Free Republic

The federal agency responsible for national intelligence estimates yesterday defended its report on Iran against charges that it was crafted primarily by former State Department officials who infused their personal politics into the report to undercut the Bush administration. "It's not as if there are two or three people who craft this and then it's just put out there," said Vanee Vines, spokeswoman for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI). The response came after The Washington Times reported yesterday that the National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) was heavily influenced by three former State Department officials who dislike President...

As we watched the Senate hearings on the Iraq report play, we are reminded of one thing: the sacrifice our military men and women make on a daily basis - all military, including General David Petraeus. Gen. Petraeus has served our country honorably for over 30 years and deserves nothing but the highest respect from us as elected leaders of this great nation. He is giving us his experienced assessment of the current situation in Iraq, and hopefully offering a path to success in this war. Such success is our country’s central goal at the end of the day --...

A Petition in opposition to Harry Reid - my first post here.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Nevada's senators - both winning leadership posts in opposite parties - pledged Wednesday to stay close on issues of mutual interest, but not too close. ``He and I just like each other, and I think we set a good example here in the Senate,'' Majority Leader-elect Harry Reid said of colleague John Ensign, who was chosen Wednesday by Senate Republicans to head their campaign fundraising operation.``He's a Republican, I'm a Democrat, we work together on issues that are important to the state of Nevada. And I wish other people had the same nonaggression pact we have,'' Reid...

Air Force One -- behind, yes, barbed wire. What else, in Cattle Country?It's not often a President of the United States visits out here in the sagebrush but Elko, Nevada -- my neck of the sage -- was honored today when President Bush arrived aboard Air Force One for a stirring speech, which he said he was happy to deliver "in a part of the country where the cowboy hats outnumber the ties." "Laura sends her best," the President said. "I wish she were here in Elko with me. We were both raised in a part of the world that's...

Republican Sen. John Ensign retains a lead of more than 20 percentage points over his Democratic challenger, Jack Carter, according to a new Review-Journal poll. The poll, conducted last week by Washington, D.C.-based Mason-Dixon Polling & Research Inc., found Ensign supported by 58 percent of those surveyed and Carter by 35 percent. The 23-point lead for Ensign is a good sign for the incumbent, who has consistently performed strongly in the Review-Journal's polling, although some other surveys have found him to be more vulnerable. A Mason-Dixon poll last month gave Ensign 54 percent of the vote; one in April put...

RENO -- Democrat Jack Carter faces an uphill battle if he hopes to unseat Republican incumbent John Ensign in Nevada's U.S. Senate race, according to a new poll. "There is a better chance that Jimmy Carter will be elected president than Jack Carter has to be elected to the U.S. Senate," said Pete Ernaut of Reno, president of public affairs for R & R Partners, a former Republican assemblyman and former chief of staff for Gov. Kenny Guinn."

Royal Navy sells White Ensign as 'cool' brand By Stewart Payne (Filed: 16/08/2006) The Royal Navy is selling its trademark White Ensign logo to appear on products ranging from clothes to computer games in what it says is an attempt market its "quality brand" to potential young recruits. The White Ensign could appear on clothing and computer games The Senior Service hopes that by licensing the use of images, including those of the Royal Marines Commandos, Fleet Air Arm and Submarine Service, on high street merchandise it will raise awareness of the Navy as a career prospect among a target...

More Nevadans know Jack Carter today than four months ago, but the president's son turned Democratic Senate candidate is still far from giving the Republican incumbent a competitive run. According to a new Review-Journal poll, if the general election were held today, Sen. John Ensign would attract 54 percent of the state's votes. Almost a quarter, 23 percent, of Democrats would vote for him, as would half of Clark County, a Democratic stronghold. Thirty-three percent of voters statewide said they'd vote for Carter, and 13 percent were undecided. "We've got work to do, but I'm pleased with the direction it's...

Incumbent Republican Senator John Ensign (R) is facing an increasingly competitive race in his bid for re-election to a second term in the U.S. Senate. A recent Rasmussen Reports election survey of 500 likely voters shows Ensign’s lead in the single-digits—46% to 39%—over Democrat Jack Carter (see crosstabs ). Though they’re already seen as their respective parties’ official candidates, both candidates must first face minor contests in Nevada’s August 15th primary. Ensign is being challenged for the GOP nod by Ed “Fast Eddie” Hamilton of Las Vegas and Carter will square off against middle school science teacher Ruby Jee Tun...

Some of Nevada's top Republicans running for re-election appeared to distance themselves from the Bush administration on Saturday at a gathering of party faithful. "We need to get back to the party of Ronald Reagan," Sen. John Ensign told about 130 Republicans assembled at the Clark County convention to amend the platform and vet this year's crop of candidates. Secretary of State hopeful Brian Scroggins also pointed to Reagan as his role model, while Rep. Jon Porter made only passing reference to the president in his more than 10-minute keynote speech. Porter said he wasn't trying to snub the president,...

