Free Republic

“Ryan’s work in the ’90’s helped add another 10 million immigrants to the U.S.,” says Numbers USA President Roy Beck. As establishment GOPe and Media cohorts continue to push for Paul Ryan’s coronation as Speaker, web rumors suggest he too may lack the numbers he needs to ascend the throne. (If he really wants the job at all!) A little publicized video of Ryan’s collaboration with Democrat Rep. Luis Gutierrez shows just how enmeshed the WI budget wonk is with the Open Borders crowd in Congress. “In the wide-ranging 53 minute video which took place in Chicago, both Guiterrez and...

On Tuesday, I surprised some of my progressive friends by calling Congressman Paul Ryan “reasonable.” After I made my comments, my office was contacted by a number of progressive allies and fellow Democrats demanding to know why I would ever say nice things about a man who is launching the most sustained and aggressive attack on Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security in recent history. The reason is simple: Democrats need responsible Republican negotiating partners if, together, we are going to avoid the twin challenges facing us in the coming weeks: avoiding the first-ever default of the full faith and credit...

When the Tea Party kicked off in 2009, many previously disengaged citizens flooded the political process. They brought a wave of energy which eventually crashed against the rocks of political reality. As one of those citizen activists who traded a pitchfolk for a voter registration card, the subsequent elections and legislative sessions have taught me an important lesson. Anger and volume do not equal votes, and votes are all that matters.That’s a lesson too many have yet to learn. For years, activists have pined for the ouster of John Boehner from his position as Speaker of the House. Now that...

One of the most shocking upsets in 2014 was the primary defeat of the powerful Republican Majority Leader Eric Cantor by tea party candidate David Brat. Brat was an underfunded unknown economics professor and yet battled successfully against Cantor's multi-million dollar campaign for reelection to Congress. His young campaign managers, Gray Delany and Zach Werrell, have written a great book released this week titled How to Bag A RINO.

While normal Americans go about their business, the political world is anxiously awaiting two men to decide if they want to lead. Vice President Joe Biden and U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wisc., debated one another in 2012, but now they seem to be playing a game of indifference when it comes to their political futures. I’m writing this on Tuesday night, so anything could happen by the time you see this, but given their reluctance or inability to make a decision, I might be better served to wait until next week to run this. Biden has wanted to be president...

Conservatives would be nowhere without him. Now they need to back him. Case closed. (UPDATE: On Wednesday evening, the Freedom Caucus announced that a “supermajority” of its members support Paul Ryan for Speaker. While they did not reach the 80 percent threshold of the caucus members needed to issue a formal endorsement, this is, as Rep. Ryan put it, “a positive step toward a unified Republican team.” Ryan’s becoming speaker is still no sure thing, though more likely than it was Wednesday morning. Some Freedom Caucus members seem hesitant to switch their endorsement from Rep. Daniel “Not the Dictionary Guy”...

When Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., withdrew from the race for speaker of the House, some people wondered whether it signaled the approaching death of the Republican Party. It was indeed a potent moment, for the majority leader, backed by a massive majority of his congressional party colleagues, was derailed by an intransigent and habitually disruptive minority. Yet the exit of McCarthy may end up being the party's lifeline. For Republicans now have the opportunity instead to elect Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., who is both less inclined to seek power and, we think, more likely to use it effectively. GOP...

A strong majority of anti-establishment conservatives in the House Freedom Caucus voted on Wednesday night to support Representative Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin for House speaker, assuring that he will have the votes to secure the post next week and averting a leadership crisis for Republicans. Mr. Ryan indicated that he was prepared to seize the gavel and try to bring unity to his party, which has been riven over how House leaders exert authority over members. That fight had become so bitter that it forced the resignation of Speaker John A. Boehner and derailed the candidacy of the majority...

The House Freedom Caucus will not endorse Rep. Paul Ryan for speaker, but its leaders say a "super-majority" of the group will support the Wisconsin Republican's candidacy should he decide to continue his bid. Freedom Caucus rules require 80 percent of members to issue an endorsement. Ryan has said he would not seek the speakership without the backing of all of the major caucuses in the Republican Conference. It's not clear whether this will suffice. "We tried to reach a consensus but we were not able to reach the 80 percent threshold," said Freedom Caucus board member Raul Labrador of...

