Tag: GOP

Minnesota GOP Has Harsh Words for Walz After Pipeline Appeal: ‘This Is a Big Mistake’

Anthony Gockowski

Republican members of the Minnesota House and Senate called a joint press conference earlier this week to condemn Gov. Tim Walz’s (D-MN) decision to re-appeal the Enbridge Line 3 pipeline replacement project. “The science is sure that this would be environmentally much safer to replace a 51-year-old pipe with a new pipe, so on every issue there he was wrong,” Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka (R-Nisswa) said in response to Walz’s announcement. “Lawsuits and appeals do not have to be part of the process, and normally shouldn’t be part of the process.” Walz announced Tuesday morning that he would refile an appeal against the controversial project after an appeal submitted by his predecessor, former Gov. Mark Dayton (D-MN), was dismissed by the Minnesota Court of Appeals. “Walz and [Lt. Gov. Peggy] Flanagan are the only ones left in the state that need clarity on this project. It has met every test,” Gazelka added. “Delays are not fair to the workers that want these jobs. Frankly, Gov. Walz, on this issue you’re not listening. This is an issue we’ve had a lot of conversation about. It needs to go forward, and there’s a lot of people that are very upset that…

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Minnesota Republicans Introduce Bill to Ban Abortions After Fetal Heartbeat Is Detected

Anthony Gockowski

Minnesota’s Senate Republicans have introduced a bill that would ban abortions in the state after a fetal heartbeat is detected in a pregnant woman’s unborn child. Senate File (SF) 869 was introduced Thursday and is co-sponsored by five Republican state senators, including Sens. Andrew Mathews (R-Milaca), Mark Koran (R-North Branch), Justin Eichorn (R-Grand Rapids), Mary Kiffmeyer (R-Big Lake), and Michelle Benson (R-Ham Lake). “Except in the case of a medical emergency, a physician must first test a pregnant woman to determine if a fetal heartbeat is detectable in the pregnant woman’s unborn child before performing an abortion,” the bill states. “A physician shall not perform an abortion on a pregnant woman when it has been determined that the unborn child has a detectable fetal heartbeat, except in the case of a medical emergency.” If passed, violation of the bill would result in a gross misdemeanor punishable by “imprisonment for not more than one year or payment of a fine of not more than $3,000 or both.” Such bills are commonly referred to as “heartbeat bills” and have been introduced in several other state legislatures across the country. Ohio legislators, for instance, attempted to pass their own version of a heartbeat…

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Zero Democrats Co-Sponsor Bill That Would Tackle Female Genital Mutilation in Minnesota

Anthony Gockowski

Minnesota Rep. Mary Franson (R-Alexandria) recently introduced a bill that would expand the criminal definition of female genital mutilation (FGM), but zero Democratic House colleagues have signed on as co-sponsors. Under current Minnesota law, it is illegal for doctors to perform FGM, but there are no penalties in place for parents who subject their children to the gruesome procedure, a press release from Franson’s office explains. “The threat of female genital mutilation remains a very serious issue facing our state,” Franson said. “We need to send a clear message to parents that there are consequences for this practice. I will always stand up for the safety of little girls, and will keep working to put an end to this abusive practice and punish parents who subject their daughters to these often life-threatening horrors.” This is Franson’s second go at passing an FGM-related bill. During the 2017 session, her bill passed the House in a 124-4 vote, but never even received a hearing in the Senate, which Republicans have yet to explain. Franson’s new bill, House File (HF) 373, would expand the criminal definition of FGM in Minnesota to make any “parent, guardian, or other person legally responsible or charged with…

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GOP Slams Klobuchar for Backtracking on Promise to Complete Senate Term

Anthony Gockowski

The Minnesota Republican Party called out Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) Tuesday after she indicated that she is leaning towards launching a presidential campaign. But during her 2018 Senate reelection campaign, Klobuchar promised to finish her full six-year term if reelected. “Of course I will. I think my track record shows that. I love working in the Senate. I love representing Minnesota,” she said during a debate with opponent Jim Newberger. Klobuchar has repeatedly indicated that she’s considering a run for the White House, and during a Tuesday interview on MSNBC’s Morning Joe all but announced that she’s running. “I also said I wanted to talk to my family, so big news today—my family is on board, including my in-laws, showing some momentum. But I will make this decision on my own course, regardless of what other candidates are doing,” she said. “I think what America wants is someone that is going to make their own decisions, that’s not going to be influenced by every tweet out from the White House or what happens every single day in the news. I think they need a president that’s there for them in the long haul,” she added. The Minnesota GOP responded in…

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Tim Walz Confronted by Pipeline Protesters at Capitol Hours After Inauguration

Anthony Gockowski

Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) faced his first test Monday just hours after being sworn in when protesters opposed to the Enbridge Line 3 Pipeline project disrupted his reception at the State Capitol. This isn’t the first time anti-pipeline activists have caused a public disruption. In November, they shut down a performance in Minneapolis after the Public Utilities Commission voted unanimously in favor of approving the project to replace Line 3. Activists say that replacing the aging pipeline, which crosses through northern Minnesota, could present the risk of an oil spill in the Mississippi River, and will contribute to climate change by adding high rates of carbon to the atmosphere. Now former Gov. Mark Dayton (D-M) made a last minute appeal of the project in December through his Department of Commerce, which said that Enbridge “failed to provide a future demand forecast for its product.” On Monday, activists with Stop Line 3 and Cooperation Northfield disrupted Walz while he delivered a speech to a crowd gathered at the State Capitol after his inauguration. The protesters began by draping banners from the Capitol rotunda containing riffs on his campaign slogan of “One Minnesota.” “Hey, Tim. We only have one Minnesota. Stop Line…

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St. Paul DFL Rep Promises to Fight ‘All Other Isms’ While Calling Trump a ‘Piece of S***’

