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Arizona Republicans Effectively Eliminate Third Parties from Congressional Elections

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Photo Credit: twm1340

Photo Credit: twm1340

Last year, Republican Jonathan Paton lost his bid for Congress to Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick by about 9,000 votes. Meanwhile, Libertarian Kim Allen in the race got just over 15,000 votes.

But for the Libertarian, Paton would be a congressman today – assuming, as Republicans do, that Libertarian votes would logically slide over to the R column.

What’s a good Republican to do about a bunch of spoilers who are keeping them from electoral glory?

Well, today we found out.

This afternoon, Gov. Jan Brewer signed an elections bill that basically wipes out Libertarian and other third-party candidates, boosting their signature requirements to unattainable levels. Green Party candidates would actually have to collect more signatures than they have party members.

Read more from this story HERE.

Senator Jeff Session Blasts Karl Rove and Country Club Republicans for Amnesty Bill (+video)

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karl-roveHighlighting the split between big-business Republicans and their more socially conservative brethren, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) on Friday mocked Karl Rove and his allies at the super PAC American Crossroads as a bunch of out-of-touch “fat cats” who spend their time sipping drinks at country clubs.

If they paid more attention to regular people, Sessions argued on the Senate floor, Rove and his pals might have advised Mitt Romney to take a more aggressive stance on immigration, which could have put the wealthy former governor in the White House.

Instead, American Crossroads and its affiliated nonprofit, Crossroads GPS, spent more than $100 million in a losing effort that Sessions belittled.

“Now, my friend Karl Rove, from the Center for American Progress or something like that,” Sessions said in a mistaken reference to the liberal think tank, “raised a bunch of money for Crossroads to run ads in the last election that was supposed to elect Mr. Romney. Didn’t do so well, Karl. Sorry about that. Wish you’d been more effective.”


Read more from this story HERE.

Furious Republican Rips into Marco Rubio (+video)

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marco-rubioRep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., is ripping Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and other Republicans for facilitating the Democratic approach to immigration reform and deceiving the American people about what’s in the legislation.

Rubio stated repeatedly in recent weeks that effective border security was essential to getting his vote for the final version, despite his role in drafting the original bill. Earlier this week, however, Rubio told a Univision audience, in Spanish, that the effort to legalize the millions of illegal immigrants in the U.S. was the top priority.

“Let’s be clear,” Rubio said. “Nobody is talking about preventing the legalization. The legalization is going to happen. That means the following will happen: First comes the legalization. Then come the measures to secure the border. And then comes the process of permanent residence.”

Rohrabacher is not impressed.

“Rubio is so mixed up and so confused. I think he has given up his rightful place to advise any of us in Washington what to do, and he’s given up any right to be trusted by the American people,” he said.

Read more from this story HERE.

Is Scott Walker the GOP’s Sleeper Presidential Candidate?

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Photo Credit: AP

Photo Credit: AP

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker polls near the bottom of would-be presidential contenders. Unlike potential rivals, you won’t find him on the cover of Time magazine or slow-jamming the news with comedian Jimmy Fallon.

But he’s a conservative Republican who won election in a blue state, survived a brutal recall campaign, and now posts approval ratings over 50 percent. A budget-slashing chief executive and son of a Baptist minister who straddles the fiscal and social conservative camps. A proven fundraiser who has put his thumb in the eye of President Obama and Big Labor.

He’s poised to be the sleeper Republican presidential candidate of 2016.

“The recall was a gift to him in that it put him in touch with the big funders in the Republican Party, and I’m sure he keeps that Rolodex pretty close,” said Brian Sikma, a spokesman for a conservative government watchdog group in Wisconsin. “I don’t see any reason why he wouldn’t run, and if you look at the tea leaves, he’s taking all the traditional steps.”

“I’m sure in next few months you’ll find him somewhere in New Hampshire,” said Milwaukee-based Republican consultant Todd Robert Murphy.

Read more from this story HERE.

Chris Christie the Most-Favored Republican – Among Democrats!

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Photo Credit: AP

Photo Credit: AP

According to a newly released Gallup poll, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is the most-favored Republican recent newsmaker and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is the least-favored–among Democratic respondents.

The poll sought to measure the favorable/unfavorable sentiments toward five Republicans Gallup believes may run for president in 2016.

Conducted June 1-4. the survey asked: [P]lease say if you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of these people–or if you have never heard of them.” It then listed New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan, Texas Senator Ted Cruz, and Kentucky Senator Rand Paul.

Among Democrats, Christie had the most favorable responses. Fifty-four percent of Democrats said they had a favorable view of Christie, compared to 21 percent who had a favorable view of Rubio, 17 percent who had a favorable view of Ryan, 16 percent who had a favorable view of Paul, and 11 percent who had a favorable view of Cruz.

Read more from this story HERE.

True Size of the Deficit? Try $106 Trillion

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Photo Credit: National Review

…Obama officials came into the initial meetings on the Hill [regarding the long term budget deficit] reiterating the president’s position that $4 trillion in deficit reduction would basically solve the problem for now.

