Free Republic

Doug Hoffman didn’t have a chance to make his case to Republican voters in a primary in New York’s 23rd Congressional District. That’s because the local GOP establishment chose its candidate behind closed doors, in a formerly smoke-filled room. The Republican grass roots never had a chance to choose among qualified candidates.

In a Daily Beast op-ed the former Bush speech writer says Sarah Palin is still the class of the 2012 field, and she's not going away anytime soon. Why? Because the rank and file are fed up with the establishment Republicans who have almost drained all of the "Grand" out of the Grand Old party, and they see Palin as the cure for the disease they carry. A few excerpts: The latest news in Washington is that the conservative Minnesota governor (and potential 2012 presidential contender) has caught the eye of the city’s top Republican gurus. You remember them. The...

Cited on a variety of Internet shops like The AtlanticWire, Newser and Lara Ebke’s Red State Eclectic yesterday was a quote from Matt Lewis, writer, blogger and commentator from Alexandria, Va. He writes in Politics Daily: “If recent elections are any guide, the Republicans' heads will tell them to choose Mitt Romney. Their hearts whisper something else. Is ‘Sarah’ the name of this siren song?” W. McCahill at Newser says: “No matter what kind of gains Republicans make in the midterm elections next year, it’s going to be tough to unseat President Obama — and that’s why the GOP is...

The 2010 will be the most important midterm election in the history of our nation.   The coalition necessary to vote out of office those members of Congress who are supporting President Obama's effort to turn the country into a socialist utopia is still fractured and pursuing individual agendas. It is part of the Democratic Party strategy to keep the electorate divided and at odds with each other. In today's world of sound bites and miniscule attention spans, a simple sentence -- "There isn't a bit of difference between Republicans and Democrats" -- has become embedded in the nation's lexicon and...

Be afraid, be very afraid of John McCain's presidential campaign manager, Steve Schmidt who has been bashing conservative talk radio, and Christians, along with Sarah Palin ever since 2008. Despite his Mr. Clean looks, I felt like taking a shower after hearing only a few minutes of his monotonous speech on CSPAN TV last week. No wonder the honorable John McCain lost the presidency, having been handled by a guy who began his political career by helping Bill Bradley, was complimented by the NY Times, honors the Log Cabin Republicans (I don't want to know what they do with their...

The current Health Care Reform (HCR) plans channeling through the halls of Congress will go into affect only in ’13; will cover only 94% of the legal population (up from the 87%-90% that are already covered), and will rely heavily on tax increase. The Republicans (can) have a cheaper plan that can be operational by next year, and cover EVERY American that chooses to be covered, all this if Republicans want to go with this one. Here is the plan (some parts of which that are already being considered in Congress and others already written about). it’s long, but worth...

Club for Growth and Club for Growth PAC will launch a $300,000 television ad campaign tomorrow in the special election for New York's 23rd Congressional District. The campaign follows the Club for Growth PAC's Sept. 28 endorsement of Doug Hoffman, a Republican running on the Conservative ticket, over liberal Republican Dede Scozzafava and Democrat Bill Owens. (See the video of their ad after the jump.)

Conservative candidate for U.S. Congress Doug Hoffman (NY-23), in the November 3 special election, points out that Republican Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava was on "Working Families Party" during "two of the last elections, the ticket supported by ACORN." Mr. Hoffman asks, "How can you be a Republican and be on that party line with Barack Obama?" He adds, "Her biggest supporter online is Kos." 'Kos' being Daily Kos founder Markos Moulitsas. On October 1, 2009, Kos wrote: "So who to root for? A Blue Dog who would strengthen the Democrats' corporatist faction, or a Republican version of a Lieberdem, who will...

All eyes, for now, are focused on the gubernatorial elections in Virginia and New Jersey. Will those races be referenda on Obama and the Democrats? Yes, to some extent they will. If Republican candidates win those two races, that reflects upon the Democratic Party and its national leader. But off the national media radar, there are plenty of other smaller elections -- special elections for state legislative seats -- which already show serious political problems for the Democrats. The following list shows: (1) a particular state legislative seat which has held a special election in 2009; for example, the first...

Politicians of any political stripe are more concerned with their political survival than with what is best for their country, their community, or even their constituents. All too often it boils down to a sorry choice of who is the least evil, rather than who is best. Elected officials should remember that contrary to their skewed understanding, winning the elections does not absolve being answerable to those who elected them. Unfortunately few politicians have any shame, fewer have any principles, and fewer still will stand up to defend them. The electorate has to remember to make the elected officials truly...