Anthony Gockowski

Minnesota State Rep.-elect Jay Xiong (D-St. Paul) hasn’t been sworn into office yet, but he’s already vowing to oppose the nation’s “vile president” and stand against “bigotry and racism, sexism and all other isms.” On Friday, Xiong released a statement discussing the actions of President Donald Trump as well as the 2020 census, which could cause significant changes to Minnesota’s congressional districting. Xiong pledged to support any Minnesota House bills that condemn “racist, sexist and hateful presidential executive orders,” such as H.R. 1—a resolution introduced by now Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) condemning Trump’s travel ban. “We stand united against a single idea that we all must fight til the end: hate. It is the vile bigotry and racism, sexism and all other isms that spew from the horrid mouth of an unqualified and unfit president,” Xiong said Friday. He claimed he will do his part at the Minnesota Capitol to oppose “hateful presidential executive orders which have one clear intention: to keep black and brown people out of the process, the polls, and the political and physical body politic of this country, which was founded on immigration.” https://twitter.com/RepJayXiong/status/1081159724710719488 In a subsequent tweet, Xiong mocked Republicans as “snowflakes” after they criticized…

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Minnesota Secretary of State Unveils Plan to Restore Voting Rights to 60,000 Felons

Anthony Gockowski

Secretary of State Steve Simon (D-MN) unveiled his “Investing in Democracy” 2019 agenda during a Thursday press conference where he announced plans to restore voting rights to felons after they are released from prison. Currently, Minnesota is one of 22 states that revokes voting rights for felons during incarceration and for any periods of parole or probation thereafter. Simon’s office estimates that this means there are roughly 60,000 Minnesotans who have been released from prison, but are still ineligible to vote because they are on probation or parole. There are only two states, Maine and Vermont, in which felons never lose the right to vote, while at least 14 states restore voting rights immediately upon release, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. “Investing in democracy also means investing in people,” Simon said Thursday. “These are people who have served their time already and are working to establish or reestablish themselves in their communities. Minnesotans, I think, believe in second chances, and believe in forgiveness, and restoring the right to vote at the end of a prison term will give real opportunities to those who have left prison behind to become full members of their communities.” Simon also argued…

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Commentary: Cure for GOP Shutdown Fears is Forceful Messaging on the Wall, Not Surrendering

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by Peter Parisi   Supporters of border security can only hope that, over the Christmas recess, Santa gifted congressional Republicans with a crash course in effective messaging on the need for funding for President Donald Trump’s border wall. They will need it when Congress reconvenes Thursday amid the partial government shutdown caused by Democratic intransigence over funding the border barrier. The crash course should be taught by psychologists who would start by counseling weak-kneed GOP lawmakers that the best way to overcome a phobia—in this case, “shutdown-ophobia”—is to confront the fear head-on, rather than running away from it. The tutorial in messaging is needed because, until Trump forced their hand, GOP leaders in Congress were poised to throw away the only leverage they have to secure funding for the wall, by agreeing to another continuing budget resolution with almost no money for the wall. [ The liberal Left continue to push their radical agenda against American values. The good news is there is a solution. Find out more ] That capitulation would have only ensured the wall would never get funded, much less built, with Democrats—who are indefensibly opposed to border security, their protestations to the contrary notwithstanding—set to retake…

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Second Amendment Groups Vow to Fight Minnesota DFL’s Gun Control Efforts

Anthony Gockowski

The only thing barring Democrats from total control of Minnesota’s government is a one-seat Republican majority in the Senate, but that might not be enough to block gun-control efforts during the upcoming session. Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka (R-Nisswa) recently indicated that he has “some openness” on the Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party’s gun-control proposals, but insisted that he’s a “strong supporter of Second Amendment rights.” https://twitter.com/paulgazelka/status/1075130258813280258 But his December 18 tweet sparked some optimism among DFL legislators, who now believe they “have a pretty good chance this year of convincing suburban legislators who might have been reluctant in the past to vote for these bills,” Sen. Ron Latz (D-St. Louis Park) told KSTP. Latz said the DFL is looking at two specific gun-control policies, namely universal background checks in the state as well as a “red flag” law, which allows the state to temporarily seize guns from people who are deemed a danger to themselves or others. As Battleground State News reported Thursday, House Speaker-designate Melissa Hortman (D-Brooklyn Park) said a “gun violence prevention measure” can be expected in a package of bills introduced in January. Rob Doar, vice president and political director of Minnesota’s Gun Owners Caucus, noted that there…

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Former Minneapolis Mayoral Candidate Uses Christmas to Attack Trump

Anthony Gockowski

Failed Minneapolis mayoral candidate Tom Hoch is back in the news for calling President Donald Trump a “traitor” in a Christmas-lights display adorning his ritzy Lake of the Isles home. “Trump is a traitor” spelled out in Christmas lights now radiates from the top of Hoch’s home, which apparently backs up to Minneapolis’ Lake of the Isles, according to The Star Tribune. “I think it’s hard to come to any other conclusion about someone who is willing to turn against this country for his own enrichment,” Hoch explained. “I don’t view this as a big judgment call; this is a true statement.” His holiday message is likely viewed by hundreds of passersby everyday who visit Lake of the Isles for a walk or bike ride, or pass through the downtown Minneapolis destination on their way to work. But Hoch claims that the response has been only positive, and said he’s even been asked to keep the display up year round. “I was walking my dog and some guy pulled over and said, ‘Bravo, Bravo!’” Hoch told The Star Tribune. “A lot of people have stopped. I’ve been quite surprised.” Fr. James Bretzke, Hoch’s cousin and a Catholic priest, celebrated the…

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Commentary: The Art of the Veto and How Trump Can Force a Vote on the Wall

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by Robert Romano   There won’t be any vote on wall funding this year or any year at the rate we’re going — because nobody in Congressional leadership is apparently willing to stick it in a bill and simply vote on it. Even to defeat it. Until the end of the year, Republicans are in complete control of the House of Representatives. Under the leadership of House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), however, the only vote on any wall funding that occurred did not happen until the March 2018 omnibus spending bill. And then, it was just the measly $1.6 billion supplement that President Donald Trump had requested — in Feb. 2017 — that was intended to be attached to the FY 2017 spending bill that was still being resolved in the early days of the Trump administration. Instead, it took more than a year to get done. Even now, to date, House Republicans have not even had a show-vote on a messaging bill that McCarthy promised to fully fund the wall — even though such a vote would be practically meaningless. The House has not even sent a spending bill with the wall…

