Free Republic

If you are trying to figure out what your congressmen really believe in, don't focus on what they say - look closely at what they do when it comes time to vote. A good example of that involves Georgia's two senators, Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson, and their approach to spending about $2 billion of your money. The two senators, especially Chambliss, have worked hard this summer to take nearly $2 billion out of the defense budget and earmark it for the building of more F-22 fighter jets at Marietta's Lockheed Martin plant. ... Here are some criticisms of the...

When you're in the middle, they come at you from both sides. Ben Nelson probably is used to that by now. The health care reform TV ads directed at him in Nebraska by two progressive, or liberal, Democratic groups have attracted considerable national attention. Those groups want the Democratic senator to support legislation that includes a public option alternative to private health insurance. Nelson hasn't flatly ruled out any form of public option, but don't bet on him supporting a government alternative. The TV ad campaign in Nebraska stirred up considerable chatter on the Huffington Post, MSNBC, The Hill and...

Democrats love to argue that we Republicans offer no solutions to the health care debate, that we have no ideas or constructive thought on the issue. It's becoming a standard line in the rebuttal at Town Hall meetings and on the news. Well it's not true...they just don't listen and when they do, they don't like what they hear. The truth is they have been towing the party line (photo courtesy Big EdLb) ever since this debate has started, playing partisan politics all the way. I have posted a link to the GOP website where you will find reference to...

POLITICO's Arena contributors discuss the lessons learned from health care town halls. Timothy Stoltzfus Jost, professor, Washington and Lee University Law School "What we are learning from the health care town halls is just how weird and downright toxic the radical right has become in the United States. Their strategy seems to be simply to spread misinformation and to shout down rational debate. These are the birthers and tea-baggers, and they have little interest in the real problems facing our health care system — 50 million uninsured, uncontrolled costs and inadequate quality. The faux issues they are raising — a...

Just like the White House "Beer Summit", the debate in Congress on National Health Care has come down to "we agree to disagree." Republicans are fighting the administration, democrats are fighting among themselves, and Nancy Pelosi is ready to accept compromise on just about anything as long as it might get the bill moving forward. This bill is on a collision course with a brick wall...the American taxpayer. No one in their right mind could actually believe that what they propose would not add to the burden of the national debt, or that the only tax will be on the...

When it comes to Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison’s (R-Texas) expected retirement from the Senate, the question is moving from “Will she or won’t she?” to “Will he or won’t he?” As Hutchison appears to come closer to calling it quits to focus on running for governor, the emerging question in the Lone Star State is, when she does, whether Republican Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst will throw himself and his hundreds of millions of dollars into the race. Without Dewhurst, there doesn’t appear to be a Republican front-runner, and the GOP field has been badly outraised by a pair of Democrats....

The farewell address for Sarah Palin was for the most part what one would have expected if you have been following this story. However one statement directed toward the media caught my attention: "Democracy depends on you," Palin said, "That's why our troops are willing to die for you. So how about in honor of the American soldier you quit making things up?" I have heard and read a lot of "chatter" over the meaning of the words. Is she referring to reports on the military or CIA, the reporting in Afghanistan or Iraq? Maybe she is talking about the...

Here is a list of everything I could find on each of the Blue Dogs as far as telephone contact information and events go. The recess home district events are sadly lacking. If anyone knows of specific events scheduled in one of these districts, please freepmail me and I will add it to a later posting. Please print out the list. When you are waiting in a line, make a few calls. Let the people around you overhear your conversations in a Dr's office waiting room. FReepers are the smartest people I know so I am sure you can turn...

1) Be Prepared- Have your argument prepared why they should oppose the Obama agenda 2) Tell a Personal Story- Speak to how what is happening in D.C. is impacting your or your family 3) Use Numbers If You Have Them- Use the polls, use the data from other Countries that have followed the Obama path in the past. 4) Be Respectful- You may not respect the person, but be respectful of the office they hold. 5) Go in Groups- Bring the Tea Party to the Town Hall Meeting! 6) Talk to Staff- An aid is always at the meeting. Find...

