Tag: Republican

Letter to the Editor: What it Means to be a Republican to Me

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House with flag

I grew up in a Democratic household and strongly supported the ideals and platform of the Democratic Party: free speech, racial equality, and social justice, and empathy for the common man.  Quite frankly I have recently become disillusioned with the progressive direction that the Democratic Party has taken and have seen firsthand outside the borders of the United States the dismal failure of the well-intentioned results of progressivism and socialism. 

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Letter to the Editor: Why I Am Voting Republican This Fall

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I am not voting for a man. I do not give blanket or tacit approval to everything our President has done or said in the past and certainly what he will say or do in the future. I at times cringe at his tweets nor condone some of his actions. Like the fireman who drops the “f bomb” and uses other “salty” language while putting out the fire in your house, I can live with President Trump’s foibles. He gets the job done and at the end of the day it is results that count as our Commander-in-Chief. Nor do I approve of what Vice President Biden has said or done in the past or promises to do in the future. He has had forty-seven years in government to get it right and he has failed miserably. As Robert Gates stated, “I think he has been wrong on nearly every major foreign policy and national security issue over the past four decades.” I challenge you to name one of Joe’s accomplishments.

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Democratic Delegate Calls Republican Opposition Comments Racist as Bill to End Qualified Immunity Advances

Jacob Taylor

Before a bill to end qualified immunity was advanced out of the House Appropriations Committee Tuesday, Delegate Jeffrey Bourne (D-Richmond City) called the language used by Republican opposition to the legislation examples of systemic and institutionalized racism.

“I hope everyone on this committee has listened to the type of language that has been used, the types of language that has been used to talk about why we should oppose this bill is exactly the types of systemic and institutionalized racism we are trying to dismantle,” Bourne said during the committee meeting.

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Analysis: Republican Crossover Voting for Democrats in August 6 Primary Election in Knox County

Laura Baigert

Analysis of the Knox County voting data for the August 6 primary and general election reveals difference-making Republican crossover votes for Democrat candidates.

At the same time there was the primary election for state and federal level offices, there was also a county general election race.  In a combined primary/general election, voters can pull a Republican, Democrat, or general election only ballot.

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Bill Hagerty’s and Manny Sethi’s Political Contributions Since 2000 Are Extensive

Chris Butler

U.S. Senate candidates Bill Hagerty and Manny Sethi have said much about each other’s political donations in recent weeks as they seek to prevail over the other in the upcoming Republican primary.

The Tennessee Star examined both candidate’s political donations at the state and federal levels since 2000. Members of the public may review the records for themselves at the Federal Election Commission’s website and at the Tennessee Online Campaign Finance website.

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Project Veritas Exposes Rampant Anti-Conservative Bias of Facebook’s Content Moderators: ‘I Am Going to Delete Them for Terrorism’

Anthony Gockowski

A shocking new undercover video from Project Veritas exposes the rampant anti-conservative bias of Facebook’s content moderators, the employees who are responsible for deciding what posts are censored.

Zach McElroy, a former Facebook employee who worked as a content moderator in Tampa, Florida, told Project Veritas that he’s willing to testify before Congress about Facebook’s bias against Trump supporters and conservative causes.

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EXCLUSIVE: Trump Campaign Staffer Speaks Out after Targeted by Collusion Hoaxers

Neil W. McCabe

A former national security advisor to New York City developer Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign told Star Newspapers about his ordeal as he was hounded by Russian Collusion Hoaxers, Special Counsel Robert Mueller and their allies in the mainstream media.

“It was a waking nightmare for several years because of the chain reaction sparked by that opinion column,” said J.D. Gordon, who was also a national security advisor for the 2012 Herman Cain and the 2016 Michael Huckabee presidential campaigns.

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Ahead of ‘Super Tuesday,’ Tennessee Begins Early Voting Wednesday in the Presidential Primary

Laura Baigert
vote

  As part of “Super Tuesday,” Tennessee will begin early voting Wednesday, February 12 in the 2020 presidential preference primary. Super Tuesday refers to the single day that the highest number of U.S. states and territories hold a presidential primary or caucus during a presidential election year. In the 2020 presidential election year, Super Tuesday will be held on March 3. In Tennessee, early voting starts this Wednesday and runs through Tuesday, February 25. Tennessee joins 14 other jurisdictions holding a primary event on Super Tuesday, according to Ballotpedia, including Alabama, America Samoa, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, Vermont and Virginia. With California and Texas – the two most populous states – holding their primaries on Super Tuesday, more than one third of the U.S. population is expected to vote on March 3, Ballotpedia predicts. In a December 19, 2019, letter to county election commission offices, Secretary of State Tre Hargett certified the presidential candidates on the presidential preference primary ballot. The Republican primary ballot will include presidential candidates: Donald J. Trump Joe Walsh Bill Weld The Democratic primary ballot includes 15 presidential candidates: Michael Bennet Joseph R. Biden Michael R. Bloomberg Cory Booker…

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Will Tennessee Conservatives Get Behind a Republican to Challenge Democrat Jim Coopers Seat in 2020?

