Free Republic

WASHINGTON (AP) — Last fall, Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., came to Connecticut to help Democratic Senate candidate Ned Lamont in his bid to unseat veteran Sen. Joe Lieberman. Lamont is now returning the favor. He and the Massachusetts Democrat are teaming up to target Republican senators they say are blocking efforts to end the Iraq war. Lamont, a political novice whose anti-war views fueled his summer primary win over Lieberman, sent out a fundraising pitch on Friday to about 3 million people on Kerry’s national e-mail list. "Last year, Connecticut Democrats heard my call for an end to the war...

poll results as of 12:30 pm: Should the State of Virginia have rung the bells a 33rd time for the Virginia Tech killer? YES 9 per cent. NO, 91 per cent. Special Show on Monday April 23 Howie broadcasts live from Washington D.C. for the 2nd Annual Hold Their Feet To The Fire Broadcast supported by Americans for Legal Immigration PAC. Joining us to talk about the illegal immigration crisis in this country will be former presidential candidate and TV sage Pat Buchanan, U.S. Sen. John E. Sununu (R-NH), current presidential candidate Cong. Tom Tancredo (R-CO), U.S. Cong. Steve King...

The U.S. Senate overwhelmingly voted to end a filibuster and moved closer to renewal of the USA Patriot Act. Senators voted 96-3 Thursday to stop debate regarding a compromise on the Patriot Act. All three of the senators who voted to keep debate going were Democrats ... Some aspects of the act were to expire at the end of 2005 but the White House sought to make the bill permanent. Congress gave the act short extensions, the most recent of which will end March 10.

THIS WEEK, Congress considers legislation extending the implementation of the U.S.A. Patriot Act. Understandably, the debate surrounding the bill is fraught with emotion.At issue, however, is whether the proposed changes take appropriate steps to protect the civil liberties of innocent Americans. I believe they do not. Given the importance of these individual freedoms, I cannot support the bill in its current form.Ultimately, this debate is about police powers — powers granted by the people to government — and the balance we strike between these forceful tools and the rights of individuals.Provisions written into the Constitution and in laws are designed...

My favorite supporting character in the legendary strip, “Peanuts,” is Pigpen. His unique trait is raising a cloud of dirt everywhere, even on a clean, dry sidewalk. Pigpen came to mind when I saw the White House Press Corps’ question President Bush Wednesday on his nomination of Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court. First, the status of the nomination. Monday afternoon, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid held a nearly unprecedented press conference with Harriet Miers, just hours after her nomination. Reid said that she was an “exceptional” candidate, and “the sort of person who should be nominated.” In short, the...

Susan Lindauer, a former reporter for U.S. News & World Report, whose byline appeared over some 1991 stories about the "Air Sununu" scandal, was arrested and arraigned in federal court in Baltimore on Thursday, charged with various counts related to working for and accepting payments from the Saddam Hussein regime, in violation of working with a terrorist state. In the late 1980s and early 1990s she worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and Fortune before jumping to U.S. News in 1990 and then, by 1993, moving into a career as Press Secretary to a series of liberal Democrats: Then Congressmen Peter...

The inimitable Mark Steyn Here's the week that was, according to one of the world's greatest living columnists, Mark Steyn: HH: On this, the first full day of the papacy of Benedict XVI, we begin a conversation about that day with none other than Mark Steyn. He, columnist of international fame and fortune, based in either Canada or New Hampshire, as the moment requires. He joins us now from I don't know where. Mark, welcome. How are you? MS: I'm in New Hampshire today, Hugh. HH: Well, if you move to Vermont, I will support your bid to replace Jim...

Personal accounts for Social Security should be the No. 1 economic policy priority for conservatives because, if done right, they would result in the greatest reduction in government in history. If the payment of Social Security retirement benefits were shifted to personal accounts, as envisioned by the Ryan-Sununu bill, federal spending would drop by 5% of GDP. Federal spending is currently 20% of GDP but will rise dramatically in the future if we do not adopt fundamental reforms of all entitlement programs now. Ryan-Sununu would finance about half the transition to personal accounts through limitations in projected total federal spending....

John Kerry's bitter denunciations of President Bush over Social Security are craven, opportunistic and false. Worse yet, Kerry's approach to the program's crisis risks disaster. Kerry charges that Bush secretly plans to cut benefits or hike Social Security taxes to fund his "scheme" to privatize the program. In fact, Bush has spelled out seven principles of reform, including no tax hikes or benefit cuts. Kerry's claim that Bush's plan will cost trillions is another canard. Consider just one plan — which the White House has stated is consistent with all the president's principles: ...the legislation recently introduced by Rep. Paul...

Breaking on ABC... does anyone know who's wife this is? I haven't heard anything more!

