Free Republic

A number of GOP 2016 White House hopefuls have visited South Carolina in recent months, but the Palmetto State might have a homegrown candidate.U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-Seneca, told The Weekly Standard that he is weighing a presidential bid if he wins a third Senate term next month.The magazine wrote:In our interview, Graham repeatedly spoke of the challenges that will face the next president because of the mistakes made under Obama. And he suggested that he might just be the one to fix them.“If I get through my general election, if nobody steps up in the presidential mix, if nobody’s...

Sen. Lindsey Graham is also now considering a run for the White House. The South Carolina Republican, up for re-election next month, told the Weekly Standard he might make a bid in 2016 if he feels like no one represents his views on foreign policy. Graham also criticized Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, a potential presidential candidate, saying he is “not quite ready” to become president. “If I get through my general election, if nobody steps up in the presidential mix, if nobody’s out there talking — me and McCain have been talking — I may just jump in to get...

Earlier today I had an exchange with a reader – who I respect a great deal – who doesn’t agree with my Twitter argument about the folly of conservatives staying home and not voting this cycle (or any cycle, really). His Republican governor agreed to expand Medicaid coverage, as permitted under the Obamacare law, and he finds that a deep betrayal. I can’t argue with that. If the issue of expanding Medicaid is your line in the sand – and there are good reasons for that! – then you have every right in the world to say, “I can’t vote...

House Speaker John Boehner says he isn’t worried about a conservative revolt that could oust him from his leadership post—asserting there’ll be “very few” votes against him when he seeks a third term in January. And he also dismissed suggestions his leadership team would strip committee assignments from GOP lawmakers who vote against him, telling USA Today Tuesday: “I just don’t think it’s necessary.” Boehner’s optimism may be whistling in the wind, The Hill reports. The news site last week reported frustration with Boehner’s leadership style was triggering talk among some House Republicans about ways to replace him, including Arizona...

Former New York Gov. George Pataki is reportedly considering running for president in 2016, though a former aide says talk of a campaign is premature. The New York Post reported Tuesday that Pataki is privately weighing whether to enter the wide-open Republican field. The paper says Pataki recently met with Republican donor David Koch. Pataki was governor from 1995 to 2006 and was mentioned as a potential presidential contender in the 2008 and 2012 elections. David Catalfamo, a former top Pataki adviser, says it's premature to talk about his former boss running for president. He says Pataki and Koch are...

His visit to Kansas comes just days after former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin campaigned with Roberts.

Republicans will remain focused on a security-first approach to immigration if they win control of the Senate, Sen. John Cornyn said Monday. “Our Democrat friends want to eat dessert before they eat their vegetables on immigration. I just don’t think that’s going to work,” he said. -snip- “Is a Republican-controlled Congress going to pass a quick pathway to citizenship? No,” he said. “But would there be an opportunity to vote on — once border security was addressed, once the visa overstay was addressed and an e-verify system put in place, is there way then to look at how do we...

Sen. John Cornyn welcomed Attorney General Eric Holder’s planned resignation today, two years after calling for Holder to step down over a botched gun-trafficking sting. “Unfortunately the American people, myself included, lost confidence in the Attorney General’s ability to lead a long time ago because of his continued willingness to put politics before the law,” Cornyn said.

Well, the HiTech RedNeck is looking for a job... AGAIN. This job hopping is getting old, but the boss of the group, at a major freight railroad, for which I'm a contractor has an integrity problem, to put it delicately. For some reason, I don't get along very well with liars and phonies. Well, I refreshed my resumes on Dice and Monster this past weekend and crossed my fingers. Well this morning what do I behold, but someone wants to know if I am interested in working for a company that turns out to be BLOOMBERG MEDIA. They are quoting...

In a midterm election year in which the political climate and map of battleground states clearly favors Republicans, many GOP candidates are nevertheless embracing some Democratic priorities in an effort to win over skeptical voters. The shift is evident in some of the most contentious Senate and gubernatorial races — in traditional swing states as well as decidedly conservative ones such as Alaska and Arkansas — where Republican nominees have endorsed increases to the minimum wage, legalizing medical marijuana or granting in-state college tuition to some illegal immigrants. Even on social issues, an area where the GOP traditionally has hewed...

