Free Republic

Last night, Freedom Radio spoke with Combat Vet for Congress and conservative Republican candidate for Idaho's 1st District Vaughn Ward. Ward's 18 years of experience of public service includes: service with the Marines on missions in Liberia, Cuba, Japan, Korea and as a company commander in Iraq; as an Operations Officer with the CIA in the Middle East, Africa, and Washington, DC; and as a Legislative Aide on Senator Kempthorne’s staff where he worked on commerce, defense, energy, transportation, and veteran’s issues for the people of Idaho. He is running against first-term incumbent and self-proclaimed blue dog Democrat Walt Minnick....

Washington, D.C. – The issue is resolved, but it means an Idaho Congressman no longer has an excuse to slip out his pocketknife at a committee meeting. Last week, the House of Representatives approved the conference report setting appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security. This final bill included language preventing spring-assisted knives from being classified by the Department as switchblades. The language was first championed by Rep. Walt Minnick (D-Idaho) and Rep. Bob Latta (R-Ohio.) “This amendment was necessary to prevent commonly-used pocketknives from being branded as illegal switchblades,” said Chris W. Cox, NRA chief lobbyist. “The National Rifle...

U.S. Rep. Walt Minnick has agreed to appear at a town hall meeting Saturday hosted by Tea Party Boise

LEWISTON, Idaho - Idaho Rep. Walt Minnick says gun owners don't need to worry about their gun rights being eroded in the current U.S. Congress. "There is no possibility there is going to be any gun control in this Congress," Minnick told the Lewiston Tribune. Minnick said he's one of 52 conservative "blue dog" Democrats in the House who oppose further gun control. "Nothing can pass in the House without some blue dog support," he said. "The support (for Second Amendment rights) goes far beyond the blue dogs. It's not just fiscally conservative Democrats. I would warrant it's a solid...

Rep. Walt Minnick, Idaho's best liaison to the Democratic majority, surprised his colleagues and some Idaho institutions with the news he wouldn't bring federal dollars to his district through the widespread but controversial use of earmarks. --- SNIP ---- Minnick said he would not push for earmarks - specific spending authority placed in congressional bills - for at least one year. He said he would try to bring money to Idaho by helping businesses and agencies win competitive grants offered in the stimulus package. The Republicans who dominate Idaho's delegation were skeptical of his motives - even though all have...

More on this later, but wanted to get the name of the 7 dems who voted "no" on the embarrassing porkulus bill in the House. D's No! Bright (AL) Griffith (AL) Peterson (MN) Shuler (NC) DeFazio (OR) Minnick (ID) Taylor (MS) Present: Lipinski (IL) Flood the phones to Arlen Specter, Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins' offices!!!!

D's No! Bright (AL) Griffith (AL) Peterson (MN) Shuler (NC) DeFazio (OR) Minnick (ID) Taylor (MS) Present: Lipinski

Rep. Walt Minnick has introduced his own economic recovery plan, a scaled-back version of the $819 billion stimulus bill he voted against last week. The freshman Idaho Democrat’s $174 billion proposal, titled the Strategic Targeted American Recovery and Transition Act, is intended to spur spending and create jobs immediately, Minnick said.

While President Barack Obama goes on the road to shore up slipping popular support for the $1 trillion stimulus porkfest that he ordered up from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Rep. Walt Minnick, a freshman Democrat from Idaho, is pushing a better idea: The Strategic Targeted American Recovery and Transition Act (START). Minnick is a member of the Blue Dog caucus of occasionally conservative Democcrats. His START plan is a $170 billion “bare bones” pure stimulus approach that would put $100 billion immediately into the pockets of low- and middle-income Americans, then use the other...

BOISE, Idaho — Federal Election Commission regulators are scrutinizing whether Republican U.S. Rep. Bill Sali followed campaign disclosure laws before the May 27 primary that require congressional candidates to disclose large contributions within 48 hours after they receive them. His rival, Democrat Walt Minnick, received a similar request for information earlier this year.

Democratic candidate Walt Minnick leads Republican U.S. Rep. Bill Sali by a seven-to-five margin in one of the most telling polls of Idaho's 1st Congressional District race: a tally of the two rivals' personal firearms. Minnick owns seven guns: three pistols, a .22-caliber rifle, two Remington shotguns and a pellet gun he's used to teach his children to shoot. Sali, who in 2006 helped fight off an Army National Guard effort to restrict shooting in a Snake River raptor preserve, owns two shotguns and three rifles. Now Minnick and Sali are dueling over who would best stick up for 2nd...

Nampa businessman Scott Faris didn't vote for John McCain in the primary and he wasn't excited about his choices in November. But when McCain picked Idaho native Sarah Palin as his vice presidential nominee, Faris became excited. "I'm certainly on board now," Faris said. "I think this brings more Republicans and conservatives out." No Idaho Republican candidate has benefited from Palin's bump more than 1st Congressional District Rep. Bill Sali. Sali's Democratic challenger, Walt Minnick, was raising more money than Sali. And GOP leaders like Gov. Butch Otter were still unhappy about Sali's role in ousting state party Chairman Kirk...

Boot Murtha Rally VIDEO ARCHIVE Oct. 1, 2006 -- Johnstown, PA at the Cambria County War Memorial Arena  David Beamerclick on photo to watch the video: time 14:41 minutes    Craig Minnickclick on photo to watch the video: time 11:14 minutes   Quinn & Roseclick on photo to watch the video: time 14:01 minutes   Harry Beamclick on photo to watch the video: time 8:07 minutes   BootMurtha.com

Johnstown Sunday paper:“Local guys with global mission” “Beam and Minnick – much like Murtha – have deep roots in the region” –Johnstown Tribune-Democrat [EXCERPTS] Why would two guys you had never heard of take on political powerhouse John Murtha? Harry Beam, a Vietnam War veteran, and Craig Minnick, who served in the Persian Gulf, say they are not interested in political debates. The believe that the congressman was wrong to call for a withdrawal of troops from Iraq, and wrong to publicly denounce Marines charged with murdering civilians at Haditha, Iraq. That's why they worked together to organize the "Boot...