Watch the video of the interview. On "The O'Reilly Factor tonight, Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz reacted to reports that former President George W. Bush doesn't like him. At a closed door fundraiser for his brother Jeb Bush Sunday, Bush said he does "not like that guy," referring to Cruz, according to reports. Cruz told Bill O'Reilly that he likes and respects President Bush, and he isn't surprised that Bush is supporting his brother's campaign. "He's attacking the candidates that they see as a threat to that campaign," Cruz suggested. Cruz added that he met his wife while working for...

A super majority of the House Freedom Caucus has voted to support Paul Ryan's bid to be the next Speaker of the House.

Just reported at the end of the show, the house conservatives have voted to support him. The fix is in.

...Ryan is making no promises to do anything to advance a conservative agenda. He is demanding a Mafioso-style loyalty oath to his moderate agenda. He has promised nothing, nothing at all to advance the conservative cause. No wonder he has an “F” conservative rating. He’s demanding conservatives support him. No wonder Obama and Reid and Pelosi like him....

RUSH: Okay, now, I mentioned to you that Nancy Pelosi had offered to help the Republicans choose their next Speaker, right? And now you're telling me that Harry Reid has endorsed Paul Ryan? Did you see that? Harry Reid's endorsed Paul Ryan. Paul Ryan says (paraphrasing), "I'll do it, but I have to be unanimously elected. I am not traveling on weekends, I stay with my family. And you gotta get rid of that provision that Thomas Jefferson wrote that can recall the Speaker. If you do all that, I might think about doing it." And the Democrats are right...

Do WE work for these snotty Limo closet democrats or are we going to make them work us?

And they're completely reasonable. I know there’s no getting through to those of you who think Paul Ryan is a RINO!!!!! because he’s made deals with Democrats in a divided Congress. Anyone with a governing record is going to have things like that in his or her history, and if you don’t understand that then I don’t know what to tell you - except that you’re going to spend your entire life shrieking that no one is acceptable to you and everyone who’s ever done anything but talk is a sellout. So I’ll just let you shriek and try to...

Paul Ryan is a very arrogant man. People who run for Speaker have to campaign to get support. They try to appeal to members with promises do things. Not Paul Ryan. He doesn't want to campaign for the post, he wants to be coronated like a king, and wants his subjects to obey his conditions before he will graciously accept the throne. 1) He wants to change the rule that allowed conservatives to get rid of Boehner, making it impossible for a member to declare the speaker's chair vacant and challenge the Speaker. This would allow Ryan to continue Boehner's...

Paul Ryan's conditional run for speaker is fell flat with at least one key conservative Tuesday night, who said his candidate remains Rep. Daniel Webster, a member who is pledging to end the "top down" leadership approach. Rep. Tim Huelskamp, R-Kan., head of the House Tea Party Caucus, called Ryan's conditions for becoming the next speaker "entirely unreasonable." Those conditions include a request that the House eliminate a rule that allows a member to seek a vote to oust the speaker. That provision is part of the original rules of the House, authored by Thomas Jefferson. "No other speaker I...

As the donor class continues to push for a Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) Speakership, conservative activists have renewed their scrutiny of Ryan’s support for a radical Republican policy of open borders. Breitbart News has discovered yet another little-noticed video in which Ryan articulates his commitment to immigration policies that would dissolve America’s sovereignty. The video, uploaded by the Journal Times, shows Ryan at a July 2013 bilingual Hispanic Listening Session in Racine, Wisconsin. At the meeting, Paul Ryan told a predominantly Hispanic audience that the job of a U.S. lawmaker is to put oneself in the shoes of foreign nationals...

Good grief, Paul Ryan is a one man soap opera. First he doesn’t want it. Then he still doesn’t want it. Then he kinda, sorta, maybe wants it. Then he does not want it again. How many weeks into the saga of Ryan are we? Now, if only they will hand him the laurel crown he will take the burden begrudgingly, but they must be unanimous, fawning, and accommodating to the Princeps Ryan, our Immortal Beloved. Good grief. There are houses full of sorority sisters on great campuses within the SEC who have less drama within them than Paul Ryan...