Jillian Bandes is the National Political Reporter for Townhall.com. She previously served as assistant editor and blogger at the late Culture11, and had stints at the Weekly Standard and Roll Call newspaper. Jillian has been a freelancer for various publications, including the St. Petersburg Times, Human Events, the American Spectator and the North Carolina Conservative. http://www.townhall.com/columnists/JillianBandes http://media.townhall.com/TownHall/icons/TH-feed-icon-128x128.gif http://www.townhall.com/columnists/JillianBandes TownHall.com, Where your opinion counts. 128 Copyright (c) 2013 Townhall.com, A Salem Communications Web. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED jim.dearras@townhall.com (Jim De Arras) Mon, 20 Dec 2010 05:01:00 GMT Mon, 20 Dec 2010 05:01:00 GMT http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss RSS.NET: http://www.rssdotnet.com/ The battle over booze is a sexy, dirty, political mess that could leave you dizzier than a drunk after a long night at the pub. At stake is the alcohol industry's ability to ship products across state lines,... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/JillianBandes/2010/12/20/the_fierce_booze_battle db0caddb-be12-4133-9cde-499aa84ba639 Mon, 20 Dec 2010 05:01:00 GMT In 2010, the EPA granted exactly two new coal mining permits in West Virginia. There are fifty outstanding permits, because according to the EPA, bugs are more important than jobs. Mayfly populations are disrupted... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/JillianBandes/2010/12/15/can_a_state_bypass_the_epa 7ce0b40b-f6a7-4959-9e20-30ff76028a49 Wed, 15 Dec 2010 05:01:00 GMT A half-dozen staunchly conservative Members of Congress have been beating around the bush on the anti-earmark ban. They support the GOP's current ban, but not permanently, and not enthusiastically. ... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/JillianBandes/2010/12/10/far-right_republicans_dont_hold_the_line_on_earmarks_ban 310f5374-bb9e-4ade-8a7c-49d42926a051 Fri, 10 Dec 2010 13:38:40 GMT Netty Aranguren wants her ears surgically pinned back. That way, she'll feel more prepared to embark on the journey of marriage. Aranguren, 23, moved into the Bridalplasty mansion to compete with a... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/JillianBandes/2010/12/09/bridalplasty_is_a_new_low_for_womens_reality_tv 784ea095-46ed-400e-bb3c-a84e445437c5 Thu, 09 Dec 2010 05:01:00 GMT Tax code reform has the potential to achieve what seems to be an impossible goal: increasing revenue while lowering tax rates. But legislators have put it on the backburner in favor of short-term quick-fixes, like tax... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/JillianBandes/2010/12/04/simplification_of_the_tax_code_not_likely cf6128f8-1dd4-425e-8387-462ce8252ec2 Sat, 04 Dec 2010 05:01:00 GMT Glenn Beck has come out against him. Rush has come out against him. Tea Party activists from every different angle are snarling over charges that he's one of the biggest RINO's in the jungle. Depending on your... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/JillianBandes/2010/12/02/energetic_infighting_for_energy_and_commerce_chair 0ea70144-ce09-4cc1-be7e-f2ef39bf84e7 Thu, 02 Dec 2010 05:01:00 GMT The saga of captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit continues, as Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas finally called for an unconditional release of the 24-year-old hostage. Abbas had previously given... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/JillianBandes/2010/12/01/israeli_hostage_gets_a_hand_from_abbas e4a1498f-4a05-433b-8bfe-6b16da530568 Wed, 01 Dec 2010 05:01:00 GMT It's become a common refrain to say that the November elections were more of a rejection of Democrats than an endorsement for the Republicans. Two pollsters from opposite sides of the political spectrum have proven... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/JillianBandes/2010/11/24/down_with_the_democrats_polls_point_to_rampant_voter_dissatisfaction 16bc55da-7a73-4191-bbcd-55f7d0339d99 Wed, 24 Nov 2010 05:01:00 GMT The legal arguments surrounding the constitutionality of the health care debate are nuanced, and at the center of the debate is whether Congress can regulate a citizen's inactivity. The Federalist Society holds its... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/JillianBandes/2010/11/19/taking_the_gloves_off_is_the_health_care_bill_constitutional 893d509a-f924-4f2f-8e21-f012f82e9e16 Fri, 19 Nov 2010 05:01:00 GMT It's worse than your kids at the dinner table: the battle over food safety has gotten worse after the Senate voted to move forward on the bill Wednesday. With a 74-25 vote on the motion to begin debate, passage has... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/JillianBandes/2010/11/18/food_fight_breaks_out_in_senate 9196fb25-a72c-4e90-b59b-43e6a284ee4d Thu, 18 Nov 2010 05:01:00 GMT A bill up for consideration in the Senate today would update food safety regulations for the first time since the 1930s. It would also be a massive expansion of government bureaucracy and a deadly threat to small... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/JillianBandes/2010/11/17/lame_ducks_take_on_food_safety 525d7980-af90-459a-b9dc-414fbe90b010 Wed, 17 Nov 2010 05:01:00 GMT Townhall readers don't seem too enthusiastic about the new GOP House majority. For the past week, they've been bellyaching that the new class of Republicans won't do much of anything. In stories and blog posts,... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/JillianBandes/2010/11/12/your_opinion_counts_the_incoming_gop_congress 8ea52cb4-d27f-4858-99dd-0cea6776ae98 Fri, 12 Nov 2010 05:01:00 GMT The GOP transition period - when the newly-elected Republican majority starts to run the House of Representatives - is like a campfire sing-along, combined with an ongoing public relations party. There's also the very... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/JillianBandes/2010/11/11/is_the_gop_transition_team_talk_or_action 03ec4ecd-3bc2-4b44-82a1-2b83726fbdaf Thu, 11 Nov 2010 05:01:00 GMT Fiscal conservatives had some big wins last Tuesday, but their post-election statements indicate that they might not mean what they say.For example, Pat Toomey refused to take on the issue of the debt limit during an... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/JillianBandes/2010/11/08/time_to_hold_new_gop_accountable 1f61dc38-5b64-4098-a2f8-072e141a962c Mon, 08 Nov 2010 05:01:00 GMT President Obama smacked his lips repeatedly and declared his love for Slurpees in a wide-ranging press conference on Wednesday that highlighted his charisma and unwillingness to compromise. The fact that he even... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/JillianBandes/2010/11/03/slurpee-loving_president_goes_for_the_gold d65fc5de-6031-4299-b8d1-347f271617c2 Wed, 03 Nov 2010 18:14:00 GMT Tea partiers won some and lost some last night, but their influence was strong enough to make a statement: the movement has made a difference. Christine O'Donnell and Sharron Angle lost by healthy margins,... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/JillianBandes/2010/11/03/tea_party_makes_a_statement 85d7694d-7e1d-4a56-98ba-098f06038553 Wed, 03 Nov 2010 10:55:00 GMT YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO- Republican Bill Johnson has an uphill battle in the Buckeye State. But if he can pull it off, Republicans everywhere can rest easy on Election Day. You might know Johnson as the Republican running... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/JillianBandes/2010/11/01/if_this_guy_can_pull_it_off,_the_gop_has_nothing_to_worry_about_tomorrow b8f46765-d55f-4fde-8ff7-f7718923ac50 Mon, 01 Nov 2010 04:01:00 GMT Jon Stewart's "Rally to Restore Sanity" and Steven Colbert's "Rally to Restore Fear" was hilarious, and heartbreaking. The presentations were witty, and the signs were hilarious - many were explicit, but almost all... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/JillianBandes/2010/10/30/rally_to_restore_sanity_was_hilarious_and_heartbreaking a3a8e80e-4d12-4654-983f-4521165470ce Sat, 30 Oct 2010 21:48:38 GMT CLEVELAND, OHIO- Slovenians "vote blood, not party," according to outgoing Ohio Sen. George Voinovich (R), who campaigned this week with gubernatorial candidate John Kasich. How is that relevant? Well, almost 25% of... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/JillianBandes/2010/10/29/on_the_road__bloody_votes_for_kasich_in_ohio c4b2b6ac-f4fa-4131-8579-a8f1dcc5db91 Fri, 29 Oct 2010 11:12:43 GMT Keith Rothfus' campaign was under the radar until just a few weeks ago. Then, it came out of the shadows with a very clear message: incumbent Democrat Jason Altmire is and will always be a Pelosi Democrat, voting... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/JillianBandes/2010/10/28/on_the_road_rothfus_campaign_making_a_move cb103f2a-01d7-40d4-878e-a52683dfd5bf Thu, 28 Oct 2010 15:57:32 GMT In his final push against Republican Pat Toomey in the Pennsylvania Senate race, an advertisement from Democratic Rep. Joe Sestak features a bag of feces collected from his family dog. Sestak swings the bag into the... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/JillianBandes/2010/10/28/on_the_road_pennsylvanias_race_gets_dirty_as_sestak_slings_feces 71ccf035-7605-4122-b72e-5f2cae56e0ce Thu, 28 Oct 2010 11:13:57 GMT Republican Congressional candidate Lou Barletta has a secret weapon: Betty Crocker. A team of bakers have carpet-bombed his campaign with lemon cake and peanut thumbprints. In a grand testament to the dedication... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/JillianBandes/2010/10/26/26-year_incumbent_dem_congressman_faces_trouble_in_2010 aecfe996-695a-4cca-bfd4-bdbd47dc9d85 Tue, 26 Oct 2010 14:29:19 GMT The Jews made it out of Egypt and survived the Six Day war. They can also probably save Pat Toomey's Senate campaign. Why? The kosher vote is gravitating towards the Republican Party nationally, despite a history of... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/JillianBandes/2010/10/22/will_the_chosen_people_choose_pat_toomey cb306e95-f7b3-47db-b3d8-74187f1ef849 Fri, 22 Oct 2010 04:01:00 GMT Kristi Noem has been dubbed the "next Sarah Palin," but she's keen on distancing herself from that title. "I respect Sarah Palin and her service as Governor of Alaska and as the Vice Presidential nominee in 2008,"... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/JillianBandes/2010/10/21/cat_fight_in_south_dakota 879b26ec-1ac2-493a-995c-af8932de2d75 Thu, 21 Oct 2010 04:01:00 GMT THE VILLAGES, FL -- Following Marco Rubio's bus tour isn't for the feint of heart. First, I was pulled over by a state trooper, and then, my entire view of Sen. George LeMieux was blocked by a supporter's derriere.... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/JillianBandes/2010/10/20/on_the_road_marco_rubios_double_digit_lead e8bbcf89-6ee6-4fda-aec7-1c45349b1a74 Wed, 20 Oct 2010 04:01:01 GMT There were at least half a dozen races in the Sunshine State that could've gone either way at the beginning of this cycle. With two weeks to go, all but one of them has flipped to a Republican advantage. The one hold... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/JillianBandes/2010/10/18/on_the_road_florida_heading_in_the_right_direction 041e1764-eede-466d-957a-624896303fae Mon, 18 Oct 2010 04:01:00 GMT Democrats are hitting the NRCC for having the audacity to allow voters to select their candidates for Congress. According to the DCCC, some GOP candidates have characteristics that make them unfit for office and should... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/JillianBandes/2010/10/13/in_the_democratic_party,_the_voters_arent_really_in_charge 179b64fd-d26a-439a-a312-d838a78973ba Wed, 13 Oct 2010 21:05:44 GMT The Florida governor's debate on Friday night took talking points and platitudes to a new low. Neither Republican Rick Scott nor Democrat Alex Sink said anything of note for the entire sixty minutes they were on... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/JillianBandes/2010/10/09/at_the_races_let's_get_real_about_the_florida_governor's_debate 70b92afc-382e-48af-a528-39151bbe60a5 Sat, 09 Oct 2010 17:04:10 GMT The winner of the best punch-line for the Florida Senate debate last night goes to Charlie Crist, a guy who probably needs the humor more than anyone else. "You haven't been drinking the Kool-Aid, my friend, http://www.townhall.com/columnists/JillianBandes/2010/10/07/at_the_races_florida_senate_debate_gets_punchy eba8e5d7-a8dd-4b71-8eac-4abd4a183651 Thu, 07 Oct 2010 04:33:09 GMT Crazy old Alan Grayson is enjoying the spoils of a third party candidate who insists that she's not a third party candidate. Peg Dunmire is running for Congress under the name of a political organization called the... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/JillianBandes/2010/10/06/tea_party_candidate_boiling_over_in_alan_grayson's_district c1f93e42-d085-4206-894f-b41b73bb1a74 Wed, 06 Oct 2010 04:01:00 GMT A new poll shows Florida Democratic Congressman Alan Grayson 7 points behind Republican challenger Dan Webster. This development warrants a little review of Grayson's, uh, colorful history. Last September,... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/JillianBandes/2010/09/29/americas_most_insane_congressman_now_7_points_behind 4e9d64dc-3782-4cd4-a08a-7c4f98fbdbbe Wed, 29 Sep 2010 04:01:00 GMT Comedian Jon Stewart's "Restoring Sanity" rally pokes fun at overzealous political activism, but it's hard not to see how it doesn't attack the Right more than it attacks the Left. After all, "Restoring Sanity" is a... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/JillianBandes/2010/09/27/jon_stewart_and_stephen_colberts_big_tea_party_spoof dc046953-611c-4447-8e69-eaa7557aca29 Mon, 27 Sep 2010 04:01:00 GMT The West Virginia Senate race was blown wide-open by a new poll that put Republican John Raese' ahead of Democratic Governor Joe Manchin, 46% to 43%. Raese has an explanation for the sudden surge in a seat that was... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/JillianBandes/2010/09/24/raese_is_in_it_to_win_it 9e458ddc-9d2a-41aa-baf4-f417b2fdedbe Fri, 24 Sep 2010 04:01:00 GMT MLK, Glenn Beck, and racism: these themes are still echoing long after the conclusion of Beck's monumental rally on the anniversary of King's "I Have A Dream" speech last month. Dr. Alveda King, Dr. Martin Luther... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/JillianBandes/2010/09/20/alveda_king_reaffirms_ties_between_blacks_and_conservatives 28bd3737-8417-449a-90b9-f0aa99f624fb Mon, 20 Sep 2010 04:01:00 GMT There are a number of razor-close political races happening in California this November. Voters couldn't give a hoot. All they care about is ganja. This year, attention has been shifted from political races... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/JillianBandes/2010/09/15/new_california_focus_marijuana 1e1fbb6f-a298-496c-baf5-91eb5dbcf54c Wed, 15 Sep 2010 04:01:00 GMT Reps. Eric Cantor, Kevin McCarthy and Wisconsin's Fiscal Dreamboat (WFD) - also known as Rep. Paul Ryan - are releasing a new book today that outlines their plan for the Republican Party. "Young Guns: A New Generation... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/JillianBandes/2010/09/14/the_young_guns_bring_out_the_big_guns a43476d1-bba4-42f2-a766-3709424c9f93 Tue, 14 Sep 2010 04:51:28 GMT The tea party has something in common with fine wine: it gets better with age. This year's 9/12 rally came replete with the types of moveable signs that were clearly crafted with care and the types of activists who are... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/JillianBandes/2010/09/13/912_reveals_gop_intensity_for_november_elections 6206016d-9de6-49c0-8b52-11113472935a Mon, 13 Sep 2010 04:01:00 GMT Joe Miller, the GOP's newly-minted Alaska Senate nominee, has a delicate and arguably astute take on official Republican leadership and campaign arms. What's interesting is that his takes on the more rogue, tea-partyish... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/JillianBandes/2010/09/09/joe_miller_dances_between_gop_establishment_and_the_tea_party 17004930-91bf-4ac3-9a1b-45e27eb4f0b5 Thu, 09 Sep 2010 04:01:00 GMT Glenn Beck's 8/28 rally delivered a swift kick in the rear to anyone who claims he or the conservative grassroots movement is irrelevant or idle. "Welcome to Restoring Honor. You are standing on the banks of... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/JillianBandes/2010/08/28/faith,_hope,_and_honor_at_glenn_becks_8-28_rally ef91d5c0-18ad-4c4a-a61a-62a02274d474 Sat, 28 Aug 2010 21:55:36 GMT Americans for Prosperity's Defending the Dream conference took place just one day before Glenn Beck's Restoring Honor rally, marking the biggest conservative weekend in D.C. since last year's 9/12 March on... