Free Republic

The American people love a fair fight and so do I, especially where the issues of the day are debated. In a free market, fairness should be determined based upon equal opportunity, not equal results. Some voices are calling for Congress to enforce their idea of “fairness” on our broadcast airwaves. But our nation should proceed with caution whenever some would achieve their “fairness” by limiting the freedom of others. Beginning in 1949, the Federal Communications Commission and its precursor developed and enforced the so-called Fairness Doctrine. The Fairness Doctrine required broadcasters to present controversial issues in a fair and...

Miffed that not enough people tuned in to Al Franken’s “Air America” liberal talk radio venture to keep it out of bankruptcy protection, and further miffed that conservative talk radio hosts mobilized listeners against the failed immigration bill, some Democrats are trying to put the defunct “fairness doctrine” into federal law. A Republican member of the House, Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana, has a better idea. He’s introduced legislation to forbid the Federal Communications Commission from doing such a stupid thing. FCC Chairman Kevin Martin wrote Pence that the commission has no such intention anyway, but it never hurts to...

Rep Mike Pence, Republican of Indiana and Rick Boucher, Democrat of Virginia have introduced a federal shield law which in general I oppose. I wrote him an email indicating a change that I'd like to see if in fact he went ahead with the law. Here were my suggestions: If you are really going ahead with the shield law then at least change the standard for libel and slander when the media utilizes it. Right now there is a very high bar for someone to win a judgment against the media when the information they provide is wrong and damaging....

Pence Deserves Thanks for Taking on Planned Parenthood by Jennifer Mesko, associate editor Amendment would have kept taxpayer money out of abortion provider's hands. Late Thursday afternoon, Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., offered an amendment to the Labor-Health and Human Services Appropriations bill that would prevent taxpayer dollars from being used to fund Planned Parenthood or its affiliates. Unfortunately, 231 representatives in the U.S. House voted to continue to send millions of dollars in taxpayer money to Planned Parenthood, the largest abortion provider in the world. Joining Pence in voting for the amendment were 188 lawmakers.Pence deserves our thanks, said Ashley...

There is a movement afoot to strip Planned Parenthood of millions of annual taxpayer dollars. One of the leaders in this effort is Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., whom I mentioned last week as being a chief cog in the effort to halt activation of the Fairness Doctrine, which Democrats hope to use to stifle conservative talk radio. Rep. Pence, a rising star in the Republican Party, this week offered an amendment to the House appropriations bill (H.R. 3043) that funds the Departments of Labor and Health and Human Services, to prohibit taxpayer dollars from funding Planned Parenthood's abortion efforts....

What ever happened to liberals' support of free speech? First, it was "lobbying reform" that targeted grassroots communications. Then it was "hate crimes" legislation that tries to figure out what we are thinking. More recently, it's "card check," payback to the big labor unions that would take away the right of employees to secret ballot elections on unionizing the workplace. Worst of all, however, have been the recent calls by liberal congressmen to re-instate the Fairness Doctrine, the ironically misnamed government regulation requiring broadcasters to present competing sides of controversial issues. Enacted in 1949, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) put...

Congressman Mike Pence led the charge in the House of Representatives that effectively headed Feinstein, Kerry, and Durbin off at the pass. By adding an amendment to the Financial Services and General Government bill. His amendment will disallow any federal funds to be used to carry out any enforcement of a revived "Fairness Doctrine." It passed 309-115... Meaning - even a major chunk of Democrats thought the idea of reviving the ancient rule that would in essence stifle most free speech in on-air capacities - was a really stupid idea. Pence had this to say upon the overwhelming victorious vote...

Prominent Democrats want to revive a policy to require broadcasters to present multiple viewpoints on controversial issues, spurred by complaints that talk radio has unfairly impacted the national immigration debate. An article published Wednesday by The Hill quoted Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D.-Ill.),stating: “It's time to reinstitute the Fairness Doctrine. I have this old-fashioned attitude that when Americans hear both sides of the story, they're in a better position to make a decision.” The Fairness Doctrine was a Federal Communication Commission regulation that dates back to 1947. Under the regulation, station licensees were considered “public trustees” that had an...