Julie Carr

During a specific discussion, Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m.– Leahy was joined in studio by all-star panelist and former Nashville mayoral candidate, Carol Swain to talk about the Democrats local and national state of mind.

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Manny Sethi Says If Elected to U.S. Senate He Will Not Vote for Mitch McConnell as Majority Leader

Julie Carr

  In an exclusive interview Wednesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – host Michael Patrick Leahy spoke with Dr. Manny Sethi in-studio to discuss his background and reasons he is running for the Republican nomination for the United States Senate in Tennessee. Sethi told Leahy that, if elected and sworn in as a Republican United States Senator, he will not vote for Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) as Senate Majority Leader. “Right now, we’ve got Mitch McConnell up there, and this guy just shuts everybody down. And the career politicians, the establishment, they just run the day. But that’s why we need folks up there who come from outside the government, to change things,” Sethi said. “Mitch McConnell, if the Republicans maintain control of the Senate, he will still probably be the Majority Leader,” Leahy said. “He won’t have my vote,” Sethi responded. “He won’t have your vote?” Leahy asked. “I will not vote for him. I don’t know who I’ll vote for, but I won’t vote for that guy,” Sethi said. “You just made some news here,” Leahy noted. “If you…

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Cameron Sexton Radio Spots Promote Republican Legislative Accomplishments

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  State Representative Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) is promoting the legislative accomplishments of the Republican Administration and legislative supermajorities with a new pair of radio ads. Many of the successful legislative items, from tax cuts to school safety to job creation were lost in the shuffle when scandals involving House Speaker Glen Casada and his top staffers captivated the media as the Session ended. Sexton ran similar spots intended to advance the agenda of the Republican supermajority in the House earlier in the year. As Caucus Chair he has said that part of his role is policy, not just politics, and the ads during Session and in advance of a Special Session in August are an important way to fulfill that role. Sexton is seeking the nomination for House Speaker in a Republican Caucus meeting scheduled for later this week. The winner of that election, which requires at least 37 votes in the 73 Member Caucus, is expected to succeed House Speaker Glen Casada following his resignation on August 2. The full House will vote on a new Speaker on August 23 during the Special Session called by Governor Bill Lee. Tennessee Star Political Editor Steve Gill says the ads are…

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Rep Justin Amash, Who Recently Left GOP, Says He’s Not Ruling Out a Presidential Bid

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by Chuck Ross   Michigan Rep. Justin Amash, who announced July 4 that he is leaving the Republican party, said Sunday that he is not ruling out a run for president. “I still wouldn’t rule anything like that out,” Amash told CNN’s Jake Tapper when asked if he is considering a presidential bid. Amash did not give a timeline for when he will decide whether to run, saying that “it’s not something that’s right on my radar right now.” Amash, an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump, announced in a July 4 op-ed in The Washington Post that he was “declaring my independence” from the GOP. “I’m asking you to join me in rejecting the partisan loyalties and rhetoric that divide and dehumanize us. I’m asking you to believe that we can do better than this two-party system — and to work toward it. If we continue to take America for granted, we will lose it,” he wrote.  On May 18, Amash became the first Republican in Congress to call for Trump to be impeached in the wake of the special counsel’s investigation. Amash said that Trump engaged in “impeachable conduct,” and that Attorney General William Barr had “deliberately” misrepresented special counsel…

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‘Penny Plan’ Falls as National Debt Exceeds $21.5 Trillion

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Rand Paul

by Bethany Blankley   The U.S. national debt exceeds $21.5 trillion. That’s almost quadruple the national debt when President George W. Bush first took office in 2001. Earlier this month, the U.S. Senate held a vote on Sen. Rand Paul’s Penny Plan, which would reduce federal government spending and implement fiscal restraint reforms. Only 22 U.S. Senators voted for the Penny Plan, with 25 Republican senators and all Democrats voting against it. The Senate vote came months after about 130 U.S. leaders called on President Donald Trump to lead a “transparency revolution,” and reign in out-of-control federal government spending. “With the economy booming, wages rising, competitive tax rates, domestic energy production flourishing, and unemployment at a near 50-year low across every demographic – the federal debt continues to skyrocket. This is unsustainable,” they wrote in an open letter to the president. Trump responded by directing his federal agency heads to cut five percent of their budgets. Former Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Oklahoma, and honorary chair of OpenTheBooks.com, and Adam Andrzejewski, CEO and founder of the watchdog advocacy group, said Trump’s “war on federal government waste” was “a great first step and an achievable goal.” However, his “willingness to lead by example” was…

