We’ve Defeated Fred Upton!

By: Daniel Horowitz (Diary)  |  July 24th at 08:40 AM  | 

Well, not exactly.  Fred Upton has defeated Fred Upton. As the primary season progresses, we’ve see this pattern repeat itself on numerous occasions.  There’s an old bull Republican who has been pushing for big government and anti-free-market policies for years.  Then, as soon as his primary opponent begins to sow the seeds of disquiet in his district, the old bull lurches to the right, introduces | Read More »

Mr. Speaker, Tear Up This Farm Bill

By: Daniel Horowitz (Diary)  |  July 19th at 05:54 PM  | 

Dear Speaker Boehner, During every election cycle, virtually every Republican candidate affirms his or her support for limited government, free markets, and balanced budgets.  They all tout their conservative credentials on the flashy flag-waving issues of the day in an effort to ingratiate themselves with Republican primary voters.  However, it is the “inside baseball” issues such as the farm bill that expose many of them | Read More »

Kerry Bentivolio for Congress in Michigan District 11

By: Daniel Horowitz (Diary)  |  July 17th at 10:45 AM  | 

Note: Kerry Bentivolio has already been endorsed by Erick. This is my endorsement on behalf of The Madison Project. This election cycle, Michigan’s 11th district might prove to be the biggest gift to conservatives.  This oddly shaped district, which covers parts of Oakland and Wayne counties in eastern Michigan, was represented by the quirky, pro-labor Thad McCotter for the past decade.  Nobody paid attention to | Read More »

Young Guns: Cantor’s PAC of Loose Cannons

By: Daniel Horowitz (Diary)  |  July 10th at 03:16 PM  | 

One of the most perplexing organizations on the political scene this election cycle is the Young Guns Action Fund, started by two former aids to Eric Cantor.  It was started last fall in an effort to support “conservative candidates for elected office who hold true to the Young Guns movement.” One would expect a PAC affiliated with the House Majority Leader to get involved in | Read More »

Ron DeSantis for Congress in FL-6

By: Daniel Horowitz (Diary)  |  June 18th at 12:03 PM  | 

Editor’s note: Here is my latest endorsement on behalf of The Madison Project Florida has been shaken up by redistricting more than most states, leaving behind a number of open and newly drawn districts.  While the state sports a large Republican delegation of 19, only a few of them are conservative.  This year provides us with an opportunity to invigorate the delegation with some bold-colored | Read More »

Tea Party 1 Union Thugs 0

By: Daniel Horowitz (Diary)  |  June 6th at 09:08 AM  | 

It’s often frustrating how we are forced to go to battle with the left on the bandwagon of flaccid and uninspiring Republicans that lack core principles.  That was not the case last night when Scott Walker won his decisive victory against the best efforts of the union thugs in Wisconsin.  Scott Walker is a man who sought power not for power’s sake, but to implement | Read More »

Sam Aanestad for Congress in California District 1

By: Daniel Horowitz (Diary)  |  May 31st at 10:48 AM  | 

Editor’s note: This is the next endorsement on behalf of The Madison Project PAC in a continuing series of conservative endorsements for the 2012 congressional elections. While we are all focused on the presidential campaign and some of the seminal battles in the Senate, the establishment is working overtime to fill the open House seats with like-minded candidates.  Nobody is focusing on the California presidential | Read More »

“I’m Moderate David Dewhurst, and I Approve this Message”

By: Daniel Horowitz (Diary)  |  May 30th at 11:00 AM  | 

It’s game time for the conservative movement.  With the Wisconsin recall fizzling out by the day, it appears that the runoff between Dewhurst and Cruz will be the most important battle for conservatives this year.  We must not sit this one out! Last night Dewhurst won by just 10.4 points, despite enjoying a bigger lead in the polls throughout the entire duration of the campaign.  | Read More »

The Next in Our Dump Upton Series

By: Daniel Horowitz (Diary)  |  May 22nd at 02:55 PM  | 

“I have said at nearly every climate change hearing that for me I don’t dispute the science.  Right or wrong, the debate over the modeling and science appears to be over.” Guess who said that?  While those comments appear similar to the sentiments expressed by the likes of Al Gore, it was actually Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton who said it during a | Read More »

What’s at Stake Today: Creating a Conservative Bench in Conservative States

By: Daniel Horowitz (Diary)  |  May 21st at 10:43 PM  | 

Today is the calm before the storm of next week when conservatives will be involved in the marque fight of the cycle; Ted Cruz vs. David Dewhurst in Texas.  Nonetheless, there are primary elections in Arkansas and Kentucky today that will provide us with a couple pickup opportunities. Arkansas-4  Blue Dog Mike Ross is headed back to the Democrat kennel, creating a prime pickup opportunity | Read More »