Last year, President Bush set out his views on immigration reform to the American people, saying there must be "a rational middle ground between granting an automatic path to citizenship for every illegal immigrant, and a program of mass deportation." I agree with the president that a rational middle ground can be found between automatic citizenship and mass deportation, but the amnesty bill that was defeated in the Senate was not the middle ground.

Yesterday, Rep. Mike Pence (R.-Ind.) gave a great speech on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives that hasn’t gotten enough attention. He was speaking about the Democrats' menu of plans to lose in Iraq and pointed out something almost everyone else had missed: the fact that even the LA Times and the Washington Post are very critical of the Pelosicrats and their irresponsible approach to the war. Pence’s remarks deserve to be read in full, because they show how far out of line, and out of the mainstream, the Democrats really are."In January, President Bush outlined his plan...

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History has shown that conservatism works every time it is actually tried and that nothing else works at all. As a guide, we have the principals of Ronald Wilson Reagan. Yet, for ten years, Republicans have slowly moved away from limited government into a government-first, careerist, get-reelected at any cost mentality. The 2008 Presidential election will decide if we maintain our conservative convictions or abandon them for perceived political gain. Most of us realize that our party must nominate a Reagan conservative who can articulate the values and philosophy that made America what it is today. We must draft, nominate,...

Are CPAC organizers trying to send a message? They've chosen Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) to deliver the keynote address at CPAC's Ronald Reagan banquet 3/2. Does Pence, a former Republican Study Cmte chair, harbor any presidential ambitions? There's already a grassroots website set up to tout him. Through a spokesman, Pence told us that he thinks about running for POTUS "no more and no less than any other kid who grew up in the Midwest with a cornfield in his backyard." Asked to elaborate, Pence spokesman Matt Lloyd was more clear: "Congressman Pence has not ruled out a run in...

Last month, President Bush delivered a speech to the nation outlining a new way forward in Iraq. It has since met with resistance from both parties on Capitol Hill. I support the president's call for reinforcements and a change of our strategy because we must do everything in our power to see freedom prevail in Iraq. A few days before the president addressed the nation, I was invited to the White House to discuss his plan to increase troop levels in Iraq. What I found most persuasive was that the president didn't just lay out a plan for more troops...

Pollster Frank Luntz for the past decade has issued warnings to his fellow Republicans that they did not want to hear, but never has he been so out of touch with them as he is today. "The Republican message machine is a skeleton of its former self," Luntz told me. "These people have no idea how the American people react to them." Luntz sees a disconnect between Republicans and voters that projects a grim future for the party. That contradicts what House and Senate Republicans are saying to each other in closed party conferences. While Luntz views 2006 election defeats...

PENCE ADDRESSES NATIONAL MARCH FOR LIFE RALLY Congressman and Mrs. Pence at the 2007 March for Life speech   Washington, Jan 22 -  U.S. Congressman Mike Pence spoke at the National March For Life rally today, urging attendees to fight for the sanctity of life. His remarks follow: "It is the 22nd of January again. On this cold anniversary of the worst Supreme Court decision since Dred Scott, all across this land, because of the prayers and compassion of every one of you, springtime is breaking forth in the battle between choice and life. "Although the abortion movement is gathering...

The 2008 presidential campaign is actively under way, and while some winnowing has occurred, the field remains as open as it is crowded. Odds at the moment favor Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), Gov. Mitt Romney (Mass.) or former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani to win the Republican nomination, yet odds change every day. From "early presidential frontrunner" to "outgoing junior senator," Sen. George Allen (Va.) can tell you better than any Las Vegas bookie. The field is open not merely because it lacks a presumptive nominee such as a sitting president or vice-president, but because it lacks a Reagan Republican...

