Free Republic

Across the land, grindstones sing as axes are sharpened for the RINOs. For years, conservatives have railed against these moderate "Republicans in Name Only," launching primary campaigns against them, pouring money into their opponents' campaign funds, and excluding them from committee chairmanships. But since 2006 the party's pulse has weakened, and the GOP's leaders have decided that nothing is more healthful in such a situation than hacking off a limb or two. That, evidently, is the thinking behind the 10-point test for GOP candidates that was proposed last week by a group of Republican national committee members. If a candidate...

Who is Dede Scozzfava? ... "This is my party, too," she insisted. "There are a lot of moderate people - Republicans, like me - and I'm hearing from an awful lot of them. And I think the Republican Party needs to know if they don't have room for us and they don't want us working with them, we're going to find a way to work against them." She acknowledged that many in the GOP would differ with her support for abortion rights and same-sex marriage. But she maintained that she approached those views from a conservative vantage point - a...

NRCC Dear Supporter, I wanted to take a moment to thank you for your continued support and provide you with a short synopsis of what last night means. Obviously, Virginia and New Jersey now have Republican Governors, but what else can we derive from last night's results in those states and across the country? Below is a short synopsis, but if you would like to read our full memo on what the Virginia results mean, please click here. In VA-02, Democrat Rep. Nye's seat, Governor-elect Bob McDonnell garnered 61.9% of the vote, winning by an impressive 23.8%. Nye is the...

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Former Louisiana Gov. Dave Treen, who became the state's first Republican governor since Reconstruction when he was elected in 1979 but lost a re-election bid to the flamboyant Democrat Edwin Edwards four years later, has died at age 81. Treen's son, David C. Treen Jr., said Treen died early Thursday of complications from a respiratory illness at East Jefferson General Hospital in a New Orleans suburb. Funeral arrangements were not complete.

Never underestimate the stupidity of the Republican Party leadership. In the midst of an attempted power grab of unprecedented proportions by the current Democratic administration that is turning off millions of Americans...as TEA parties and town hall protests against massive government intervention continue to spread...as large percentages of Democrats are recoiling as they find "hope and change" really meant "control and loss of freedom"...the Republican Party has been presented with the chance to saddle this momentum and ride it to power. -snip- -snip-.... astute and prudent Republican leaders would recognize this as an incredible opportunity to field candidates who appeal...

There is a wild three-way race going going on in the 23rd Congressional district in NY State, pitting liberal Republican Dede Scozzafava and Democrat Bill Owens both of whom have been endorsed by ACORN against Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman. This race is quickly becoming a microcosm of the battle of the soul for the Republican Party; Former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, former Senator Rick Santorum, former House Majority Leader Dick Armey, current Minnesota Rep. Michelle Bachmann, former Tennessee Senator and presidential candidate Fred Thompson, and former presidential candidate Steve Forbes have all backed Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman...

Especially in a democratic age, statesmen are careful students of social trends. They know that the art of political leadership can't afford to ignore the science of political demography, even though the former can never be reduced to the latter. Conservatives who seek a revival in their movement must exhibit similar wisdom and closely examine how America has changed since the glory days of President Ronald Reagan, and how those changes pose new challenges to, and may impose new limits on, conservatism today. The conservative ascendancy of the Reagan years centered in the middle class. It wasn't just any middle...

Bush was preparing to give a speech to the annual meeting of the Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC. The conference is the event of the year for conservative activists; Republican politicians are required to appear and offer their praise of the conservative movement. Latimer got the assignment to write Bush's speech. Draft in hand, he and a few other writers met with the president in the Oval Office. Bush was decidedly unenthusiastic. "What is this movement you keep talking about in the speech?" the president asked Latimer. Latimer explained that he meant the conservative movement -- the movement that...