After his opening monologue, Obama fielded a question on the cost of the plan and part of the answer contained this statement: "And I've said this before, if you found out that your neighbor had gotten the same car for $6,000 less, you'd want to figure out how to get that deal. And that's what reform is all about. How can we make sure that we are getting the best bang for our health care dollar."This is a simple enough statement but don't forget, Obama is all about getting a good deal and more bang for his buck. Just go...

Poll                  Date            Approve   Disapprove Spread RCP Average  5/28 - 7/12      32.0          57.3       -25.3 CBS News  7/9 - 7/12            22             65          -43

BOSTON, May 6 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In a white paper released today by Ernst Berndt and Mark Trusheim of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, research shows that eliminating FDA's preemption protection would decrease patients' access to life-enhancing medical devices, increase health care costs and reduce medical device industry employment. The paper, "The Economic Impact of Eliminating Federal Preemption for Medical Devices on Patients, Innovation and Jobs," comes as Congress considers legislation that would remove Federal preemption of state rules and litigation that exists for a small percentage of medical devices that undergoes the most rigorous FDA review. The report highlights the...

Social Security is broke, Medicare is broke, the U.S. Postal System loses money, and thousands of Americans opt out of the educational system for private or home schooling. All are government backed programs they have been trying to fix for decades to no avail. Now they want to start a National Health Care Plan at a cost so ludicrous to the American taxpayer ,(1 trillion dollars), that those who are proposing it must be insane! This is nothing but shoot from the hip, hope I hit the target legislation by the Obama Administration. They are desperate to get a National...

Two Republican sources said today that even as former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio campaigns for retiring GOP Sen. Mel Martinez's Senate seat, he has been calling around to top Republican donors and activists in the state to discuss the idea of switching from the Senate primary against GOP Gov. Charlie Crist and into the open-seat race for attorney general, where a serious Republican candidate has yet to emerge.

"ANY USE OF TOBACCO WHILE IN UNIFORM SHOULD BE PROHIBITED!" Thats what the medical institute report to the Pentagon concludes. Brian Wise, executive director of Military Families United, decried even the discussion of such a ban. "With all the issues facing our military today and the risks our troops take to protect our freedom, banning smoking should not even be on the radar screen," Wise said in a written statement Wednesday. "Nobody doubts the effects of smoking, but it is not an illegal substance and should not be banned," he said. "Our troops make enough sacrifices to serve our nation....

(Headline courtsey of "THE BOSS" from "My Hometown") Obama was to speak at the Macomb County Community College in Warren, Michigan where he would inform them that the thousands of jobs lost in the collapse of the auto industry would never return and it was time to start looking to new industries for future employment, as well as the training of workers for those jobs. As to just what those industries might be or any specifics on the type of training needed it was too soon to say... Entire text at: http://www.edistojoe.com Edisto Joe "INCREASE YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT"

President Obama is pressing hard for passage of his health care and energy proposals... What if all these hearings and this special prosecutor business is really a smoke screen designed as leverage to be used on Republicans in the House and Senate in order to assure passage of the Obama agenda. Simply put: We back off if you back off! Entire text at:http://www.edistojoe.com

The Democrats, Eric Holder, and the CIA are all the ingredients needed for the recipe of self destruction. At a time when the general public still rates national security high on the list of priorities, it seems the Obama Administration is determined to press forward with investigating Dick Cheney and CIA policies and programs following 9/11. Despite the fact that Obama himself has stated that he is not interested in pursuing the policies of the past administration, Eric Holder has taken it upon himself, either out of contempt for the wishes of his Commander and Chief, or mounting pressure from...

