Free Republic

The desperation grows. Donald Trump has now reached his highest point in polls, garnering 35 percent in the latest CBS/New York Times poll. The second place contender, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) trails by a longshot at 16 percent; establishment favorite-nouveau Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) clocks in at just 9 percent, while former establishment favorite Jeb Bush is down at 3 percent. Establishment Republicans have now entered a state of open panic, with Karl Rove writing, "Donald Trump would be the dream opponent for the Democratic Party. We'll see in the next four months whether that matters to Republicans." The establishment...

Meet Rick Perry The lackluster group of candidates currently vying for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination has created a great deal of angst among conservatives. From Mitt to Newt to TPaw to Ron Paul, there hasn't been anyone who's truly inspired the base and inspired hope. Enter Texas Governor Rick Perry, the movie-star handsome, devout evangelical and fearless governor of Texas who has overseen impressive economic growth in the midst of The Great Recession. Over the weekend, Governor Perry addressed the Republican Leadership Conference, giving an inspiring speech that seemed all but certain to announce his candidacy for the...

House Republicans picked John Boehner Friday to serve as minority leader when Democrats take control of Congress for the first time in 12 years in January. Boehner defeated Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana in a closed-door election among colleagues. The Ohio winner was expected to speak after elections for other leadership positions concluded. Boehner received 168 votes, Pence 27 and Rep. Joe Barton of Texas won 1 vote.