Free Republic

It's official: Nicolle Wallace really doesn't like Sarah Palin. On today's Morning Joe, Wallace—who was Palin's chief handler during the 2008 campaign—took the occasion of Palin's speech at the Iowa Freedom Summit on Saturday to jab at the former veep candidate. Wallace had been asked to comment on conservative columnist Byron York's panning of Palin's speech as "long, rambling, and at times barely coherent." York's column also passed along criticism of the speech by a number of Iowa Republicans. Wallace said that it was interesting to see York come "full circle," since back in 2008 he had been a staunch...

For the last several months, the likes of Jeb Bush, Mitt Romney, Ted Cruz and Rand Paul have dominated the media coverage of the still-nascent contest for the White House. But when the 2016 Republican presidential race roared to life this weekend with twin events in Iowa and Louisiana, two lesser-known contestants left indelible impressions on the GOP faithful. Former Hewlett-Packard chief executive and current American Conservative Union Foundation Chairwoman Carly Fiorina and battle-tested Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker left the crowds stirring after a nonstop ten-hour festival in Des Moines that exposed voters to 27 speakers and at least 10...

Gov. Bobby Jindal: U.S. Needs a Spiritual Revival Jan 25, 2015 By LAURA WAGNER Like a lot of Republicans with national name recognition, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal is "seriously looking" at a 2016 White House bid, but he says the country needs more that just for the right candidate to win. "We can't just elect a candidate and fix what ails our country," he said at a prayer rally that he attended Saturday instead of the Iowa Freedom Summit. "We can't just pass a law and fix what ails our country. We need a spiritual revival to fix what ails...

Jindal: Gay Marriage Should Be Decided By States, Not Courts Jan. 24, 2015, By Tom Howell Jr. January 25, 2015 Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, the Republican leader of one of 14 states that do not perform same-sex marriage, said Sunday he’ll defend the right of states to define marriage as they see fit. The Supreme Court is set to decide the gay-marriage question this term, but Mr. Jindal said his Christian views will not sway according to the polls. If the justices make gay marriage a national right, Mr. Jindal said he’ll support congressional Republicans pushing for a constitutional amendment...

RedState assisted in sponsoring Rep. Steve King (R-IA)72%‘s event in Iowa this past weekend. I did not go, but made sure to pay attention to what was going on and who said what. As I have previously written, this is the most substantive field of Republican contenders since 1980. The number of Governors, Senators, and others who are running gives the GOP a deeper bench than any the Democrats can or will muster. They also agree on most topics and are trying to nuance themselves into unique positions. I appreciate Governor Perry’s desire to paint a vision for the country....

Although he wasn’t among the two-dozen Republican leaders at Saturday’s Iowa Freedom Summit, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul isn’t brushing off Iowa and its first-in-the-nation caucus status. Paul, 52, who is one of the top visitors to Iowa among the presumptive 2016 presidential pack, will do four events over two days in February. Here is Paul’s schedule, according to his political action committee, RandPAC, and his Iowa-based strategist, Steve Grubbs: Feb. 6 Event details: Liberty Iowa ‘Audit the Fed’ Rally beginning at 5:30 p.m. at Jasper Winery in Des Moines, 2400 George Flagg Parkway. This event is open to the press...

With Republicans in Congress split over the best approach to Obama's executive amnesty - and with many establishment Republicans splitting form grassroots Republicans on the issue of illegal immigration more generally - it's clear that immigration will be a hot-button primary issue in 2016. ... So where do the potential candidates stand? Here's a rundown: ...

Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin told The Washington Post in an interview Friday that she is “seriously interested” in running for the White House in 2016. “You can absolutely say that I am seriously interested,” Palin said, when asked to clarify her thinking about a possible presidential bid. Palin, the GOP’s 2008 vice-presidential nominee, said she stood by comments she made Thursday in Las Vegas to ABC News, where she first expressed enthusiasm about potentially competing for the Republican presidential nomination.

