As Supreme Court Debates, 2016 Presidential Hopefuls Define Marriage Views

The national debate over same-sex marriage has landed back in the Supreme Court, but few major presidential candidates routinely put the issue on the front burner. ✧ Among more than a dozen possible Republican hopefuls, only three spoke out forcefully in recent days on their belief that marriage is the union of a man and a woman. ✧ The three—Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana and former Gov. Mike Huckabee of Arkansas—appeared determined to underline their defense of traditional marriage.

Read more at The Daily Signal
Related:
Bobby Jindal: I’m Holding Firm Against Gay Marriage (op-ed, New York Times, 4/23/15)
Ryan T. Anderson’s Instant Analysis of Supreme Court’s Same-Sex Marriage Case (video, The Daily Signal, 4/28/15)
Don’t Silence the 50 Million Who Voted for One Man-One Woman Marriage, The Daily Signal, 4/27/15 (Hat tip: Stella) Read More......

Limbaugh, Hannity, Levin eyed as 2016 GOP debate moderators

(Hat tip: Conservative Byte) Miffed that their candidates were singled out for personal questions or CNN John King’s “This or That,” when he asked candidates quirky questions like “Elvis or Johnny Cash,” GOP insiders tell The Washington Examiner's 'Secrets' writer that they are considering other choices, even a heavyweight panel of radio bigs Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Mark Levin. ✧ They told Secrets that they are eager to bring in questioners who understand Republican policies and beliefs and who have the ability to get candidates to differentiate their positions on core conservative values.

Read more at The Examiner/Washington Secrets... Read More......

The New Leviathan: How the Left-Wing Money Machine Shapes American Politics and Threatens America’s Future

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin) writes, [Excerpt/Book Review] "This advantage means liberal groups far outspend conservative ones. On immigration, the 117 progressive groups identified by Mr. Horowitz and Mr. Laksin [authors of The New Leviathan: How the Left-wing Money Machine Shapes American Politics and Threatens America’s Future] have 22 times the funding of the nine conservative groups. On environmental issues, the count is 553 liberal groups against 32 conservative ones, and the left has 462 times the funding of the right. A broad range of liberal groups thrive not because they have significant popular support, but because their big-donor funding stream is so massive and reliable. ✧ This isn’t just a story of numbers. Mr. Horowitz and Mr. Laksin point out that much of this money is the diverted product of the free-market system progressives are trying to undermine." Read more at Frontpagemag.com... Read More......

Voters will have chance to meet Republican candidates Monday

See Corvallis Gazette-Times article HERE.

What: Republican Candidates' Fair & No-host Luncheon (optional)
When: Monday, September 27th
Where: King Tin Restaurant, 1857 N.W. Ninth St., Corvallis
Time: 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Candidates attending:

• Jim Huffman for U.S. Senate
  
• Rose Cook for State Representative, Dist. 16
  
• Jerry Jackson for County Commissioner, Position 1
  
• Mark O'Brien for Corvallis City Council, Ward 1
  
• John Detweiler for Corvallis City Council, Ward 6
  
• Rick Schroff for Corvallis City Council, Ward 7

See you there! --bc Read More......

G-T to host forum for Oregon's Dist. 4 candidates for U.S. Congress

The Corvallis Gazette-Times will sponsor a voter forum on Monday [Sept. 20] for all three candidates in the 4th District congressional race. The event will begin at 7 p.m. at the First Congregational Church, 4515 S.W. West Hills Road. Read more at the GT... and then click on comments for additional information.

Note: Republican candidate Art Robinson has challenged Rep. Peter DeFazio (D) to an actual debate directly after the forum. Will DeFazio meet the challenge?

NOPE, he didn't... made a speedy get-away instead! Read More......

GT focuses on Chris Dudley's appearance at Benton GOP Barbecue

CORVALLIS GAZETTE-TIMES, 8/20/2010 by Bennett Hall - Dudley energizes GOP faithful Read More......

GT: Republican candidates to hold fair Thursday

GAZETTE-TIMES, 5/4/2010 - Ten candidates whose names appear on the Republican primary ballot are scheduled to appear at a GOP candidates’ fair 6 p.m. Thursday. The event is sponsored by the Benton County Republicans. ∴ Another six candidates who are unable to attend the fair because of scheduling conflicts will be sending representatives to speak for them. The public event is set to begin at 6 p.m. at the King Tin Restaurant, 1857 N.W. Ninth St.

In all, 25 Republican candidates are vying for their party’s nomination in local, state and national positions on the May 18 primary election ballot.

Local candidates who will be appearing at the event include Jerry J. Jackson of Philomath, the only Republican candidate running for the Benton County Board of Commissioners. Jackson plans officially to kick off his campaign at the Thursday event.

Rose Cook of Philomath is the only Republican candidate for District 16 in the Oregon House of Representatives and also plans to use the occasion officially to kick off her campaign Thursday.

State Rep. Jim Thompson, whose District 23 includes portions of Benton County, is seeking re-election and is scheduled to be at the fair, as is State Rep. Andy Olson, who represents District 15.

State Sen. Frank Morse is seeking another term in the Oregon Legislature representing District 8, but he will be unable to attend the event.

