Free Republic

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — While a student at the University of Arkansas in 1985, Sen. Mark Pryor (D) wrote his college thesis on the state of Arkansas’ two-party system. “The state’s Republicans have traditionally failed to produce politicians that Arkansas would elect,” he wrote. “The Democratic party, as a result, has thrived on a sort of perpetual motion.” That perpetual motion came to an end Tuesday night. Voters chose Republican Tom Cotton over Pryor, and for the first time in 141 years, there will be no Democrats in Arkansas’ congressional delegation. Republicans also won the gubernatorial race and every other...

The year 2010 is about money and power. In the Rio Grande Valley, local officials are focusing their efforts on ensuring tens of thousands of undocumented immigrants are included in the count. The census seeks to count not just citizens but residents. With big money and political clout both depending on those numbers, governments are hoping that not a single person falls through the cracks. For local governments, the stakes are high. Census data are used to help make decisions about how the federal government distributes $300 billion to state and local governments for schools, senior programs, libraries, infrastructure and...

The Blue-Dog Democrats in the House have been somewhat disenchanted with the Democrat leadership, and have been wanting to flex their muscles. They realize that they are in districts that could go Republican in 2010, and may be the key to defeating the stimulus package. Today, a letter signed by 49 Blue Dog Democrats was sent to Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer, requesting that more spending be cut from the bill. The letter stated that many of the members of the Blue-Dog Coalition voted for the original bill because they were assured of cuts in the Senate and in the...

SAN FRANCISCO -- Democrats across California looking to leverage President-elect Barack Obama's popularity into historic gains in Congress and the state Legislature seemed likely to fall well short of their goals. Democrats had targeted six congressional seats throughout the state held by Republicans. Winning those races would have given Democrats 40 of the state's 53 seats in Congress - unprecedented success since redistricting in 2000 virtually guaranteed both parties safety in districts they held. But partial returns late Tuesday showed Republicans with commanding leads in five of those races, with the sixth contest nearly a dead heat separated by less...

Does anyone live in TX-17? Can someone explain to me why a Democrat represents a district that is R +18? A Republican with nothing more than a pulse should be able to win in this district. What gives? I'm sure there are several other districts like this out there, but this one is always on my mind.

For Republicans to regain the House as soon as possible, it’s crucial that we win as many winnable House seats as possible this time around. For this reason it is critical that we pinpoint the seats we can best pick up and concentrate on them, meaning that Republicans nationwide, especially those living in non-swing congressional districts (as well as Republicans abroad), should support candidates outside of their districts who are in real battles. It is especially important that we concentrate on those seats this year, as the easiest time to beat any incumbent is after the first term. In short,...

While the latest performance of Albany lawmakers was breathtakingly destructive on its face, the damage is even worse when compared to fiscal policies in other states. Rarely inclined to remember - or even to care - that the Empire State must compete economically with 49 other states, New York lawmakers have once again failed to improve the state's attractiveness for taxpaying individuals and businesses. Little wonder why New York is losing more residents than any other state - and why businesses are fleeing, upstate especially. Other states are only too happy to woo New Yorkers and New York businesses... Albany...

Boston, as well as the state, has been losing population in the past few years. If those numbers are confirmed by the 2010 federal census, Massachusetts could lose up to two congressional seats, as well as federal money for highway, education, and development programs that are tied to population. Responding to concerns raised by the state's congressional delegation, local mayors, and Secretary of State William F. Galvin, lawmakers included $100,000 in the $25.7 billion state budget last week to pay a University of Massachusetts think tank to start researching the numbers to make sure that as many residents as possible...

On Tuesday November 5th, 2002 pro-abortion republican Raye lost in Maine and pro-life Democrat Mike Michaud won, wanna hear what the babies in the womb have to say to Raye about his loss? click here.

DeLay Puts His Weight Behind Local Candidate “The fight for control of the U.S. House of Representatives came to little St. Leo on Sunday. House Majority Whip Tom DeLay headlined a fundraiser…for fellow Republican and congressional candidate Ginny Brown-Waite. Brown-Waite hopes to unseat Democratic incumbent Rep. Karen Thurman in the District 5 House race. And DeLay, in line to become speaker of the House, needs Republican wins to keep his party’s six-seat advantage. ‘We are not in the mind-set of just hanging on…We are looking to grow,’ said DeLay, R-Texas. Thurman’s reluctance to support past Republican plans to balance the...