DES MOINES, Iowa — Texans Ted Cruz and Rick Perry courted Iowa conservatives on Saturday at the first major gathering of the 2016 Republican field — a chance for more than a half-dozen White House hopefuls to throw elbows, shape narratives, generate buzz and frame the choice to their advantage.Perry, making his first foray as an ex-governor, cast himself as a seasoned executive who can actually point to achievements — unlike, say, a senator.“I got a feeling that after six years of disappointment, of mediocrity and decline, a slow-course correction is not what voters are going to be looking for...

Huckabee Defends His Breaks from Conservative Orthodoxy Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee made it clear on Sunday that he's preparing to jump into the 2016 presidential race. "When you become an active candidate, then you file the FEC papers. But I think it's pretty evident that I'm moving in that direction," he told Chuck Todd on NBC's Meet the Press. Huckabee said he will decide whether to formally launch a presidential campaign by the late spring. Huckabee also defended his breaks from conservative orthodoxy on Common Core education standards, immigration and cap and trade. He said he would support a...

While Scoop has done a good job of debunking the rumor that Palin said she was interested in running for the presidency in 2016 already, some are saying she hinted at it in this speech. Whether she did or not, she packed it full of puns and zingers and really pumped up the crowd.

DES MOINES, Iowa — Scott Walker’s stock is soaring after a triumphant return to Iowa. The Wisconsin Republican governor delivered a pitch-perfect speech to a room packed with influential Hawkeye State conservatives on Saturday, walking them through his robust resume and ideology with a passion that surprised many. Activists say Walker came out on top after 10 hours of candidate speeches. “It was a clear Walker victory. He had expectations coming in here, he was on everyone's shortlist and he had to meet those expectations and I thought he far exceeded them,” said former Iowa Republican Party political director Craig...

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker (R) delivers remarks at the Iowa Freedom Summit in Des Moines. He talks about his efforts to reform public sector unions in his state, and the resistance he encountered.

Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) delivers remarks at the Iowa Freedom Summit in Des Moines. He talks about the need to bring together a coalition of voters who "believe in the miracle of America."

Former Ambassador John Bolton spoke at the 2015 Iowa Freedom Summit held at Hoyt Sherman Place in Des Moines, Iowa.

LINK ONLY:  Two undocumented citizens arrested at Freedom Summit

Former Speaker of the House Representative Newt Gingrich (R-GA) delivers remarks at the Iowa Freedom Summit in Des Moines. He focuses on national security issues and foreign relations.

The Donald doesn’t think much of Mitt or Jeb. Donald Trump came out guns blazing at a high-profile GOP event in Iowa on Saturday — blasting possible presidential contenders Mitt Romney and Jeb Bush. “It can’t be Mitt, because Mitt ran and failed. He failed,” Trump bellowed, drawing cheers from the riled-up audience at the Freedom Summit. “He choked. He had that election won.” Trump was equally blunt in assessing former President George W. Bush’s younger brother. “You can’t have Bush,” Trump said. “The last thing we need is another Bush.”

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) lambasted Hollywood liberals in a rambling speech at the Iowa Freedom Summit on Saturday. The party’s 2008 vice presidential nominee, who said this week she’s “ interested” in a presidential bid, took the stage with to Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off,” feeding off the energy of the crowd as she jumped from conservative topic to topic. Her speech was replete with memories of her own trips to Iowa, but she also focused on one recent controversy — defending criticism over the country’s top-grossing movie, “American Sniper.” Palin detailed how she and her family were...

DES MOINES, Iowa — In an exclusive interview with Breitbart News backstage at the Iowa Freedom Summit, potential 2016 GOP presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) detailed the pathway to victory for Republicans in 2016—and he explained a new phrase he started using in his speech minutes earlier. Cruz introduced a new major theme, the “Miracle of America,” in his speech to the thousands of Iowans gathered at the event hosted by Citizens United and Rep. Steve King (R-IA).“What I want to talk to you about today is reigniting the Miracle of America,” Cruz said in his speech in the Hoyt...