JACKSON, Miss. - Republican Haley Barbour’s choice to succeed Sen. Trent Lott is Rep. Roger Wicker, a conservative congressman, congressional officials with knowledge of the selection process said Monday.

Wicker, 56, will serve until a special election is held, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the announcement had not yet been made. Wicker is expected to be a candidate in the special election, which Barbour has scheduled for Nov. 4.

AP

Wicker has a lifetime rating of 88 from the American Conservative Union. However, Citizens Against Government Waste give him an abysmal “unfriendly” rating of 25 for 2006, which means he is probably a social conservative but sucks on the fiscal issues, exactly the formula that set up the Republican’s demise last year.

On The Issues confirms that:

• 0% rating from NARAL indicating a staunchly pro-life voting record
• 97% rating fro US COC indicating a pro-business voting record
• 17% rating from the NEA which means they don’t like him and that is a good thing
• 100% rating from Christian Coalition
• 33% rating from CATO which indicates a mixed record on trade issues
• A+ rating from NRA
• 100% rating from FAIR which means he is awesome on cracking down on illegal immigration
• 0% rating from AFL-CIO
• 59% rating from National Taxpayers Union which is a “satisfactory” rating based on their scale

The guy is okay. It looks like he’ll be there to help stop the Socialists from destroying our health care system with their single payer nonsense. He’ll protect the Second Amendment and the right to life and likely support Supreme Court judges that would do the same. He’ll fight against illegal immigration. However, when it comes to pork and spending his record indicates that he’ll be Thad Cochran’s “Mini-Me”

“I like him and he certainly is somebody who can give a stemwinder, but I have learned so many things about his waffling positions and conservatives in Arkansas don’t like him at all. They say he left the conservative movement in Arkansas in shambles when he left the governorship early this year.” - Paul Weyrich, founder of the Free Congress Foundation and cofounder of the Moral Majority

The Boston Globe

It kind of sounds like George Bush, only he ruined the conservative movement all across the country.  Republicans need to ask themselves if that is the legacy they want to continue.

Wright asked Thompson a question about the political implications of the Benazir Bhutto assassination and how it will affect the presidential race, saying that he once supported “another candidate” but was now considering Thompson.“I have no idea of the political implications of that question,” Thompson said during the customary question and answer session after his stump speech. He went to add that knowledge of international affairs, however, is crucial. “We shouldn’t have to wait until some disaster happens – either at home or abroad – to be reminded of how important this is,” he said.

“I do know what the ramifications of having a president who doesn’t understand the nature of the world that we live in are, and that would be a dangerous situation.”

With the latest poll out of Iowa showing Huckabee leading Thompson by over 20 points, the former Tennessee senator could use every voter he can get.

“Knowing that Senator Fred Thompson has foreign policy experience with the world leaders, I believe he’s the best choice,” said Wright, adding that Huckabee turning Bhutto’s assassination into an immigration issue “turned me away from him.”

CBS News

I questioned in an earlier post as to whether or not Bhutto’s assassination might make some people think twice about the candidates they are supporting for President. In the beginning of this CBS interview Brian Wright states that he was a Huckabee supporter up until about a week ago and then also heard his comment regarding Pakistan ( I am assuming he is referring to Huckabee being unaware that the martial law and suspension of the Constitution has been over for a few weeks now). As a result he has now turned to Fred Thompson. What I suggested may be coming to fruition. Benazir Bhutto not only changed her country, but she might change ours, with elections beginning next week.

The Census Bureau has released its population estimates change for the year between July 1, 2006 and July 1, 2007. The 10 fastest growing states are those that have typically voted for Republican presidential candidates in the last 20 to 30 years and tend to have more fiscally conservative state governments. Most of the liberal northeast take up the anchor positions. Michigan and Rhode Island were the only two states to actually lose population, and for the second year in a row.

The top ten states for highest growth rate are:

1. Nevada
2. Arizona
3. Utah
4. Idaho
5. Georgia
6. North Carolina
7. Texas
8. Colorado
9. Wyoming
10. South Carolina

The full list with all figures can be found here.

I think this goes to show you that states that harbor economic freedom and lower taxes will thrive and those that stifle such freedom with over regulation, high taxes, and higher labor costs will remain stagnant or decline.