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Paul Ryan Encouraged GOP Congressmen to Campaign Against Trump

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by Molly Prince   Republican Rep. Louie Gohmert of Texas revealed Wednesday that Speaker of the House Paul Ryan advised GOP House members to run on a platform against President Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential election. “Just a few weeks before the election, we were told by Paul, by our elected leaders that, gee, the only way we can keep the House majority is just all of us start running against the president,” Gohmert told guest host Derek Hunter during an interview on WMAL. “Fortunately, we had enough people one after another on the call that pushed back so hard they backed off of that.” Gohmert explained that Trump is still getting used to the dichotomy between the public and private sector, especially when it comes to handling members who claim to support him politically, yet refuse to further his agenda. “He wants to work with people over here on the Hill, and he’s just not used to, in the private sector, having people that are reputedly on his side conspiring to keep him from getting what he promised,” said Gohmert. “And that’s what we’ve seen.” “In the private sector, Trump knew if somebody that was on his side undermined him, there’d…

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Commentary: Only Two Weeks Left for Republicans to Get It

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by Rachel Bovard   There’s only one area where bipartisanship still reigns in Washington: avoidance. Republican and Democrat leaders this week held hands and used the funeral events for President George H. W. Bush as an excuse to move their funding deadline—which previously expired on December 7—two weeks forward, to December 21, four days before Christmas. In doing this, Congress isn’t getting festive. Rather, backing up a government funding deadline dangerously close to the Christmas holiday is an old political tactic, designed to assure passage of bloated and controversial spending bills. In the old days, the carrots in this equation were earmarks—funding pet projects of lawmakers was the way to grease the skids on controversial bills. But now that earmarks have been banned (in theory, anyway), the only option left is a stick: threatening lawmakers with chaos, missed Christmas holidays and a government shutdown, unless they instantly (and many times, without reading) pass whatever bill their leaders cook up. This is a vexing development for conservatives, particularly when it comes to the big will-they-won’t-they question circulating around Washington: the fate of Trump’s border wall. If GOP leaders are already willing to waste critical weeks in the waning days of their majority, what…

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Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse Says Climate Alarmists Don’t Offer Constructive Solutions

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by Jason Hopkins   Nebraska GOP Sen. Ben Sasse slammed climate alarmists during a Sunday interview on Fox News, suggesting they don’t offer constructive solutions for the future. “I think reasonable people can differ about how much and how rapidly, but I think it’s clear that the climate is changing and it’s clear that humans are a contributing factor. I think the real question though becomes: What do you do about it?” Sasse explained on Fox News Sunday. “Right now you don’t hear a lot of people who put climate as their No. 1 issue, you don’t hear a lot of them offering constructive, innovative solutions for the future, it’s usually just a lot of alarmism, but I think the report is important and it shows that the climate is changing,” he continued. Sasse’s comments follow a White House report, the National Climate Assessment (NCA), that was published on Friday. The NCA found that temperatures in the U.S. are 1.8 degrees higher than they were a century ago; sea levels about nine inches higher; natural disasters such as hurricanes, heat waves and wildfires are worsening; and climate change could slash U.S. GDP by 10 percent at the end of the…

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Commentary: If Democrats Never Move to the Center, Why Should Republicans?

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by Jeffrey A. Rendall   No retreat, no quarter granted, no mercy. Such is the political – and life — philosophy of President Donald Trump, a citizen politician who’s lived as though everything he’s ever touched is gold plated and blemishless, a magical journey through earthly existence without fault. Realistic people – Trump’s enemies and friends alike – realize otherwise. There’s only been one perfect human being to walk the planet and the real estate developer/celebrity from New York City ain’t him. Jesus and Trump have little in common (turn the other cheek?) though Trump swears he’s a religious and observant person. As Trump’s skeptics repeatedly pointed out during the 2016 GOP primaries, the man has plenty of imperfections, both currently and in the past. But when it comes to self-examination and reflection, Trump always awards himself the highest marks. Avery Anapol reported at The Hill, President Trump on Sunday gave himself an ‘A plus’ on his presidency, but questioned whether he could get an even higher rating. “Look, I hate to do it, but I will do it, I would give myself an A plus, he told Fox News’s Chris Wallace. Is that enough? Can I go higher than…

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Abrams Admits She Can’t Win Georgia Governor’s Race

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  Democrat Stacey Abrams ended her challenge to Republican Brian Kemp in the Georgia governor’s race on Friday but pledged to fight the former secretary of state’s “gross mismanagement” of the elections with a federal lawsuit. Speaking defiantly to a news conference, Abrams said her actions did not constitute a concession, but she acknowledged that she had no further recourse under the law and that Kemp would be certified the winner. “Let’s be clear: This is not a speech of concession,” she said. “Because concession means to acknowledge an action is right, true or proper. As a woman of conscience and faith I cannot concede that.” Officials from Abrams’ campaign had told The Associated Press on Thursday that the candidate was considering the unprecedented move of invoking a state law that would let her challenge the results based on “misconduct, fraud or irregularities …sufficient to change or place in doubt the results.” But ultimately she declined to do so. Praise for her passion In accepting Abrams’ decision to end her campaign, Kemp said he appreciated “her passion, hard work and commitment to public service.” “The election is over and hardworking Georgians are ready to move forward,” he said. “We can…

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Commentary: Arizona Illustrates the RINO Revenge