Four GOP candidates seeking the party’s nomination for the U.S. House of Representatives are scheduled to attend: Jaynee Germond and Art Robinson are battling in the Fourth District, and Scott Bruun and Fred Thompson are running in the Fifth District.

Rex Watkins of Albany, one of nine Republicans contending for their party’s gubernatorial nomination, is scheduled to attend. Representatives of three other gubernatorial candidates — Allen Alley, Clark Colvin and Chris Dudley — also are scheduled. The other GOP gubernatorial candidates are W. Ames Curtright, Bob Forthan, Darren Karr, John Lim and Bill Sizemore.

Three of the GOP candidates for the U.S. Senate will have representatives at the event: Jim Huffman, Robin S. Parker and Tom Stutzman. The other candidates are G. Shane Dinkel, Loren Later, Keith Waldron and Walter H. Woodland.

Chris Telfer, a candidate for state treasurer, is scheduled to attend.

A representative for Ron Maurer, running for state superintendent of public instruction, also is scheduled to attend. Read More......

Want to vote in the May 18th Primary Election?

From the Oregon Republican Party: TODAY is the Last Day to Register to vote in the Republican Primary!

Have your voice heard: Register or re-register now as a Republican so that you can vote for the strongest Republican candidates in the Republican Primary. Remind your friends to register too - forward this email! ∴ To register online, click here. The deadline for online registration is 11:59 p.m. TONIGHT. ∴ You also can mail in voter registration cards or voter registration forms printed from the Elections Division website. Registrations sent by surface mail must be postmarked by today. ∴ To check your registration status, go to oregonvotes.org and click on Am I Registered to Vote?

Additional information about voting: In the election, Oregonians registered as Republicans will be able to select the best Republican candidates for U.S. Senate, governor, Congress, the Oregon Legislature, state treasurer and many local offices. Oregonians will also vote on numerous non-partisan judicial, county, regional and city offices. ∴ In this election, Republicans will make important choices about the direction of our state and our country. Oregon continues to face a grim economic climate and many tough decisions. Help nominate the Republican candidates who can best run and win in November, and will get our state and local government back on track!

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Visit the BCRW Campaign Page with Photo Wall & Links to learn more about the Republican candidates that will be on Benton County voter's ballots. Visit the Benton County Elections Division: HERE Read More......

GT: GOP women host candidates

GAZETTE-TIMES, Posted 1/25/2010 by Rachel Beck, Reporter | Left photo by Scobel Wiggins - The Benton County Republican Women hosted two candidates for U.S. Congress on Monday. Though only one will end up with the party’s nomination, both Scott Bruun and Fred Thompson were warmly received. ∴ Bruun and Thompson are running to be the GOP nominee for Oregon’s 5th Congressional District seat. Democrat Kurt Schrader currently holds the position, which comes up for election this November. ∴ Thompson, 60, and Bruun, 43, each presented their views on various issues and fielded questions from an audience of about 50 people. Read more at the GT...
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Candidates face ultimatum: Kill Obamacare, or else ...

WORLDNET DAILY, 12/29/2009 by Chelsea Schilling - 'Americans have to pull this weed out by its roots.' ∴ Tea-party leaders are delivering a bold ultimatum to all congressional candidates in 2010: Pledge to repeal the health-care reform bill in its entirety if it passes – or you will be booted from office. ∴ FreedomWorks Press Secretary Adam Brandon told WND the message couldn't be any clearer. Asked whether he believes the tea party movement will seek to oust politicians who refuse to repeal the legislation, he emphatically declared, "Absolutely." Read more at WND...


Photo posted by Code Red Tea Party Protest on Flickr Read More......

Candidates speak to Benton GOP

Gazette-Times, Friday, March 7, 2008 - by Matt Neznanski, G-T Reporter
Mannix seeks Hooley’s spot - Philomath mayor, Salem Republican meet Benton GOP

Benton County Republicans had a look at two candidates Thursday night. Philomath Mayor Chris Nusbaum is hoping to move into a Benton County commissioner’s office, while campaign veteran Kevin Mannix is seeking U.S. Rep. Darlene Hooley’s spot in Oregon’s 5th Congressional District.

Democrat Hooley recently announced that she will not seek re-election, and Republicans said it is a seat they can win.

“Why not run where the district fits like a glove?” said Mannix, who represented Salem in the state Legislature. Mannix has been unsuccessful in his two runs for state attorney general and two gubernatorial attempts. However, Salem and rural areas support him, he said Thursday.
Oregon’s 5th Congressional District includes a small part of Benton County, significant portions of Clackamas and Multnomah counties as well as all of Marion, Polk, Tillamook and Lincoln counties.

Mike Erickson, a wealthy businessman from Lake Oswego who ran against Hooley in 2006, already has entered the 5th District Republican race.

Mannix is known for sponsoring several tough-on-criminals initiatives, including Measure 11, which imposed mandatory-minimum prison sentences and led to increases in Oregon’s prison population and budget.

During his talk at the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library, most supported Mannix’s most recent initiatives, especially Initiative 40, which demands mandatory prison time for property offenses.