The annual Repork Cards have been released by the Club for Growth. The scores are based on 50 anti-pork amendment introduced in the House by John Cambpell (R-CA), Jeff Flake (R-AZ), and Jeb Hensarling (R-TX). Only one amendment actually passed the House out of the 50. 16 Republicans scored a 100%:

24 Republicans scored a 0%. They did not vote for a single pork stripping amendment.

In the Senate the score was based on 15 pork stripping amendments introduced by Senators Tom Coburn (OK) and Jim DeMint (SC). Four Republicans scored a 100% (McCain only cast a vote on two of the amendments):

It was a four way tie for the lowest scoring Republican(s):

The average scores for Republicans were 59% in the Senate and 43% in the House, which are just absolutely pitiful.

Over the past few decades there have been some universal truths in North Carolina politics. They vote Republican for President and Democrat for state offices. The Republican candidate has won the state’s electoral votes in the last seven Presidential elections. Conversely, the Democrats have held the Governor’s mansion for the past 20 years as well as the State Legislature for most of that time.

However, the state has been morphing rather quickly from a traditional southern state of blue collar workers to a virtual melting pot of migrants from all over the country and abroad. It is now a conglomerate of white collar yuppies, big banking barons, and “techie” nerds, mixed with the natives. In other words, it’s not your father’s North Carolina, which may explain the surprise I had when I read yesterday’s Rasmussen Report:

Hillary Clinton is competitive in the state against four leading Republican Presidential candidates. The former First Lady has a two-point edge over Mitt Romney (42% to 40%) and trails Rudy Giuliani by a statistically insignificant single percentage point (Giuliani 40% Clinton 39%).

She also trails John McCain by five (45% to 40%) and Mike Huckabee by seven (46% to 39%).

Against all four Republicans, Clinton’s support is steady and ranges from a low of 39% to a high of 42%.

Hillary leading in North Carolina?

North Carolina voters also have two major statewide races to look forward to in 2008.

In the gubernatorial contest, Pat McCrory, a Republican who just won his seventh term as mayor of Charlotte, has a three-point margin over two possible Democratic nominees. McCrory leads both Lieutenant Governor Beverly Perdue and State Treasurer Richard Moore by identical margins of 42% to 39%.

So we now have a Democrat leading the Presidential race and a Republican who hasn’t even declared his candidacy yet leading the gubernatorial race.

All of these are very close percentages of course, but I think it reflects the swiftly changing demographics in the state. Population just recently passed the 9 million mark and the state passed New Jersey last year, becoming the tenth largest. The state overall has always been purple, so to speak, as Democrats do outnumber Republicans but these are the old school socially conservative Democrats that tend to be to the right of the national party explaining their preference for Republicans at the Federal level, but still electing the socially conservative Democrats in the state party to fill local offices. With the influx of mostly northerners to the state, who tend to be more liberal in their social views, I think we are starting to witness the effects, each side countering out the other leaving more centrist candidates to be desired perhaps. McCrory is more of a moderate Republican with a mayoral history of using government to guide and shape the economy and Senator Clinton, while certainly no moderate, does radiate a more centrist impression of herself when compared to Obama and Edwards. This could explain my theory.

In any case, the North Carolina GOP had better learn a lesson from their neighbors to the north. Virginia has also been rapidly growing and while once a Republican stronghold, the party is now collapsing and Democrats have successfully captured the Governor’s seat, the State Senate, and one U.S. Senate seat and are likely to take the other next year. Furthermore, the state will most certainly be in play for the presidential race coming up.

If the Republican Party is to continue taking North Carolina for granted much like they did Virginia, I think they will be facing another such battle come 2012.

U.S. congressional representative and Republican presidential contender Ron Paul has been called “Dr. No” because he repeatedly votes against legislation he believes gives government too much power. If it’s not in the Constitution, he says, the federal government has no business doing it. He even votes against appropriations to his constituents. Here’s Part 3 of my edited interview with Rep. Paul.RealClearPolitics

I recommend reading the responses of Congressman Paul to Stossel’s questions. His answers are dead on. I truly believe that Ron Paul is the only candidate running who will make a serious concerted effort to take us back to the Constitution. Some of the others may make some small changes in that direction, but I don’t think that any of them will make it as high a priority as Paul would.

