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In a political world where perception is everything, Sarah Palin is really hurting right now, according to The Week. The worst part is, she is pulling the Republican Party right down the drain with her. In the past few weeks, Palin has shown all kinds of signs that she is running for president in 2012. She has bought a home in Arizona, hijacked a ride intended for veterans, released a book and announced a bus tour. All of these things say that she is building toward a run for the Republican nomination...or does it? Rumors abound that Palin is simply...

The Mama Grizzly is coming out of hibernation. This weekend, Sarah Palin is launching her "One Nation" bus tour, visiting historical sites across the country. Palin will start on Memorial Day at the Rolling Thunder weekend motorcycle rally that starts at the Pentagon. Where it will end has yet to be announced. But given Palin's other recent move—the announcement of a feature-length film on her tenure as governor—it looks as if her ultimate destination may be the White House. Whatever Mitt Romney had on his plate for Memorial Day, he'd better make room. If we assume—for the purposes of page...

The GOP needs to shed its image as the "old white guy party," Jeb Bush said this week. Speaking at George Washington University, Bush said Republicans need to reach out to a more diverse group of voters. "You don't have to be a rocket scientist to realize that in order for a political party to be successful it has to reach out to everyone," Bush said, according to the GW Hatchet. "In politics, you never win when you say 'us and them.' We need a more welcoming message."

Two House Republicans side with Dems to raise state income tax [Scumbag Traitor RINO Alert!] link only: http://www.ohio.com/news/65368782.html

Some say U.S. senator should focus on emphasizing his conservative record. BY BEN SZOBODY The shouts of "traitor" that rained on Republican U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham last week at a local town hall meeting revealed rifts among conservatives that some analysts say might signal trouble for center-right politicians such as Graham. Political experts say a burgeoning group of right-wing activists long seen as the fringe of the party is growing in influence, fueled by economic fears and populist ire over unchecked Washington spending and magnified by the power of the Internet. Whether they represent a vocal minority or the seeds...

Sen. Lindsey Graham, a longtime friend and ally of Sen. John McCain, is now going a step further, Democrats say, and actually becoming the new McCain. Senior members of the majority party say the South Carolina Republican has displaced his Arizona mentor as the dealmaker on two big agenda items of the Obama administration: climate change and immigration. As McCain, on the heels of his presidential election defeat, has distanced himself from Democrats, Graham has moved in to fill the vacuum.

Although Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) vowed this week to introduce comprehensive immigration reform next month, his Senate counterparts expected to take the lead on the issue aren’t heeding a similar timeline. “That’s new to me,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said of Gutierrez’s announcement, made Tuesday at an immigration rally on Capitol Hill. “I’ve been talking to Sen. Schumer, and we hope to get something done that’s comprehensive,” Graham added. “We just don’t know when yet.”Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), who chairs the Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees and Border Security, has been meeting periodically with Graham to discuss ideas on immigration,...

WASHINGTON (Dow Jones) - Efforts by U.S. Senate Democrats to persuade Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., to endorse their climate legislation may take a bit longer. Democrats have spent months reaching out to McCain through Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., and Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn. The outreach appeared likely to step up after McCain's friend, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., over the weekend became the first Republican this year to sign on to a bipartisan climate-change plan.

This morning, in an interview with CNN's State of the Union, Sen. John McCain (RINO-Ariz.) apparently used some rather choice language to describe the fairly evident future political aspirations of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R-Ak.): "Will Sarah and I - did we always agree on everything in the past? Will we in the future? No. But let's let a thousand flowers bloom. Let's come up with a winning combination next time."—http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2360310/posts With only a cursory glance, it appears from McCain's language that he is merely asking for a second chance -- in 2012? -- with Palin. [And, at first...

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) reached across the aisle to praise President Obama on education reform this morning. President Obama has angered teachers' unions by supporting merit pay, a policy that would pay teachers based on their students' test scores. Obama has also called for a longer school year, while teachers' unions have proposed shorter school weeks to prevent layoffs. "I am very, very encouraged, and excited that the president has taken on a core constituency of his party, which is the teachers union," Bush said on MSNBC's Morning Joe.

(snip) Appearing on CNN's "State of the Union," the Arizona Republican said: "When we selected, or asked, Sarah Palin to be my running mate, it energized our party. We were ahead in the polls, until the stock market crashed. And she still is a formidable force in the Republican Party. And I have great affection for her. Will Sarah and I - did we always agree on everything in the past? Will we in the future? No. But let's let a thousand flowers bloom. Let's come up with a winning combination next time." (snip)

Have a listen to this effective new radio ad for John Ginty, the conservative choice for the US Senate seat in NJ: Washington Wake Up Call... Ginty's opponent, Tom Kean Jr. is a pro-abortion, pro-homosexual agenda, anti-gun, pro-open-borders liberal. If you want to have a real choice in November, help spread the word about John Ginty! No More RINOS!Ginty for Senate in NJPrimary day is June 6, 2006

Rep. Graf Forms Exploratory Committee for Possible Run at Cong. Kolbe The Arizona Conservative By Dennis Durband, Editor March 2, 2004 GREEN VALLEY, AZ -- Citing the need for representation in Congressional District 8 that reflects mainstream Republican values, House Majority Whip Randy Graf announced Tuesday the formation of an exploratory committee to allow him to test the waters for a primary challenge to embattled Rep. Jim Kolbe. “After many discussions with Republicans in the district and a long contemplation with my family, I have come to the conclusion that opening up an exploratory committee is the right thing to...