Now that the Senate Finance Committee has approved its health care bill, it’s a good time to step back and take a look at the long term consequences should its provisions be enacted into law. The bill prohibits insurance companies from refusing coverage to people with pre-existing conditions and from charging sick people higher premiums. [1] It attempts to offset the costs this will impose on insurance companies by requiring everyone to purchase coverage, which in theory would expand the pool of paying policy holders. However, the maximum fine for those who refuse to purchase health insurance is $750. [2]...

Now that the Senate Finance Committee has approved its health care bill, it’s a good time to step back and take a look at the long term consequences should its provisions be enacted into law. The bill prohibits insurance companies from refusing coverage to people with pre-existing conditions and from charging sick people higher premiums. [1] It attempts to offset the costs this will impose on insurance companies by requiring everyone to purchase coverage, which in theory would expand the pool of paying policy holders. However, the maximum fine for those who refuse to purchase health insurance is $750. [2]...

Levi Hill for the News Sun---Hobbs--The nation is facing an energy crisis where rolling blackouts, gas hoarding and high energy prices will become everyday occurrences. That was the message Tuesday from former Shell Oil Co. President John Hofmeister during a one-hour talk titled “Affordable Energy in the 21st Century: Enablers and Disablers” at Tydings Auditorium.

What's Glenn Beck Up To? Something Big, He Says Hey -- we like conspiracies too! Here's one, with some fact attached to it: conservative media icon Glenn Beck is planning something big -- very big -- for 2010. On his radio show yesterday, Beck alluded to a major nationwide mobilization project of some kind that he and some colleagues will soon announce. "If you think the 9/12 project was something...you ain't seen nothing yet," he said (roughly -- I didn't have a pen handy when he uttered this). Beck's 9/12 project brought tens of thousands of his ideological compatriots to...

Republican-turned-Democratic Senator Arlen Specter trails potential GOP challenger Pat Toomey by five points in an early look at Pennsylvania's 2010 Senate race. But another Democrat, Joe Sestak, runs dead-even with the likely Republican candidate. The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Pennsylvania voters shows 45% would vote for Toomey if the election were held today. Forty percent (40%) would vote for Specter, while six percent (6%) prefer a third option. Nine percent (9%) are undecided. If Sestak wins the Democratic nomination, however, the race is a toss-up: 38% for Sestak and 37% for Toomey. In August, Sestak trailed Specter by...

I would like to extend warm birthday wishes to Margaret Thatcher today. Baroness Thatcher continues to remain a role model to many people, particularly women, around the world. Her career is a collection of "firsts." She was the youngest female Conservative Party member to stand for election in history, she was the first woman to hold the title Leader of the Opposition, and she was the first woman to become Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. As Prime Minister, she took an active role in defending economic freedom and democratic ideals. Her push to privatize British industry and lower tax...

The more things change, the more they stay the same. When political times get tough for liberal Democrats in Washington, conservative conspiracies are the bogeymen of choice. Back in 1998 when things got tough for Bill Clinton, Hillary declared that there was a “vast right-wing conspiracy” looking to bring her husband down. Other Democrats where quick to pick up the mantra and do anything they could to discredit those who criticized Clinton. Now here we are eleven years later and, (although there are no chubby interns involved), we have another liberal President facing hard times. So out pop the conspiracy...

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine said Tuesday that she'd support a sweeping Senate Finance Committee bill overhauling the U.S. health-care industry, giving Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., a sought-after Republican vote on President Barack Obama's top domestic priority. In highly anticipated comments on the $829 billion, 10-year bill, Snowe said the bill wasn't all she wanted. "Far from it," she told fellow senators during what is likely to be the committee's last work session on Baucus's bill. "But when history calls, history calls, and I happen to think that the consequences of inaction dictate the urgency of Congress...

"His diplomacy is founded in the concept that those who are to lead the world must do so on the basis of values and attitudes that are shared by the majority of the world's population." - Nobel Peace Prize Committee of the Norwegian Parliament announcing the award to Barack Obama of the 2009 Nobel Prize for Peace. It's not about Barack Obama. It's about the United States of America and its role in history and in the world. The unambiguous message of the Nobel Peace Prize Committee of the Storting, Norway's parliament, is candidly stated in the public announcement of...