House Republicans picked John Boehner Friday to serve as minority leader when Democrats take control of Congress for the first time in 12 years in January. Boehner defeated Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana in a closed-door election among colleagues. The Ohio winner was expected to speak after elections for other leadership positions concluded. Boehner received 168 votes, Pence 27 and Rep. Joe Barton of Texas won 1 vote.

Rep. Mike Pence, candidate for House minority leader, delivered the following speech to the Republican Conference today. I know there are many traditions in this room but permit me begin by acknowledging God. He has given my family and my staff the health and strength to give our colleagues a choice: to endure this contest of worthy opponents with grace. I want to thank my supporters in this room, loyal friends who have stood at my side in this cause, wherever life takes my little family, I will always see you in this moment and admire your courage and your...

If Rep. Mike Pence... wins his bid ...for House minority leader, he will become the second most influential conservative in Washington, behind President Bush... The congressional Republicans are engaged in a desperate search for a new revolutionary... One story about Mr. Pence suggests that he might just be the man: "The president said, 'Mike, I really need your vote for my prescription drug bill," Mr. Pence recalls... "And I responded, 'With all due respect, Mr. President, I didn't come to this town to create new entitlements, but to rein in the ones we already have.'" A few days later, this...

WASHINGTON -- The depleted House Republican caucus, a minority in the next Congress, convenes at 8 a.m. in the Capitol Friday on the brink of committing an act of supreme irrationality. The House members blame their leadership for tasting the bitter dregs of defeat. Yet, the consensus so far is that, in secret ballot, they will re-elect some or all of those leaders. In private conversation, Republican members of Congress blame Majority Leader John Boehner and Majority Whip Roy Blunt in no small part for their midterm election debacle. Yet, either Boehner, Blunt or both are expected to be returned...

Rep. Mike Pence (R.-Ind.), leader of the conservative Republican Study Committee, is expected to announce later today that he will run for House minority leader, according to sources on Capitol Hill. Pence’s announcement will come after significant Republican losses in the House yesterday. Although some races have yet to be decided, the GOP is on the verge of losing 30 seats in the House and on the brink of handing control of the Senate to Democrats. As the conservative leader of the GOP in the House, Pence is positioned to offer a strong challenge to current Majority Leader John Boehner...

Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., told fellow Republican lawmakers on Wednesday he does not intend to run for minority leader when Democrats take control of the House in January, officials said. Hastert conveyed word in a conference call one day after Republicans lost control of the House in midterm elections. The officials who described Hastert's plans did so on condition of anonymity, saying they did not want to pre-empt a formal announcement. His decision to step down cleared the way for a likely succession battle. Rep. John Boehner of Ohio, the majority leader, is expected to run, and Reps. Mike Pence...

When the now-defeated Republican majority in the House of Representative was led astray on key issues by President Bush, House Speaker Dennis Hastert and former Majority Leader Tom DeLay, it was Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana who rallied backbenchers to fight back in defense of conservative principles. That is why Pence should be elected minority leader for the next Congress. Under Pence’s leadership over the next two years, we believe, House Republicans can put themselves in position to retake the majority in 2008. More importantly, they can be counted on to fight for what’s right—even when that means defying a...

If a successful steakhouse stopped selling beef and substituted stale vegan sandwiches as part of a strategy to increase its customer base, the restaurant wouldn't remain in business very long. Yet for some reason, the Republican Party has adopted precisely this strategy for governing. Instead of rewarding its loyal voters with the limited government they were promised, the Republican Party has decided to increase its voter base by offering the stale ideas of big government liberalism. This tactic is difficult to understand given that in modern midterm elections, voter turnout has hovered around 40 percent, meaning that winning is about...

Day 1 (Friday) The Values Voter conference poses a unique setting to look at many of the 2008 presidential potentials speaking on the same day, to the same crowd, on similar issues. A crowd which you may note, that many consider to constitute the base, or a large portion of the primary election base. For those unaware, the Values Voter Conference is sponsored by the Family Research Council (and Dr. James Dobson). An interesting note: who's not here? Rudy Giuliani, John McCain Speakers, in order of appearance.... Speakers, in order of appearance. (TP = Talking Points. Notes on each speakers...