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Senator Lindsey Graham’s Immigration Bill Aims to Fix the Issues Fueling the Border Crisis

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by Jason Hopkins   South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham introduced an immigration bill that addresses numerous issues law enforcement officials say is driving the U.S.-Mexico border crisis. Speaking at a Wednesday press conference, Graham outlined the four main points of his proposal, addressing the “broken and outdated” immigration laws that attracts illegal immigration from Central America. Overall, the bill calls for doubling the number of immigration judges, allowing those in ICE custody to be held for as long as 100 days, more readily deport unaccompanied children, and require those seeking asylum to do so in their home countries. “What I’m trying to do is explain how to stop the flow from Central America, to regain control of our border, and stop a humanitarian crisis that I think is just going to get worse over time,” Graham, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said during the press conference. Migrant children, wether they arrive at the border alone or with a family, cannot be detained for longer than 20 days. Leaders within the Department of Homeland Security have long urged Congress to extend this timeline, claiming it forces them to release illegal migrants into the U.S. while their cases are process. An extension to…

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Former Sen. Hassan Aide Stole Gigabytes Of ‘High Value’ Data

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by Luke Rosiak   A former IT aide to New Hampshire Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan mounted an “extraordinarily extensive data-theft scheme” against the office, the culprit’s plea agreement states. The plot included the installation of tiny “keylogging” devices that picked up every keystroke. Between July and October 2018, former IT aide Jackson Cosko worked with an unnamed accomplice, a then-current Hassan employee, who repeatedly lent him a key that he used to enter the office at night and who allegedly tried to destroy evidence for him. Cosko accepted responsibility for the events revealed by federal prosecutors in court Friday. A statement of facts that Cosko agreed to says that from July to October 2018, he “engaged in an extraordinarily extensive data-theft scheme, copying entire network drives, sorting and organizing sensitive data, and exploring ways to use that data to his benefit,” arranging it into folders such as “high value.” “The defendant gained access to Senator Hassan’s Office by unlawfully obtaining keys from a staffer who was (at the time) still employed in the Office” and using it to repeatedly burglarize the office. He placed small, unobtrusive devices on at least six Senate computers that captured every keystroke, including usernames and…

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Wisconsin Journalist to Female Republican Staffer: ‘Hope You Don’t Get Raped at a MAGA Rally’

Anthony Gockowski

An editor for a Wisconsin-based publication was outed Tuesday for allegedly telling a female communications director for the National Republican Congressional Committee that she hopes she doesn’t “get raped at a MAGA rally.” In a press release, Carly Atchison advocated for the Born Alive Survivors’ Protection Act, which would protect babies who survive botched abortions, and asked where Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI-03) stands on the legislation. “Hey, Carly—hope you don’t get raped at a MAGA rally and have to carry that child to term. DON’T EVER CONTACT ME AGAIN,” replied Moira Crowley, who is listed as an assistant editor for Cheese Reporter, a Wisconsin publication that reports on “the world’s cheese, butter and milk processing industries.” I wrote a release advocating for legislation protecting babies surviving a botched abortion. This is how one associate editor chose to respond: pic.twitter.com/ALKbMMldkQ — Carly Atchison Bird (@CarlyAtch) April 2, 2019 After Atchison shared the email to Twitter, Cheese Reporter released a statement claiming that Crowley’s email had been “hacked.” “Recently, one of our employee’s email was hacked and deplorable messages were transmitted. Cheese Reporter and the employee ask for your understanding during this difficult time and in no way does Cheese Reporter or…

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Republican Bill on Female Genital Mutilation Has Yet to Receive a Hearing in Minnesota House

Anthony Gockowski

A Republican-backed bill in the Minnesota House that would expand criminal penalties for female genital mutilation has yet to receive so much as a committee hearing. The bill was introduced January 24 by Rep. Mary Franson (R-Alexandria) and has 17 Republican cosponsors, but not a single Democratic cosponsor. As The Minnesota Sun reported when the bill was first introduced, Franson’s legislation would expand the criminal definition of female genital mutilation to include punishments for parents who subject their children to the practice. Under current Minnesota law, it is illegal for doctors to perform female genital mutilation, but there are no penalties in place for the parents. Franson’s bill would make it a felony for any “parent, guardian, or other person legally responsible or charged with the care or custody of a minor who knowingly allows the circumcision, excision, or infibulation, in whole or in part, of the labia majora, labia minora, or clitoris of the minor.” The bill, however, has struggled to get a committee hearing in the Democratic-controlled House. It was first referred to the House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law Committee upon introduction, but was then recalled and re-referred to the Public Safety and Criminal Justice Reform Finance…