WASHINGTON, Nov. 2 — State polls showing that more than half a dozen Senate seats were still within either party's grasp prompted Republicans and Democrats today to intensify their feverish campaigns for control of the chamber. Seeking to influence the truly undecided voters — and to make sure those who have made up their minds go to the polls — both parties marshaled volunteers to ring doorbells and hand out leaflets. They also paraded big-name politicians and star-quality supporters before the cameras and drowned out commercials for consumer goods with advertisements extolling their candidates and assailing their opponents. Politicians and...

Also: a Shaheen internal poll released tonight showed Shaheen with a small lead. The poll conducted by Alan J. Quinlan of Greenberg, Quinlan, Rosner Research, Inc. on October 15-16, 2002 among 500 likely November voters showed Shaheen leading Sununu 45%-43%. americanresearchgroup.comAmerican Research Group, Inc.814 Elm Street  Manchester, NH 03101603/624-4081  603/627-1746-FAX The New Hampshire Poll October 17, 2002 Republicans Continue to Hold Leads in New Hampshire as US Senate Race Tightens Republicans John Sununu, Craig Benson, Jeb Bradley, and Charles Bass continue to hold their respective leads over Democrats Jeanne Shaheen, Mark Fernald, Martha Fuller Clark, and Katrina Swett with only the race...

Smith won’t ask supporters to stop write-in efforts By HARRY R. WEBER AP Writer CONCORD — There’s nothing worse than a family fight. Three weeks after U.S. Sen. Bob Smith lost the Republican primary to Rep. John E. Sununu, some of Smith’s supporters remain bitter, and Smith himself indicated Monday he would not stop write-in campaigns on his behalf. "No, he’s not going to ask these people to stop," Smith spokeswoman Lisa Harrison said from Washington. "It’s not his place to ask these people to stop." Smith said in his concession speech Sept. 10 that he would support Sununu, and...

Keough plans to help Sununu get elected By STEPHEN SEITZ Sunday News Correspondent DUBLIN — Whither Bruce Keough? The Dublin businessman and former Republican candidate for governor came within 4,300 votes of beating Craig Benson for the nomination, despite Benson’s record spending. Keough’s strength in the contest has led many to wonder what he plans to do next. “Get John E. Sununu elected to the U.S. Senate,” Keough, 46, said Friday. “In fact, he has asked me to chair the fund-raiser with President Bush on Oct. 5 when he comes to Manchester.” Keough said he met Sununu at the Republican...

Smith write-in effort being organized... WMUR reported a write-in effort for Senator Bob Smith is being organized. Smith supporters Tammy Simmons and Mary Stipe will launch a website and organize the effort. The Smith supporters said they would not mind if this effort caused Shaheen to win the senate seat. (9/26/02)

Public Opinion Strategies poll for NRSC. 9/16-17/02. 500 likely voters. MOE +/- 4.38%. Matchup Sununu: 49% Shaheen: 40% Other: 3% Undec.: 7% Fav/Unfav Sununu: 59-31% Shaheen: 54-43%

Confronted with economic uncertainty, the congressional response is to promulgate new laws and regulations rather than cut taxes or exercise spending restraint. This is as true for the Republican-controlled House of Representatives as the Democrat Senate. When it was reported that the Bush administration was considering a tax package that would alleviate double-taxation of corporations and lower taxes on investors, some congressional Republicans were unenthusiastic. House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bill Thomas (R-CA) doesn´t want to bring these proposals up for a vote. Robert Novak wrote that Thomas was opposed to the administration´s initiative, while columnist Bruce Bartlett reported...

"Pray as if it all depended on God; work as if it all depended on you." Close, possible pickups: South Dakota, Missouri, Georgia, New Jersey and Minnesota. Possible losses: Arkansas, New Hampshire, Texas, North Carolina If lightening strikes, may pickup: Iowa South Dakota: John Thune, current Congressman, (articulate, affable, attractive in an August debate with Johnson) running against Tim Johnson, current Senator. Last poll: 40%-40% announced just before the debate Link to www.johnthune.com John Thune for South Dakota P.O. Box 516 Sioux Falls, SD 57101 New Jersey: Doug Forrester (bio: former assistant state treasurer, now small businessman and university instructor)...

Bernadette Malone:Someone is push-polling Sununu around By BERNADETTE MALONE IF YOU wanted to ruin someone's reputation, but not sully your own by bad-mouthing him, what would be the easiest way to accomplish your goal? Remember, you want people to stop liking this person, but you yourself don't want to be accused of slinging mud and being uncharitable. If you were in politics, you might quietly encourage an ally to say these ugly things about your opponent instead of saying them yourself. Or you might pay to have a "push poll" conducted against your target, as someone has done to...

Republicans in New Hampshire must decide whether to back the reelection bid of Sen. Bob Smith or to nominate the challenger, Rep. John Sununu. The ideological differences between the candidates are slight, as Bernadette Malone reports in the September 2 issue of NR, with both men having strong conservative records. Conservatives should therefore choose the candidate who will support their common views most effectively. Sen. Smith, alas, is not that man. He is not favored to win in November if he is nominated, and one of the reasons he is not is his well-earned reputation for erratic judgment. And while...