Free Republic

SIMI VALLEY, Calif. - As Republican presidential contenders meet for their first debate on Thursday (live on MSNBC TV and MSNBC.com at 8 p.m. ET), social conservatives, a powerful force within the GOP, face the possibility that the party will nominate a candidate next year who isn’t really one of them.

Michigan Education Special Services Association: The MEA's Money Machine This exhaustive report illuminates the inner workings of the Michigan Education Association's health insurance division, known as MESSA. It documents how tens of millions of the public's education tax dollars are wasted each year on uncompetitive teacher health insurance, and how MESSA is part of a systematic plan to subsidize the MEA's basic operation and political activity. 64 pages Executive Summary Over one year ago, the Mackinac Center for Public Policy was approached by a concerned parent who had watched his school district, during a heated contract negotiation, spend over half...

Neugebauer, Isett lead fund raising By JOHN FUQUAY AVALANCHE-JOURNAL In the race to represent District 19 in the U.S. Congress, the top eight campaigns — in terms of fund raising — have raised almost $2 million, according to recent financial disclosures. Campaign strategists — independent ones and those connected to campaigns — have said the seat being vacated by Larry Combest, R-Lubbock, likely would take mid- to upper-six figures to win. So far, five of 17 candidates have campaign funds eclipsing $100,000. Randy Neugebauer, R-Lubbock, is the leading fund-raiser with $604,515; however, $150,000 of his total is money he loaned...

Congressional candidate Bell sounds alarm over selling of water By SEBASTIAN KITCHEN AVALANCHE-JOURNAL One congressional candidate said West Texas will dry up and blow away if people are not stopped from harvesting area water, selling it and shipping the product downstate. "If they do, they literally steal our future out from under us," said John D. Bell. Bell stood in front of a waterfall at Canyon Lakes as he addressed West Texas water issues during a Wednesday afternoon news conference. The Kermit Republican is one of 17 candidates vying to replace Larry Combest, R-Lubbock, as the District 19 representative. A...

District 19 candidates weigh in on agriculture, energy issues By JOHN FUQUAY AVALANCHE-JOURNAL Part of a continuing series The old U.S. Congressional District 19 had more grassland territory on the sun-drenched caprock, and the soon-to-be-retiring congressman representing the district was a member of the House Agriculture Committee. In fact, Larry Combest, R-Lubbock, served for a term as the committee's chairman. But the new district, redrawn after the 2000 census, shifted south, losing the farmland that extended to the Oklahoma border and gaining oil fields in Midland, Ector, Winkler, Loving and other counties. The district's next representative will inherit the ag...

Crowded field assures hectic campaign for District 19 seat By JOHN FUQUAY AVALANCHE-JOURNAL In what promises to be an unusual campaign, 17 names will appear on a ballot May 3 for a special election to choose the next U.S. representative from District 19. "Public forums are going to be mayhem," Lubbock political analyst Morris Wilkes said. "And there's only 30 days to campaign." As Wednesday's filing deadline passed, the field of candidates ballooned to 17 men and women representing six political parties. Each candidate is hoping to replace U.S. Rep. Larry Combest, the Lubbock Republican who is retiring May 31...