NPR's Steve Inskeep talks with Republican strategist Scott Jennings about Republican leadership in in the U.S. Senate and House.

NPR's Michel Martin speaks with Penn State labor and employment relations professor Paul Clark about blue-collar voters and their decision to back President-elect Trump in this election.

House Freedom Caucus members block bipartisan bill to expand some Social Security benefits

That makes it a congressional red sweep and the question now is just how much of a majority will they command in the House? The latest NYT projections here show Republicans do have the needed 218 seats claimed for a majority. However, there are still 9 seats yet to be called.

There are some seats such as Iowa 1 and California 45, which are toss ups, that could go to a recount and take a longer time to settle due to the current margins. For some context, here is a list of the more competitive districts as a reference.

But even if you give those two to the Democrats, Republicans will at least snag Alaska 1 to end with 219 seats. That is the bare minimum that they should win with when all is said and done.

Republicans will keep control of the House of Representatives, the Associated Press has projected, giving President-elect Trump a majority in both houses of Congress. House Speaker Mike Johnson has said he will work aggressively to implement Trump’s agenda, including tax cuts, deportations, energy policy, and regulatory reform. “We’re going to raise an America First banner […]

Republicans win 218 US House seats, giving Donald Trump and the party control of government

Sen. John Thune (R-SD) is speaking to reporters after being voted Senate Republican leader by secret ballot Wednesday. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER Thune defeated Sens. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Rick Scott (R-FL) to succeed outgoing Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), who will still serve in the Senate through at […]

Republicans will maintain their slim majority in the House, surpassing the 218-member threshold and cementing GOP control in the House, Senate, and White House. Democrat Kirsten Engel conceded to Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ) on Wednesday, pushing Republicans past the 218 votes needed to secure the House majority, according to projections from multiple networks. The Associated Press has […]

House Republican leaders are speaking to the press after holding their votes for leadership positions within the conference. Republicans are expected to retain their majority in the House of Representatives, but the Associated Press has not projected which party will have control of the lower chamber of Congress. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE […]

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) will be the third-ranking Senate Republican, winning election to Conference Chair Wednesday.

The post Tom Cotton Elected Senate Republican Conference Chair appeared first on Breitbart.

President-elect Donald Trump met with House Republicans on Capitol Hill Wednesday morning to start a busy day in D.C.

The post Donald Trump Meets with House Republicans on Capitol Hill as President-Elect: ‘Isn’t It Nice to Win?’ appeared first on Breitbart.

The House Republican Conference on Wednesday nominated Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) to continue serving as the leader of the House.

The post House Republicans Nominate Mike Johnson for Speaker appeared first on Breitbart.

Sen. John Thune will replace Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) as Republican Senate Majority Leader after a close contest Wednesday that took two ballots to resolve.

The post John Thune Elected Senate Republican Leader in Tight Race appeared first on Breitbart.

Senate Majority Leader-elect John Thune (R-SD) said Senate Republicans "are excited" to enact President-elect Donald Trump's agenda.

The post Senate Majority Leader-Elect Thune: Senate Republicans ‘Excited’ to Put Trump’s Agenda into Action appeared first on Breitbart.

Pennsylvania's Senate race moved to a recount as Senator-elect Dave McCormick (R) continues to hold a lead over incumbent Sen. Bob Casey (D).

The post Pennsylvania Senate Race Moves to Recount as Republican Dave McCormick Holds Lead over Bob Casey appeared first on Breitbart.

Republicans will have at least the 218 votes needed to control the 435-seat House of Representatives, Edison projected, with nine races yet to be called.

Republicans have won control of both chambers of Congress, yielding Trump limited congressional oversight for at least 2 years.

A public pressure campaign by top Donald Trump allies to elect their preferred candidate, Florida Senator Rick Scott, failed.

With the GOP retaining control of the House, Trump will enjoy a trifecta for at least the first two years of his term.

Senate Republicans on Wednesday elected Sen. John Thune of South Dakota as their new leader. Thune was elected in a second-ballot contest, defeating Sen. John Cornyn of Texas 29 votes […]

The post Senate Republicans Eliminate Rick Scott from Leadership Contention, Elect Former Trump Adversary appeared first on The Western Journal.

ABC News’ Linsey Davis spoke with Rep. Monica De La Cruz of Texas about securing a second term.