Petition: We, the undersigned, respectfully demand that the Judiciary Committees of the United States House and Senate investigate the firing by President Obama of Inspector General Gerald Walpin. Sign Petition at: gopetition.com/online/28746.html

Sen. John Cornyn’s Facebook friends aren’t in a very friendly mood. The Texas Republican’s page on the popular social networking website has been filled with comments like this one from a Florida real estate broker: “As soon as I read of your endorsement of Charlie Crist, I sent in a donation to the Marco Rubio campaign.” A new Facebook group has since cropped up challenging members to give “not one penny” to the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), of which Cornyn is chairman. The online group’s description says: “First they supported Chafee. Then they supported Specter. Now they support Crist.”...

VIDEO - Amy Holmes tells Will Cain who the new Republican All-Stars could be, and how they will emerge from the scandals and resignations of now.

(The murder of Don Bolles was to be a package deal including the murder of Al Lizanetz, Kemper Marley's public relations manager of 23 years. My interview of Lizanetz is available on audio tape. In this interview, Lizanetz states that land fraud king pin, Ned Warren was Kemper Marley's agent. Lizanetz tells how Marley recruited Eugene Pulliam to come to Arizona to start the Arizona Republic Newspaper. Pulliam formed the Phoenix Forty and the rest is history --- organized crime history. Lizanetz details how Marley's United Liquor General Manager, Gene Hensley (none other than Senator John McCain's father-in-law) went to...

The chairman of the North Dakota Republican Party is vowing to let Gov. John Hoeven (R) know just how much his constituents want him in the Senate. But although GOP chairman Gary Emineth will have an uphill climb to convince Hoeven, serving his third term, to take on Sen. Byron Dorgan (D), who will seek his fourth term next year, the governor has made comments lately indicating he has not completely slammed the door on challenging the Democrat. Asked by The Associated Press whether he would enter the race, Hoeven said he concurred with Emineth's hope of recruiting candidates by...

Excessive Government involvement is what's wrong with our current healthcare system. One prominent example: FDA regulation and Medicare/Medicaid policies are suppressing new drug and device options and increasing healthcare costs. The FDA's approval process for new technologies costs companies between 250 and 800 million dollars. It takes an average of 8.5 years to move through the FDA's clinical and approval phases and there is no guarantee of approval. Out of 5000 compounds discovered in the pre-clinical stage, only about 5 will make it through. The cost of approved and non-approved drugs and devices are passed on to the physician practice,...

We, the undersigned, respectfully demand that the Judiciary Committees of the United States House and Senate investigate the firing by President Obama of Inspector General Gerald Walpin. Sign Petition at: gopetition.com/online/28746.html

Sources close to Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson (R), who has formed a Senate exploratory committee, say he is on track to report raising close to $500,000 in the second quarter of the year. Grayson had only two months to fundraise this quarter after filing his exploratory committee in early May. Grayson, who has said he does not plan to challenge Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) and has said he will only run if the incumbent decides to step aside, has fundraisers scheduled for Monday in London, Ky., and Tuesday in Lexington. Grayson’s second-quarter haul is significant because it will...

Investigate firing of Gerald Walpin Petition now has 326 Signatures Petition: We the undersigned respectfully demand that the Judiciary Committees of the United States Senate and House of Representatives formally investigate the firing of Inspector General Gerald Walpin by President Obama. SIGN the PETITION: http://gopetition.com/online/28746.html

The fundraiser set to be hosted Wednesday by elected officials and business leaders at the posh Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables sounds like countless other receptions benefiting Florida's political establishment. But the invitation topped with bold-faced names is for Marco Rubio, the upstart candidate for the U.S. Senate daring to challenge the popular Gov. Charlie Crist for the GOP nomination. Rubio has been mostly raising money over the Internet. Crist has been attending swanky events almost nightly this month. Their lopsided fundraising battle and poll ratings suggest Rubio's campaign will not end well, but the former Miami lawmaker posted a...

White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel acknowledged that $1.6 trillion "is a big number" that forced administration aides and congressional staff to rework the plan. "Everybody now is going to take these bills back and come in below $1 trillion," he said yesterday.