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by Henry Olsen   Arizona’s Senate race was perhaps the most surprising, and disturbing, midterm result for Republicans and Trump fans. Many struggle to understand how Barry Goldwater’s home state will send a former pink tutu-wearing antiwar activist to Washington. The answer is instructive regarding what Trump Republicanism must do to build a majority. The biggest reason Martha McSally lost is the same reason Republicans lost control of the House: RINOs. Across the nation, moderate college-educated independents who had frequently backed Republicans in prior elections switched sides. We can see this trend both in the Arizona exit polls and the results reported to date. Support for Republicans has collapsed since 2012 among college-educated Arizonans when Mitt Romney cruised to a 54-44 win over Barack Obama, crushing him by a 63-36 percent margin among college graduates. This year, while Republican Governor Doug Ducey even more easily won victory by a 56-42 margin, he barely carried college grads with only a 51-46 margin. McSally ran against a much tougher opponent in Kyrsten Sinema and ended up losing college grads by a 52-47 margin. Since college grads cast nearly one-quarter of the state’s votes, that 10-point swing added nearly 2.5 percent to Sinema’s…

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Commentary: There Was No Suburban Female GOP Problem in the 2018 Midterms

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by Robert Romano   One conventional wisdom headed into the 2018 midterms was that Republicans would have a very poor night and lose races they might otherwise win because females, specifically suburban Republican females, were abandoning President Donald Trump and down ballot candidates. There was only one problem. On election night, it didn’t actually happen. In states that are evenly divided, like Florida or Iowa, Republicans did about as well as Trump did in 2016. According to 2016 CNN exit polls in Florida, Trump garnered 52 percent of men and 46 percent of women. In a Nov. 2 St. Pete Polls survey that correctly predicted the outcome, Gov. Rick Scott (R-FL), running for Senate against Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL), did comparably well along gender lines. Scott got 53 percent of men and 46 percent of women. Almost exactly the same. In the same poll, DeSantis — who over performed the poll’s result when voting actually happened — garnered 49 percent of men and 44 percent of women. If there was some exodus of suburban Republican women from the GOP, it should have proven fatal to Scott and DeSantis in Florida, a state that could not be more closely divided politically.…

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GOP Rep George Holding Blasts Dem Opponent for Supporting Sanctuary Cities After Sheriff Attacked for Cooperating With ICE

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by Henry Rodgers   North Carolina Republican Rep. George Holding went after his Democratic opponent for supporting sanctuary cities, after a sheriff in their district running for re-election faced criticism for cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Holding’s Democratic opponent, Linda Coleman, has continued to voice her support for sanctuary cities, despite the arrest of Mario Sigfredo Deras-Lopez, an illegal immigrant who was previously deported and lives in Raleigh, North Carolina. He was arrested on Oct. 28 for raping a 13-year-old girl. Wake County Sheriff Donnie Harrison notified ICE of Deras-Lopez’s arrest, and ICE filed a detainer request, in order for Deras-Lopez to be deported. Simultaneously, the ACLU spent $100,000 on radio ads attacking Harrison for cooperating with ICE through the 287(g) program to deport illegal immigrants who commit crimes, an extremely large number to put into a sheriffs race. Holding, who is currently up for re-election, attacked Coleman, for supporting sanctuary cities and opposing Harrison’s decision to notify ICE. “The ACLU doesn’t like Sheriff Donnie Harrison working with ICE, so it’s spending $100,000 on ads to defeat him. That’s wrong. Donnie Harrison is simply working to protect families in Wake County,” Holding said to The Daily Caller News Foundation. “Sanctuary Cities…

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Gunman Shoots Out Windows of GOP Office in Florida

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by Chuck Ross   A gunman in Florida fired at least four shots into the Volusia County Republican Party’s offices, police said Monday. South Daytona police Capt. Mark Cheatham told reporters that nobody was injured in the shooting, which occurred between Sunday afternoon and Monday morning. A suspect has also not been identified, according to the Orlando Sentinel. https://twitter.com/mspringerwftv/status/1056926486643511297 Tony Ledbetter, the chairman of the Volusia Co. GOP, told WFTV news station that a volunteer found the window’s shattered on Monday morning. Four bullets had pierced the drywall in the office, he said. “You’ve got some sick person, and I’ll call them out, they’re Democrats. No Republican’s got any reason to come attack our location,” said Ledbetter. https://twitter.com/mspringerwftv/status/1056928353230446593 The shooting follows a series of politically-motivated attacks in recent weeks. On Friday, Cesar Sayoc, Jr. was arrested in southern Florida for sending at least 12 pipe bombs to various Democratic politicians and personalities, including Barack Obama, the Clinton’s and Eric Holder. And on Saturday, Robert Bowers killed 11 people at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. Bowers’ social media posts showed that he embraced anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. Republicans have also been targeted with acts of violence. A vandal in Bakersfield, California, threw…

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Analysis: 100,000 Texans Can’t Be Wrong, Red Wave Rising

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by Rick Manning   More than 100,000 Texans RSVP’d for tickets for the Donald Trump-Ted Cruz rally in Houston, with thousands waiting in line for a day to get inside the venue. While the arena held about 18,000, a similar number tailgated outside, viewing the rally on big screens much like big sporting event viewing parties held outside of stadiums to accommodate fans without tickets. Senator Cruz’ opponent, Representative Robert O’Rourke, was praying for a typical low mid-term turnout to help him upset conservative icon Cruz.  His hopes rested on the hope that the dual factors of Cruz’ outside the establishment fights on Obamacare and other issues along with the bitter Trump-Cruz presidential primary fight would create enough divisions that GOP turnout would be low, allowing him to sneak into the Senate seat. The President and Senator Cruz on stage together puts an end to this dream, as it signals the uniting of the limited government Republican Party that Cruz champions and the populist agenda espoused by Trump. What’s more, for the first time since Ronald Reagan, a GOP President is able to campaign for and help Republican members of Congress in off-year elections.  While George W. Bush and his…

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Commentary: Florida GOP Candidates Surging: Keep the Pedal to the Metal