Former state Rep. David Cuddy has decided to challenge Sen. Ted Stevens again.  Cuddy ran against Stevens in 1996 but failed to make the race close.  Cuddy had hoped to get the support of the Club for Growth, but says that it is unlikely to support him due to his support for public financing of campaigns.

Cuddy is running a campaign against pork and mainly on fiscal conservatism and anti-corruption.  With others also considering a bid, his decision could either mean a smooth ride for Stevens, with an array of “outsiders” challenging the corrupt Senator, or be his only significant opposition.  The critical part of the equation for him will likely be whether he can get the support of wildly popular Gov. Palin.  If she decides to back him, Cuddy could be competitive.  If Palin stays neutral or backs another primary challenger, it is difficult to see Cuddy giving Ted a serious run for his money.

Rep. Wayne Gilchrest (R-Md.), in the midst of a fierce Republican primary fight to hold onto his Eastern Shore-based seat, has also hit rock-bottom with many of his Republican constituents, according to a newly released poll.

The poll, commissioned by state Sen. EJ Pipkin’s campaign, shows 60 percent of likely Republican voters having a negative opinion of the nine-term congressman. That’s nearly doubly his approval rating of 36 percent. Only 29 percent of voters said they would definitely reelect Gilchrest, a dangerously low number.

And Gilchrest only receives 33 percent of the vote against two well-financed primary challengers. Pipkin and conservative state senator Andrew Harris each received 27 percent of the vote in the head-to-head matchup.

The poll, conducted between Dec. 18-19, surveyed 300 likely Republican primary voters in the district and has a 5.7 percent margin of error. It was conducted by the GOP polling firm, McLaughlin and Associates.

Gilchrest, known for his moderate voting record, has been taking increasing flak from conservatives, especially over his position on the Iraq war. He was one of only two Republicans who voted for Democratic-sponsored legislation (that President Bush vetoed) calling for U.S. troops to withdraw from Iraq as early as last fall.

He also has been slammed by the anti-tax Club for Growth for supporting pork-barrel spending in television ads airing throughout the district.

The Politico

I have to wonder what Gilchrest thinks of these poll results.  Is he actually surprised by it?  People don’t elect Republicans to vote like Democrats, so this shouldn’t be shocking to anyone.  He can still survive the primary challenge, though, because he has two opponents not one, which makes it very difficult to oust him.

THERE IS A reason Mitt Romney has not received a single newspaper endorsement in New Hampshire. It’s the same reason his poll numbers are dropping. He has not been able to convince the people of this state that he’s the conservative he says he is.Like a lot of people in New Hampshire, we wanted to believe Romney. We gave him the benefit of the doubt. We listened very carefully to his expertly rehearsed sales pitch. But in the end he didn’t close the deal for us. Now, two weeks before the primary, the same is happening with voters.Republicans and right-leaning independents in New Hampshire gave Romney a chance. His events have not been sparsely attended. Nor have they been scarce. He’s made more campaign stops here this year than any other Republican, even John McCain.

And after a year of comparing Romney to McCain, of sizing up the two in person and in the media, Granite Staters are turning back to McCain. The former Navy pilot, once written off by the national media establishment, is now in a statistical dead heat with Romney here.

How could that be? Romney has all the advantages: money, organization, geographic proximity, statesman-like hair, etc.

But he lacks something John McCain has in spades: conviction.

Granite Staters want a candidate who will look them in the eye and tell them the truth. John McCain has done that day in and day out, never wavering, never faltering, never pandering.

Mitt Romney has not. He has spoken his lines well, but the people can sense that the words are memorized, not heartfelt.

The Union Leader

We have a Bingo! I have been saying this for months. Romney is not genuine. His record as governor and his campaign stances when running for the U.S. Senate completely conflict the supposed views he now espouses. Every time I listen to him I just feel like he sounds scripted. We have eight days until Iowa. He could still possibly come out on top there, but I don’t think he is going to have an easy battle in New Hampshire.

Well, I am heading to the airport in about an hour, on my way to Mordor, a desolate wasteland that sometimes is referred to as Michigan. Needless to say I won’t be writing for the next couple of days so have a merry Christmas everyone, even you, Publius.

His broad proposal calls for a repeal to the alternative minimum tax, known as the AMT, which was passed in 1969 to prevent a small amount of high-income earners from deducting their entire tax liability.Since the AMT was never attached to inflation, its burden is expected to creep up to affect 23 million taxpayers in the middle class when it was never intended to, McCain said.