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Minnesota DHS Inspector General Placed on ‘Investigative Leave’ After Release of Child Care Fraud Report

Anthony Gockowski

Department of Human Services Inspector General Carolyn Ham confirmed Monday that she was placed on “investigative leave” following the Office of the Legislative Auditor’s report on fraud in the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP). Ham is the only inspector general in Minnesota, and her office is housed under the Department of Human Services. As such, she is responsible for investigating the DHS’s programs, like CCAP. Last week’s report from the Office of the Legislative Auditor confirmed that millions of dollars in government payments went to fraudulent child care centers, and described a “serious rift” among officials overseeing CCAP. It also revealed that some “child care center owners have recruited CCAP eligible mothers by offering to pay kickbacks to entice the mothers to advise county CCAP staff that their children are attending a particular center.” The report prompted multiple efforts from Republican legislators to subpoena Ham for testimony, but those efforts were repeatedly blocked, as The Minnesota Sun previously reported. Other Republican lawmakers called for Ham’s resignation, and raised questions about why her office reports to the DHS, since her main task is to investigate the department’s programs. “The child-care rip-off is the biggest scandal in Minnesota history, and the state…

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Judson Phillips Commentary: The Tea Party Ten Years Later

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by Judson Phillips   On February 27, 2009, something happened that confused Washington, the media and the political establishment. All across America, rallies broke out. They were called Tea Party rallies. The beginning The spark that launched the rallies was Rick Santelli’s rant from the floor of the Chicago Mercantile on February 19, 2009.  Santelli was ranting about a government bailout of bad mortgages and said, they might have a “Chicago tea party.” Within hours, rumor began spreading about “tea party” rallies to be held.  I emailed Michelle Malkin, the great conservative writer, and asked her if she knew of one being organized in Nashville.  She said no, then said, “why don’t you organize it?” Within a day, I was participating in a nightly conference call, organized by Chicago activist Eric Odom and now Tennessee Star Editor, Michael Leahy.  On these calls, the planning of the first rallies happened. The left has pushed a lot of myths, about the origin of the Tea Party movement.  It was just a group of activists, no more than twenty initially, who responded to the spark that Rick Santelli had inadvertently given.  There were no Koch representatives involved, nor were there any people from…

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Ohio Department Of Transportation Introduces Comprehensive Gas Tax that Could Increase Every Year

Andrew Shirley
Gas up

Friday, Ohio Department of Transportation Director Jack Marchbanks formally introduced the proposed 2020-21 Biennial Budget. House Bill 62 (HB 62), the budget’s formal designation, includes an 18-cent gas tax increase. While lower than some reports have suggested, the proposed tax will give Ohio one of the highest gas tax rates in the country. In addition, it contains a provision that could raise gas taxes even higher in the coming years. The 18 cent tax would go into effect immediately upon passage. When measured against other states, this is an exceptionally aggressive approach. When Nebraska voted to raise its takes, it did so in increments of 1.6 cents per year. A more incremental approach could ensure Ohioans don’t face “sticker shock” at the pump. The bill would also tie the gas tax rate to the Consumer Price Index (CPI). At the start of every fiscal year, the tax will be reexamined and if the CPI has increased, the tax will increase with it. While it would ensure that road repair is adequately funded, there is a significant drawback. As written, the law does not stipulate that the gas tax would decrease, should the CPI decrease. if the Ohio economy faces a sudden hardship or enters a recession, Ohioans would…

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Governor-Elect Bill Lee Appoints Long Time Deputy to Liberal Pro-LGBTQ Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero to His Cabinet