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Ron Desantis, Andrew Gillum, Donald Trump, Bernie Sanders

by CHQ Staff   As we’ve said in the past, the Florida gubernatorial race is the most important campaign for governor in 2018. And we’ve been concerned about the top of the GOP ticket in Florida, as both Republican candidate for governor Congressman Ron DeSantis and Senate candidate Governor Rick Scott were behind in the polls and seemed stuck in small ball campaigns. But things in Florida are turning around and both the DeSantis and Scott campaigns have shown incredible energy in the wake of Hurricane Michael. First, Senate candidate Governor Rick Scott has been extremely effective in marshaling the state’s resources to provide disaster assistance to the hurricane-affected counties. And, while competence by itself rarely wins you many votes, his campaign has also been relentlessly hammering Democrat Bill Nelson for his ineffectiveness in the Senate – the contrast, even if unintended, could not be starker. Nelson, just yesterday said, I “have done everything I can do,” while Governor Scott works day and night to get help the Florida Panhandle back on its feet. Throwing his hands up in the face of disaster tells Florida voters everything they need to know about Senator Bill Nelson. In the governor’s race, Congressman…

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Capitol Police Arrest Ex-Democratic Staffer Suspected of Doxxing GOP Senators

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by Andrew Kerr   U.S. Capitol Police arrested Wednesday a former Democratic staffer suspected of posting the personal information of at least one United States senator to the internet. The home addresses and other personal information of Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Mike Lee and Orrin Hatch of Utah were posted to Wikipedia on Sept. 27 from an individual located in the House of Representatives. Jackson A. Cosko, 27, was charged with making public restricted personal information, witness tampering, threats in interstate communications, unauthorized access of a government computer, identity theft, second-degree burglary and unlawful entry, according to a Capitol Police statement. Additional charges may be forthcoming as the investigation continues. Cosko has most recently worked as an intern for Texas Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee. He has also worked under Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire and former California Sen. Barbara Boxer, according to Fox News. Jackson Lee’s Chief of Staff Glenn Rushing told Politico that Cosko has been fired. “We’re just cooperating with law enforcement right now,” Rushing said. Cosko is a “Democratic Political Professional & Cybersecurity Graduate Student,” according to his LinkedIn page, which states that his job duties in the U.S. Senate included assisting senior staff “with…

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GOP Senators Demand EPA Fix Permitting ‘Abuses’ Used by Democratic States to Block Energy Projects

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Tennessee Star

by Michael Bastasch   Republicans senators asked the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to review its implementation of a key provision of the Clean Water Act being used by states to block energy projects. “We ask that you work with other federal agencies to determine whether new clarifying guidance or regulations are needed in light of recent abuses of the Section 401 process by certain states,” five GOP senators wrote. “A select number of states have hijacked Section 401 to delay or block the development of natural gas pipelines and a coal export terminal,” Republicans wrote in a letter sent Thursday to EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “While the focus of these abuses today is fossil energy, the approach could be used to target any type of project that is disfavored politically,” lawmakers told Wheeler. Lawmakers are concerned that Democratic-controlled states will continue to use Section 401 to block energy infrastructure projects instead of trying to protect water quality. For example, Washington state and New York have been particularly zealous in their blocking of energy projects. Washington officials blocked the Millenium coal terminal, and New York regulators have blocked pipeline projects to bring natural gas to energy-starved New England. Environmentalists support states’ use of the…

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Commentary: Will the Democrats’ Sad Shaming of Kavanaugh Ignite a Fury in the GOP Grassroots?

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by Jeffery Rendall   With the confirmation hearings for Trump Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh now concluded talk slowly returns to the hot topic of the hour, the 2018 midterm elections. But first let’s digest the big glob of goopy phlegm America was forced to swallow last week, served up by shameless Democrats on a mission. In the course of shredding a good man’s reputation the ravenous pack of minority party wolves revealed they weren’t the least bit interested in learning about Kavanaugh’s judicial philosophies, logical reasoning, legal opinions or thought processes. Democrats spared nothing in savaging the Supreme Court as an institution while verbally disrobing and flogging the nominee before a horrified audience – which included his wife and young daughters. It was a sickening spectacle worthy of bad cinema fiction. If Hollywood produced a film with actors impersonating senators doing the dirty work it wouldn’t have been any more insulting and melodramatic for Kavanaugh himself. One wonders what motivates a respectable person like the judge (or Neil Gorsuch last year) to agree to a guaranteed scourging at the hands of swine in business dress who see it as their sole mission to create histrionics and assault a man’s character. The…

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Commentary: It’s Up To Conservatives To Nationalize The 2018 Midterm Election

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by Richard Viguerie   For many years I’ve been telling the GOP establishment that Republicans never win a big election unless they nationalize the election – that means drawing a clear contrast with the Democrats and giving the voters “a tune they can whistle” on big conservative themes. The Republican Establishment has studiously ignored that advice and the defeats of Jerry Ford, George H.W. Bush, Bob Dole, John McCain and Mitt Romney, as well as the 1998 and 2006 congressional elections are proof that running a content-free campaign and refusing to nationalize the election is a losing strategy for Republicans, especially in a midterm election year like 2018. According to Rasmussen Reports daily tracking poll, Democrats continue to lead Republicans on the latest Generic Congressional Ballot, but after two weeks of a tightening race, Democrats have expanded their lead. Rasmussen’s latest telephone and online survey found that 48% of Likely U.S. Voters would choose the Democratic candidate if the elections for Congress were held today. Forty-one percent (41%) would opt for the Republican. Four percent (4%) prefer some other candidate, and eight percent (8%) are undecided. As I see it, 2018 will likely be another Republican wipeout, like 2006, unless…

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Marsha Blackburn Launches Senate General Election Campaign with Series of Events in Middle Tennessee

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Marsha Blackburn

Republican Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn is hitting the road hard on Primary Election Day to generate the enthusiasm and energy she is needing to propel her to a win over Democrat Phil Bredesen in their November U.S. Senate race. Blackburn started the day with a morning breakfast at the City Cafe in Brentwood with about 237 supporters, including Governor Bill Haslam, State Senator Jack Johnson, Williamson County Sheriff Bill Long, County Mayor Rogers Anderson, and several other local officials, party activists and community leaders. The packed crowd heard Governor Haslam point out that the race against Bredesen won’t just determine whether New York Senator Chuck Schumer gets another vote closer to running the Senate, but could clearly impact the future confirmation of conservative, Constitutionalist federal judges and Justices to the Supreme Court. Haslam also noted that if the Democrats are able to take control of the Senate, thanks to the votes of prospective Senators like Phil Bredesen, it also means a change in Committee Chairs in the Senate. “Phil Bredesen in the Senate could mean liberal Diane Feinstein replacing Chuck Grassley as Chair of the Judiciary Committee, making it almost impossible to have conservative judicial appointments get a hearing much less…

