Free Republic

The main event is finally here. The race for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination is now underway. This is shaping up to be the strongest field of Republican challengers in recent memory. After the GOP’s strong showing in the 2014 midterms, the list of those who sense an opportunity, and want to seize it to run in 2016, is both long and distinguished. While the Democrat presidential primary is essentially Hillary Clinton (their 2008 also-ran) or bust, the Republicans have a deep bench of potential standard-bearers... Though it may seem early to some to already be posting odds on the...

U.S. Rep. Steve King is planning a caucus 2016 kick-off featuring at least three potential Republican presidential candidates in January. King, who earlier this month was re-elected to a seventh term, will team with Citizens United to host the inaugural “Iowa Freedom Summit” in Des Moines Jan. 24. Among the confirmed speakers are Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. Also in the line-up are Utah Sen. Mike Lee; Tennessee U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn; former Ambassador John Bolton and former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina. Additional speakers are expected to be announced in...

Former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum, who nipped at Mitt Romney’s heels in the 2012 Republican presidential primary, says he’s eyeing mid-2015 for a decision about a second White House bid. “Four years ago, we ended up announcing in June of 2011. If past is a portent of the future, that’s probably a ballpark,” he said in a phone interview. Santorum said he’s actively engaged with party donors and activists to assess whether he has a path to the nomination. “We’re doing everything consistent with making an effort,” he said. “We’re talking to donors, we’re looking at talking to people in...

Hillary Clinton has a sneaky plan to become the next president — get a conservative third-party candidate in the race to draw votes away from the Republican nominee. Clinton campaign strategists have concluded Hillary will easily be nominated in 2016, but cannot win the general election in a head-to-head matchup, Richard Turley reports on orbmagazine.com. “They are reaching out to Wall Street allies to do ‘black-ops’ funding for a run by Michele Bachmann, Rick Santorum or Herman Cain,” a source told Orb. Hillary’s approval rating is stuck at 43 percent, not enough to win a two-person race for president.

Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, who narrowly won the 2012 Iowa caucuses, will headline a fundraiser later this month for U.S. Rep. Steve King, R-Kiron. The event will take place Oct. 22 in a private home in Dakota Dunes, S.D. (SNIP) In a release, Santorum said King is the kind of congressman people need. “We need Steve King in Congress to stand up for America, our sovereignty, values, and economy... Steve understands the burden illegal immigration creates on American workers and their wages.

McClatchy-Marist Poll. Sept. 24-29, 2014. N=376 registered voters nationwide who are Republicans or lean Republican. Question: "If the 2016 Republican presidential primary or caucus in your state were held today, whom would you support if the candidates are [see below]?" Jeb Bush-15% Rand Paul-13% Paul Ryan-13% Chris Christie-12% Rick Perry-7% Marco Rubio-6% Ted Cruz-4% Bobby Jindal-4% Rick Santorum-3% Scott Walker-3% Unsure-21%

Former Pennsylvania senator and presidential candidate Rick Santorum criticized his Republican Party Thursday, telling a conservative audience that GOP leaders do not "accurately reflect who we are." Speaking at the Faith & Freedom Coalition’s "Road to Majority" conference in Washington, Santorum said Republicans should stop talking to CEOs and "talk to the folks who are worried about the next paycheck," Politico reports.

In the past few days, three candidates who ran for the last Republican presidential nomination, including nominee Mitt Romney, have endorsed a higher minimum wage. Yahoo!Finance asks Mitt Romney Calls for Higher Minimum Wage. Does it Matter? Mitt Romney, the GOP presidential nominee in 2012, called on Republicans Friday to raise the minimum wage, going against the congressional leadership of his own party. Related Stories "I think we ought to raise it, because frankly, our party is all about more jobs and better pay, and I think communicating that is important to us," Mr. Romney said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”...

(CNSNews.com) – Conservative Rick Santorum, who served two terms as a U.S. senator from Pennsylvania and was a Republican presidential candidate in 2012, criticized fellow conservative Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), saying his approach to defunding Obamacare “did more harm” than good, adding that Cruz did not have a plan...

Was the end result of Ted Cruz’s effort to derail Obamacare in the recently concluded budget debate a good one? Rick Santorum doesn’t think so. “I would say that in the end, he did more harm,” Santorum said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet The Press,” adding that while Cruz’s aim was worthy, his follow through wasn’t effective. Does it matter what Santorum, a failed 2012 White House contender, thinks of Cruz, a freshman Texas senator and rising conservative star? Yes. Because of Iowa. Cruz made his third swing through the first-in-the-nation caucus state over the weekend, building more bridges with conservative...

