Jennifer Harper

Inside the Beltway: Republicans optimistic about presidential election, approve field of candidates

Despite persistent press coverage to the contrary, Republicans, and particularly conservative Republicans, are cheerful and enthusiastic about the presidential election next year -- and fairly pleased with the burgeoning field of White House hopefuls. Six-in-10 registered GOP voters, in fact, say they have an excellent or good impression of their party's presidential candidates, this according to a survey from the Pew Research Center. These voters also appear to be engaged and enlightened: Two-thirds say they are thinking a lot about the election itself these days. It is a dream come true for frantic strategists.

May 19, 2015

Police body-worn cameras get a close examination in U.S. Senate hearing

There will be some fact finding on a complex but important subject: The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism will hold a hearing Tuesday titled "Body Cameras: Can Technology Increase Protection for Law Enforcement Officers and the Public?"

May 19, 2015

Brent Bozell to conservative journalists: Stay off ABC until Stephanopoulos stops covering 2016

There's more on evolving George-gate. Media Research Center founder Brent Bozell is vexed indeed with ABC News, and a certain Sunday talk show moderator - to the point that he now suggests a boycott of sorts by conservative journalists.

May 18, 2015

Inside the Beltway: Brent Bozell tells conservatives, avoid ABC

There's a noble tribute of note on Tuesday for hero humans and hero dogs, just a block from the U.S. Capitol. The famous, powerful and political will gather to celebrate K9s for Warriors, a nonprofit that pairs rescue dogs with military veterans who must deal with post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury.

May 18, 2015

Voters say ‘ordinary citizens’ should run for office, not lawyers and professional politicians

Mr. Ordinary goes to Washington? Americans still dream that some sensible, honest patriot will surface in the heartland, then run for office and rescue the nation. The numbers: 82 percent of U.S. voters say the nation needs to recruit more "ordinary citizens to run for office rather than professional politicians and lawyers" -- this according to a new Fox News poll. That includes 84 percent of Republicans, 90 percent of independents and 76 percent of Democrats.

May 18, 2015

Inside the Beltway: Hillary Clinton, Rick Santorum, Rick Perry, Mike Huckabee blast through Iowa

Americans still dream that some sensible, honest patriot will surface in the heartland, then run for office and rescue the nation. The numbers: 82 percent of U.S. voters say the nation needs to recruit more "ordinary citizens to run for office rather than professional politicians and lawyers" -- this according to a new Fox News poll. That includes 84 percent of Republicans, 90 percent of independents and 76 percent of Democrats.

May 17, 2015

Rhino horn now more valuable than gold, diamonds and cocaine, at $60K a pound

Could a human hankering for exotic elixirs, curatives and aphrodesiacs turn rhino horn into a $20 billion a year industry and take out an entire species of animals at the same time? Looks like it. A UCLA study from team of international scientists says so - saying the call for substances derived from animal parts has "drastic implications" for rhinoceroses, along with elephants, hippopotamuses and even gorillas.

May 17, 2015

Armstrong Williams and the ‘Right Side Forum’ to ponder Baltimore, the Preakness and the UK election

The "Right Side Forum," an hour-long conservative live news and talk show hosted by columnist Armstrong Williams, will look at a number of topics on its next broadcast: "Baltimore moving forward, Running of the 140th Preakness Stakes, and the Iran/UK elections. "One would think that with a black mayor, black police chief, overwhelmingly black police officers, black Attorney General and the first black President of the United States, that what we are witnessing in Baltimore and other major Democratic stronghold cities would be virtually impossible. Is this about race or a failure in leadership?" Mr. Williams asks.

May 15, 2015

Political outsiders have ‘very thin record of success’ in White House bid, scholar finds

What with Ben Carson and Carly Fiorina already knee-deep in their presidential bids, some wonder what the chances are for non-politicians who pursue the presidency. History has not been kind. "In short, aside from a handful of war heroes, presidential candidates who have never previously held political office have a very thin record of success," reports Eric Ostermeier, a University of Minnesota political professor.

May 15, 2015

Inside the Beltway: Ted Cruz, Jeb Bush, Carly Fiorina and the rest head back to Iowa

It's not heartland issues drawing an impressive group of Republican presidential hopefuls to Waukee, Iowa, on Saturday. It's the Iowa National Security Action Summit, a daylong event which casts critical focus on a weakened U.S. military, vulnerable electrical power grids and infrastructure; the threat from Iran, Shariah and the global jihad movement; plus porous borders and illegal immigration.

