, who as of-late has gone relatively gaffe-free, uttered a phrase that may not go over too well with the constituency he seeks to reach. During an interview that was live-streamed on the app Periscope, Bush told New Hampshire’s The Union Leader that to grow the economy, “people should work longer hours.” He was answering a question about his plans for tax reform and responded: “My aspiration for the country and I believe we can achieve it, is 4 percent growth as far as the eye can see. Which means we have to be a...

Carly Fiorina on Tuesday denounced Donald Trump’s recent comments on Mexican immigrants, saying her fellow Republican presidential candidate “doesn’t represent my party.” “Donald Trump has said many outrageous things in his career, and I suspect he’s going to continue to say outrageous things,” Fiorina said after touring a factor here. “He doesn’t represent me, and he doesn’t represent my party.”

A top establishment Republican donor reportedly wants Donald Trump banned from the first presidential debate. Fox News will host the first GOP presidential debate on August 6 in Cleveland, and the debate will be limited to the top ten candidates “in an average of the five most recent national polls in the run-up” to the debate. Trump, who placed second in Fox News’s most recent national poll after his presidential announcement speech in which he took firm stances against illegal immigration and trade deals that harm American workers, is in line to be one of the 10 candidates on stage....

His megadonors are from Chicago. His brain trust is from Wisconsin. And Iowa is the campaign linchpin. When he formally announces his presidential bid in a Milwaukee suburb next week, Scott Walker’s campaign will have an unmistakably Midwestern stamp on it, from a stump speech that features giant Midwestern retailer Kohl’s to a primary season strategy pegged to Iowa and Michigan. The idea is to position the Wisconsin governor as the favorite son of the Midwest, where he hopes to run up the score beginning with Iowa next February. Walker has so far raised nearly $30 million for his effort,...

If we elect Jeb Bush to be the nominee for the Republican Party, I will relentlessly and effectively push for a third party candidate in the general election. This Republican primary will determine the fate of the party. There are millions of Republicans that see this time in our country as a turning point. We have a great opportunity to rally together clearly communicate our message to a generation that has never heard the truths and values that so wonderfully make up the conservative stance. Conservative policies work for everyone. They make life better for us all. However, the average...

...CONGRESS AN ‘UNHOLY MESS,’ MOST REPUBLICANS ARE REALLY DEMOCRATS Every conservative who cares about the unholy mess known as Congress should visit conservativereview.com (CR) and examine the “Liberty Score.” Every liberal who wonders how conservatives view their elected leaders should examine it as well. The “Liberty Score” is refreshingly (and painfully) honest, as opposed to other scorecards that have been known to be compromised. It separates the wheat from the chaff and the frauds from the champions. It tells you who the real conservative heroes are, who comes close, and who doesn’t deserve to be in the same sentence with...

BANGOR, Maine - Maine Sen. Susan Collins has joined those making an early endorsement in the GOP race for president. Collins told MPBN News she is supporting former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. “I have recently made a decision after talking extensively with Jeb Bush that I am going to endorse him for president," Collins said at an event in Bangor.

Cavuto took the opportunity to confront Jason Chaffetz over ousting Mark Meadows for his TPA vote. Chaffetz admitted that the TPA vote was part of it, but claimed there were a ‘variety of factors’ and also said Boehner had nothing to do with it.

Jeb Bush has tapped a top fundraiser for the last three Republican presidential nominees to serve as his finance chairman. Woody Johnson, the owner of the NFL's New York Jets and heir to the Johnson & Johnson empire, will take on the role, Bush's campaign announced Wednesday morning. Veteran Republican fundraiser Jack Oliver will serve as a finance co-chairman. Johnson, Oliver and Bush finance director Heather Larrison will be responsible for meeting Bush's goal of raising $5 million this month for his recently-launched campaign. Bush this week is on a nationwide fundraising tour with stops in Orlando, New York, Chicago,...

He may be the frontrunner on paper, but his campaign has fallen apart. In his official launch, he tried to turn the tide. Things ought to be pretty good for Jeb Bush right now. The former Florida governor leads by a narrow margin in national polls for the Republican presidential nomination, and by a wider margin in New Hampshire. He is overwhelmingly dominant in fundraising. And he does not lack for connections to the Republican donors, officials, and grandees collectively known as "the Establishment." Yet before Bush's campaign could even officially begin on Monday, it seemed to be falling apart....