However, first we need to win back our own congressional districts. "Some Conservative Republicans are wondering where the 2010 Conservative revolution will come from, what congressional districts will shift from Democrat to Republican hands, how we can accomplish these goals, and can we overcome the horrific past two congressional cycles? Considering top political gurus all agree with the Democrats could lose dozens House of seats next election, that the American people do not want what the Democrats are selling, and the American people that punished the Republicans for not being Conservative, are doing likewise to far-left Democrats.

Back in February of this year, while reeling from the latest national electoral defeat, the GOP held a series of GOP TEC summits to essentially revamp the GOP web site. One of the speakers that offered the most forward thinking on this subject, in my opinion, was Newt Gingrich. Click here to go to the video of what he said. Please note, while everything Mr. Gingrich said had value, his point about the design of the new GOP website starts at Time: 7:22 and runs to the end of the video.

At our next Republican Convention here in California, the most important vote we take may be the vote to close our primary elections, ensuring that people are Republicans before they can choose who will represent our party on the ballot. Since 1999 when we opened our primaries to those who do not join a party, we have had no noteworthy statewide electoral success from primary-nominated Republicans (our dear Governor Schwarzenegger, remember, bypassed the primary process in the recall of Governor Gray Davis). So the benefits of the open primary have been shown to be minimal. Yet a certain coalition of...

... A demonstration of this misguided mindset by the GOP establishment (both nationally and in Illinois) is illustrated perfectly by the rush to support the Senate candidacy of U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk (R-10th District). Kirk's voting record more closely reflects that of a liberal Democrat... I have been watching the political scene for nearly 20 years and without doubt, I have never seen such a visceral reaction to a Republican candidacy--as is the case with Kirk. In fact, there are a number of web sites and blogs dedicated to exposing Mark Kirk's stand on the issues. The latest effort is...

The political director for the Republican Party of New Mexico quit his post this week after only two months on the job, but not before taking some parting shots at his former employers. Sergio Garcia wrote in his resignation letter, turned in Tuesday night, that "destructive forces" within the state GOP had undermined his credibility and stifled his opinions. "I have come to the realization that the current environment is no longer conducive for moving forward with any strategic plan of positioning the party for the future. I can no longer justify earning a paycheck from our donors for leading...

WASHINGTON — Sen. George Voinovich's comments about the U.S. Senate's southern caucus reverberated in Washington today. But publicly, one of the southerners Voinovich criticized declined to lash back this afternoon. And Voinovich's own campaign finance records show he has had no problem whistling Dixie. The story begins with a conversation the Ohio Republican had with editors from the Columbus Dispatch. When asked about the GOP's biggest problem, Voinovich told the Columbus newspaper: "We got too many Jim DeMints (R-S.C.) and Tom Coburns (R-Ok.). It's the southerners. They get on TV and go 'errrr, errrrr.' People hear them and say, 'These...

By OneVike “The pundits are wrong. Conventional wisdom is wrong. Sarah Palin's decision to step down as Alaska governor was a brilliant move................. The pundits call her a quitter, but let's be honest - the pundits never liked her to begin with. Better to take one hit for stepping down and move on than to stay in Alaska and die a death by a thousand cuts. Willie's World-Willie Brown” Those are the words of one of the most savy politicians in California's history, Willie Brown. Many pundits and politicians have taken Sarah Palon to task for resigning her post as...

After listening to former Vice President Dick Cheney speak out on national security issues these past few days, I am reminded why I am a Republican and why it is absolutely critical the Party rejuvenates after two successive election defeats. Given the state of his health, it is highly unlikely that Cheney will run for president in 2012. But if he did, he would have my unqualified support. He has been spot on with everything he has said and he has not flinched at refuting the obviously false claims, assertions, and accusations coming from the current Administration. Vice President Cheney...