PETITION Senate and House to Investigate the firing of Inspector General Gerald Walpin. Sign the Petition at:gopetition.com/online/28746.html Americorp Inspector General Gerald Walpin was fired by President Obama after Walpin, through an investigation by his office, alleged that Americorp funds had been wrongfully spent by a friend and supporter of the President. The firing of Inspector General Walpin appears to be a clear violation of the 2008 Inspectors General Reform Act which President Obama supported while he was a Senator. The Act requires the President to give 30 days notice and an explanation of cause prior to firing an Inspector General....

Kentucky Senate President David Williams says he’s not running for the U.S. Senate in 2010. Williams, a Republican, says he doesn’t have time to focus on a U.S. Senate bid. Instead, Williams says, he’s seeking another term in the state Senate and looking to retain the Republican lead in that chamber. U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning, also a Republican, currently holds the post and says he’s seeking another term. But Bunning has been viewed as one of the more vulnerable incumbents, and some party leaders have not exactly embraced his candidacy. Williams says he’s not endorsing another candidate in the GOP...

There has been much chatter about who now speaks for the Republican Party and whether the GOP has a message or agenda to combat President Obama's popularity. Those questions are important to the party's future, but the most serious problem remains the deeper demographic and political forces at work in the country. For the past few months, political analysts and demographers have been poring over the results of the 2008 election and comparing them with presidential results from the last two decades. From whatever angle of their approach -- age, race, economic status, geography -- they have come to a...

The ultra-conservative wing of the GOP wants to make Florida’s Republican Senate primary a test case of its power. The race pits Gov. Charlie Crist, a moderate who had the audacity to endorse President Obama’s stimulus plan, against hard-core conservative Marco Rubio, a former speaker of the state House. Crist also just signed a new state budget raising the cigarette tax and various fees by $2 billion, an act that further fueled conservative anger. Even worse, the moderate governor has drawn strong support from current Republican senators. He has been endorsed by Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader in the Senate,...

This is what we need to be talking about. Conservative Values and Standing for Something instead of Standing for Everything. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rigML-twftY

This is a video from The Daly Buzz that attempts to shed light on Crist's sexual preference. What are your thoughts?

On the surface, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist appears to be the rising star in the Sunshine State. Mr. Crist won a landslide election, maintains high approval ratings and was considered as a potential vice presidential choice by Republican nominee John McCain. In addition, he was even ranked the most "fiscally conservative governor in the country" by the Cato Institute - beating out even South Carolina's budget hawk Gov. Mark Sanford. Many Florida conservatives, however, have a very different hero - Marco Rubio.

The first day of school and a new Indian student named Chandrasekhar Subramanjan entered the fourth grade. The teacher said, "Let's begin by reviewing some American History. Who said 'Give me Liberty , or give me Death'?" She saw a sea of blank faces, except for Chandrasekhar, who had his hand up: "Patrick Henry, 1775," he said.

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will attend Monday night's Republican congressional fundraising dinner, according to GOP sources. Not only will she be there, Palin's husband, "First Dude" Todd Palin, will sit with National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn, R-Texas, and his wife at Cornyn's table, one of the sources said. Sarah Palin, the 2008 vice presidential nominee, will sit at the head table. She will be recognized but will not have a formal speaking role, the sources said. Palin's decision to attend brings to an end an embarrassing public back-and-forth between Republican congressional campaign committee leaders and Palin, whose attendance...

State Sen. Sam Caligiuri, who represents the 16th District comprising Southington and Wolcott and parts of Cheshire and Waterbury, has announced his intention to run for the United States Senate in 2010. “To me, building a stronger America and a better Connecticut boils down to one simple question: ‘Can we do better?’ I know the answer to that question is a resounding yes, which is why I’m proud to announce my candidacy for the United States Senate,” Mr. Caligiuri said. “With our nation and our state at a crossroads, Connecticut needs a senator committed to reform, grounded in principle, and...