Back on FR, as well as lurking NewsMax, WND, etc. Just what does "GOPe" entail? Obviously a pejorative acronym, with which I would agree... Gotta keep up! J-

It’s time for conservatives to take out House Speaker Rep. John Boehner (R-OH)35% and all of his comrades in primaries, nationally syndicated radio host, New York Times bestselling author, and conservative movement thought leader Mark Levin argues in an exclusive comment to Breitbart News. Levin’s comments come after Boehner’s retaliation against conservatives hit a new low this weekend, with a report from Politico about how House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform chairman Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT)80% —playing along with Boehner’s scheme to attack Republicans for voting their conscience—removed Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC)96% as the chairman of a subcommittee on...

For the second time in less than two weeks, Jeb Bush is shuffling the top tier of his 2016 campaign staff. The job of political director – expected to go to Kentucky-based consultant Scott Jennings – will instead be filled by David James, who served as a senior adviser to Mitt Romney’s 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns. He has also worked at the Republican National Committee and helped lead the Pennsylvania Republican Party.

When he has needed a quiet place to work, Mike Murphy has pedaled his electric commuter bike onto the Paramount Studios lot, flashed his ID and rode past cavernous stages such as No. 14, where filmmakers shot “Saturday Night Fever,” “The Hunt for Red October” and “Star Trek.” Movie and TV stars paid no heed to the balding guy in horn-rimmed glasses and rumpled East Coast khakis as he made his way toward his office, closed the door and went to work trying to elect Jeb Bush president of the United States. When Bush officially launches his campaign Monday, Murphy...

The “super PAC” supporting Jeb Bush, now walled off from the candidate because of campaign finance rules, hopes to “weaponize” its fund-raising total for the first six months of the year, the group’s top strategist told donors on a conference call on Wednesday afternoon. The comment from Mike Murphy, a veteran adviser to Mr. Bush who is now running the super PAC that will back the campaign, came as the group is focused on raising as much money as possible in the final days of its first fund-raising period, contributing to what is expected to be a significant financial edge...

Right to Rise PAC says its raised $17 million in the New York-area so far, and its July fundraising report will give Jeb Bush’s opponents a “heart attacks.” The super PAC tied to Republican presidential candidate and former governor of Florida Jeb Bush has raised $17 million so far in the New York-area alone, according to a conference call between the super PAC officials and donors on Wednesday. Mike Murphy, the longtime Jeb Bush confidant and consultant who is heading the Right to Rise super PAC, told a group of donors on a conference call Wednesday that they had so...

Did you listen to Jeb Bush make his announcement yesterday? Did you hear loud cheers from a crowd that seemed excited at the prospect that there could be another Bush as President? Was I the only one confused? I don’t know one person who doesn’t threaten to leave the Country if it’s Bush vs Clinton for President again. Can’t imagine folks actually excited and cheering for Jeb. It got me wondering, would someone like Jeb, or another candidate that’s been struggling like he has, hire a crowd? Pay people to attend their rallies to make them seem like their gaining...

House Republican leaders are cracking down on rebellious members after a near-disaster on a trade vote last week, but another imperiled rule coming to the House floor Tuesday is making it difficult to punish the members who leaders need to pass the measure. Reps. Cynthia Lummis, Steve Pearce, and Trent Franks have been removed from the whip team after they sided with GOP rebels to vote against a rule governing debate on a trade bill, according to sources close to the team. Lummis, a deputy whip and a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, was perhaps the whip team's...

 In an indication of just how desperate the Republican establishment and their Big Business paymasters are to revive the package of fast track Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) and Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) bills that went down last week, the House Rules Committee slipped the rule for reconsideration of the failed TAA bill into the rule for H.R. 2596, the Fiscal Year 2016 Intelligence Authorization bill.Along with the National Defense Authorization bill, the Intel Authorization bill is considered to be one of the “must pass” bills of each legislative year.According to the existing Rules, the Motion to Reconsider the vote on...