Veterans In Politics Talk Show Introduces Candidate for the Clark County Republican Party Chair LIVE on www.AllTalkRadio.net May 23: Jim Jonas Candidate for the Clark County Republican Party Chairman: "Veterans In Politics" is a weekly radio show produced by the Veterans In Politics International and hosted by Steve Sanson and Co-Hosted by Ronda Baldwin Kennedy. The "Veterans In Politics" show is live every Saturday 2:05 PM Pacific Time you can call in and speak to the guest or/and hosts at (702) 309-6690. Watch the Veterans In Politics Municipal Candidate 2009 Endorsement Interview --For Mayor, City Council, and Municipal Court Judge--For...

Resuscitating the GOP 2: The Brand Posted By Joseph C. Phillips On May 18, 2009 @ 11:44 am In Politics | No Comments “And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.” — Mark 3:25It is both reasonable and fair to ask reformers of the Republican Party - those suggesting that we jettison the right wing and seek the gooey center of American politics — exactly how many of their convictions they are willing to compromise in pursuit of electoral success. It is also fair and reasonable to ask whether the people...

The Republican Party certainly does require a "Big Tent" -- the kind of tent we sometimes see covering a house infested with termites. Unless conservatives can rid the GOP of Democrats hiding out in their midst, the Republican Party can never recover. Liberals are sapping the GOP's strength from within. It now seems that a looming divorce within the GOP has grown inevitable. Unless the Republican Party returns to its conservative principles, a number of conservatives will go on strike. They feel it is no longer acceptable for conservatives to do most of the hard work of winning elections, while...

This past Saturday, Mitch Daniels, the Republican governor of Indiana, delivered a commencement address at Butler University. Unlike nearly every other commencement address you'll read about this spring, Daniels' speech was good--witty, profound, pointed, moving. It was so good, it proved hope remains for the GOP. Daniels began by contrasting the students in his audience with members of his own generation, the baby boomers. "You have taken the first savvy step on the road to distinction, which is to follow a weak act," he said. "As a group, we [baby boomers] have been self-centered, self-absorbed, self-indulgent and all too often...

WASHINGTON (CNN) — Nicolle Wallace, a top adviser to George W. Bush and John McCain’s presidential campaign, is adding a few names to the list of Republicans who might lead the GOP out of the wilderness. Top among them? Actor Gary Sinise. Wallace, writing on The Daily Beast, said she first heard the idea from a fellow Republican. She also named Generals David Petraeus and Ray Odierno.

Republican leaders in Congress have created something called the National Council for a New America (NCNA). It describes itself as "not a Republican-only forum" but one that seeks to "engage people in a discussion to meet common challenges and build a stronger country through common-sense ideas." The expectation--mine, anyway--is those ideas will differ from President Obama's in a way that makes Republicans look fairminded and reasonable. The council's first event at a pizza parlor in Arlington, Virginia, did just that. Mitt Romney and Jeb Bush showed up, media coverage was heavy, and the session was deemed a success. Improving the...

There are optimists within the Republican Party. They look at the wreckage left behind after last year's elections, and recall 1964. That was the year that Barry Goldwater, the Republican nominee for president, was so badly trounced that pundits proclaimed the GOP dead. But it was also the year that a new breed of conservative activists, myself among them, brought a new energy to the party that eventually reshaped it and led to years of Republican domination of the executive branch. The whistle-past-the-graveyard crowd imagines that this year's doomsayers have simply forgotten history: Four years after the 1964 disaster, they...

As you may know, Jeb Bush made some comments recently that suggested that Republicans needed to stop being nostalgic about the past (ie, Ronald Reagan) and move forward. This teed off many conservatives, who believe that our party's failures are the direct result of ignoring everything that Reagan stood for. I couldn't agree more. Yet, Bush has had his defenders the past couple days, who say that he meant no such thing. Mike Devine is having none of this talk, and rips that idea to pieces. You can (and should) read it here. Jeb says of the 2008 campaign: "I...

