Free Republic

Republican House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s upset primary loss to political newcomer David Brat sends an unambiguous message to the GOP leadership: stop your suicidal course on immigration.

A Senior Republican leadership aide described the mood as "chaos for the leadership ranks." "We're absolutely stunned. Honestly, we really can't believe it," said the aide, who likened it to the 2004 election defeat of Tom Daschle of South Dakota, who was Senate minority leader at the time. "Given the speculation Boehner himself may decide not to run again for speaker, the idea had been out there that Cantor would simply walk into the speakership," said the aide. "But now, who the hell would be the next speaker?"—particularly, the aide added.

A spokesman for President Obama rushed to assure House Republicans that Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R., Va.) didn’t actually lose because of his gestures toward Democrats on immigration reform. “Cantor’s problem wasn’t his position on immigration reform, it was his lack of a position,” Obama advisor Dan Pfeiffer tweeted, citing the success of Senator Lindsay Graham (R., S.C.). “Graham wrote and passed a bill and is winning big.” Cantor’s campaign sent out direct mail pieces ahead of the election maintaining that he was ”stopping the Obama-Reid plan to give illegal aliens amnesty,” but challenger Dave Brat accused him of supporting

Chris Christie is plunging into what amounts to a cross-country revival tour, looking to recover from a clumsy political scandal and reclaim his place as a promising Republican presidential prospect. In one recent week, it was on-the-ground politics in Tennessee and New Mexico. This week, after a campaign stop in Pennsylvania, the New Jersey governor returns to the late night comedy circuit with an appearance on NBC's "Tonight Show." Then he'll stop by Mitt Romney's Utah summit, a private event for donors and GOP establishment leaders, and the week after that he heads to Washington to court Christian conservatives at...

Republican secretary of state candidate Scott Morgan on Thursday took aim at incumbent Kris Kobach for helping rocker and gun rights activist Ted Nugent and Texas officials pass a law making it easier to hunt feral pigs from helicopters. "The self-appointed Guardian of State Sovereignty needs to stop shooting pigs from helicopters in Texas with Ted Nugent and start focusing on his job in Kansas," said Morgan, of Lawrence, who will face Kobach in the Aug. 5 Republican Party primary. Morgan and other critics of Kobach say he spends too much time advocating around the country for anti-illegal immigration laws...

The current leadership sounds hopeful about continuing the organization under a different name with a different mission, but, as the Advocate explains, that's probably unrealistic. Bilerico reporter Andrew Markle initially reported that GOProud was shuttering on Sunday, and following initial denials on social media from members of the group, key organizers confirmed to Bilerico founder Bil Browning Monday that the group is indeed planning to close up shop. GOProud executive director Matthew Bechstein told Browning that the mixed messages were an attempt to calm members and stave off any problems with fundraising efforts. Nevertheless, "We're leaving GOProud behind and re-branding...

Establishment Republican Trying to Seduce Obama Voters On the eve of Lindsey Graham having to face his top challenger, Lee Bright, at the polls, Team Graham is running a quiet campaign to woo Democrats. Publicly, Graham’s Campaign is saturating South Carolina TV stations touting his supposed “conservative credentials” – yet he is simultaneously using web ads and social media to target Democrats and to remind them they can vote for him in the Republican Primary. “Well, he’s the liberals’ favorite Republican in Washington, so he is simply following form by trying to sneak past 50 per cent with some Democrat...

Rand Paul told GOP activists Saturday that the GOP can’t nominate another “Chamber of Commerce Republican” and expect to win the presidency in 2016. It’s time, he said, for a “libertarian moment.” “Chamber of Commerce is fine, I was a member of the Chamber of Commerce, but a Chamber of Commerce Republican is not going to win a national election,” Paul (R-Ky.), the libertarian-leaning senator and likely presidential contender, said. “I’m not saying we give up on what we believe in, but we have to expand what we believe in.” His comments came during an address to the Republican Liberty...

ERICA YOON | The Roanoke Times Delegates cheer candidate Ed Gillespie during his introduction at the state Republican convention Saturday in Roanoke. Less than 90 minutes after voting began at the convention, Gillespie’s nearest rival, Shak Hill, conceded the nomination to Gillespie. The low attendance — 4,200 delegates had registered but about 2,700 came to Roanoke — may have expedited the balloting. Ed Gillespie, a fixture in national Republican politics, easily won his party’s nomination Saturday to take on Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., setting up a marquee fight with control of the Senate at stake. At 2:50 p.m., less than...

COLUMBIA, SC — U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham’s six GOP challengers criticized the Seneca Republican on Saturday, saying he had failed to protect the Constitution during the Republican Primary campaign’s only debate. Graham, who is seeking a third term in the Senate, defended his record, including voting in favor of President Barack Obama’s two Supreme Court nominees and working to help illegal immigrants become citizens. The debate - the only of the GOP campaign - came 60 hours before polls open for Tuesday’s primary. The senator’s GOP opponents said change is needed in Washington. “If you truly are a conservative, then...