The 109th Congress will be remembered as a time of tremendous challenge and great change for the Republican majority in the House of Representatives. Buffeted by internal conflict, scandal and external crises, House Republicans were tested again and again by an American public losing confidence in our federal government. The American people should know that House conservatives never lost confidence in our agenda and the Republican Study Committee stood firm in the winds of change. As the nation prepares to render judgment on this Congress, it is a good time make an account of the battles fought by House conservatives...

PENCE COMMENDS TROOPS ON ANNIVERSARY OF 9-11 Congressman tells soldiers "You do not go alone" Washington, Sep 11 - WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Congressman Mike Pence today made the following speech at Camp Atterbury in Edinburgh, Indiana. Thank you for that warm welcome. I am deeply honored and profoundly humbled to be with you. As I thought about what I might say today, what words of inspiration and hope I might share on this solemn anniversary, I couldn’t help but be struck by how incongruous it is that I should be speaking to you. Our roles today are backwards. It...

The New York Times front page profile on my friend, Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN), "Star of the Right Loses His Base at the Border," is really all about the anti-immigration, far-right group led by Tom Tancredo of Colorado to oppose any broad-based immigration reform whatsoever--and to label any proposals for temporary workers, or even Pence's 17 year citizenship path, as "amnesty." This word "amnesty" is being used to attack absolutely any conceivable immigration compromise. I could go on forever on this subject. I have written several columns on it. But at the end of the day, the Tancredo crowd, which...

He supports tax cuts and the war in Iraq. He opposes stem cell research and the Medicare drug plan. He is a master of his movement’s medium, talk radio. Jesus Christ is his personal savior and Ronald Reagan his political idol. Conjure what might be called the perfect conservative, and chances are he would look a lot like Representative Mike Pence, the Indiana Republican who in just three terms has turned 100 House allies into a vanguard and himself into one of his party’s rising stars..... Arriving in Washington, he was dismayed at conservatives’ support for government expansion. In 2001,...

He supports tax cuts and the war in Iraq. He opposes stem cell research and the Medicare drug plan. He is a master of his movement’s medium, talk radio. Jesus Christ is his personal savior and Ronald Reagan his political idol. Conjure what might be called the perfect conservative, and chances are he would look a lot like Representative Mike Pence, the Indiana Republican who in just three terms has turned 100 House allies into a vanguard and himself into one of his party’s rising stars. Or that was the case until this spring when he sought compromise in the...

A chance encounter in the lobby of the National Press Club suggests that it's possible — not likely, but possible — that immigration reform could pass this year. Prospects are grim because House Republicans seem dug in on their plan to fight illegal immigration, period, while the Senate wants to combine border and workplace enforcement with work permits and an opportunity for illegal immigrants to become legal residents and citizens.

Watch Mike Pence Today (Saturday, 7/29/2006) On C-Span I Time: 5:17PM, Eastern Time Time: 2:17PM, Pacific Time Presentation by Mike Pence and Dick Lugar at the National Press Club, Washington, D.C., Federal Media Shield Legislation I saw most of this on Friday night on C-Span. I've gone through their schedule and the only other time it's been scheduled is the time shown above. If you want to see what makes Mikee run, please tune in or set a tape. The Press Club's drive-by media audience usually has some very hostile questions for conservative speakers. But Pence was treated as an...

Guest Workers Aren't Cheap; They're Expensive President Bush entered the White House in 2001 hoping he would be known in history books as the education president who improved public school standards with "No child left behind." It now looks like his legacy will really be "No illegal alien left behind." As President Bush's poll numbers drop even among his base, the question most frequently asked by angry Republicans is, why, oh why, is Bush so stubbornly rejecting the advice of his supporters even though that advice is consistent with the thunderous message from public opinion surveys? The reliable Rasmussen survey,...