May 1, 2009 -- Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter’s sudden change from the Republican to the Democratic Party has left Republicans with mixed feelings: rage that he is probably handing the Democrats a filibuster-proof Senate at one of the most critical political junctures in modern times and relief that they’re rid of a RINO (Republican In Name Only) who has often been at odds with the majority of Republicans on crucial issues. George W. Bush’s eight years in the White House, during six of which the Republicans controlled both the House and Senate, were actually not good times for the GOP....

It is a fact provocative of mirth that the Republican Party is on the verge of being rendered irrelevant in the United States Senate by a comedian. Al Franken, formerly of "Saturday Night Live" fame, holds a 312-vote lead in the race to represent Minnesota in the Senate. If that state's supreme court upholds the lead, as seems likely, Franken will be seated sometime this summer as the 60th member on the side that votes Democratic. After that, the Dems can do what they want, unchecked by the threat of filibuster. This would represent a fitting end to the George...

Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. bests controversial conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh in a new national poll about the direction of the Republican Party. The Democratic strategy and polling group Democracy Corps found that more Americans prefer Huntsman's moderate approach to Limbaugh's premise that the GOP must move further to the right, 57 percent to 37 percent, according to Politico.com. As the GOP struggles to recover from last November's loss of the White House, Limbaugh is increasingly being seen as the party's leader. He was cheered at the recent annual meeting of the national Conservative Political Action Committee for...

We now know that the Obama administration’s attacks on Rush Limbaugh are part of a plan hatched when Democrats in the media huddled with Obama officials last fall to find ways to divide the Republican Party. So much for change in politics. The revelation of Obama’s cynical plan must be sobering to those who bought Obama’s campaign rhetoric about post-partisanship and transcending the ugly politics of the past. It is highly unusual for the White House to engage individual personalities directly. I can’t recall any other president engaging in a coordinated attack on one of the few dissenting voices in...

Conservatives Must Step Up to the Plate Jerry McConnell I just read a blog, written by Eric Florack of PajamasMedia.com, in which he details a lot of the mixed feelings on the Republican Party that surfaced at the CPAC conference held last weekend. [...]I believe and understand as they do that conservatism is just about everything a socialist, liberal Democrat is not, such as: Pro-life; Pro-freedom; Pro-USA; Pro-Christian; Pro-Israel; Pro-family; Pro-traditional marriage; Pro-free market capitalism; Pro-war-on-terror and war on Islamofascism and terror in the Middle East and everywhere; Pro-military and Pro providing the necessary equipment to monitor our known enemies...

Here is video of Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele on The Today Show this morning, where he talked with Matt Lauer about the controversy with Rush Limbaugh. In the interview, Steele refused to say he agreed with Rush Limbaugh that he wants President Barack Obama to "fail." Lauer even tossed Steele something of a softball by asking him if he as a conservative wanted the policies of Barack Obama to fail. Again, Steele refused to say he does, instead using the line that it is his job to listen to all the different opinions on the issues and craft...

Kathryn, in all the Rush-bashing, I was more disturbed by Michael Steele's wretched performance. His initial reaction — that Rush's show is "incendiary" and "ugly" — revealed: a) that he never listens to it; b) that he takes his cues from the mainstream media, for whom Rush is invariably "angry". They don't listen either. Rush is a lot of things, but "angry" isn't one of them. If you catch him for 20 minutes, you know he's full of fun, laughing it up, having a grand old time. There are a lot of angry talkshow hosts out there bellowing at the...

Pennsylvania Republican Committee Chairman Robert Gleason Jr. said in an interview today that the state party may not support Sen. Arlen Specter in the Republican primary next year -- a day after his national counterpart suggested that GOP supporters of the economic stimulus bill could take a hit in upcoming elections. "Of course, anything is a possibility," Gleason told The Morning Call. "It is up to the committeemen and committeewomen [next February]. … But the headline should not read that the state party is not going to endorse him. He certainly could be endorsed."Gleason said that -- right now --...