May 14, 2015

Navy SEALS inspire new series of military thriller novels, and a movie deal

First it was the movie, now it's a series. Scott McEwen was the co-author with the late Chris Kyle of "American Sniper," the best selling book that became an Oscar-winning film directed by Clint Eastwood. But Mr. McEwen is not done yet. Now in bookstores, it's "The Sniper and the Wolf," a novel -- and part of a fictional series titled "Sniper Elite," which adapts real stories of American warriors into what the trade calls military thrillers. The genre is pretty ferocious.

May 14, 2015

Inside the Beltway: Marco Rubio reinvents ‘Peace through strength’

Sen. Marco Rubio continues to perfect his presidential posture, delivering a major policy speech at the Council on Foreign Relations on Wednesday night, revealing the three "pillars" of his ideal doctrine: A strong America, the protection of the U.S. economy on a global stage and the moral clarity of the nation. Mr. Rubio also alluded to the bywords of the Reagan era, when the simple motto "peace through strength" sustained the U.S. through the Cold War.

May 13, 2015

Libertarian Party sues for access to presidential debates, calls exclusion ‘unfair and illegal’

Independent and third party candidates have yet to stand on flashy podiums of officially sanctioned presidential debates. Now the Libertarian Party is pushing back. Fed up with its ongoing exclusion - and the valuable national exposure that is beyond their reach - the Libertarians now plans a lawsuit against the "duopoly" of Republican and Democratic candidates who have a guaranteed national forum - when alternative candidates do not.

May 13, 2015

Inside the Beltway: Libertarians take on 2016 presidential debates, will sue to be included

Enough, already. The Libertarian Party is fed up with its ongoing exclusion from officially sanctioned presidential debates and the national broadcast exposure which comes with them. The party has already organized a public petition of protest and now plans a lawsuit against the "duopoly" of Republican and Democratic candidates who have a guaranteed national forum -- when alternative candidates do not.

May 12, 2015

American Conservative Union releases its annual rating of lawmakers

For the 44th year in a row, the American Conservative Union has released its annual ratings for lawmakers who either uphold conservative values - or find them akin to kryptonite. And only one GOPer scored a perfect rating.

May 12, 2015

Federal regulations cost $1.88 trillion is lost productivity and higher prices study finds

The always ambitious Competitive Enterprise Institute has just released its annual findings about government regulations and the real toll they take on the nation. The research reveals that federal regs and pesky intervention cost U.S.consumers and businesses an estimated $1.88 trillion in 2014 in lost economic productivity and higher prices.

May 12, 2015

Inside the Beltway: Mark Halperin’s mea culpa, Ted Cruz says ‘no offense taken’

Bloomberg News managing editor Mark Halperin experienced significant pushback from a variety of sources following a controversial interview he conducted with Sen. Ted Cruz. The journalist asked the Texas Republican what appeared to be flippant but invasive details about his "Cuban" heritage and use of Spanish -- oddly unrelated to political discourse.

May 11, 2015

Conservatives not welcome: Liberal speakers dominate college commencements by six-to-one

Conservatives are essentially unwelcome on the annual college commencement speaker circuit, when politicians, the famous and infamous don a graduation robe, and interesting hat and make a speech. According to the Young America's Foundation's annual survey of speakers at the nation's top 100 universities, liberal speakers more than dominated the field. Among the top 100 campuses: liberal speakers outnumber conservatives 6-to-1.

May 11, 2015

Ted Cruz asked to prove he’s ‘Cuban’ in interview; controversy ensues, apology issued

Analysts and journalists are still puzzling over the recent interview between Bloomberg News managing editor Mark Halperin and Sen. Ted Cruz. The Texas Republican and Cuban-American was subjected to a string of inquiries about his taste in Cuban food and music, his ability to speak Spanish and other matters that had no real place in the political discourse.

May 11, 2015

The Dadly Virtues: Conservative journalists gather to show the nation how to father

The conservative menfolk are gathering on Monday with much on their minds: their children. The group - prominent journalists, mainly - meet at the American Enterprise Institute in the nation's capital to talk over a forthcoming book on fatherhood. All have contributed to it. The book? That would be "The Dadly Virtues: Adventures from the Worst Job You'll Ever Love" by Jonathan Last, a senior writer at The Weekly Standard. He brings a few of his creative buddies to join him on the podium - P.J. O'Rourke, Jonah Goldberg, Steve Hayes, James Lileks, Tucker Carlson - to name a few. A total of 17 conservative father/journalists contributed to the work.

May 10, 2015