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/JillianBandes/2010/08/28/conservative_vacation_defending_the_dream_before_828 360df774-ff5c-4b2f-877a-eab57332512d Sat, 28 Aug 2010 04:01:00 GMT Glenn Beck: It is extraordinarily rare these days to have actual reporting going on and people who are trying to get it right. I appreciate it. Townhall Staff: Thank you very much. We were wondering if maybe we... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/JillianBandes/2010/08/24/glenn_becks_828_restoring_honor_full_interview 454299aa-1385-4c04-981b-61ab64d7cc44 Tue, 24 Aug 2010 04:01:00 GMT Glenn Beck says that this Saturday's 8/28 rally "Restoring Honor" is about far more than just politics. "This isn't a rah-rah USA kind of thing. This is a sacred reflective spot in our nation. the Reflecting... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/JillianBandes/2010/08/22/restoring_honor 3eba23cc-9fab-4927-bc49-0f61bbbb5072 Sun, 22 Aug 2010 04:01:00 GMT With Obama pushing Republicans to stop blocking a new "jobs bill," it's important to take a look at one important provision in it: a new tax on the oil and gas industry, which could set a dangerous precedent for... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/JillianBandes/2010/08/20/the_taxing_jobs_bill 848ca3f7-5156-42fd-b910-57d8b83d9cc9 Fri, 20 Aug 2010 04:01:00 GMT America has the highest incarceration rates in the world, and the price tag for keeping felonious Americans behind bars is over $200 billion, including police and judicial costs. A new study explains why this is the... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/JillianBandes/2010/08/19/the_price_of_justice 91aa0d13-39c7-4cf5-a68e-12243b7f31b9 Thu, 19 Aug 2010 04:01:00 GMT Shoplifting costs the average American family over $400 per year. Yet it's not worth retailers' time to prosecute, meaning there's no good way to keep law-abiding shoppers from funding criminal activity. Part of the... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/JillianBandes/2010/08/16/societys_overlooked_hidden_costs 720cb767-7bdd-42dd-af39-7d35ab425501 Mon, 16 Aug 2010 04:01:00 GMT Republican primaries this cycle have led to a motley group of conservative victors with wildly different backgrounds and levels of political expertise. Rather than panic, we should all dance the funky chicken. Their... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/JillianBandes/2010/08/13/the_cure_for_the_common_politician_this_year's_gop 05302108-7e8b-4a1e-9ad0-bae9cf587775 Fri, 13 Aug 2010 04:01:00 GMT The Rosetta Stone language education company will take in almost $1.7 million from its contract with the Transportation Security Administration, serving over 28,000 TSA employees. But each of those employees has only... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/JillianBandes/2010/07/21/tsa_throwing_money_to_questionable_ends 8c738b8a-485f-4ece-b456-59c18c586a3f Wed, 21 Jul 2010 04:01:00 GMT Arlen Specter's dramatic defeat was only the start of the action in the Pennsylvania's Senate race. With three and a half months to go, polling between Republican Pat Toomey and Democrat Joe Sestak is neck-and-neck,... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/JillianBandes/2010/07/16/pennsylvania_gone_wild 760bcd42-80ab-46c1-9c7a-adf8d01587fc Fri, 16 Jul 2010 04:01:00 GMT Sometimes, the revolving door spins a little too quickly. James Cole, Obama's recent nominee for Deputy Attorney General, has worked as an independent consultant at AIG for the past five years - the company at the... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/JillianBandes/2010/07/15/aig_hired_to_regulate_aig 92264964-5790-4945-bb99-b3beaf9ba565 Thu, 15 Jul 2010 04:01:00 GMT Democrats in Congress haven't made any moves to extend the Bush tax cuts of 2006, so workers of all income levels can expect to see a 5% increase in their income taxes, and additional tax increases from a number of... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/JillianBandes/2010/07/12/tax_increases_on_the_horizon c99b5d7d-6422-4e90-872f-9ab2e3fcec48 Mon, 12 Jul 2010 04:01:00 GMT