Steve Gill

Governor-elect Bill Lee has continued his preference for appointing those closely affiliated to either liberals or Bill Haslam to top positions in his Administration. His latest selection, Christi Branscom of Knoxville, whom he named to his cabinet on Thursday as head of the Department of General Services, fills both boxes. Branscom spent five and a half years as the Deputy Mayor and Chief Operating Officer for extreme liberal Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero, during which time Rogero opposed 2d Amendment rights, advocated strongly for LGBTQ issues (including vocal opposition to legislation designed to protect women and girls from men entering their bathrooms and locker rooms), and actively supported the anti-Trump “Women’s March” protests, including speaking at the January 2018 event in Knoxville. Rogero is not new to liberal activism. During the mid-1970s, Rogero worked as an organizer for César Chávez’s United Farm Workers, a labor union that advocated for migrant farm workers. More recently, the pro-abortion community organizer was a Hillary Clinton delegate to the 2016 Democratic Party Convention and has embraced sanctuary city “lite” policies.  Her chief Deputy for five years is now the choice of “conservative Christian” Bill Lee as Commissioner of General Services. One conservative noted that if…

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Youngest Black Legislator In America Won on a Platform of ‘God, Guns, and Babies’

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by Evie Fordham   The West Virginia House of Delegates convened Wednesday with a record-setter in its midst – freshman Del. Caleb L. Hanna, who became the nation’s youngest black legislator following his election at age 19 in November 2018. “I always knew that I was not satisfied with the leadership I was getting within my own house district,” Hanna told The Daily Caller News Foundation in an interview. “I told myself if I ever had my opportunity to take that, I would give it my shot.” At first, his small Republican campaign was designed to push Democratic incumbent Dana Lynch to be “more proactive in the legislature,” Hanna told TheDCNF. But things shifted when Hanna realized he could win the Republican primary — even if he was running his campaign from his dorm room at West Virginia State University, where he studies economics. Leading up to the general election, Hanna faced doubts about his age and experience, a shoestring budget and one instance of racist flyers he reported to law enforcement. But Hanna defeated Lynch by roughly 25 points in West Virginia’s House of Delegates District 44 in November, with results reported as 60.3 to 35.7, according to Ballotpedia. Making It…

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In Unique Midnight Ceremony, Mike DeWine Sworn in as Governor of Ohio

Andrew Shirley

If his first day in office is any gauge of his coming term of office, Governor DeWine will have an unprecedented tenure. DeWine is not the first executive to be sworn in on more than one Bible. As recently as 2017, President Donald Trump was sworn in on two; a common practice. When Mike DeWine was sworn in as Governor of Ohio, he was sworn in on nine. Nine Bibles. At 12:01 A.M., Mike DeWine took his oath of office at his family home in Cedarville. Ohio Supreme Court Justice Pat DeWine, his son, administered the oath with all nine Bibles. When asked why nine, a spokesperson stated that the family wanted one for each of their eight children, in addition to theirs. Immediately following the ceremony, the 72-year-old Ohioan, signed six separate Executive Orders, crossing a wide array of issues. They are: E.O. 2019-01D: Creating the Governor’s RecoveryOhio Initiative, This creates a special task force that will oversee the statewide battle against the Opioid Epidemic. Leading the group as his “Drug-Czar” is  Alisha Nelson, who has served in the capacity under DeWine when he was Attorney General, E.O. 2019-02D: Creating the Governor’s Children’s Initiative, Ohio has one of the highest childhood…

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Two GOP Reps Who Retired In 2018 Join DC Lobbying Firm

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by Henry Rogers   Two former Republican representatives who retired in 2018 have decided to stay in Washington, D.C., both joining a big name lobbying firm Monday. The Akin Gump, a well-known lobbying firm with offices across the world, sent out a joint press release, addressing both of its new hires, former Florida Republican Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and former Texas Republican Rep. Lamar Smith, who will both be joining the firm’s D.C. office, which focuses on “business, law and policy.” “As a firm that operates at the intersection of business, law and policy, we recognize the valuable skills, knowledge and perspectives that Reps. Ros-Lehtinen and Smith bring to our clients,” Akin Gump chairperson Kim Koopersmith said in a statement on the firm’s website. “They will be great additions to our top-tier policy practice, and I am very proud to welcome two individuals with such long and distinguished careers on Capitol Hill to the firm.” Ros-Lehtinen said she hopes to continue on the work she accomplished in Congress by working for the lobbying firm, mentioning trade matters and its domestic and foreign client base. “As home to the largest public policy practice in Washington, Akin Gump has always been a successful advocate on behalf of its clients,…

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Commentary: Democrat Excess Leads to New and Improved Trump in 2019

