Redstate

Posted at 5:20pm on Apr. 27, 2008 LA-06: On 'Blue Dogs' and Other Fabulous Beasts

By Vladimir

promoted by Adam C because we should be paying attention to more Congressional races...

[That's "fabulous" in the mythical sense, not the "Project Runway" sense. -- ed.]

Next Saturday, May 3, is the date of the special general elections to fill the empty seats in LA-1 (vacated by Governor Bobby Jindal) and LA-6 (departed Rep. Richard Baker (R)). In LA-1, State Sen. Steve Scalise (R) should win in a cakewalk. That's not the case in LA-6, where Woody Jenkins (R) squares off against State Rep. Don Cazayoux of New Roads.

Posted in 2008 | LA Special Election | Spotlight Blogs — Comments (8) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 1:40am on Apr. 23, 2008 Mississippi Almost Shocker (More Congress GOP Problems)

By dld1717

Promoted because this matters more than the Dem PA results and no one was really watching it happen... Adam C

Democrat Travis W. Childers led the field and just narrowly missed the majority vote he needed for an outright victory in a special election held Tuesday in Mississippi’s 1st District. Childers now moves on to a May 13 runoff with Republican Greg Davis, the mayor of Southaven, in a district that has a conservative lean and usually votes strongly Republican in contests for federal office.

Posted in 2008 | Spotlight Blogs — Comments (81) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 10:11am on Apr. 21, 2008 Sen. Obama Getting Heat for Comparing Sen. Coburn to a Terrorist

Sen. Obama has not recanted or apologized for the comparison

By Adam C

Sen. McCain personally addressed the offensive comparison yesterday:

...I think, really indicates Senator Obama's attitude, is he had the incredible statement that he compared Mr. Ayers, an unrepentant terrorist, with Senator Tom Coburn, Senator Coburn, a physician who goes to Oklahoma on the weekends and brings babies into life -- comparing those two -- I mean, that's not -- that's an attitude, frankly, that certainly isn't in keeping with the overall attitude.

I commented on this comparison when it happened. I still find it flabbergasting that the media has not followed up on this. Does Obama not see a difference between violent acts of terror to make a political point and running for office to change the law? Does Obama not know about Ayers violent past? That Ayers has never repented? That Ayers wrote a defense of his violence and a regret that he didn't do more? That it was published on Sept. 11, 2001?

I can only imagine what the media would be doing if a Presidential candidate had gone to a fundraiser at the home of an abortion clinic bomber. But for some reason Obama's fundraising at the home of an avowed, unrepentant terrorist seems to be a-okay with most of the media.

Reporters should be asking whether Sen. Obama understands the difference between pro-life politicians and people who set bombs to kill innocent people.

Posted in 2008 | Spotlight Blogs — Comments (20)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 4:22pm on Apr. 11, 2008 Obama explains why small towns in the midwest don't like him

By Brandozilla

Promoted by Adam C because elitism is hard to hide for 9 months of campaigning...

Barack Obama, in an attempt to explain the small town resentment towards him, had this to say:

You go into these small towns in Pennsylvania and, like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing's replaced them...And they fell through the Clinton Administration, and the Bush Administration, and each successive administration has said that somehow these communities are gonna regenerate and they have not.

And it's not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.

Posted in 2008 | Obamafiles | Spotlight Blogs — Comments (142) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 9:59am on Mar. 10, 2008 $250 for John McCain. You can spend the rest of the money Bush sends you

By Oz

We don't get enough action items... therefore, promoted by Adam C

I've mentioned this once and I'll mention it again when May 1st rolls around, but this blog is for people who are planners.

On or around May 1st, most Red Staters will get a rebate from the Federal government. The easiest way to put some of it to use for the sake of your family, your country, and the economy (think of all those American media consultants) is take the second chunk of money (the first is going to your church, right?) from your rebate and write a check for $250 to John McCain.

Posted in 2008 | Spotlight Blogs — Comments (20) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 3:16pm on Mar. 2, 2008 LA-1 & LA-6: Special Election Party Primaries March 8

By Vladimir

In District 1, the election of Gov. Bobby Jindal created a vacancy in LA's most conservative district, comprised mostly of New Orleans suburbs. The Republican nomination here is tantamount to victory in the general; State Senator Steve Scalise of Metairie has emerged as the frontrunner.

GOP candidates in 1st District all tilt far to the right

When Steve Scalise speaks of his proudest moments as a Louisiana legislator, he is liable to mention two bills: one protecting gun manufacturers against lawsuits by cities and another banning gay marriage.