Many times, I feel that there is a vital need to bring certain subjects and ideas down to earth for detailed examination. Too many times, there are fundamental truths that people either skew, or demonize to a point that its roots are almost unidentifiable. They do this because they do not want people like you and me to be aware of the powers and rights we actually have. If we the people are unaware of our rights and powers and are completely ignorant of our civic duty to maintain these fundamental truths, then it will be easier to trick us...

A major new report confirms the worst fears of many: Health care reform will raise the costs for most Americans—by about 18% on average. That is on top of existing inflation of health coverage. Once the plan is fully phased-in (by 2019), a typical family of four would pay an extra $4,000 each year. When combined with existing inflation, costs would rise from today’s $12,300 annual average to $25,900. Of that 111% increase, $9,600 is due to existing factors uncorrected by the legislation, and $4,000 due to additional costs created by the legislation. For single persons, the differential is projected...

Obama White House to 60,000,000 Anglers: We Don't Need You Obama White House takes on 60,000,000 American anglers. (Hawaii Leisure) A recently released White House document could result in the closures of sport fishing in salt and freshwater areas.Shimano reported: Feds to 60 Million American Anglers: We don't need you A recently published administration document outlines a structure that could result in closures of sport fishing in salt and freshwater areas across America. The White House created an Interagency Oceans Policy Task Force in June and gave them only 90 days to develop a comprehensive federal policy for all U.S....

Just when you thought things couldn't possibly get any worse (from The Times)... The Obama administration is considering outbidding the Taliban to persuade Afghan villagers to lay down arms as it struggles to find a new approach to a war that is fast losing public and congressional support. Didn't we send troops to Afghanistan to fight the Taliban? Now the Obama administration is wanting to legitimize yet another terrorist group: Apart from training more Afghan troops, the focus has shifted to accepting a political role for the Taliban, while also trying to weaken them by winning some over. Once again,...

Dozens Rally Against NJ School's Obama Song BURLINGTON TOWNSHIP, N.J. (CBS) ― About 70 protesters let their voices be heard outside a school in New Jersey where students sang praise of President Barack Obama. Members of anti-tax Tea Party groups and others joined outside B. Bernice Young School in Burlington Township Monday to denounce what they believe was political indoctrination of students. The school houses children in kindergarten through second grade. The school began getting attention from conservative commentators last month after a video surfaced of a group of second-graders singing a song that praised Obama last school year. Protesters...

I've always believed in the existence of monsters. During my 20 years as a cop in NYC, I met quite a few of them, many of whom may still be doing time in prisons around the country. However, they were the garden-variety type of monsters; murderers, rapists, armed robbers and other assorted thugs. But there's another, even lower, level of criminal that exists in communities all across America, even in some of our churches. The creature I'm referring to is the pedophile. A few years ago, I received a 6-page letter in the mail from a woman in East Cambridge,...

This sounds safe... Obama's Safe Schools Czar Kevin Jennings wrote that killing someone who called you a name was not aberrant behavior. Oh really? Verum Serum discovered this article by Obama's Safe Schools Czar Kevin Jennings in 1998: We need to own up to the fact that our culture teaches boys that being “a man” is the most important thing in life, even if you have to kill someone to prove it. Killing someone who calls you a faggot is not aberrant behavior but merely the most extreme expression of a belief that is beaten (sometimes literally) into boys at...

Last year's Republican nominee for president predicted that Sarah Palin will remain a "formidable force" in the GOP, despite criticisms that his vice presidential choice lacked the substance and policy knowledge needed for national office. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union" he is still very fond of the former Alaska governor, whom he chose as his running mate for the Republican ticket in 2008. He said that there is a strong field of Republicans considering the 2012 presidential race and that "Sarah is one of them." McCain acknowledged that "there were clearly tensions" between...

While the energy of the anti-tax and anti-Big Government tea party movement may yet haunt Democrats in 2010, the first order of business appears to be remaking the Republican Party.

Sen. Lindsey Graham working with Sen. John Kerry on climate bill Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina publicly announced his support for climate legislation on Sunday in an op-ed column with Democratic Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts. "Our partnership represents a fresh attempt to find consensus that adheres to our core principles and leads to both a climate change solution and energy independence," the two senators wrote in The New York Times. "It begins now, not months from now — with a road to 60 votes in the Senate." Graham's support is a major win for climate supporters, who...

WASHINGTON (AFP) – US President Barack Obama on Saturday praised Republicans who expressed support for his health care reform, saying it was time for Congress to "rise above" political posturing and pass his proposals. "That is the spirit of national purpose that we must summon right now," Obama said in his weekly radio address. "Now is the time to rise above the politics of the moment," he continued. "Now is the time to come together as Americans." The president noted that this past week Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger of California and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg came out in support...