But according to GOP deficit projections … the true size of the problem is staggering, and surprised even many of the seasoned budget negotiators involved.

$4 trillion? Try $106 trillion, the medium estimate. That’s $106,954,000,000,000. Even the lowest, extremely conservative estimate comes in at $72 trillion; the highest is over $120 trillion.

The amounts are so large that some controversial reforms appear inconsequential in comparison. Take Obama’s “chained CPI” proposal: it would save an estimated $89 billion over ten years, or 1.3 percent of the total deficit over those same ten years…

The Senate GOP’s projections are based on CBO’s cost projections and generally conservative.

Read more from this story HERE.

70 House GOP Members in Showdown With Boehner Over Amnesty Bill (+video)

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Photo Credit: Getty Images

Seventy House Republicans are planning a politically risky showdown with Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) to try to force additional debate on an immigration bill they say will mean amnesty for illegal immigrants and have dire consequences for the country.

The 70 members are petitioning for a special Republican conference meeting on the bill, a “highly unusual” move to go head-to-head with the speaker, according to Reps. Michele Bachmann (Minn.), Steve King (Iowa) and Louie Gohmert (Texas), who are serving as spokespersons for the group.

Bachmann, King and Gohmert told TheBlaze the group is invoking the Hastert Rule: requiring support from a majority of the majority to bring a bill forward.

The petition is expected to go to the House leadership on Friday, but it’s possible some signatories might remove their names due to political risk, or that Boehner could head off the challenge by striking a deal. Going against leadership in such a way could have harsh political consequences for the signatories, including retaliation such as permanently getting passed over for chairmanship positions…

Boehner is on a tight schedule for getting immigration reform passed in the House, predicting this week that Congress could finalize a bill for President Barack Obama’s signature by the end of the year. Any major challenge could ignite pushback from the American public that could force lawmakers to scrap the bill, as happened in the 2007 immigration effort.

Read more from this story HERE.

Congressman Sees IRS Agents Training with AR-15s During DHS Tour, Demands Answers

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Photo Credit: Twitter

By Dave Urbanski. This little item could give the IRS’ whole “targeting” conservatives scandal a brand-new twist.

Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.) tweeted that he observed IRS agents training with AR-15s when he toured the Department of Homeland Security:

Later he added:

And this, for the doubters he ran into on Twitter:

Read more from this story HERE.

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Jeff Duncan questions IRS rifle usage

By Tal Kopan. Rep. Jeff Duncan wants to know why IRS law enforcement agents are training with AR-15 rifles.

As chairman of the House Homeland Security oversight subcommittee, Duncan (R-S.C.) toured a federal law enforcement facility in late May and noticed agents training with the semi-automatic weapons at a firing range. They identified themselves as IRS, he said.

“When I left there, it’s been bugging me for weeks now, why IRS agents are training with a semi-automatic rifle AR-15, which has stand-off capability,” Duncan told POLITICO. “Are Americans that much of a target that you need that kind of capability?”

While Duncan acknowledges that the IRS has an enforcement division, he questions if that level of firepower is appropriate when they could coordinate operations with other agencies, like the FBI, especially in a time of austerity.

“I think Americans raise eyebrows when you tell them that IRS agents are training with a type of weapon that has stand-off capability. It’s not like they’re carrying a sidearm and they knock on someone’s door and say, ‘You’re evading your taxes,’” Duncan said. Read more from this story HERE.

Ted Cruz Says he Suffers From Obamaphobia (+video)

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Photo Credit: Tom Pennington/Getty Images

Republican Texas senator Ted Cruz admitted Wednesday to suffering from a case of “Obamaphobia.”

Cruz’s playful admission was made in response to Democratic New Jersey senator Bob Menendez’s assertion Tuesday that Cruz, who might stand in the way of the Gang of 8′s immigration bill, must suffer from the ailment.

“I think he has Obamaphobia,” Menendez said. “The reality is that it is the ‘Gang of Eight’ that came together — four Democrats, four Republicans — and said that we need a path to citizenship.”

Read more from this story HERE.

Republican Alternative to Obamacare Gives Tax Credits for Low Wage Earners to Buy Health Insurance

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Republicans, long criticized for pushing for the elimination of the health care reform law without a way to replace it, have come up with their own plan.

Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., an orthopedic surgeon, has authored a 247-page bill, entitled the “Empowering Patients First Act” [that is] one-tenth the size of the Affordable Care Act [and] repeals the entirety of Obamacare.

It offers in its place refundable tax credits of up to $5,000 for low-income individuals and families to purchase health insurance on the private market. And those who buy health insurance privately rather than through their employment, would be able to deduct the among on their taxes, which they are currently unable to do.

Other provisions in the bill include allowing insurance companies to sell policies across state lines, which some believe will lower costs by increasing competitiveness. The legislation also aims to reform the medical malpractice industry, which has dramatically raised insurance costs for doctors, by creating health care tribunals to review malpractice cases and make recommendations about liability and compensation.

Read more from this story HERE.