WASHINGTON – With Congress at a stalemate over immigration, Texas' two senators took different tacks this week in hopes of breaking the logjam and getting a bill to President Bush's desk. Sen. John Cornyn and fellow Republican Jon Kyl of Arizona on Monday urged the president to make a bold move and demand that Congress immediately free up nearly $4 billion for hundreds of Border Patrol agents, immigration inspectors and border fencing. Doing so, they said, will convince Americans that the federal government is serious about enforcing immigration law – and could increase support for a broader bill that includes...

Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) is no finger-in-the-wind politician. Pence operates from a firm set of conservative principles; he does not do that which is simply expedient and momentarily advantageous politically. During my years in Washington conservatives have had their fair share of principled legislators in Congress. Not all were effective. They held the right views but lacked the leadership skills and organizing capability to have a true impact on legislation. Pence, however, appears to offer the gift of leadership, a conservative House Member, with the potential to have a substantial impact upon the legislative process and, therefore, is well worth...

Rep. Mike Pence (R.-Ind.) should be commended for speaking articulately about the problems with federally funded stem-cell research. Pence, chairman of the conservative Republican Study Committee, has been one of the few lawmakers able to simplify the issue. Take, for instance, Pence's most recent statement. He makes the point that President Bush should stress when he vetoes the bill: Taxpayers who morally disagree with the destruction of human embryos shouldn't have their taxes used for federally funded research. "President Ronald Reagan famously said, 'we cannot diminish the value of one category of human life -- the unborn -- without diminishing...

WASHINGTON, DC - The following is Congressman Mike Pence’s statement today made in advance of a Senate vote that would allow federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. “We gather today in respectful opposition to the Castle-DeGette bill: A bill that authorizes the use of federal tax dollars to fund the destruction of human embryos for scientific research. “Assuming H.R. 810 passes the Senate today, on behalf of millions of pro-life Americans, we say, Mr. President, veto this bill. “As we begin this debate, I am confident that we will hear the supporters of this bill argue in the name...

The momentum was certainly in Rep. Steve King's (R.-Iowa) favor, but standing in the way of his amendment ending the federal mandate for foreign-language ballots were 44 Republicans, including the HUMAN EVENTS "Man of the Year" for 2005, Rep. Mike Pence. Earlier in the week it appeared as though King might not even get a vote on his amendment to the Voting Rights Act, but after pressure from Republican colleagues, conservative bloggers and the editors of HUMAN EVENTS, the House Rules Committee relented and OK'd a floor vote today. Unfortunately, it failed, 185-238, this afternoon. It was one of several...

This past week I was privileged to attend a town hall meeting where South Carolina Congressman Bob Inglis was meeting with local constituents. Bob Inglis is doing several "walk talks" in his district to discuss the important issues facing our nation. Getting there early I was forced to sit in the back of the already packed room. Before Bob was even finished saying a few opening remarks, a lady quickly raised her hand and asked Bob what he was doing about our nation's immigration problem. Bob then asked the crowd how many people wanted to discuss immigration and without fail...

A Proposal For an Honest and Workable Guest Worker Program There are several "Guest Worker" proposals being floated around Washington these days as a solution to our immigration crisis—or more accurately, our illegal immigration boondoggle. The proposals I have seen will do nothing to solve the problem of illegal immigration. In fact, they are thinly-disguised proposals for granting legal status to the millions of illegal aliens already inside our country. In other words, they are really amnesty programs. A bill recently introduced in the Congress would allow illegal aliens already in the U.S. to earn the right to legal...

Whatever Happened to Mike Pence? by Phyllis Schlafly June 28, 2006 Despite the consistent failure of all guest worker plans (e.g., France), Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) is peddling a new plan to import foreign workers who really are guests and really do go home. Pence has turned his back on the 88 percent of House Republicans who voted that we must achieve border security first, because we'll be cheated on border security if Congress passes a "comprehensive" bill. The Pence plan tries to avoid the amnesty label by requiring illegal aliens now in the U.S. to make what he...