The House of Representatives is expected to vote Friday on the massive economic stimulus plan. All of the Republican members of Minnesota's Congressional delegation say they plan to vote against the bill. St. Paul, Minn. — The members of Congress who represent Minnesotans are spilt largely along party lines on the tax cuts and new spending in the $789 billion economic stimulus package. Republicans John Kline, Michele Bachmann and Erik Paulsen plan to cast no votes. "We hear about fantasy football games. This is fantasy economics," Bachmann said. Bachmann, who represents the 6th District, said the plan spends far too...

The House is inching closer to voting on a comprehensive health-care bill, even as the chamber appears so divided that the measure may not attract a single Republican supporter. The final vote, likely in late October, is impossible to predict, but lawmakers and aides from both parties said this week that there is a strong chance the GOP will be unanimous in its opposition. Such a result would mark the second time -- the first came on the economic stimulus package in February -- that the entire House minority rejected one of President Obama's top domestic initiatives.

However, if your eyes have been opened to the battle being waged for the future of this country, a good laugh has probably been the furthest thing from your mind - and this sentiment I understand. With that said, I firmly believe that those of us caught up in the turmoil of today may be withholding one of the most powerful tools for the ultimate victory of conservative values and the survival of the nation. So, for humor’s sake, please humor me as I recount a story from the plains that will have applicability to not only politics but to...

Like most young conservatives, I find myself very concerned about the way the country is going. It really kicked in hard for me in the middle of 2006, when it became very clear Iraq was going south. Obviously I didn’t expect the blowout in 2008 back then.... Since November, many liberals and Democrats have declared the Republican Party dead -- and one could find reasons to agree with them, starting with the clear minority support for President Obama and Democrats and ending with Representative Joe Wilson’s public relations disaster yell of, “You lie!”. I, however, have great hope for Republicans.......

She's poised to become the best-selling author in the United States, has a devoted base of conservative supporters and is considered a front-runner to lead the Republicans into the next election in 2012 - and yet key party strategists are tormented by the popularity of Sarah Palin. The very notion of a Palin candidacy has been derided in recent days by some of the brightest minds in the Republican party even as the former governor of Alaska outlines her policies on Afghanistan, energy and other issues of national importance. "Were she to be the nominee, we could have a catastrophic...

Castle Rock, CO In the 1930's, labor unions got legitimacy. Under the Roosevelt administration, labor unions got protection and the ability to organize industrial laborers. The Unions then represented workers who made things. The United Auto Workers, Mineworkers, Steelworkers, etc. It was good to be a Union boss. Now we are in the 21st century and so many U.S. manufacturing jobs have disappeared. Unions have seen their membership shrink as the reason for their existence has withered on the vine. Union bosses have a good rich life, paid for by the dues of their workers. So the bosses made the...

Talk about Cheating. John Boehner announced today that after the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee passed their version of the Obamacare bill, the the Democrats added 70 substantive amendments to the bill without voting on it, and without telling the minority members. WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) today expressed outrage after learning that Senate Democratic leaders quietly made more than 70 substantive changes to the text of a health care bill after the legislation was voted on and passed by the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) Committee. The changes were made without...

Two days ago, British newspaper The Independent reported that a secret cabal of oil-producing Arab states, Russia, and China had conspired to dump the dollar for oil trading, a move which would have seriously weakened our currency and influence abroad. Many publications picked up on this report, written by the notoriously unreliable Robert Fisk, and a round of denials promptly appeared from the named states. Left unexplained by Fisk and the Independent was how these same states, with massive holdings in the dollar (especially China), would benefit in the short or long term by attacking it. However, it once again...

ACORN wants people to register to vote – as long as they’re Democrats. Republican registrations go into the trash. Here is a first-hand account of how it happens. In February 2008, Fathiyyah Muhammad of Jacksonville, Florida, heard that ACORN was paying people three dollars for each voter they could register. ACORN paid her three dollars for each voter she registered, but Fatiyyah Muhammad says that the group threw out her votes and fired her when she brought them registrations of Republican voters. Fathiyyah Muhammad voted for Obama. “I’m a Republican,” she says, “and this was the first time that I...

The White House is working overtime to create the impression of momentum on their flawed approach to health care and the mainstream media has been parroting this line while ignoring significant reservations from Democrats and Republicans alike.