Sen. Rand Paul brought his national crusade against the war on drugs back to his home state, giving testimony before the Kentucky state senate in favor of an amendment to restore voting rights to felons after they get out of prison.The amendment, which state Republicans have forestalled for years, looks like it may finally pass. Today, only Kentucky and Virginia permanently strip felons' of their voting rights. Most states require a probationary period before felons can vote again, but states like Iowa and Florida have such punitive laws that they may as well be permanent. Only Maine and Vermont have no restrictions on felons voting, including when...

Did Rick Santorum really just come within a few micro-seconds of calling America's first ever black president a "******"?Of course not, comes the rational response. Apart from the fact that it would instantly be a campaign-killing gaffe, it would be in direct opposition to the Santorum image we have seen now for months. This is the man who is almost two goody-two-shoes to be real. He has a large and loving family. He may be ultra-conservative, but he also appears to be the sort of suburban dad who would be more likely to say "Aw, shucks" and "Jeepers creepers" rather...

As the controversy over recent comments by Duck Dynasty’s Phil Robertson rages on, everyone from twitter users to national figures are adding their perspectives to the discussion. In the below clip. former GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum, appearing on On The Record, weighs in, saying that what Phil Robertson said was a “pretty accurate” job of quoting the Bible.

Just moments ago on the Sean Hannity radio show, GOP candidate and RINO Rick Santorum took it upon himself to convict George Zimmerman in the Trayvon Martin case. He said, and I’m paraphrasing slightly: It was a heinous crime and he did a despicable, unjustifiable thing and the Sanford police should have reacted to that immediately. Again, I am paraphrasing a little as I did not have a recorder running to get his exact words, but that was essentially his statement.

Former Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum on Thursday criticized comments in US Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) made earlier this month i n a speech that critics have said was unnecessarily confrontational toward a Middle Eastern Christian group. "We have a responsibility to stand by people who are being persecuted," Santorum told Business Insider in a wide-ranging interview in New York. "This shouldn't be an ideological test — well, you have to agree with us on all of these things, or else we won't be with you. No, we're going to be with you if you are a religious minority that's...

Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin will speak at the Values Voters Summit next week in Washington, D.C. http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2014/09/19/Sarah-Palin-to-Speak-at-Values-Voter-Summit

(VIDEO-AT-LINK)There are 65 prominent people who might run for president in 2016. The Democratic and Republican fields contrast sharply. Hillary Clinton is the clear front-runner, while there is no front-runner on the Republican side. Twenty-three Democrats have been mentioned as a candidate or are eyeing a bid, according to an analysis by The Hill. The GOP side has 42. Most of the people on this list won’t run, and some have adamantly claimed that they’re not interested. But many politicians have changed their minds on seeking the White House. Before mounting his 2008 bid, then-Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) said he...

Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey, who ran as a pro-life advocate when he won a Senate term in 2006 and 2012, but who has disappointed pro-life advocates with repeated pro-abortion votes, continues to abandon his pro-life views.A couple years ago, he voted against a measure to revoke taxpayer funding from the Planned Parenthood abortion business. Today, Casey voted for a bill to “overturn” the Supreme Court decision protecting Hobby Lobby from being forced to pay for drugs that may cause abortions.Michael Ciccocioppo, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation, told LifeNews he is disappointed that Casey continues to abandon is publicly-stated...

“It does make a difference,” she said. “What you are doing makes a difference and now more than ever we need to ramp it up. Don’t retreat, we gotta reload.” In spite of their frustration, Palin soon had the crowd laughing as she peppered her speech with political jokes and taking shots against President Obama and his allies. West, a University of Tennessee graduate, led the crowd in a rendition of the song Rocky Top, much to the delight of the crowd. Palin took the stage acknowledging that Sevierville was Dolly Parton’s home town, explaining that she once dressed up...

On June 26th, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin will headline an "America's Last Stand" Tea Party rally in Eastern Tennessee at the Sevierville Convention Center. The rally was scheduled to be held at Smokies Stadium, but was moved indoors due to weather concerns. The Sevier County Tea Party in association and JL Production will organize the event, and Palin will appear with with Judge Jeanine Pirro, Senator Rick Santorum, and Col. Allen West. Singers Jon Secada and John Michael Montgomery will provide the entertainment. There are only 7,500 seats available for the event. In 2010, Palin keynoted the National Tea...