Only Nixon Could Go to China, and Only Pence Could Sell Amnesty to the House by Mac Johnson Human Events Online Yesterday, Rep. Mike Pence, whom I generally like and agree with, offered his personal plan for legalizing illegal aliens as "the guest-worker plan that conservatives should embrace." But it is not. There is very little about it that is substantially different from a dozen other plans, except that it is a conservative proposing the "compromise" in this case. And that is precisely why I believe that Pence's plan is more dangerous than the other legalization schemes -- because...

Mike Pence’s Amnesty-Lite Plan 07.05.06 by La Shawn Barber Attention, pro-enforcement readers. Today you will read and hear that George Bush is considering a “compromise” on amnesty-for-illegal-aliens. He may be willing to relinquish his version of the plan for one put forth by Congressman Mike Pence. But it’s much ado about very little. I’ve heard all good things about Pence. Last month when I read Pat Buchanan’s criticism of his plan, The stealth amnesty of Rep. Mike Pence, and I was a bit dismayed. With Pence. Then I put it out of my mind. But now it’s time to think...

1. Pass HR 4437 HR 4437 is the House Border security bill that was passed last December. It secures our border and issues tough new fines and sanctions against employers hiring illegal aliens. HR 4437 must be passed. The Pence plan is the only way to do that. The Senate simply will not vote on HR 4437 as it stands. Pence’s plan would force them to vote on it totally intact. Sadly, politics, particularly in the Senate, dictates that Pence’s plan is the only viable option. Politically, this is the only play for conservatives who want to solve the problem....

Former House speaker Newt Gingrich made the following comments about Rep. Pence's No Amnesty Immigration Reform Bill in his weekly newsletter released today: "After we have demonstrated seriousness by securing the border, we need to establish the work-visa program in Rep. Mike Pence's (R-Ind.) bill (Border Integrity and Immigration Reform Act) that I wrote about last week. (You can learn more about the Pence plan here.) Pence's bill only allows work visas to be issued outside of the United States. So the simple answer to your question is that if you want to work in the U.S. legally, the rules...

Congressman Tancredo, Indiana Congressman Mike Pence is a hero to me and other conservatives all across the country.You used to be. Disagreeing with Congressman Pence's new approach to immigration is one thing, slandering the plan and the man and posting the most unflattering picture you can find of the man is another. I am one of those conservatives who have constantly defended you from my Republican establishment friends and other critics of yours who say all negatives things about you. They said you were a demagogue who wanted the issue more than the solution. I said you were a Patriot...

Although educators usually like to slam GOP officeholders for “draconian budget cuts,” at least one Indiana Republican serving in the U. S. Congress indicates that their anger may be misplaced, if not unwarranted. “More government is now the accepted Republican belief,” Rep. Mike Pence said at the Eagle Forum Summit on June 8th. He then declared, “The era of Big Government Republican is over.” Rep. Pence opened his talk by using the analogy that he used at the 2004 Conservative Political Action Conference. He compared the Republican Party to a boat that is sailing on course. In the past two...

Shoeless Joe Jackson was a phenomenal baseball player caught up in the Black Sox Scandal in which some team members conspired to throw the 1919 World Series. A young fan watched his hero Shoeless Joe leave the courthouse and gave us the immortal line “Say it ain’t so, Joe.� I had much the same feeling when conservative and principled Congressman Mike Pence emerged from the Heritage Foundation after his speech outlining his “rational middle ground� immigration proposal. “Say it ain’t so, Mike.� Say it ain’t so that you have played into the hands of the Bush-Kennedy-McCain amnesty coalition. I first...

Hard to make sense of Pence guest-worker plan Jun 26, 2006 by Phyllis Schlafly Despite the consistent failure of all guest-worker plans (e.g., France), Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., is peddling a new plan to import foreign workers who really are guests and really do go home. Pence has turned his back on the 88 percent of Republicans in the House of Representatives who voted that the United States must achieve border security first, because Americans will be cheated on border security if Congress passes a "comprehensive" bill. The Pence plan tries to avoid the amnesty label by requiring illegal immigrants...