John Frohnmayer, an Oregon State University history professor who is running his own independent campaign for Senate, disagreed.

“What do you say to the idea that higher education gets less priority than prisons?” Frohnmayer asked.

Mannix said voters have broadly supported his initiatives. He cited their response as proof of support for the idea.

“I say, with democracy, to put it to the voters. Let them decide,” he said.

Democrats seeking the 5th District seat will decide a primary contest between state Sen. Kurt Schrader and political consultant Steve Marks. Jim Hill, the former state treasurer who ran for governor in 2006, has hinted that he, too, may enter the race.

Voter registration in the 5th District slightly favors Republicans, although the many nonaffiliated voters in the region have been siding with Democrats in recent elections.

In Benton County, the range is a bit wider. Democrats outnumber Republicans by 9 percent of registered voters, according to the county elections office. The disparity was not lost on Nusbaum.

“It’s going to be a tough, uphill battle,” he said. “I’m sure going to give it a heck of a try.”
Nusbaum is challenging incumbent Democrat Annabelle Jaramillo, who has been a Benton County commissioner since 2001. Jaramillo took office in 2000 with less than a 3 percent margin in the vote, but she won easily in 2004.

“The goal, of course, is to win,” Nusbaum said. “I think with a lot of hard work, we can finally break that glass ceiling in Benton County.” Nusbaum has served six years as mayor of Philomath.

The deadline to file for the primary is March 11. Ballots will be sent out about May 3.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. Read More......

Polls Roundup

Townhall.com, November 12, 2007 by Amanda Carpenter

State of the Race: November 12 --Here’s a round up of presidential campaign polls conducted and released within the last week: (Click for polls)

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Book: Party Time

Smear tactics, skulduggery, and the début of American democracy.
The New Yorker, September 17, 2007 - By Jill Lepore

The year is 1800. Americans go to the polls to elect a President. Which Founder do you favor? The Federalist incumbent, sixty-four-year-old John Adams, or the Republican [not today's Republican Party] challenger, fifty-seven-year-old Thomas Jefferson, who, awkwardly enough, is currently serving as Adams’s Vice-President?

Consider your vote carefully. This is the most important election in American history. What Jefferson dubbed “the revolution of 1800” marked the first transition of power from one party to another. It led to the passage, in 1804, of the Twelfth Amendment, separating the election of Presidents and Vice-Presidents. (Before that, whoever placed second became the Vice-President, which is what happened to Jefferson in 1796.) It might have—and should have—spelled the end of the Electoral College. At the time, many people, not all of them members of the Adams family, thought that it might spell the end of the American experiment. As Edward J. Larson observes in his new book, “A Magnificent Catastrophe: The Tumultuous Election of 1800, America’s First Presidential Campaign” (Free Press; $27), “Partisans worried that it might be the young republic’s last.

”To size up the candidates, what you need, for starters, is the word on the street—or, since the United States in 1800 is an agrarian nation, the word on the cow path. Adams: a Harvard graduate and Massachusetts lawyer who helped negotiate the Treaty of Paris in 1783 and served two terms as Washington’s Vice-President before his election to the Presidency in 1796. Distinguished, disputatious, short, ugly, hot-tempered, upstanding, provincial, learned (president of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences). Very clever wife. Suspected of wanting to be king. Loves England. Thinks his diplomats have to tread carefully with Napoleon. Signed into law the Sedition Act in 1798; depending on your point of view, this was either so that he could have anyone who disagreed with him thrown in jail or so that he could protect the country from dangerous anarchists.

Jefferson: former governor of Virginia, onetime Ambassador to France, Washington’s Secretary of State. Eminent, brilliant (president of the American Philosophical Society), surpassing prose stylist, author of the Declaration of Independence (with help from Adams), unrivalled champion of liberty, slave owner, grieving widower, rumored to have fathered children by one of his slaves. Tall, humorless, moody, zealous, cosmopolitan. Artistic. Loves France, not so worried about Bonaparte. Ardently opposes the Sedition Act. Reputed atheist.

Are you still on the fence? You’re out of luck: there will be no Presidential debates, and precious few speeches. (In 1800, Americans considered politicians’ putting themselves so far forward to be unforgivably tacky.) No campaign managers, no Web sites, no television ads, no YouTube interviews, not so much as a Horse and Cart Across America tour. When Adams took a roundabout route through Pennsylvania and Maryland on a ride from Massachusetts to the nation’s new capital city, one Jeffersonian newspaper editor asked, “Why must the President go fifty miles out of his way to make a trip to Washington?” Continued...

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The GOP comeback in Congress?

NFRW Political Briefing, Vol. 5, Briefing No. 21 - Article by Donald Lambro
Excerpt:

JUNE 21, 2007 - In a volatile election cycle when Republican prospects are weakened by the unending war in Iraq and polls show a large majority of Americans believe the country is "on the wrong track," one would think the Democrats would be favored to strengthen their hold on the House.

But Republican campaign strategists now believe last year's wave that swept Democrats to power will not be replicated next year and that many seats they lost will be back in Republican hands if they can win back the party's base. Read the entire brief here...

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