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Sen. Lamar Alexander Commentary: GOP Accomplishments

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Lamar Alexander

by Senator Lamar Alexander   When I travel across Tennessee some people say, “I sure am glad I don’t have your job.” My answer is always, “I’m also glad you don’t have my job because I like my job, and I thank you for it.” And then someone will say, “Why don’t you guys ever do anything? What difference does a Republican majority make?” My answer is to hand them my Republican accomplishments card – a scorecard that lists what President Trump and a Republican Congress have been able to accomplish in the last 18 months. Best economy in 18 years, the biggest tax reform in 31 years, military support is the strongest it has been in 15 years, numerous regulations have been repealed, one confirmed Supreme Court justice and another Supreme Court nominee, 23 conservative U.S. Circuit Court judges confirmed, opened up Alaska to energy development after 38 years. We have a new National Labor Relations Board. We repealed Obamacare’s individual mandate penalty, repealed Dodd-Frank mortgage rules, passed legislation to improve veterans’ health care, and passed sanctions on Iran, Russia and North Korea. All of this in the last 18 months – the most important accomplishments by a conservative government in…

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Mark Skoda Commentary: Diane Black for Governor

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Mark Skoda

Over the years, I have observed Diane Black support pro-life issues, our 2nd Amendment gun rights and more recently, President Trump.  Her conservative bona fides are clear reasons for this endorsement.  Her experience and tenacity in the face of vocal opposition are what we need in Tennessee’s next gubernatorial term.   During her tenure as a Congressman, I have watched as Diane worked to ensure that conservative ideas were given voice. Her pro-life support and her stance on the importance of the family as the fundamental building block of society are well known.  She submitted her first bill as a Congressman to overturn funding to Planned Parenthood and has continued that effort fighting for the Defund Planned Parenthood Act. When it comes to healthcare, Diane, a nurse, is well versed in legislative issues related to healthcare and its impact on people.  She also recognizes the importance to Tennessee both as a function of quality of life for Tennesseans generally and the business environment in particular.  She has been a steadfast opponent of Obamacare and worked to eliminate certain elements of that law that saved taxpayers over $13 billion dollars. More recently, Congressman Black has served on the House Ways and Means…

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EXCLUSIVE: Marsha Blackburn Tells The Tennessee Star ‘Chuck Schumer Has Bought and Paid For Phil Bredesen’s Vote’

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Steve Gill, Marsha Blackburn

In an exclusive interview with Tennessee Star Political Editor Steve Gill on Friday, U.S. Senate hopeful Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07) hit her Democratic opponent square in the jaw, calling him out over one of his greatest vulnerablities. “Chuck Schumer has bought and paid for Phil Bredesen’s vote,” Blackburn told Gill. Senator Schumer (D-NY)- who is currently the Senate Minority Leader and is poised to become Senate Majority Leader should the Democrats’ “blue wave” come to the U.S. Senate in this November’s midterm elections – is said to have personally recruited Bredesen out of retirement to run when Senator Bob Corker (R-TN) opted not to run for a third term “When you look at the Senate race that you’re in the midst of, what we hear from Phil Bredesen is that he’s going to be a different kind of Democrat – but you don’t see different kinds of Democrats in the Senate. And when we look at what Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi are saying – Chuck Schumer has recruited Phil Bredesen into this race – they want to raise taxes if they get back in control of the Senate and the House,” Gill noted. Blackburn made it clear Bredesen is…

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Can’t We All Just Get Along? Republican Candidates Sling Mud Before Election

Julie Carr
Randy Boyd, Diane Black, Beth Harwell, Bill Lee

On Monday’s edition on The Gill Report – broadcast on Knoxville’s 92.3 FM WETR – Tennessee Star Political Editor Steve Gill discussed the unscrupulous battle between Republican nominees for Governor elections August 2nd in Tennessee and the support that the winning candidate may or may not receive from members of their party once elected. Steve Gill observed, “The Republican primary for governor is getting brutal and bitter. You’re seeing attack ads flying back and forth. Beth Harwell’s attacking her opponents with one ad that features them as little children dressed up as you know, a working construction guy, she’s got Diane Black with a blonde wig and her glasses, and then Randy Boyd with his suit. But these are all young kids.” He continued: You’ve got Diane Black and Randy Boyd both viciously attacking each other and Bill Lee. And Bill Lee is kind of using the attack, “I’m the only nice guy vote for me!” The bottom line is there is a lot of vitriol and bitterness that has been built in, baked in to this primary process. And on August 2nd the votes will be counted. Someone, one of these four, will win the Republican primary for Governor. And…

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Norm Partin Commentary: Bill Lee for Governor

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Bill Lee

by Norm Partin   Are you the person that says to yourself, “If I were Governor, this is what I would do…”? Do you tend to vote AGAINST people instead of FOR someone? Are you constantly disappointed by politically influenced legislation on both national and state levels? Are you “that person”? I’m “that person” too, but for the first time in decades I am voting FOR someone. As I reach my twilight my focus is now on my grandchildren and their future, and as such I take my politics very seriously. Why am I supporting Bill Lee for Governor, you ask? There are several reasons that matter to me and should also matter to YOU: Crisis management In the last decade Tennessee has suffered tornadoes, forest fires, floods, and civil disobedience. A leader should not be judged on performance when all is well, a leader should be judged on his performance when the chips are down. I trust Bill to make decisions with sound logic, even when under tremendous pressure. Bill Lee has fought back and succeeded in the face of personal tragedy and business adversity. THAT takes a leader. Fiscal competence This is where elected officials have failed the…

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Statewide Early Voting Numbers Are Starting with a Bang

