Free Republic

If Sen. Joe Manchin bolts the Democratic Party, he'd be more likely to switch to independent — and caucus with the Democrats — than become a Republican, people close to him tell Axios. Driving the news: Manchin’s surprise body blow to President Biden’s Build Back Better agenda set off new speculation across the Democratic Party — including inside the White House — that he may leave the party next year. * The timing and destination of Manchin's declaration: "I can’t get there. This is a no" — on "Fox News Sunday," days before Christmas — seemed designed for maximum impact....

Rep. Jim Carney, D-Pa., says he’s rebuffed efforts by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., to switch over to the GOP. Meanwhile, some seemingly tough Republicans plan to take him on next year. Or as one person told National Review’s Jim Geraghty, “We are more interested in beating Democrats than flipping them.” It’s no surprise that Republicans would prefer a longtime Republican in office in 2011 over Carney or other potential party switchers. And in a normal year that might be the smart play. But right now the GOP needs just a few votes to block the Democratic health care plan, the...

Oklahoma City (AP) - The state Senate gained a Democrat and lost a Republican today. Senator Nancy Riley says she's switching from the Republican to the Democratic Party because the G-O-P is being taken over by the extreme right wing. Riley says she was completely ignored by the Republican caucus during this year's legislative session. She believes her treatment is because of her moderate views and because she's a woman. The move increases the Democrat's majority in the Senate to 26-to-22 and Riley is in the middle of her four-year term so she doesn't face re-election this year. Democratic Senator...

Former Liberal David Emerson defects to Tories Updated Mon. Feb. 6 2006 11:04 AM ET CTV.ca News Staff CTV News has confirmed that former Liberal industry minister David Emerson has defected to the Conservatives for a cabinet post. The Vancouver MP and former head of lumber giant Canfor arrived at Rideau Hall shortly before the Tory cabinet was to be announced. He will be named the Minister of International Trade and the Minister responsible for the Olympic Games in Vancouver in 2010. Snatching Emerson could be seen as Conservative retribution for the defection of Belinda Stronach to the Liberals in...

City Councilor David Pfeffer, a Democrat who angered members of his party and delighted local Republicans by endorsing and campaigning for President Bush in last year’s election, will complete his break with his party today. Pfeffer, who represents the northside District 1, said Thursday that he will change his party registration today at the Santa Fe County Courthouse . “The Democratic Party used to be the party of the people, the party of minorities, the party of people like myself,” Pfeffer told a reporter. David Pfeffer City councilor says the Democratic Party used to be the party of the people,...

Former state senator Slade Mead is increasingly giving signals he may run for state schools superintendent in 2006. Mead, a controversial Republican ally of Democratic Gov. Janet Napolitano, has been showing up at a number of recent top Democratic Party events and fund raisers, sources tell The Business Journal. That is raising the possibility that Mead may change parties and run as a Democrat against state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne. Horne is a Republican who also switched parties in the 1990s. Mead has strong ties with some pro-education downtown business leaders, including Pinnacle West Capital Corp./APS chairman Bill...

Isn't it amazing... pass it on...County leaders switch parties.....Click here to read full article...God Bless the GOP!

Candidates' appeal blocks new signups 1st Circuit to take up 5th District quarrel By CHRIS FRINK cfrink@theadvocate.com Capitol news bureau Two candidates in the turbulent congressional 5th District race stopped an attempt to open the race to new candidates Tuesday. The 1st Circuit Court of Appeal in Baton Rouge set a hearing on the appeal for 9:30 a.m. Monday. The election is Nov. 2. A state district judge had re-opened the qualifying period to allow incumbent U.S. Rep. Rodney Alexander to rejoin the race. State Democrats sued Alexander in 18th Judicial District Court in Plaquemine after the former Democrat switched...

NEW ORLEANS - In 48 hours, Rep. Rodney Alexander (news, bio, voting record) went from Democrat to Republican, friend to foe — or foe to friend, depending on your political persuasion. Democrats reacted to the news by calling the first-term congressman a turncoat and a coward. They must now gain another seat, 12 in all, to win back the House this fall. The count today: Democrats 205, Republicans 229. A new ally, on the other hand, rang him up Friday to say congratulations. President Bush (news - web sites), according to White House spokesman Scott McClellan, welcomed Alexander to the...

LOUISIANA SENATE PRESIDENT CONSIDERS ANOTHER PARTY SWITCH. Louisiana State Senate President John Hainkel (R) enjoys his leadership job and wants to have a good working relationship with incoming Governor Kathleen Blanco (D). Blanco -- who is replacing a term-limited GOP incumbent -- let it be known she'd like the next House Speaker and Senate President to be Democrats, according to CQ Politics Today. Hainkel told the New Orleans Times-Picayune that the most important thing to him is retaining his leadership post: "Maybe I’ll be [a] Democrat ... If that is the biggest freakin’ thing ... to [Blanco], I’d change my...

Baker makes switch State Rep. Larry Baker of Senatobia, who was elected to the House as a Democrat in 1999, has qualified to run for a second term as a Republican. "I have been a conservative all my life and have pretty well gone with the Republican Party on most votes," said Baker, 63, a retired officer with the Mississippi Army National Guard and a cattleman. Baker is the fourth lawmaker to switch parties this year after Lt. Gov. Amy Tuck made the move last December. The Mississippi House now has 83 Democrats, 36 Republicans and three independents. The Senate...

According to Tom "Liberal Conspiracy Theorist" Paine, Control of the U.S. Senate once again falls to Trent Lott and a band of GOP radicals who call themselves “conservative.” They’re anything but that. Miscasting a thin electoral victory as a mandate, they’ll move an agenda designed to repay their corporate funders and please their activist base. They’ll gut the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act. Pack federal courts with anti-choice, anti-consumer judges. Excuse corporate wrongdoing with wrist slaps. Shift taxes from the wealthy to working families. Senate GOP moderates like Olympia Snowe, Lincoln Chafee and Arlen Specter must be thinking:...