Free Republic

WASHINGTON - Texas Gov. Rick Perry, the self-proclaimed outsider vowing to make federal government "as inconsequential in your life as I can," huddled privately in the nation's capital Friday with the consummate insiders - lobbyists, trade association executives, foreign policy experts and hefty campaign donors, including veterans of past GOP presidential campaigns and administrations. The campaign declined to disclose the governor's schedule...

Presidential hopeful Herman Cain isn't just a former CEO of Godfather’s Pizza and head of the National Restaurant Association. He was also once a prolific writer, who up until January 2011 produced a weekly opinion column published by the conservative website WorldNetDaily. In at least one column, Cain seemed to condemn a proposal that is now a pillar of his highly touted 9-9-9 tax plan. On November 12, 2010, Cain wrote a column about rumors that Democrats would propose a consumption tax called a VAT. "The worst idea is a proposed national sales tax," Cain wrote. A 9% national sales...

Romney has had a big boost from the Republican establishment, which decided a while back he's the serious candidate with a chance of beating President Obama. The establishment also decided that upending Texas Gov. Rick Perry's chances is the best way to ensure a Romney victory, since none of the other candidates in the race are very serious and the establishment utterly failed in coaxing NJ Gov. Chris Christie into the race. Cain and Romney are also buddies. Cain endorsed Romney last time around and Romney finds various ways to praise Cain, even going so far as telling a NH...

The national spokesperson for group that seeking to take the selection of the president out of the hands of the Electoral College says the movement is gaining steam. Tom Golisano of the “National Popular Vote Initiative” was in Des Moines Thursday talking about the effort. The group needs states that have 270 — or half of the electoral college votes — to approve the change to make it happen. “There’s a lot of enthusiasm around our position now, it’s more a feeling of when and no if it’s going to happen,” Golisano. He says 10 or 11 states have signed...