Donald Trump was elected with a mandate last week. He's now using it to challenge Republican senators to confirm his Cabinet picks.

The Republicans in the US Senate picked John Thune as the chamber's new leader Wednesday as lawmakers scrambling to prepare for President-elect Donald Trump's new administration rejected his camp's favored candidate.

WASHINGTON — Republicans have won enough seats to control the U.S. House, completing the party’s sweep into power and securing their hold on U.S. government alongside President-elect Donald Trump. A House Republican victory in Arizona, alongside a win in slow-counting California earlier Wednesday, gave the GOP the 218 House victories that make up the majority. Republicans earlier gained control of the Senate from Democrats. With hard-fought yet thin majorities, Republican leaders are envisioning a mandate to upend the federal government and swiftly implement Trump’s vision for the country. The incoming president has promised to carry out the country’s largest-ever deportation operation, extend tax breaks, punish his political enemies, seize control of the federal government’s most powerful tools and reshape the U.S. economy. The GOP election victories ensure that Congress will be onboard for that agenda, and Democrats will be almost powerless to check it. When Trump was elected president in 2016, Republicans also swept Congress, but he still encountered Republican leaders resistant to his policy ideas, as well as a Supreme Court with a liberal majority. Not this time. When he returns to the White House, Trump will be working with a Republican Party that has been completely transformed by his “Make America Great Again" movement and a Supreme Court dominated by conservative justices, including three that he appointed. Trump rallied House Republicans at a Capitol Hill hotel Wednesday morning, marking his first return to Washington since the election. "I suspect I won’t be running again unless you say, 'He’s good, we got to figure something else,'" Trump said to the room full of lawmakers who laughed in response. House Speaker Mike Johnson, who with Trump's endorsement won the Republican Conference's nomination to stay on as speaker next year, has talked of taking a “blowtorch” to the federal government and its programs, eyeing ways to overhaul even popular programs championed by Democrats in recent years. The Louisiana Republican, an ardent conservative, has pulled the House Republican Conference closer to Trump during the campaign season as they prepare an “ambitious” 100-day agenda. "Republicans in the House and Senate have a mandate," Johnson said earlier this week. "The American people want us to implement and deliver that ‘America First’ agenda." Trump's allies in the House are already signaling they will seek retribution for the legal troubles Trump faced while out of office. The incoming president on Wednesday said he would nominate Rep. Matt Gaetz, a fierce loyalist, for attorney general. Meanwhile, Rep. Jim Jordan, the chair of the powerful House Judiciary Committee, has said Republican lawmakers are "not taking anything off the table" in their plans to investigate special counsel Jack Smith, even as Smith is winding down two federal investigations into Trump for plotting to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and hoarding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate. Still, with a few races still uncalled the Republicans may hold the majority by just a few seats as the new Congress begins. Trump's decision to pull from the House for posts in his administration — Reps. Gaetz, Mike Waltz and Elise Stefanik so far — could complicate Johnson's ability to maintain a majority in the early days of the new Congress. Gaetz submitted his resignation Wednesday, effective immediately. Johnson said he hoped the seat could be filled by the time the new Congress convenes January 3. Replacements for members of the House require special elections, and the congressional districts held by the three departing members have been held by Republicans for years. With the thin majority, a highly functioning House is also far from guaranteed. The past two years of Republican House control were defined by infighting as hardline conservative factions sought to gain influence and power by openly defying their party leadership. While Johnson — at times with Trump's help — largely tamed open rebellions against his leadership, the right wing of the party is ascendant and ambitious on the heels of Trump's election victory. The Republican majority also depends on a small group of lawmakers who won tough elections by running as moderates. It remains to be seen whether they will stay onboard for some of the most extreme proposals championed by Trump and his allies. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, meanwhile, is trying to keep Democrats relevant to any legislation that passes Congress, an effort that will depend on Democratic leaders unifying over 200 members, even as the party undergoes a postmortem of its election losses. In the Senate, GOP leaders, fresh off winning a convincing majority, are already working with Trump to confirm his Cabinet picks. Sen. John Thune of South Dakota won an internal election Wednesday to replace Sen. Mitch McConnell, the longest serving party leader in Senate history. Thune in the past has been critical of Trump but praised the incoming president during his leadership election bid. "This Republican team is united. We are on one team," Thune said. "We are excited to reclaim the majority and to get to work with our colleagues in the House to enact President Trump’s agenda." The GOP’s Senate majority of 53 seats also ensures that Republicans will have breathing room when it comes to confirming Cabinet posts, or Supreme Court justices if there is a vacancy. Not all those confirmations are guaranteed. Republicans were incredulous Wednesday when the news hit Capitol Hill that Trump would nominate Gaetz as his attorney general. Even close Trump allies in the Senate distanced themselves from supporting Gaetz, who had been facing a House Ethics Committee investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct and illicit drug use. Still, Trump on Sunday demanded that any Republican leader must allow him to make administration appointments without a vote while the Senate is in recess. Such a move would be a notable shift in power away from the Senate, yet all the leadership contenders quickly agreed to the idea. Democrats could potentially fight such a maneuver. Meanwhile, Trump's social media supporters, including Elon Musk, the world's richest man, clamored against picking a traditional Republican to lead the Senate chamber. Thune worked as a top lieutenant to McConnell, who once called the former president a "despicable human being" in his private notes. However, McConnell made it clear that on Capitol Hill the days of Republican resistance to Trump are over. 