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Donald Trump

by Jeffrey A. Rendall   Predictions. It’s what New Year’s is all about. It goes without saying that 2018 was full of surprises. Heading into this year Republican majorities in both houses of Congress had just passed a massive reorganization of the federal tax code, including a sizeable tax cut for most Americans in the bill language. By January 1, Democrats were already griping about reduced rates for corporations and businesses, claiming, as they always do, that the benefits of the new law would rain down disproportionately on the wealthiest and most powerful taxpayers. Never mind that many, many companies had already announced sizeable end-of-the-year bonuses and raises for employees based on the improved future tax outlook. Nonetheless, Democrats were convinced the popularity of the new law would not improve (especially if they demagogued the matter) over the course of time. Democrats believed they could parlay President Donald Trump’s lukewarm favorability numbers into a “wave” in November. After all, they’d just been eminently successful in stealing a senate seat in deep red Alabama (with a huge assist from the Washington GOP establishment), so the sky was the limit, right? Last month’s election came and went, Democrats gained 40 seats in…

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Commentary: Limousine Liberalism Goes Mainstream

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by Scott Yenar and Jackson Yenar   Suburbs are the battleground in American politics. Republicans continue to increase their hold on rural America and Democrats continue to dominate the cities. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), when it was clear the Democrats would retake the House, remarked, “We’ve got to address the suburban women problem, because it’s real.” Karl Rove sounded a similar alarm at the Washington Examiner’s Sea Island Summit. The new suburban problem defies the old logic of American politics, where we learned to expect the upwardly mobile to favor the lower taxes, limited government, and local control offered by the Republicans. Instead, the “suburban problem” appears to be limousine liberalism gone mainstream. In the 1970s, limousine liberals forced busing while sending their own kids to tony private schools. They willingly paid high taxes that crippled small business, among other things. Today’s limousine liberals have different policies, but signal their membership with similar hypocrisies. They define themselves by “values” more than by wealth, though they are mostly well off or, at least, better off than most. They bemoan the racism and other phobias in America while pricing the middle class and minorities out of their school districts; they drive SUVs;…

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McConnell Says Confirming Judges Will Be His ‘Top Priority’

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by Rachel del Guidice   Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) says his “top priority” for the rest of the year and into the new Congress is filling the judiciary with President Donald Trump’s judicial nominees. “The president, I think, has done an excellent job in picking young men and women who believe the job of the judge is to follow the law and we intend to keep confirming as many as we possibly can as long as we are in a position to do it,” McConnell said Wednesday at a press conference. “It’ll still be my top priority in setting the agenda here in the Senate,” McConnell said. McConnell also said that the Senate has been successful in making two Supreme Court appointments and 29 circuit judges, adding that, “we’re not through doing those this year.”While not all Senate races are settled, Republicans are poised to pick up two seats in the Senate. John G. Malcolm, vice president of the Institute for Constitutional Government and director of the Edwin Meese III Center for Legal and Judicial Studies at The Heritage Foundation, told The Daily Signal in an email that McConnell is correct to set his sights on judicial confirmations.…

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Newt Gingrich Says the Booming Economy and Personal Safety Will Keep GOP in Hunt for the House

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Newt Gingrich

by Nick Givas   Former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich said the booming economy and a strong desire for personal safety will keep the House in play for Republicans come Tuesday. “Well look, I think the number one thing that’s relevant to the vote tomorrow is the economy,” Gingrich said on Fox News’s America’s Newsroom Monday. “And I think in a lot of districts, that’s propping up Republicans who might be in trouble on other issues.” Gingrich said the American people are taking notice of higher wages and more jobs, but said it will still be difficult for Republicans to retain control of both houses. [RELATED: Newt Gingrich Doubles Down On Red Wave Prediction] “The people look at it and they go, ‘there really are more jobs. Wages really are going up. The future really looks dramatically better.’ And so there’s a bias that’s, I think, actually held the Republicans up in both House and Senate races where they might have been in much more trouble,” he continued. “Off years are hard … We got to be a majority for the first time in 40 years in Bill Clinton’s first off-year election. So I understand how tough it is to be the…

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Republicans See Boost From Migrant Caravan Before Midterm Elections – While Democrats Continue to Avoid the Issue

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by Henry Rodgers   Republicans believe their opposition to the migrant caravan filled with thousands of illegal immigrants who are approaching the U.S. border will help energize their base before the Nov. 6 midterm elections, while many Democrats have continued to remain silent on the issue. The caravan, which was roughly 2,000 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border near Tijuana and about 800 miles from the southern tip of Texas as of Thursday, has been a key issue for Republicans less than one week out from the midterm elections, as GOP candidates have been hammering their Democratic opponents for not mentioning the potential threat to the U.S. The Republican National Committee (RNC) and Republican strategists have all echoed similar messages, saying the migrant caravan would indeed help the GOP before the midterm elections — many saying it reminds voters that Democrats are putting U.S. citizens in danger. They also mentioned how the silence from Democrats on the issue will end up helping Republicans, who have so vocally denounced the caravan entering the country. “From their open border policies to their calls to abolish ICE, the caravan is yet another reminder to voters that Democrats have put the sovereignty of our country in…