Tim Burns, a fellow Republican legislator and one of Scalise's opponents in the 1st Congressional District special election, trumpets his own credentials as a "pro-life conservative." He's even drawn Scalise into an exchange about who did, and did not, commit what amounts to a mortal sin in one of the most conservative districts in the country: voting to raise taxes.

Even the labor union-backed Democrat in the race, Gilda Reed, touts herself as a fiscal conservative and personally against abortion while wanting abortion to remain legal for others.

Jindal won election in this district with 88% of the vote (the last open primary), despite the fact that voter registration is still majority-Democrat.

LA-6, in and around Baton Rouge, is a whole different kettle of fish. ...more...

Posted in 2008 | Louisiana | Spotlight Blogs — Comments (5) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 9:52am on Feb. 19, 2008 The Big 3 are good enough for the GOP... they're not good enough for the Dems?

By RightMichigan.com

Cross-posted on Right Michigan at www.RightMichigan.com.

Said it before and I'll say it again... what a difference a Party makes.  While Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton continue to sling mud, make wild accusations and personal attacks against one another, drag American politics further into the gutter and all while telling Michigan voters to take a flying leap the Republicans look down right civil.

Our primary contest is all but officially over.  When we debated one another it was almost exclusively on the issues.  Do you remember any of the campaigns intentionally and maliciously raising the "mormon" spectre against one-time front runner Mitt Romney the way Clinton's camp has raised the "muslim" question re: Barack?  

The 2008 Presidential campaign really has been, and continues to be, a tale of two parties, especially here in the Wolverine State.  Campaign styles differ.  Clearly policy objectives and messages differ.  But the biggest difference of them all is the way moms and dads and factory workers and union laborers and the unemployed and kids and churches and job makers and families have been treated in Michigan.  One party has abandoned us completely.  The other?  We tend to get a little more love.  

Read on . . .

Posted in Barack Hussein Obama | Breaking News | Hillary Clinton | John McCain | Michigan | Spotlight Blogs — Comments (14) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 7:05pm on Feb. 16, 2008 Indiana's 7th: Republican Opportunity

By KurtLuidhardt

Promoted by Adam C - good, substantive local reporting on close races is high on our list of promotable material. This is a great example of RedState and its writers at their best. Note this election is on March 11th...

Indiana's 7th Congressional District (in the capitol city of Indianapolis) has long been a graveyard for good Republican candidates. Former Rep. Julia Carson acquired the seat after Representative Andy Jacobs retired in 1996. The reputed "Carson machine" defeated several strong and well-financed Republican candidates in '96, '98 and again after redistricting in 2002.

Posted in 2008 | Spotlight Blogs — Comments (20) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 10:17pm on Feb. 7, 2008 Rep. Hooley (D-OR) Retires

By dld1717

OR-05 is a major pickup opportunity where Bush won in 2000 by a 50-49 margin - Adam C

Rep. Darlene Hooley (D-OR) told The Oregonian that she will retire from Congress when her term expires at the end of this year. This would be the sixth open House seat for Democrats to defend as compared to 24 open House seats for Republicans.

CQ rates OR-5 as Oregon's "most contestable seat."

Businessman Mike Erickson, Hooley's unsuccessful Republican challenger in the 2006 election, already had announced plans to run again.

Posted in 2008 | Spotlight Blogs — Comments (31) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 2:51am on Feb. 1, 2008 I know you are, but what am I?

By absentee

Promoted from the diaries. How can we not, when he writes this well on what we need most: Republican community healing?

I know you are, but what am I?

I know you. You're conservative. You are a conservative. You think taxes should be cut. You think government should be smaller. You think Roe v. Wade was, and is, a tragedy. I know you.

You revere the constitution. You revere the Founding Fathers. You read their biographies. You love America. You love it so much it hurts sometimes. You would die defending your country and, what's more, you'd kill. I know you.

I know you, because you are me. I am you.

I am a conservative. In fact, I'm the stereo-typical conservative: Southern; white; evangelical Christian; veteran; upper-middle class; white-collar job; blue-collar pickup; gun-toting NRA member. I'm a Christian by belief, I'm gun-owner by choice, and I'm a Marine by God.

I vote Republican. I mean that as a universal truth, not an observation. I was a Marine, we pick sides. I vote Republican, I donate Republican, I volunteer Republican. I started the first young Republicans in the history of my high school, where I was also in the Marine JROTC. I've never voted for any non-Republican. I don't vote for Judges unless they've been endorsed by the local Republican party. I give money all year, every year. I also donate to conservative political action groups.