You have to see this picture. Don't have time to embed it, but click the link. http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_2loqh_dRGgc/Sij2FsVwsQI/AAAAAAAAAAw/Ea9jywq_dXI/s1600-h/rhinocrist.jpg

U.S. Sen. Christopher Dodd has another Republican challenger: Former ambassador Tom Foley is entering the race. Foley is a businessman who served as U.S. ambassador to Ireland for about two years. In 2003 and 2004, he served as a U.S. government official in Iraq, overseeing businesses and developing a plan for reviving the private sector economy. For his efforts, he earned the Department of Defense distinguished public service award. Foley established a website, www.tomfoley2010.com .........

It has been over a month since Marco Rubio announced his candidacy for US Senate in Florida http://www.marcorubio.com Still nothing about him mentioned on the RPOF website, but the RHINO Crist is plastered all over the site & now McCollum is featured. When is the RPOF going to show that they are neutral? I still don't see any actions that lend validity to Jim Greer's words. Contact the RPOF and let them know how you feel about their Bias attempt to push a RHINO into the Senate Seat. 420 E. Jefferson Street PO Box 311 Tallahassee, FL 32301 Phone: 850.222.7920...

A “What If”.. Currently, our Elected Elite get to set the salaries and benefit packages of “office holders”. Those that get elected MUST draw all that salary, get all those benefits, and full pensions. What would our Elected Governments {local, State & Federal} look like IF the candidates were required to state their “salary, benefit & pension requirements” on the Ballots? It could be Expressed as percentages of the Legislated maximum packages. In Every Other non-union shop, the Salary and Benefit Demands of the qualified applicants are considered , before selecting the next New Hire. Each Candidate's demands could be...

The state GOP may be officially neutral in the Republican U.S. senate primary, but as an e-mailer points out to Buzz, you would be hard-pressed to know that Charlie Crist even faces a challenger if you went to the RPOF site. It contains plenty of news about Crist's campaign and endorsements but nada that we can see about Marco Rubio. http://www.rpof.org/index.php

In Illinois, Republicans have been anxiously waiting for Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) to decide whether he’s running for the Senate. If the popular, suburban Chicago congressman enters the race, strategists on both sides of the aisle expect the Illinois Senate race to be highly competitive. But, as Kirk takes his time in making a decision, the party is beginning to consider an alternative plan. And a new name is now being floated – Steve Preston, who served as Housing and Urban Development Secretary in the final year of President Bush’s administration. Preston is a former executive vice president at ServiceMaster...

This is crazy : http://www.krld.com/topic/play_window.php?audioType=Episode&audioId=3759515 I cant believe I voted for Cornyn. I should have voted for a democrat. Maybe next time I can. Maybe Cornyn will join the democrat party.

State Sen. Mark Amodei has during the final weeks of the legislative session made floor speeches against loosening ethics rules, railed against unequal treatment of state functions in the Legislature’s budget and, unlike a majority of his fellow Republican senators, voted against the $781 million tax increase. Amodei’s actions have drawn attention and prompted a persistent question: What is he running for? A possible answer: The Carson City Republican, who is prevented by term limits from seeking reelection, is considering a run in 2010 against U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Amodei said in a recent interview that Rep. Dean...

Weary of the direction the federal government is going, Weld County District Attorney Ken Buck hopes voters will elect him as the next U.S. senator from Colorado in 2010 so he can make changes, he said Wednesday. “I am as tired as you are at the social engineering that goes on in the federal government,” Buck said to about 40 people at the Larimer County Republican Party’s monthly meeting. He hopes to face Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet during the next election. Aurora City Council member Ryan Fraizer also has announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for the Senate seat....

When President Bush named his two male Supreme Court nominees, he invariably called them "Judge Roberts" and "Judge Alito." Sotomayor is every bit as much a judge, but Obama calls her "Sonia." As in: "Well, Sonia, what you've shown in your life is that it doesn't matter where you come from, what you look like or what challenges life throws your way -- no dream is beyond reach in the United States of America." That hackneyed line would feel right in place at a high school graduation.