It’s Time to Dump Upton for Jack Hoogendyk in MI-6

By: Daniel Horowitz (Diary)  |  May 15th at 07:56 AM  | 

It’s hard to think of a more liberal Republican that occupies a more consequential position in Congress than Fred Upton.  It’s not just the fact that the Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, one of the most powerful House panels, is a big supporter of green energy.  It’s not just the fact that this same man was the Thomas Edison of the incandescent light | Read More »

It’s Game Time in Indiana and North Carolina

By: Daniel Horowitz (Diary)  |  May 7th at 10:45 AM  | 

The presidential primary is ostensibly over, but there are still many primary elections taking place that should be of interest to conservatives.  We often find ourselves bemoaning the lack of conservative members in Congress during the legislative session.  Well, it is during primary season that we have the opportunity to shape the orientation of Congress.  On Tuesday, Indiana and North Carolina will be holding primaries.  | Read More »

Ron Gould for Congress in AZ-4

By: Daniel Horowitz (Diary)  |  May 2nd at 03:30 PM  | 

Editor’s note: This is the next endorsement on behalf of The Madison Project PAC in a continuing series of conservative endorsements for the 2012 congressional elections. Over the past year, we have learned the hard way that not all freshmen House members turned out to be the Tea Party champions that they claimed to be.  Many of them cast their lot with leadership, eschewing all | Read More »

The Hubris of Renee Ellmers

By: Daniel Horowitz (Diary)  |  May 1st at 03:00 PM  | 

In a matter of just a few years at the beginning of the millennium, we succeed in adopting marriage amendments in 30 states.  It looked like we were well on our way to preempting one of the greatest assaults on our values.  But over the past few years, between the liberal courts, the Obama administration, and blue states adopting gay marriage, we have lost a | Read More »

The True Meaning of Bipartisanship in Washington

By: Daniel Horowitz (Diary)  |  May 1st at 06:38 AM  | 

We are constantly hearing the DC chattering class bemoan the toxic partisanship that is endemic of congressional politics.  These supercilious wizards of smart contend that if we just had a little more bipartisanship in Washington, all of our public policy troubles would dissipate in short order. The reality cannot be more antithetical to this ubiquitous line of thought from the media.  We suffer from a | Read More »

The Ultimate Treachery

By: Daniel Horowitz (Diary)  |  April 28th at 10:47 PM  | 

I’m at a loss for words; I’m really not sure what to think of this. What word would you use to describe someone from party A asking members of party B to vote down a member of party A for supporting a fundamental view of party A? Politico’s Maggie Haberman is reporting that the leadership-affiliated Young Guns Network has sent out mailers asking Democrats to | Read More »

Eric Cantor Tries to Stop Stalwart Scott Keadle in NC-8

By: Daniel Horowitz (Diary)  |  April 27th at 10:40 AM  | 

This has been a tough week for conservatives in Washington.  Republicans in both houses are caving on the postal bailout, highway bill, appropriations, Ex-Im Bank, Violence Against Women Act, and the student loan bailout.  It’s not going to get easier when they come back from recess in May.  This is why we need game-changers like Scott Keadle in Congress.  Keadle is running in NC-8, the | Read More »

Romney Must Coalesce Around Conservatives, Not Vice Versa

By: Daniel Horowitz (Diary)  |  April 25th at 08:37 AM  | 

There is an interesting factoid that was overlooked from last night’s largely pro-forma presidential primaries.  According to University of Minnesota’s Eric Ostermeier, Romney was the first GOP frontrunner who failed to reach 60% in contests “conducted after his last major challenger dropped out of the race.”  Romney won just 56% of the vote in Delaware and 58% in Pennsylvania. Over the past few months, we’ve | Read More »

Mark Meadows for Congress in NC-11

By: Daniel Horowitz (Diary)  |  April 16th at 01:01 PM  | 

Editor’s note: This is the next endorsement on behalf of The Madison Project PAC in a continuing series of conservative endorsements for the 2012 congressional elections. Earlier this year, Heath Schuler decided that masquerading as a conservative Democrat in the era of Obama and Pelosi had become too cumbersome, and summarily announced his retirement.  This western North Carolina district has become even more Republican after | Read More »

Tom Cotton for Congress in Arkansas District 4

By: Daniel Horowitz (Diary)  |  April 2nd at 10:47 AM  | 

Editor’s Note: Tom Cotton has already received the official Red State endorsement.  Here is mine on behalf of The Madison Project PAC. Our problem with elected Republicans in Washington is not just the lack of conservative idealism amongst their ranks.  There are many Republicans who intuitively understand what we must do to shrink the size of government.  The fundamental problem is that there is a | Read More »