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is taking sides in the Mississippi Senate primary run-off, stepping out to help raise money for Sen. Thad Cochran, R-Miss., against his Tea Party challenger, Chris McDaniel. McConnell will host a "run-off reception" benefiting Cochran, a six-term incumbent, on the evening of June 10 at the National Republican Senatorial Committee in Washington. In an email to party donors Friday, obtained by the Washington Examiner, McConnell warned that the outcome of the contest "will have a very real impact on our fight for the Majority," even though Mississippi is considered a Republican stronghold. "Our friend Thad...

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) warned President Barack Obama Wednesday that Republican lawmakers would call for his impeachment if he released prisoners from Guantanamo Bay again without notifying Congress. “It’s going to be impossible for them to flow prisoners out of Gitmo now without a huge backlash,” Graham said, according to The Hill. “There will be people on our side calling for his impeachment if he did that.” The comments come days after Obama approved a deal to release five prisoners from the detention camp, in exchange for the Taliban releasing Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, the last remaining prisoner of the Afghanistan...

Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS) praised the return of Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl on Twitter on May 31 but has deleted the Tweet since then. “Welcome home, Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl,” Cochran tweeted from his official U.S. Senate Twitter account @SenThadCochran. “A grateful America thanks you for your service.” The tweet was still publicly available as of Wednesday morning when Breitbart News took a screenshot of it. But sometime between then and now, Cochran has deleted the tweet. President Barack Obama has faced intense criticism for the deal he cut to release Bergdahl. The White House released five Taliban fighters from Guantanamo Bay...

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John McCain isn’t concerned with the legality of the prisoner swap designed to release Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl from Afghanistan — but he opposes the deal all the same. McCain also said he supports the drive from Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) to hold a hearing on Bergdahl — but lamented that it might not accomplish much. “It’s worthy of a hearing,” McCain said. “But, it’s done.”

Senator Thad Cochran (R-Miss) continues to decline invitations to debate his Republican primary opponent Chris McDaniel on the grounds that “this is a race for the United States Senate, not a debating society.” “The voters of Mississippi have had 40 years to get to know my views,” Cochran pointed out. “I don’t see how a few hours of debate at this late date could provide a significant augmentation of what I’ve said and done in my service to the citizens of this fine state over this lengthy period.” “By appearing on the same platform with my less-experienced challenger I would...

BILOXI, Mississippi — When Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS) goes on the record with reporters, it always seems to bring a surprise or two. This time, in an interview with veteran Washington Post reporter Dan Balz at a campaign stop, Cochran accidentally called Obamacare “an example of an important effort by the federal government to help make health care available, accessible and affordable.” “I’m glad to be involved in that effort,” Cochran added. According to Balz, Cochran was asked how he evaluated the state of play over the health care law. But afterward, a Cochran adviser phoned Balz to claim it...

The campaign manager for House Majority Leader Eric Cantor isn’t backing down from their new campaign-trail flyer lauding Cantor for fighting against President Barack Obama’s amnesty bill. “He stopped the bill when it came out of the Senate,” Ray Allen, Cantor’s campaign manager, told The Daily Caller. The defender-against-amnesty claim appeared in flyers sent to GOP primary voters near Richmond, Va., two weeks before the vote on June 10. “Conservative Republican Eric Cantor is stopping the Obama [and Sen. Harry] Reid plan to give illegal aliens amnesty,” says one of the flyers. But his critics, including primary challenger and economist...

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is suggesting that Kentucky's health insurance exchange could survive repeal of ObamaCare, the law that created the marketplace.  In a statement, McConnell campaign spokeswoman Allison Moore said Kentucky should "decide for itself whether to keep" the exchange "or set up a different marketplace" if the healthcare law is repealed. The comment follows criticism of McConnell last week for arguing that Kentucky's exchange, known as Kynect, is not connected to the Affordable Care Act.  The healthcare law created a system of exchanges, including Kynect, where consumers in each state can purchase coverage, often while receiving assistance...

David Dewhurst’s campaign has released one final web ad ahead of the Tuesday runoff election, a country-disco mashup of a music video entitled “Lt. Gov. You Gotta Love.” The song was written and performed by Creative Director Ben Price – the same staffer behind the campaign’s “Frozen” themed web ad – and features lyrics like “Saving ladies/Protecting Babies/The most pro-life candidate.” In a May 19 interview, Dewhurst told the Chronicle he was not comfortable with Price’s Disney-themed parody that mocked challenger Dan Patrick. But he said his younger staff members found it funny, prompting him to release the video. The...