I think most of us Constitutional Conservative Republicans agree there is nothing worse than a R.I.N.O! Well it is time to vote out that stale R.I.N.O. in Denton County Texas, District 64, Myra Crownover! Crownover has done nothing for Denton County, {Dist # 64) in the past many years, other than try to push her own agendas! It's time for a change! She is NO different than Michael Bloomberg!

Sen. Marco Rubio is positioning himself as the leading foreign policy hawk among Republicans considering runs for the White House, pushing for more military spending and greater intervention abroad as the United States confronts Islamic State extremists in Iraq and Syria. The Florida senator and potential Republican presidential candidate supports President Barack Obama’s strategy to arm moderate Syrian rebels battling the militants—and says American combat troops may be necessary to stop the march of Islamic State forces across the Middle East. On Wednesday, he is set to deliver a major national security speech at a conservative gathering in Washington, in...

Mohamed Elibiary announced that he has left his position as a senior advisor with the Department of Homeland Security. Elibiary, a stalwart supporter of the Muslim Brotherhood , said he was leaving so he can focus on “reforming” the conservative movement ahead of the 2016 presidential election. Under the Obama Administration, Elibiary served on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Homeland Security Advisory Committee for five years. He also served on the DHS Countering Violent Extremism Working Group and the DHS Faith-Based Security and Communications Advisory Committee. Elibiary is a long-time Texas Republican Party official and was a delegate for...

If Milton Wolf endorsed Pat Roberts after Wolf’s defeat in the Kansas Republican primary for U.S. Senate, I missed it. And if he has, it is the best kept secret in Kansas. I’ve checked everywhere on the web, and it isn’t there. I called Wolf to confirm, but I did not get a response. So, I think it is safe to assume the tea party challenger has decided, at least for now, not to endorse the victor. This is too bad because Wolf — who amazingly carried 41 percent of the statewide vote against 48 percent for longtime incumbent Roberts...

A fresh round of clues arrived this week from two Republican lawmakers who are regularly asked about their desire to pursue their party's nomination in 2016. While each cited different reasons, both Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida and Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas say they're now more interested in running. Rubio says the current Senate gridlock is limiting his ability to advocate for the kind of policies he sees as critical for moving America forward and that the White House might be a better place for that. "I'll have to make a decision in 2016 either way, because I'm up...

Outgoing Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Petri doesn’t strike us as a big fan of conservative state Sen. Glenn Grothman, who narrowly won the GOP primary last month in the race to replace Petri. When asked about Grothman by WisPolitics.com on Tuesday, Petri offered tepid praise for his possible successor, calling him “able.” Of course, Grothman jumped in the race before Petri announced his retirement, accusing the 35-year veteran congressman of not being sufficiently conservative.

NBC News says “Morning Joe” host Joe Scarborough will be a senior political analyst for the network with regular roles on “Meet the Press” and the “Today” show. Generally, over the past year, NBC News has sought to distance itself from MSNBC, where a politically liberal viewpoint dominates. NBC said Friday that Scarborough will be a regular contributor to round-table discussions on “Meet the Press." Scarborough will offer analysis on other NBC News broadcasts and work as part of the network’s election team.

Gov. Chris Christie, who has long avoided wading into the immigration debate, said Thursday in Mexico City that he won't lay out his position on immigration reform unless he decides to run for president. "Until that time I have no role in the immigration debate, except for how it may affect the individual citizens of New Jersey, which I'll deal with as governor," the New Jersey Republican told reporters. "But I won't have anything to say on immigration unless and until I become a candidate for president of the United States," he continued. "If that happens, then I will articulate...

A former rising star in the Republican Party, former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell was red-faced and sobbing Thursday after a jury convicted him and his wife on multiple counts related to influence-peddling while he was in office. After more than a month of sometimes soul-baring testimony, the federal jury issued guilty verdicts on 11 counts against McDonnell, while clearing him on two others. His wife, Maureen, was convicted on nine while cleared on four. The charges involved gifts the couple received from a businessman, including a Rolex watch, a $15,000 check for their daughter’s wedding and other items that are...

House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) said that President Barack Obama should “continue to follow the law” in order to help “create an environment where you could do immigration reform in a responsible way next year” on Tuesday’s “Hugh Hewitt Show.”