An immediate repeal, as McCain directed, would save middle class families with children that are taxed by the AMT an average of $2,700.

“I worry about obviously any reduction in revenues but to have basically two tax codes in America is not an acceptable situation,” he said.

The AMT repeal is a centerpiece for work McCain called for to simplify the tax code that’s grown bigger and more complicated with each congressional bill.

“You paid $14 billion last year to pay someone to do your taxes and you had no idea - American families had no idea whether it was valid or legitimate in anyway,” McCain said.

To direct the tax code revisions, McCain said he’d appoint a commission headed by former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan to make recommendations for a reform for Congress to support.

“Have them report out and then Congress would vote up or down,” McCain said.

Saving Social Security and Medicare are also priorities, McCain said. Supporting personal accounts to supplement the social security crisis, McCain said he’d reach across the aisle to Democrats to make sure promised benefits are honored.

“Now are we going to fix it the way Ronald Reagan and Tip O’neil did back in 1983 or are we going to hand it off to an unluckier generation of Americans?” McCain asked.

Other incentives in the tax policy called for a permanent tax ban on the Internet and cellular phone communications while rewarding savings and investment with lower taxes on dividends and capital gains.

The Union Leader

I like this plan. Taxes on savings and investment should be kept low to continue to spur future investment and economic growth. Private accounts in Social Security are an absolute must. You can’t use a system created for 1930s America in 2007. We’re not the same country as we were then. AMT repeal is another must. It punishes people for success even more so than the general income tax structure. More tax cuts for the middle class are also needed. Ideally, while I’d love to see the income tax go the way of the dodo completely, in the very least I think it should be completely wiped away for middle class folks and below. Say, you don’t pay any tax on income until you hit like $80,000 or something, just as an example. Excellent idea to put Alan Greenspan on the panel!

Rudy Giuliani: I believe Rudy had a flawed strategy right from the outset. The whole idea was that his name recognition and national numbers would turn him into the inevitable candidate and that he needn’t spend time in or worry about Iowa or New Hampshire because his national numbers would just automatically lift him up. If for some reason they didn’t, he would be a sure shot to win in Florida, and then proceed into the big states on February 5, where he would be automatically have the money on hand to be able to compete in the television markets of New York and California and umpteen other states.Mitt Romney: Romney, interestingly, had the exact opposite strategy of Rudy: to spend a lot of money in the early states and build a compelling lead, so he’d roll in Iowa and New Hampshire, and then carry that momentum with him. And for a while it looked like that was working. He can still win the nomination. I suspect he will end up doing well in Iowa and he continues to lead in New Hampshire and is among the leaders in South Carolina and Florida. What he did not count on was Mike Huckabee.

Mike Huckabee: In addition to Huckabee’s numbers going up dramatically in Iowa, South Carolina and Florida, we’ve also seen a dramatic decrease in the numbers of undecideds among Republicans. Translated: Many conservatives have told us they were unhappy with the field of candidates and were looking for a conservative leader and winner. Frankly, they hadn’t considered Huckabee because he just didn’t look like he had a chance. You combine his strong numbers with conservatives and respectable showing among independents and moderates, because he appears to be so affable and rational, and the Republicans right now are experiencing a Mike Huckabee “boomlet.”

John McCain: Talk about a little boomlet. John McCain seems to be getting his now, too. His candidacy bottomed out several months ago for a number of reasons, including internal campaign disputes and overspending, as well as a redefinition of McCain that undefined the John McCain of 2000: the war hero, the maverick, the straight-talker. But for those Republicans who want to believe that the surge in Iraq is working, that issue is less on the table, no longer hurting McCain, and he’s very much back to being the maverick warrior.

Fred Thompson: I’ve never seen the point of his candidacy. I still don’t get it. There are some who suggest that he’s caught some fire and he could come in second or third place in Iowa, as Huckabee or Romney fades. But right now, his candidacy has all the qualities of Baltic Avenue in a Republican sea of St. Charles Places.

Ron Paul: He’s going to do better than anyone expects. Look to Paul to climb into the double-digits in Iowa. Why? He’s different, he stands out. He’s against the war and he has the one in four Republicans who oppose the war all to himself. Libertarianism is hot, especially among free-market Republicans and 20-somethings. And he’s an appealing sort of father figure. He’s his own brand. All he needs to do is beat a couple of big names in Iowa, then New Hampshire is friendlier territory. After all, the state motto is “Live Free or Die.”