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Oregon Could Elect Its First Republican Governor in Nearly Four Decades

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by Chris White   Oregon voters are on the cusp of putting a Republican in the state governor’s mansion for the first time in nearly 40 years. Such a move would break convention and shift a reliably blue state into a win for the GOP. Many Oregonians and some conservative critics believe Democratic Gov. Kate Brown has not moved forcefully enough to close a yawning $22 billion public pension deficit. So, they’re looking at Brown’s opponent Knute Buehler, a two-term representative in the state who has criticized President Donald Trump in the past. His moderate tone is gaining some steam. This is the first candidate I’m crossing party lines for in 20 years, Danielle Miller, a mortgage loan officer who voted for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2016, told The Wall Street Journal Sunday. Oregon is so behind in so many ways … under our current leadership. Oregon would join the handful of states Clinton won in 2016 that have Republican governors. The race is still tight, with recent polls showing Brown ahead by less than 5 percentage points. RealClearPolitics, Cook Political Report, and other polling outfits are rating the race a toss up. Brown, meanwhile, was appointed in 2015 after…

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Alaska Governor Drops Re-Election Bid, Backs Democrat

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Alaska Governor Bill Walker, a political independent, halted his re-election campaign Friday and endorsed his Democratic challenger, ending a three-way race in which the Republican candidate had appeared to possess an insurmountable lead. With 18 days remaining before the Nov. 6 election, Walker, 67, said he concluded that he could not win a second term in a race against former U.S. Senator Mark Begich, a Democrat, and former state legislator Mike Dunleavy, a Republican. Walker’s withdrawal came three days after his former running mate, Byron Mallott, abruptly resigned as lieutenant governor over admitted but unspecified “inappropriate comments” in a scandal that threw the governor’s campaign into disarray. Republican well ahead in polls But public opinion surveys were already showing Dunleavy well ahead of the two other men and indicated Begich had greater support than the incumbent governor. Consulting for days on whether Walker or Begich had a better shot at running a competitive race against Dunleavy, the “determination was made that, at this point, Begich has the better odds,” the governor said in a statement posted on his campaign’s website. Walker also said Begich’s positions on various key issues “more closely align with my priorities for Alaska,” including their support…

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Commentary: The Most Important Election You Never Heard Of

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by George Rasley   In a year with many important offices on the ballot – including control of the United States Senate and House of Representatives – there is one very important office that is on the ballot that is getting almost no attention: Secretary of State for the State of Ohio. No Republican has ever won the presidency without Ohio, and our old friend conservative Ohio state Senator Frank LaRose is the Republican candidate for this important office, which oversees business registrations, voter registration and election integrity for the Buckeye State. LaRose is a principled conservative, not a hidebound partisan; he has a 100 percent Pro-Life voting record and has always fought to protect the life of the unborn, but he drew heat from the Republican establishment, including then-Speaker of the House John Boehner, for supporting anti-gerrymandering legislation and joining with a bipartisan group of 30-something legislators to form the “Ohio Future Caucus.” At 39, LaRose has an impressive record of public service. An Eagle Scout, he was inspired, he told the Columbus Dispatch, by his childhood Boy Scout leader, a World War II veteran, to enlist in the U.S. Army straight out of Copley High School. He served…

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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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Trump-Endorsed Eddie Edwards Wins Crowded Primary for New Hampshire’s Toss-Up Congressional District

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Eddie Edwards

A former police chief backed by the Trump administration won the Republican nomination Tuesday in New Hampshire’s toss-up congressional district, while Democrats picked experienced, establishment-backed nominees for both that seat and for governor. Eddie Edwards, who was endorsed by Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani, defeated six Republican opponents in the 1st Congressional District, which covers the eastern half of the state. A Navy veteran who also served as enforcement chief for the state liquor commission, Edwards is the second African-American to be nominated to a U.S. House seat in New Hampshire. The district was once reliably Republican but has flipped in each of the past four cycles. In 2016, it returned Democrat Carol Shea-Porter to Congress but backed President Donald Trump. Shea-Porter’s decision to step down after four nonconsecutive terms resulted in a swarm of candidates seeking to replace her, including Levi Sanders, son of Vermont senator and former presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders. He came up far short Tuesday in an 11-way race won by restaurateur Chris Pappas, who would be New Hampshire’s first openly gay member of Congress. Former Obama administration official Maura Sullivan raised more money than the 10 other candidates combined, but she faced criticism for being both…