The British newspaper The Independent reported today that Gulf oil producers were negotiating with Russia, China, Japan and France to replace the dollar in pricing oil with a basket of currencies.[1] According to the Wall Street Journal, Arab oil officials have denied the story, but even the possibility of such a talk weakens the dollar and renews fears about its continued viability as an international reserve currency.[2] In fact, today a United Nations official called for a new global reserve currency to replace the dollar and end our “privilege” to run up huge deficits.[3] We can see the effect of...

When your name is Creigh Deeds, your opposition is going to be awfully tempted to use the AC/DC song. When you run a negative campaign, you kind of invite it. When Rep. Jim Moran, a Democrat (and brother of one of Deeds's primary rivals), starts telling the press that his campaign is too negative, and that, "he's got to give people a reason to vote for Creigh" . . . well, the temptation is overwhelming. Ladies and gentlemen, the Republican Party of Virginia fills a need:

For two years as a candidate, Senator Obama called for more resources for the war in Afghanistan and warned about the consequences of failure. As President, he announced a comprehensive new counterinsurgency strategy and handpicked the right general to execute it. Now General McChrystal is asking for additional troops to implement the strategy announced by President Obama in March. Hundreds of thousands of Americans have sons, daughters, fathers, mothers, sisters and brothers in harm's way in Afghanistan right now. We owe it to all those brave Americans serving in uniform to give them the tools they need to complete their...

High school teacher keeps job after handing out pornographic 'banned book' - A father of a high-school student is infuriated after he said a teacher provided "banned books" to her 11th-grade students, including at least one with explicit descriptions of homosexual sex acts, rape, masturbation, profane language and even bestiality. John Davis, father of an 11th-grade student at William Byrd High School in Vinton, Va., told WND that English teacher Kathleen Renard provided her personal copy of a book called "Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky to one of her English students, and it was passed to his...

After four years of Obama’s canned presidency, the electorate will be looking for three things – hope, authenticity and honesty. And while you might applaud for Mike Huckabee, force a few cheers for the Plastic Fantastic Mitt Romney or give a hip-hip-hooray for Rudy, Sarah Palin is the type of candidate you can stand up and cheer about

It’s really strange when MSNBC personalities wish for more civility in the political process. Morning Meeting host Dylan Ratigan brought on pseudo-Republican consultant Mark McKinnon on Monday to discuss his attack on talk radio on the liberal Daily Beast website. McKinnon obliged: I think the Chicago incident, I think it was bad political instincts and bad political judgment, but I was disappointed that it didn't come to America. I think it’s patriotic, that we should have supported that move. So I was very disappointed to see talk show hosts like Mark Levin coming out with just jaw-dropping hate language about...

Pelosi says new tax is 'on the table' By Michael O'Brien - 10/06/09 10:59 AM ET A new value added tax (VAT) is "on the table" to help the U.S. address is fiscal liabilities, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Monday night. Pelosi, appearing on PBS's "The Charlie Rose Show" asserted that "it's fair to look at" the VAT as part of an overhaul of the nation's tax code. "I would say put everything on the table and subject it to the scrutiny that it deserves," Pelosi told Rose when asked if the value-added tax has any appeal to her....

Today's Hope and Change-- Children in the Warsaw Ghetto 1943 and Children of Palestine Gaza 2009 Click to Enlarge After posting yesterday on the disgusting anti-Semitic hate speech on Barack Obama's website I received this from Rachel P. I was looking at your article, Obama's Website Carries Blogpost That Equates Israel to Nazi Germany. I tried linking through Israpundit directly to the Obama site and I received this Error, “Invalid page requested.” I tried looking through internet archiving sites and they all say that site does not allow you to search their database. I also tried searching through Obama’s website...

The New Tammany Hall October 12, 2009 By Fred Siegel, Dan DiSalvo PRINTER FRIENDLY Public sector unions have become a labor aristocracy and they are bankrupting states and municipalities. Ever since the 1972 Democratic convention nominated George McGovern over the objections of the AFL-CIO, the standard wisdom has been that organized labor's power in American politics has declined dramatically. The failure of the current Democrat-dominated Congress to pass labor's highest legislative priority, the Employee Free Choice Act ("card check"), is taken as indicative of unions' political incapacity. But the picture looks very different on the state and local level...

It’s not popular with his party, but Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell is saying that the Wall Street bailout was a success – one year after the historic $700 billion vote. The Troubled Asset Relief Program has “succeeded in stabilizing the banking system,” McConnell told reporters Friday. Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1009/27851.html##ixzz0T9l2BtYV