Newsmax

I agree with most of this.  I think any one of the first four, Giuliani, Romney, Huckabee, or McCain could end up walking away with the nomination.  I don’t think Thompson is going to pull it off.  I also agree that I think Ron Paul will do better than expected, but more than likely not enough to actually capture the nomination.

In his latest attack on the free market and what appears to be a calculated political move to appeal to Michigan voters, John McCain wants to create a new welfare program for manufacturing workers.According to the Detroit Free Press, Senator McCain announced yesterday a plan to use federal dollars to make up the salary difference for workers who lose manufacturing jobs and are forced to accept lower-paying jobs until they find new careers.

“This is exactly the kind of plan you expect to hear from the Democratic candidates, not an alleged economic conservative,” said Club for Growth President Pat Toomey. “The government should not be in the business of guaranteeing wages. In a dynamic economy, wage and employment changes are inevitable and part of the normal process of economic growth and technological innovation.”

“In addition, McCain’s welfare program has the potential to unleash a series of perverse incentives, the worst of which is the disincentive to learn new skills and assume challenging new career paths. Why make an effort to learn new skills and take on a challenge when John McCain will make taxpayers pay your former wage for even a minimum wage job? The program also has the potential to be exorbitantly expensive as many workers opt to settle for low-paying jobs so long as McCain doles out taxpayer subsidies.”

“This is the latest evidence that John McCain doesn’t appreciate the normal dynamics of a healthy economy and lacks confidence in the ability of workers to forge a successful new career without government handouts.”

The Club for Growth

Just as I was beginning to warm up to the guy he goes and pulls crap like this out of his hat.  Is this his strategy for winning Michigan?  Hell, if I ever get laid off I’ll never go back to work again.  I won’t need to.  John McCain will just give me your money.

That’s what ARG says:

Sununu 52

Shaheen 41.

These numbers don’t make sense, but taken with some of the more recent polls, it does suggest that the race is much more competitive than most thought it would be.  The improving situation in Iraq probably has done the most to help Sununu, but Shaheen’s husbands statements about Obama’s drug use likely helped him a bit as well.  Democrats who thought they had this one in the bag will be sorely disappointed.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Sen. John McCain, rising in the polls as a Republican presidential candidate, defended his integrity Thursday, declaring he had “never done any favors for anybody—lobbyist or special interest group.” McCain made the remark to reporters in Detroit when questioned about a report that The New York Times was investigating allegations of legislative favoritism by the Arizona Republican.McCain acknowledged that his presidential campaign aides have had discussions with the newspaper regarding its inquiries.

“I have not been in talks with The New York Times. They’ve been communicating with our staff and with us,” McCain said. “I’ve never done any favors for anybody—lobbyist or special interest group—that’s a clear, 24-year record.”

Breitbart

McCain was cleared of any wrong doing in the incident relating to this accusation, that being he and four other senators tried to influence banking regulators for Charles Keating, later convicted of securities fraud. I do find the timing of this story rather interesting considering what other news has broken today:

Arizona Sen. John McCain has surged in New Hampshire in the past month and is now tied with former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in the state race for the Republican presidential nomination, a poll showed on Thursday.

The survey by the American Research Group found McCain, a strong backer of President George W. Bush’s Iraq war strategy, had 26 percent support, up from 11 percent in a poll in late November.

He was tied with Romney, who had dropped 10 percentage points since the last survey.

Well that just about blind sided me. Anyone else see that coming?

This is a big deal.  Remember, this is Rhode Island.

Coaty defeated Cicilline 872 to 511, with 53 mail ballots still to be counted, in the race in Newport’s District 75, according to preliminary results from Newport’s Board of Canvassers

While long-time Newporter Cicilline supported expanding the sales tax to more goods and cautioned against cuts that would harm the disadvantaged, newcomer Coaty emphasized that he would seek to cut state spending and would not raise any taxes.

“We got our message out. People in the city of Newport are very concerned about the state of the fiscal crisis that we are facing,” he said, adding that residents “are sick and tired of one-party rule.”

The Providence Journal

I hope he’s right.  They’ve got their work cut out for them.

Straight from the mouth of Rep. Jim Moron (D-VA).