Meanwhile, the losing Democrats have turned the rifles on each other, seeking blame, but ignoring the larger reasons and implications of their decisive defeat.

1. Republicans win 218 House of Representatives seats, completing party's sweep into power alongside Trump  Deccan Herald
2. U.S. Republicans complete power takeover with House majority  The Hindu
3. Republicans win control of House, cementing a GOP trifecta under Trump  Deccan Herald
4. After Senate Win, Republicans Retain House Majority; Trump Secures Clear Path To Enact His Policies  The Times of India

U.S. Senate Republicans elected John Thune to lead the chamber next year, opting for a well-regarded insider and shrugging off a public pressure campaign by supporters of Donald Trump to pick a loyalist to the president-elect. The South Dakota senator’s victory is a sign the Senate could retain some degree of independence from Trump next […]

“Republicans in the House and Senate have a mandate,” Johnson said earlier this week. “The American people want us to implement and deliver that ‘America First’ agenda.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has won the support of enough Republicans to stand as their candidate for the gavel in January.

Republican Rep. Ken Calvert won re-election to the U.S. House in California's 41st Congressional District.

House Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday won a unanimous closed-door vote for his first, full term as Speaker despite rumblings of a possible rebellion against him, after he received a full-throated endorsement from President-elect Donald Trump.

Republicans have won enough seats to control the U.S. House, completing the party's sweep into power and securing their hold on U.S. government alongside President-elect Donald Trump.

Speaker Mike Johnson and House GOP leaders are projected to have successfully kept their half of Congress in Republican hands for another two years.

Republicans have officially won a full trifecta of power in Washington, D.C., following GOP victories in several key U.S. House contests.

1. U.S. Republicans complete power takeover with House majority  The Hindu
2. After Senate Win, Republicans Retain House Majority; Trump Secures Clear Path To Enact His Policies  The Times of India
3. Republicans claim US House, achieving ‘trifecta’ of election victories  Al Jazeera English
4. Trump has full control of government - but he won't always get his way  BBC.com

After more than a week of vote counting Republicans party had reached the 218 seats needed to retain their majority in the 435-seat lower chamber, having already seized the Senate from the Democrats.

Several Republican lawmakers want Congress to strip the security clearances of dozens of former U.S. intelligence officials who worked against President-elect Donald Trump in 2020 by asserting that information in the laptop of Hunter Biden was likely Russian disinformation.

House Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday won a unanimous closed-door vote for his first, full term as Speaker, despite rumblings of a possible rebellion against him, after he received a full-throated endorsement from President-elect Donald Trump.

It’s no surprise that the sore winners at Fox News are already working to demonize people that don’t love the Felonious p***y grabber as much as they do. But in this case, they really ought to come up with better material.

Media Matters caught the delusional exchange on Fox & Friends this morning. It started out with cohost Steve Doocy saying “people are all entitled to their opinion” but since Trump just won a four-year term, “just deal with it.”

read more

Republicans have won enough seats to keep control of the House of Representatives, ABC News projects, clinching a unified GOP government in Washington.

