Free Republic

Should fiscal conservatives and libertarians join social conservatives to promote social conservative policies? Is the political divide between wings of the GOP based more on perception or passion than on reality? Higher government spending is driven by social issues – and liberal policies regarding families and children. In fact, fiscal conservatives can never achieve their goals of limited government, balanced budgets, and low tax levels without working on the concerns raised by social conservatives. Focusing only on government spending ignores factors that lead to the desire to spend more by some politicians and some voters. Major drivers of skyrocketing national...

Breitbart News has learned exclusively that Clint Eastwood has signed an amicus brief to the Supreme Court, supporting the right of same-sex couples to marry. The brief, which will be released later this evening, has signatures from more than 100 Republican and conservative activists. It involves the case before the Supreme Court, seeking to overturn CA's Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage in the state. A well-placed GOP source provided Breitbart News with an early glimpse of the brief.

I am wondering about the structure of a third "Constitutional" party. Would it be better to form a party exclusively on a fiscal issues basis? What would be the pros and cons of taking social issues completely off the table? I mean, are there really enough "social issues" in the text of the Constitution itself to warrant making them a permanent policy of a new party and subsequently risking vicious debate and division? I guess I am thinking of the inevitability of Conservatives locking antlers with the "socially" left wing of the Libertarians", who are otherwise fiscally right wing. Shouldn't...

Ever since July when a Tea Party planned for the historic Lexington Battle Green was shut down by RINO Republicans who objected to the pro-family, pro-morality message, a battle has flared over whether so-called "moderates" have the right to silence social conservatives. This re-ignited the following month when one of the same RINO activists attempted to stop a South Boston Tea Party from taking place. Recently the homosexual "conservative" group GOProud has raised the stakes by mounting a campaign to try to persuade national Tea Party leaders that the movement should avoid social issues completely. However, as the homosexual news...

He was talking specifically about a bill pending in the Indiana state legislature, not proposing a new federal “truce” on social issues, but even so, this guy must understand that he’s under a microscope now that he’s being touted as a presidential contender, right? Every utterance is significant, and he’s already got not one but two strikes against him. Is he trying to scare social cons? I can kinda sorta understand that as a primary strategy, if you think there are enough centrist Republicans out there (or at least, anti-social-con Republicans) to push you through to the nomination, but you...

After nearly 15 years of attempting to describe how the mainstream media has often negatively portrayed conservatives, I have found there are some basic truths which have prompted such coverage. Certainly those who fall on the right of the political spectrum are not fairly represented or reported on by many journalists in the dominant press. However, the dynamics of conservatism and the varied views which make up this broad political idiom has, at times, fostered the coverage it receives...

The Economist on the grand coalition of the Republican Party: Business conservatives can never win a majority without the support of “values voters” (there just are not enough people around who look like Mr Romney). “Values voters” can never produce a viable governing coalition without the help of the business elite. The Republicans have seen revolts against their ruling coalition before—remember Pat Buchanan’s pitchfork rebellion against George Bush senior—and they have always succeeded in putting it back together again. They need to do the same now. Enough Republicans believe enough of the Reagan mantra—less government, traditional values and strong defence—to...

Apparently, small government Republicans [Huckabee’s] aides are wary of New Hampshire. “It’s all no tax, no government there,” said Bob Wickers, a top strategist. “It’s not ideal.” But they believe that the message of economic anxiety that he preaches will help in Michigan’s primary on Jan. 15 and in states in the South, which have high poverty rates in addition to strong groups of social conservatives.” Mike Huckabee is skipping New Hampshire because it’s too fiscally conservative. Instructive, yes? Huckabee’s brand of identity politics is as dangerous as anyone else’s - after nearly eight years of a fiscally liberal Republican...

Forty-one percent (41%) of American voters say they are conservative when it comes to “fiscal issues such as taxes, government spending, and business regulation.” A Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 43% consider themselves fiscally moderate and 12% say liberal. At the same time, 37% say they are conservative when it comes to “social issues like abortion, public prayer, and church-state topics.” On such social issues, 30% say they are moderate while 30% say liberal. Sixty-seven percent (67%) of Republicans consider themselves fiscal conservatives. Fifty percent (50%) of Democrats and 49% of those not affiliated with either major party...

Mitt Romney rolled out one of the most detailed tax cut plans yet among the major presidential candidates yesterday, proposing to eliminate taxes on income from interest, dividends, and capital gains for the vast majority of Americans. In several appearances in New Hampshire, Romney said his proposal, which would give the tax break to those earning less than $200,000 a year, would be a boon to the middle class. "You can save your money for a down payment on a house, for a car, for a boat, for college for your kids, whatever the heck you want," he told about...

The group named heavy equipment manufacturer Caterpillar, communications giant Motorola, military contractor United Technologies and electronics manufacturer ITT Industries - all of which supply the Israel Defense Forces . . . The Church also listed international banking conglomerate Citigroup, which was cited in April by The Wall Street Journal for "having moved substantial funds from charities later seen to be fronts funneling money to terrorist organizations," including "funds [which] ended up as payments to the families of Palestinian suicide bombers" . . . The 2.5 million-strong church, the ninth largest in the U.S., represents most U.S. Presbyterians.

At $286.4 billion, the highway bill just passed by Congress is the most expensive public works legislation in US history. In addition to funding the interstate highway system and other federal transportation programs, it sets a new record for pork-barrel spending, earmarking $24 billion for a staggering 6,376 pet projects, spread among virtually every congressional district in the land. The enormous bill -- 1,752 pages long -- wasn't made available for public inspection until just before it was brought to a vote, and so, as The New York Times noted, ''it is safe to bet that none of the lawmakers,...

Senate (34-4): - Republicans against: Aanestad, Campbell, Margett, McClintock. Total: 4. Assembly (64-13) - Republicans against: Blakeslee, Daucher, Harman, Haynes, Huff, La Suer, Maze, Mountjoy, Plescia, Strickland, Tran, Walters, Wyland. Total: 13.

<p>Even Bill Clinton and a Democratic Congress didn't spend like this.</p> <p>In tonight's State of the Union address, President Bush can claim credit for a rebounding economy spurred by two rounds of tax cuts. He can take further credit for pushing those cuts despite opposition from the deficit hand-wringers--including, we now know, his first Treasury Secretary.</p>

10 Facts for Fiscal Conservatives to Consider When Voting on the Medicare Prescription Drug Legislation 1. By CBO's estimates, this bill will bring the total projected deficit for the coming decade to nearly $2 trillion. 2. In the year 2026 alone (the year Medicare Part A is projected to go bankrupt), this legislation will increase the overall cost of Medicare by $300 billion. 3. This legislation will force millions of Americans to lose their private prescription drug coverage and be herded into an inferior government-run program. Benefits would cost most seniors more and deliver less. 4. The National Taxpayers...