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Commentary: The White House Is No Place for Resistance

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by Robert Romano   White House Chief of Staff John Kelly needs to serve up whoever wrote the Sept. 5 anonymous New York Times oped, “I Am Part of the Resistance Inside the Trump Administration,” or he needs to go and President Donald Trump needs to find a new chief of staff who will get control of those men and women who have the privilege of serving in the White House. The oped contends, dramatically, that “many of the senior officials in his own administration are working diligently from within to frustrate parts of his agenda” and “I would know. I am one of them.” The oped offers very few specifics over which policy disagreements led to the drafting of the oped. But what it alleges is that there is a conspiracy in the White House to undermine the constitutionally elected, sitting President of the United States and the agenda he ran on. This goes to the heart of the President’s sole authority in executing the laws of the United States under Article II of the Constitution. The White House is a place where robust deliberations should be had, but, at the end of the day, the President decides the direction the administration…

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Commentary: It Isn’t Just Trump vs. Bernie in Florida Governor’s Race

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Ron Desantis, Andrew Gillum, Donald Trump, Bernie Sanders

by George Rasley, CHQ Editor   Tuesday’s Florida Primary Election rocked the Florida political establishment of both parties and set up what will likely be the most expensive and certainly the most important gubernatorial election of 2018. On the Republican side Rep. Ron DeSantis (FL-6) one of the most visible conservative members of the U.S. House of Representatives rode his national media profile to a wipeout of Florida political icon, Republican Ron DeSantisCommissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam. Putnam, once the youngest member of Congress and one of the Sunshine State’s most popular politicians, was long assumed to be on his way to the Governorship, the Senate and perhaps even the presidency. On Tuesday those expectations came crashing down – crushed in a wave of populist support for Congressman DeSantis, who has been one of President Trump’s staunchest defenders on TV and who proudly campaigned with Donald Trump’s endorsement. While DeSantis and Putnam differed little on real substance – both are solidly conservative Republicans – it was DeSantis’ campaign against the Tallahassee political establishment that defeated Putnam, who had, perhaps unfairly, become seen as the candidate of a notoriously corrupt state capitol. On the Democratic side another iconic Florida political name…

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Governor Bill Haslam Wades Into Governor’s Race with Endorsement for Republican Bill Lee

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Bill Haslam, Bill Lee

Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam, current Chairman of the Republican Governor’s Association (RGA), is working to ensure that while he works to keep or expand the number of Republican Governors across the country he doesn’t drop the ball in his home state. He’s endorsed Republican nominee Bill Lee in a new television ad purchased by the RGA. In the ad, Haslam touts the progress that Tennessee has made during his tenure as Governor and says Bill Lee is the “right choice” to take the state to the next level. The RGA has put $500,000 behind the ad buy. RGA ad “Right Choice” transcript: Bill Haslam: “For eight years I’ve had the privilege of being your Governor. Together, we’ve made a lot of progress. More people have jobs than ever before. Our taxes are lower, our students are improving faster than anywhere in the country. Tennessee is stronger than ever. Bill Lee is the right choice to take Tennessee to the next level. We can trust him to make the right decisions, not the political ones. He’s been doing that his whole life. I’m asking you to join me in supporting Bill Lee for Governor.” Ironically, much of the criticism directed at…

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Bredesen Makes His Case for Republican Votes in New Ad Featuring Favorable Republican Comments

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Scottie Hughes, Phil Bredesen

A new sixty second digital ad from the Phil Bredesen campaign is targeting Republican votes by promoting carefully selective clips of Republicans saying good things about his time as Governor. The ad features comments from former Trump surrogate and conservative commentator Scottie Hughes, Tennessee Congressman Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN-03), frequent Trump critic Senator Bob Corker (R-TN), lobbyist and former Hendersonville State Representative Debra Maggart (R-Hendersonville), and lobbyist Bill Phillips (who served as Chief of Staff and Deputy Mayor under Democrat Mayor of Nashville, Bill Purcell). Phil Bredesen ad “Republicans” transcript: Scottie Hughes: “Folks do not realize this, a lot of Trump supporters are also Phil Bredesen supporters. And we have two Republican Governors who fought for an income tax and fought for a gas tax but you never saw a tax being fought for by Phil Bredesen.” Bob Corker: “Phil Bredesen is a friend of mine. I mean, OK. I have worked with him for 23 years. We worked together to bring the Titans to our state. When I became a Senator and he was Governor we worked to bring Volkswagen to our state. He was a very good Mayor; very good Governor; very good business person.” Chuck Fleischmann: “He had…

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