Somone please tell me what the HELL's wrong with all the people that
run this country!!!!!!

To both Republicans & Democrats

we're "broke" & can't help our own Seniors, Veterans, Orphans,
Homeless, Etc.???????????

In the last months we have provided aid to Haiti, Chile, Pakistan,
Lybia, Egypt and Turkey.. And now Japan Literally, BILLIONS of
DOLLARS!!!

Our retired seniors living on a 'fixed income' receive no aid nor do
they get any breaks while our government and religious organizations
pour Hundreds of Billions of $$$$$$'s and Tons of Food to Foreign
Countries!

We have hundreds of adoptable children who are shoved aside to make
room for the adoption of foreign orphans.

AMERICA: a country where we have homeless without shelter, children
going to bed hungry, elderly going without 'needed' meds, and mentally
ill without treatment-etc, etc.

YET......................
They have a 'Benefit' for the people of Haiti on 12 TV stations, ships
and planes lining up with food, water, tents clothes, bedding, doctors
and medical supplies.

Imagine if the *GOVERNMENT* gave 'US' the same support they give to
other countries.


Sad isn't it?

In a follow up to his story on the 2004 election, "Was the 2004 Election Stolen," Robert Kennedy brings us, in the latest issue of Rolling Stone, specific details on how Diebold has rigged voting in Georgia, with the confessions of a Diebold employee, Chris Hood. "Will The Next Election Be Hacked," is a frightening article that shows exactly how far some corrupt politicians are willing to go to insure that they keep control of our government out of the hands of the people. Folks, our democracy is in danger.

According to an article in the New York Times, Supreme Court candidate Harriet Miers, born Roman Catholic, became an evangelical Christian and began identifying more with Republicans than with the Democrats who had long held sway over Texas politics.

She later joined the missions committee of her church, which is against legalized abortion, and friends and colleagues say she rarely looked back at her past as a Democrat. Miers attended "two or three" anti-abortion fund-raising dinners in the early 1990's, but has otherwise been active in the anti-abortion movement. According to one of Miers' colleagues:

"You can be just as pro-life as the day is long and can decide the Constitution requires Roe to be upheld".

Who knew that proud Republican Lee Ann Womack and top cheerleader for President Bush Angie Harmon had any eye for quality? It is common knowledge that Michael Lucas makes some of the hottest (and most expensive) smut in the business, but until now I thought it was only the men of the right wing who knew anything about gay porn. Posing with Lucas during NY Fashion Week, apparently these two ladies are quite familiar. Perhaps [PARTIAL POST: VISIT THE SITE TO READ THE REST AND SEE PICTURES]

Posted by Frank On 03/02/06 At 07:40 PM

Not that the dems don't do it--use huge amounts of money to buy ads to win elections. But since Watergate, there were supposed to be some controls on this system of who donated what funds to whom...

“It creates all the appearances of dirty dealings and undue influence because our candidates are awash in funds the public is ignorant about,” said Roger Witten, a partner in the New York office of WilmerHale, who served as assistant special prosecutor in the Watergate special prosecution force. “This is the problem that was supposedly addressed after Watergate.” http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/17/weekinreview/17abramson.html?_r=1

Does the average citizen care? Does he or she vote? Think of all that money going to charities, like Haitians who are struggling because of the earthquake, or the mess left over from Katrina...or bailing out homeowners who want to make mortgage payments but can't because of the wrong choices of their elected representatives.

But this isn't new news:

"In 1907, direct corporate donations to candidates were legally barred in a campaign finance reform push by President Theodore Roosevelt. But that law and others — the foundation for many Watergate convictions — are all but obsolete. This is why many supporters of strict campaign finance laws are wringing their hands."http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/17/weekinreview/17abramson.html?_r=1

(Very nicely researched and written by JILL ABRAMSON of New York Times.)

1. Republicans inch closer to US House majority, full control of Congress  Reuters
2. Republicans 2 seats away from House majority, giving Trump leeway to implement agenda  Fox News
3. State of Congress: Republicans near formal House majority  POLITICO

Forgoing watching Arnold at the RNC last night, I tuned in instead to the streaming video keynote from the Apple Expo 2004 in Paris. It was the first public demonstration of the Tiger OS and several other hardware and software products. For something to really rock your world, take a look at the new IMac G5.