Submit Your Idea to the GOP TechSummit Working Group The GOP TechSummit Grassroots Working Group was formed to determine how to best reach out to the ordinary people of the nation who comprise the main potential body of the Republican Party. The Working Group is open to participation by all and is currently soliciting ideas from the grassroots on how to connect citizens to the GOP at the individual level. The group will then filter those ideas through appropriate subcommittees headed by teams with expertise in each given area. Ultimately, the Working Group will prepare a comprehensive plan for grassroots...

The Republican party is in danger of having a weak response to the economic stimulus package which includes a lot of useless funding for worthless projects that will not help the economy. Republicans are taking action by calling and writing letters to their senators. The pork-barrel involved in this bill will probably weaken support by not just Republicans but even Democrats for the bill. Even liberals agree there is too much spending going on. Didn't Obama just campaign about too much debt being bad?

In the summer of 2006, as Republican fortunes dimmed, one of the party's star Senate candidates sat down with reporters for an off-the-record lunch. Dana Milbank of The Washington Post recorded the unusually frank conversation for posterity. Far from towing the party line, the candidate blasted the Bush White House for its failures in Iraq and in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. When asked if he'd want President Bush to campaign with him, the mystery man said, "To be honest with you, probably not." As for the Congressional GOP, the candidate was harsher still. The party's most profound failure was,...

Just as soon as South Carolina Republican Party Chairman Katon Dawson announces that he’s running to chair the national party, a story is disseminated by his opponents (note: fellow Republicans) referring to his recent membership in a whites-only country club. Dawson left the club in August, days before he first suggested that he might be looking to the national stage. As usual, the story says more about backwards South Carolina than it does about Dawson. My absolute favorite part is where the reporter and some pundits do a little guessing on the reason for his separation from the club. “It’s...

Michael Steele the Lt. Governor of Maryland, has won the RNC Chairmanship. This means a new era for Republicans. Michael Steele will bring new communication skills, better use of the internet, openness, new ideas, and transparency to the Republican party that will create the dawn of Republican 2.0s. With an amazing educational background and diverse experiences, Michael Steele is the perfect chairman to reform the Republican Party for victory in 2010 and 2012.

The top Republican in the Senate is warning that the GOP risks remaining in the minority unless it does a better job of explaining its core principles to woo one-time faithful and new loyalists. "Every so often, there comes a time when a political party has to re-examine itself. For Republicans, now is such a time," Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., says in remarks prepared for delivery later Thursday. "For some, the work might seem daunting. It shouldn't - because there are signs that a revival is already taking place." In excerpts obtained by the Associated Press, McConnell doesn't elaborate on...

Rudy Giuliani analyzes the reason the Republican party is losing in recent years and what it can do to enlarge it's base. Stressing the importance of big tent politics and under-emphasizing social issues. In any case, the economy is the main reason McCain lost, but other social issues have also created a bad stereotype of Republicans in general.

Time for a revolt? Yes, it is. It is actually long past due for one, and now is the time to start. "The two enemies of the people are criminals and government, so let us tie the second down with the chains of the constitution so the second will not become the legalized version of the first." Thomas Jefferson All over the country Republicans have been losing elections, from here in New York to the National elections. Why? Simple, they have lost their way and have strayed so far from their base no one wants to support them or vote...

Veterans In Politics Talk Show Introduces Chuck Muth LIVE on www.AllTalkRadio.net January 10: Chuck Muth President/CEO of Citizen Outreach and Political Consultant: "Veterans In Politics" is a weekly radio show produced by the Veterans In Politics International and hosted by Steve Sanson and Co-Hosted by Jilrean "Sage" Bocook. The "Veterans In Politics" show is live every Saturday 2:05 PM Pacific Time you can call in and speak to the guest or/and hosts at (702) 942-7371.

Conservatism needs a fresh start. It is losing arguments ... and it is losing elections. One person, more than any other (even more than John McCain), has caused this: President George W. Bush. Conservatives have not been winning arguments -- or elections -- by defending President Bush and his record. We have been, repeatedly, thumped rhetorically and electorally in our efforts to support his policies. It is time for conservatives to move on.