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early voting

In the first two days of early voting there are signs that turnout may be higher than normal in both the Democratic and Republican primaries. Early voting started on Friday and continued on Saturday, though the locations and schedule for the Saturday voting was limited in several counties. Additionally, some counties have only reported their Friday totals at this point. Nevertheless, 30,262 votes have already been cast in the Republican Primary and 12,205 in the Democratic Primary. Early voting continues until July 28 with Election Day on August 2. There were 668,039 total GOP Senate Primary votes cast in August 2014.  That election featured a contested primary between Senator Lamar Alexander (331,705 votes) and Joe Carr (271,324). Alexander prevailed by a closer than expected 49-40% margin. A third Republican, Dr. George Flinn received a little over 34,000 total votes. That race may give guidance in predicting final turnout as we move through the early voting period. Tennessee Star Political Editor Steve Gill expects the turnout to increase dramatically over the next few weeks. “Not only do we have a hotly contested Republican Primary for Governor, in which we will see perhaps $10 million in spending in the next few weeks…

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Commentary: Jim Jordan Must Be Winning The Race For Speaker

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Jim Jordan

by George Rasley   Let us help you understand what’s going on with the phony scandal being ginned up against Rep. Jim Jordan, the consensus conservative choice to succeed RINO Paul Ryan as Speaker of the House. NBC News published an article on Tuesday, quoting Mike DiSabato and Dunyasha Yetts, two former Ohio State University wrestlers, claiming that when Jim Jordan worked as assistant wrestling coach at OSU, he ignored sexual abuse carried out by a university physician named Richard Strauss. Our friend Chuck Ross of the Daily Caller has documented that the two former wrestlers accusing Rep. Jordan of ignoring the sexual misconduct by a university physician more than two decades ago have a history of failed business dealings, lawsuits, harassment allegations, and in the case of one accuser, an 18-month prison sentence for fraud. Ross reports one of the former wrestlers, Mike DiSabato, is also being accused by the widow of a Marine who was killed in combat in Iraq of intimidating and bullying her over a memorial fund set up in her husband’s name. “I question the intent, the authenticity, the verity, that Mike DiSabato shares in any of his words or actions,” Karen Mendoza, the wife of…

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Black Blasts Boyd on Taxes in New Ad

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Black blasts Boyd on Taxes

The gloves are definitely off in the Tennessee Republican Primary for Governor. Diane Black has unleashed a vicious television hit on Randy Boyd based upon a Tennessean story claiming that Boyd has used the location of his company’s foreign operations in order to avoid U.S. taxes. “From 2014 to 2016, the company sheltered millions of dollars in European profits from any taxes because of this corporate structure, according to two experts who analyzed Radio System’s Irish tax records obtained by the USA TODAY NETWORK – Tennessee,” The Tennessean reported on Monday. One of two “experts” quoted by the Tennessean was a California-Irvine School of Law Professor. “Analyzing the company’s tax records, University of California-Irvine School of Law professor Omri Marian estimated the company paid an effective tax rate of a little more than 1 percent,” The Tennessean said. However, as The Tennessee Star has reported, whatever documents were provided by the Tennessean for review by the professor could not have been obtained from public records, raising questions about the legality of the means by which The Tennessean procured them.  The Tennessean has refused to make the “tax records” they obtained available for review by the public or other news media outlets, nor…

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Black Campaign Hits Lee in a Pair of New Attack Ads

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Diane Black political ad feat Bill Lee

In yet another indication that the Republican Primary for Governor has tightened, with a surge by Bill Lee in Middle Tennessee threatening Diane Black in her own 6th Congressional District, the Black campaign has begun airing two new attack ads targeting Lee in the last 24 hours. Black aired an ad targeting both Lee and Randy Boyd as “Two Moderates” just last week. She added a second ad that focused solely on Boyd as being “anti-hunter” while touting Black’s endorsement by the NRA. In fact, the ad is titled “Anti-hunter” to make the point clear. Now Black has launched two new ads that hit Lee hard. The first is similar to the “Two Moderates” ad but focuses more on Lee than Boyd. The second “Two Moderates” Black ad transcript reads as follows: Steve Schmidt, former Republican campaign manager: [Trump is] An imbecilic former reality tv show host and con man. George Will, columnist: “He [Trump] would flunk a sixth grade civics exam. Announcer: Don’t you hate it when Republicans undermine President Trump? Randy Boyd disavowed Trump, and Bill Lee’s the kind of Republican who helps Democrats get elected. Bill Lee pushed for liberal Mayor Megan Barry. Bill Lee’s candidate pushed…

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Dr. Rolando Toyos Drops Out Of GOP Senate Primary

Jason M. Reynolds

Dr. Rolando Toyos dropped out of the Tennessee Republican primary for U.S. Senate. The Tennessee GOP made the announcement Wednesday night. State party Chairman Scott Golden said, “I appreciate Dr. Toyos’ decision to suspend his campaign and look forward to working with him to support Republican candidates in the November elections. He has a bright future. Every Republican knows that we cannot allow liberal Phil Bredesen to go to Washington and destroy the progress of President Trump’s Administration. Bredesen’s support for Hillary Clinton alone disqualifies him from representing the values and interests of Tennesseans, which is why our Party must stand together and work to elect a Republican to the United States Senate.” WBBJ quoted Toyos as saying, in part, “My dear departed mother used to say, ‘when faced with obstacles do not complain but instead figure out a solution and work harder.’ I have exhausted every possibility to keep my name on the ballot that would not be distracting to the Republican Party and the truly important issues facing our country. I will not pursue other remedies.” The withdrawal of Toyos from the race leaves Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07) an uncontested path to the Republican nomination on primary day…

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Bill to Close Tennessee’s Primaries Gains Steam

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The Williamson County Republican Party Executive Committee announced Friday they passed a resolution to strongly support HB0887 and its companion Senate bill SB0772.  The proposal’s summary – sponsored by Rep. Ryan Williams (R-Cookeville) and Sen. Mark Pody (R-Lebanon) – simply states: As introduced, requires a person to declare a statewide political party affiliation before voting in a primary election. – Amends TCA Title 2. (emphasis added) Williamson County Republican Party Chair Debbie Deaver said the measure, which passed overwhelmingly 10-0, would be a welcome change. “It’s a little disingenuous to allow someone to select a candidate for a party they don’t identify with and who they will not vote for in the general election. Just like Alabama doesn’t let Tennessee pick its head coach, and Apple doesn’t have the board of Microsoft select its CEO, we should not let non-Republicans pick our nominees.” The next stop for the bill proposal is the Senate State and Local Government Committee, where it is scheduled to be heard.