Posted in Republicans | Spotlight Blogs — Comments (184) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 10:53am on Jan. 29, 2008 John McCain: Planning to Violate Campaign Finance Laws?

By Brad Smith

The Politico has an article up noting that John McCain may be violating campaign finance laws even as we speak.

Last year, Senator McCain applied for federal tax dollars to help finance his presidential campaign. In certifying his eligibility, Senator McCain had to certify to the Federal Election Commission that "the candidate [McCain] and his authorized committees will not incur qualified expenses in excess of the limitations on such expenses [provided by law.]" 2 U.S.C. 9033(b)(1).

Notes the Politico, "At the time, he was lagging behind his competitors in fundraising and in the polls. And an infusion of so-called matching funds seemed his only hope to keep his campaign afloat.

"Now, however, he appears likely to raise more than the $50 million the program would allow his campaign to spend."

Read on...

Posted in Archived | campaign finance reform | John McCain | Spotlight Blogs — Comments (28) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 5:08pm on Jan. 16, 2008 Leadership In War Time

By Lawrence Eagleburger

We Welcome Secretary Eagleburger to RedState... promoted

He lay on a filthy palette in a small, dirty, stinking cell, with broken bones, cuts, and bruises; treated by his captors with the same brutality they used on all prisoners at the “Hanoi Hilton.” Seeing the chance for a propaganda coup, the North Vietnamese offered this young aviator the chance to return to the United States when they learned he was the son of the Admiral in command of the Pacific Fleet. The brave American refused the offer and remained a prisoner, through years of brutality and torture, until all of his fellow prisoners were released together.

Posted in 2008 | Spotlight Blogs — Comments (51) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 10:59pm on Jan. 13, 2008 You've asked why I seem to find the Romney campaign distasteful. Well, here's why.

By Erick

I will put this in the diaries. If one of the contributors wishes to front it, I have no objection.

"He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil." 1 Tim. 3:6 (NIV)

"The wealth of the rich is their fortified city; they imagine it an unscalable wall." Prov. 18:11 (NIV)

These are the two verses I've dwelled on for a while contemplating the Romney campaign. I've given a few people the impression that I dislike Mitt Romney. That could not be further from the truth. But, given repeated concerns, I figured I should tell you exactly how I feel.

Posted in 2008 | Spotlight Blogs — Comments (176) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 10:23am on Jan. 3, 2008 Huckabee's Flip-Flop On The Human Life Amendment

By Spunky

Mike Huckabee is now out stumping for votes using various versions of the question, "If you can't be honest before the election, can we trust you to be honest after the election?"

It's a good question and standard, so let's apply it to Huckabee.

From Mike Huckabee's official website we read,

"I support and have always supported passage of a constitutional amendment to protect the right to life. My convictions regarding the sanctity of life have always been clear and consistent, without equivocation or wavering." (emphasis added)

Sounds strong and convincing. But there's one problem, it's not true. Huckabee has not always supported a constitutional amendment to protect the right to life. In the spirit of "federalism" Huckabee once lobbied to bridge the divide between pro-choice and pro-life Republicans by revising the party platform on abortion.

Read on . . .

Posted in 2008 | Spotlight Blogs — Comments (27) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 11:04am on Nov. 23, 2007 French Strike Battle- Round One Goes to Sarko

By streetwise

France- getting back to normal

The recent wave of strikes in France is receding, and President Nicholas Sarkozy is still standing:

Union leaders began to concede defeat yesterday. "We have to face reality. Since yesterday's negotiations, things have changed. The strike is no longer the solution. The strike strategy is no longer winning," a leader of the Sud union representing Paris underground railway workers, Philippe Touzet, said in an interview with Bloomberg News.
The collapse of support for the strike by individual rail workers marks the first success in what Mr. Sarkozy considers the key goal of his presidency, the abandonment of expensive entitlements and special conditions for public sector workers, including generous early retirement and pension benefits for half a million rail workers, which he believes make France uncompetitive.

The unions have clearly miscalculated with their "public be damned" strategy. France, like most European countries and unlike America, is heavily dependent on rail services. The millions of stranded travelers have given the proverbial raspberry to union blackmail.

Sarkozy kept a low profile during the strike but quietly emanated the message that he was not for turning, to use the Thatcherite phrase.

Keep up the good work, M. le President!

Posted in Foreign Affairs | Spotlight Blogs — Comments (17) / Email this page » / Read More »