Election night was a bittersweet night for me. Like most Americans, and especially as an African American, I found it deeply moving to watch President-elect Barack Obama and his family -- soon to be our nation's first African American first family -- stride onstage for his victory speech. I welcome the positive role models they'll present to black families and the American public at large. {Snip} With those words Reeves expressed what many of us have felt over the years -- and felt again during the recent campaign as we listened to racially coded Republican ads and speeches aimed at...

Over the last 8 years, did George W. Bush help or hurt our party? We did see 2 electoral wins, and the first majority win since his dad trounced Dukakis. He helped keep a Democrat out of the White House for 8 years, and stave off out and out John Kerry liberalism, who is probably more liberal than Barack Hussein Obama. however, we got trounced pretty badly on November 4, all across the board, even in Governor's mansions, where Dems managed to do well in 2002. The Dems ranks grew over the '90's, going from 43% of the vote steadily...

RUSH: Today we start with Jerry in Phoenix. Nice to have you on the EIB Network. Hello. CALLER: It's great talking with you, Rush. How are you today? RUSH: Thank you, sir. CALLER: All right. Really fast, I noticed that the Democrats were saying how we should all be unified and -- and get away from the rancor (garbled) Bush, but I noticed that the gay activists in California, they lost. Why aren't they gracious? They've been all angry, full of rage and protesting and knocking off ladies' crosses. Well, why shouldn't we be like them? RUSH: Well, answer the...

RUSH: Ladies and gentlemen, Chuck Hagel, who has made the decision to retire from the United States Senate, a Republican Senator from Nebraska, has taken on the leader of the conservative movement. HAGEL: Every country out there has their know-nothing party. And of course we're much educated by the great entertainers like Rush Limbaugh and others. I wish those people would run for office. They have so much to contribute and so much leadership, and they have an answer for everything, and they'd be elected overwhelmingly if Rush would run for anything or any of those people. They love just...

As Republicans sort out the reasons for their defeat, they likely will overlook or dismiss the gorilla in the pulpit. Three little letters, great big problem: G-O-D. I'm bathing in holy water as I type. To be more specific, the evangelical, right-wing, oogedy-boogedy branch of the GOP is what ails the erstwhile conservative party and will continue to afflict and marginalize its constituents if reckoning doesn't soon cometh. Simply put: Armband religion is killing the Republican Party. And, the truth -- as long as we're setting ourselves free -- is that if one were to eavesdrop on private conversations among...

If someone had told me last year that, come the fall of 2008, I would be praying for John McCain to become the next President Of The United States, I would have had three words for him – seek psychiatric help. (McCain is my kind of Republican the way “rap” is my kind of music.) But, in the last four months of the campaign, that’s exactly what I was doing – praying for a McCain victory -- – not because McCain is so good (any resemblance between the Arizona Senator and a conservative is purely coincidental), but because I would...

Karl Rove offered comforting words to grieving Republicans in an article published Thursday: “History will favor Republicans in 2010. Since World War II, the out-party has gained an average of 23 seats in the U.S. House and two in the U.S. Senate in a new president’s first mid-term election. Other than FDR and George W. Bush, no president has gained seats in his first mid-term election in both chambers.” Conservatives can only hope so. Early indications, however, point ominously the other way. Like the economy, the Republican party will most likely get sicker before it gets better. There are at...

BY now you've probably heard: The GOP is becoming too regional, too white, too old to compete nationally. Democrats look like the cast of "Rent," while Republicans look like diehard fans of "Matlock" and "Murder, She Wrote." Fine. The GOP needs to win over more Hispanics, young people, suburban women. That sounds plausible. But what does "win over" mean? To listen to many pundits, it means Republicans must become Democrats. The GOP has become too socially conservative, and if it wants to win the support of mainstream voters, it will need to become more socially liberal. If only the party...