Jack Carter, the son of former President Carter, said Tuesday he plans to run against John Ensign for the U.S. Senate next year. Carter, 58, and his wife, Elizabeth, have lived in Las Vegas since 2003, operating the investment consulting firm Carter Global. "I'm very seriously exploring it," Carter said in an interview Tuesday. "I had not planned to run for office. I have no infrastructure and this is new to me." Carter said he decided to run in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. He said he was offended by the federal government's response to the disaster. "I'm more concerned...

One senator described the public's perception of the war in Iraq as "more and more like Vietnam." A second worried that "our very presence there inspires more insurgents." A third said the strain on the armed forces "is getting worse, not better." Military brass had heard such comments before when they trooped up Capitol Hill to answer questions from Congress. But this time there was a difference: The comments were coming from Republicans. "We will lose this war if we leave too soon. And what is likely to make us do that? The public going south," said Sen. Lindsey Graham...

LAS VEGAS, Aug. 10 - Seizing on an issue that this state's Democratic senator calls "the most important to the people of Nevada," Senator John Kerry vowed Tuesday not to send nuclear waste to Yucca Mountain and accused President Bush of breaking a similar promise he made four years ago. In a state that Mr. Bush won by four percentage points in 2000, Mr. Kerry, the Democratic presidential nominee, hammered at the administration's support for the nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas. "Yucca Mountain to me is a symbol of the recklessness and arrogance...

WASHINGTON, DC— U.S. Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) issued the following statement regarding John Kerry’s campaigning in Nevada today: "John Kerry has been in the Senate for a long time – long enough to vote for higher taxes at least 350 times. Kerry’s plan for $1.9 trillion in new government spending doesn’t add up and would mean higher taxes for all Americans. Kerry promises to roll back the President’s pro-growth policies that helped create more than 625,000 jobs over the past two months. "America needs strong and steady leadership, not uncertainty and opportunism. Days after addressing union members in Michigan and...

Nevada Senator John Ensign blasted Democrat Ted Kennedy for his "shameful" statements likening US soldiers to Saddam Hussein's torturous regime. The Nevada Republican was commenting on a statement credited to Senator Kennedy Tuesday. Kennedy is quoted as saying, "Shamefully, we now learn that Saddam's torture chambers reopened under new management: U.S. management." Ensign believes Kennedy crossed the line with his comments and called on Kennedy to retract them immediately. "To express disappointment or anger over what has occurred at Abu Ghraib prison is one thing. To put American servicemen and women in the same category as one of the most...

Hanoi John French Kerry now proposes dealing with foreign investments and US Corporations - the only problem is that when he had a chance to make a difference and vote for such legislation, he voted against it! Now he's flip-flopped again and purports to support the very same kind of legislation he previously voted against! Here's the record of interest:U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 108th Congress - 1st Session: S.Amdt. 622 to S. 1054 (Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003 ) Statement of Purpose: To encourage the investment of foreign earnings within the United States for productive...

<p>Who do our Congresspersons think they're fooling? As they ponder a pork-laden energy bill and a multi-trillion-dollar Medicare prescription drug benefit, some have chosen President Bush's Iraqi reconstruction request as the place to make a stand for fiscal rectitude.</p> <p>The issue is whether to exploit Iraq's future oil revenues by giving some of the aid not as a grant, as the White House insists, but as a loan. The Senate voted last week to make $10 billion of its $18.4 billion reconstruction package a loan. Though the House voted all the money as a grant, that schizoid chamber passed a non-binding motion Tuesday instructing conferees to adopt the Senate position.</p>

Politics 2003 Week of June 30 by John Gizzi Posted Jun 27, 2003 DAVID TOWELL, R.I.P. Although Tom Larainger and Hal Furman had both been interns and then full-time staffers for former Sen. (1974-86) Paul Laxalt (R-Nev.)—easily the most durable politician in modern Nevada history—neither had any strong memories of David Towell, who was the silver state’s lone U.S. Representative from 1972-74. For that matter, Towell himself—who died June 11 at 66 following a long illness—likened his own political career to a rocket ride that "went straight up and straight down." But, as dim and remote as he was from...

REID AND ENSIGN ENLIST FORMER REAGAN CHIEF OF STAFF IN FIGHT AGAINST YUCCA MOUNTAIN WASHINGTON - Senators Harry Reid and John Ensign announced today that former Ronald Reagan Chief of Staff Kenneth Duberstein has joined with the Nevada delegation to fight against Yucca Mountain. The highly respected and well-connected Duberstein served as Reagan's Chief of Staff from 1988 to 1989. Duberstein started his political career as an aide to New York Senator Jacob Javits in 1965. After several years in the federal government, Duberstein joined the Reagan Administration in 1981 in the congressional liaison's office. In July of 1988, he...