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Ronna McDaniel, RNC Chair: GOP Looking to ‘Defy’ Historical Trends in Midterm Elections

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The head of the Republican National Committee is confident that the national party could “defy history” in the midterm elections, saying the GOP has a record of accomplishment to run on and Democrats are flailing around looking for a message. RNC Chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel said Wednesday that voters recognize that President Trump and the GOP-controlled Congress have pursued policies that have strengthen the economy and allowed them to keep more of their hard-earned money.

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Commentary: GOP Nice Guys Will Finish Last In 2018

Tennessee Star Staff

by George Rasley, CHQ Editor   In one sense, the fact that Democrats won the gubernatorial races in two Democrat-dominated states, New Jersey and Virginia, is not a big deal. Given political trends in the Old Dominion, the Virginia Governor’s race was Democratic Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam’s to lose, likewise with the Chris Christie anchor around her neck, New Jersey Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno Northam adwas never competitive against Democrat Phil Murphy. But as harbingers of things to come in 2018, the Virginia campaign in particular should be a big deal for Republicans. As our old friend John Gizzi reported for NewsMax, the Virginia Republican establishment was all in agreement that the mean-spirited, Trump-bashing campaign waged by Democratic Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam would surely boomerang and make Republican Ed Gillespie governor. They were wrong. With near final results in, Northam won by the biggest margin of any winning Democrat for governor (53 percent to 46 percent) in 32 years. Coupled with a Democratic sweep of the two other statewide races (lieutenant governor and attorney general) and a stunning gain of at least 12 seats in the state House of Delegates (putting Democrats on the verge of a 50-to-50 seat tie…

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Commentary: The Democrats’ Electoral Windfall Is Not A Rejection of Trump, It Is a Rejection of the Republican ‘Status Quo’

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by Robert Romano   Republicans in Congress should be paying very close attention to the results in Virginia, where Ed Gillespie lost the gubernatorial race to Ralph Northam, and learn the right lesson for a change. Political parties serve very much as a function of their standard bearers, which is who voters will rally to. Right now, that standard bearer for Republicans is President Donald Trump, who one year ago was elected. And love it or hate it, the fortunes of Republicans in the House and to a lesser extent the Senate in 2018 will be tied to how successful Trump is at enacting his agenda in Congress. The formula for potential success is quite simple. Want to keep Congress in 2018? Enact the Trump agenda that won the day in 2016. The promises including cutting taxes, repealing and replacing Obamacare and building the southern border wall, among others. If the Republican Congress won’t implement the Trump agenda, how do we justify a Republican majority in Congress? It has been the failure to accomplish any major legislation in the first year that has driven down the approval of the Republican Congress. House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch…

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Richard Viguerie Commentary: Be A Third Force, Not A Third Party

Tennessee Star Staff

by Richard A. Viguerie, ConservativeHQ.com Chairman   As the establishment Republican Party’s Capitol Hill leaders continue to fumble – many would say block – the agenda that elected Donald Trump and built a new and winning conservative – populist political coalition, the mutterings for the formation of a third political party to compete with the Democratic and Republican establishments has grown louder. As I explained in my book TAKEOVER, the ideological incentive for conservatives to bolt the Republican Party seems to grow every time weak and feckless GOP “leaders” hold sway on Capitol Hill – but the political reasons to resist it are overwhelming: Because of the weakness of the Republican National Committee and the GOP leadership on Capitol Hill, plenty of conservatives then [1970s], as now, were inclined to leave the Republican Party, at least for a while. Every time the establishment GOP would “me-too” the Democrats, or strong-arm conservatives in Congress or Republican Party politics, some conservatives would contemplate forming a third party. This conservative disillusionment with the GOP wasn’t new, as I’ve mentioned before; it went back at least to the 1950s and early 1960s, when a vehement group of libertarian-minded thinkers, such as author Ayn Rand,…

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Commentary: With Bannon as Their Guardian Angel, the GOP Senate Will Want to Live Again

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by Jeffery A Rendall   We’re still two months away from Christmas yet it’s never too early to anticipate the good times ahead when we’ll observe the sacred traditions that stimulate positive memories from the past. For me, one such ritual is revisiting the Christmas classic “It’s a Wonderful Life,” the tale of everyman George Bailey (played by Jimmy Stewart) and his look back at his own life alongside guardian angel Clarence who was sent to Bedford Falls to help the small town good-guy realize that he’d really led a very consequential and worthwhile existence. There’s a part of the legendary movie that reminds me a little of what’s going on with elements of the Republican donor establishment these days. In one famous scene, Mr. Potter, the film’s greedy old scrooge-like miser invites Bailey into his office to try and sweet-talk the man into abandoning his business, thus obtaining through addition what Potter couldn’t earn through beating his rival at his own game. Unsurprisingly, Bailey informs Potter he won’t be bought. How does George Bailey and Mr. Potter relate to today’s noxious DC swamp? Some GOP establishment groups are bringing in Steve Bannon to headline their events, in essence to “hire”…

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Judson Phillips Commentary: Steve Bannon, the Tea Party, and the War with the Establishment GOP

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ANALYSIS/OPINION: At the Value Voters Summit last week, former Trump adviser and Breitbart Chairman Steve Bannon announced the obvious. “Right now, it’s a season of war on the GOP establishment,” he told the conservative base. For conservatives, this war is not Mr. Bannon’s war. It is everyone’s war. Contrary to what the media and the Republican…

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