Receive Updates from Jillian Bandes
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.
By
Jillian Bandes (Dec 18, 2009)
As the 2010 mid-term elections cycle swings into gear, Democrat pollster Fred Yang admits that the outlook for his party isn’t so rosy.
“I think Mr. T said it best for the... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Dec 15, 2009)
They’re still showing up.
With health care reform looking more and more certain of passage – albeit without a public option – tea party protesters continue to congregate... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Dec 11, 2009)
The House passed sweeping financial regulation that some say is as revolutionary as Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal. Free-market business advocates aren’t too happy about the... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Dec 11, 2009)
Tiger Woods’ extramarital affairs have sparked discussion about his future as a golfer, his endorsement deals, and extensive dissection of the bodily attributes of the women... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Dec 10, 2009)
As Senate debate on the health care reform package progressed, it became clear that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid did not have the necessary 60 votes to pass the bill... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Dec 04, 2009)
The House passed a measure on Thursday that would extend the death tax indefinitely. Whether or not the Senate votes on the issue, and when, could mean very different things... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Dec 03, 2009)
The Democratically-controlled Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming held a hearing yesterday to examine the science behind global warming. Two climate experts... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Dec 02, 2009)
Last week, gun lobbyists threw a fit about the possibility of Obamacare raising health care insurance premiums for gun owners. Other organizations that lobby for potentially... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Nov 26, 2009)
Several Republican National Committee members have proposed a conservative litmus test for candidates who wish to receive support from the RNC. These committee members say... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Nov 25, 2009)
Who might be the next victim of Obamacare? Gun owners.
Government health care reform "will most likely dump your gun-related health data into a government database…that... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Nov 21, 2009)
Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu's vote in favor of Obamacare was purchased for $300 million on Saturday, giving Democrats the 60-vote supermajority that will, barring a... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Nov 20, 2009)
Should we add to the deficit or pay doctors less? That’s the question Congress is contemplating after coming up $200 billion short for Medicare providers’ reimbursement this... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Nov 18, 2009)
Sen. Jim DeMint's (R-S.C.) is resurrecting the debate about federal term limits with a new push to limit service by Members of the House and Senate to a maximum of twelve... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Nov 16, 2009)
Moderate democrats. Women. The elderly. Politicians. Voters. Whoever you are, you’re probably being targeted like a laser by health care lobbyists about your allegiance on... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Nov 13, 2009)
Carrie Prejean has canceled public appearances designed to promote her new book after two major developments in the conservative starlet’s public image.
First, it... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Nov 12, 2009)
It was April of 2008, at the meeting of the Republican National Committee in Albuquerque. All the state GOP organizations were to submit their plans to the McCain campaign... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Nov 10, 2009)
With memories of NY-23 fresh in the minds of conservative activists, the fight over California’s GOP Senate nominee to potentially unseat Barbara Boxer has turned into a game... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Nov 06, 2009)
In less than a week, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) managed to round up thousands of conservative protesters on the front lawn of the Capitol after simply inviting them... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Nov 05, 2009)
RNC Chairman Michael Steele said that Tuesday’s election results were a direct product of the Republican Party gaining momentum, but many conservative analysts point to the... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Nov 02, 2009)
Referendums in Washington state and Maine will take place Tuesday to determine the fate of state-sanctioned gay marriage. Some say what happens in those states won’t be a... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Oct 29, 2009)
As goes the New York-23 special congressional election, so goes the
direction of the national GOP? Not so fast.
“The national media is making it sound as though there's a... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Oct 27, 2009)
Bob McDonnell’s campaign is looking spicy.
At a recent campaign stop at the Eden Center, a Vietnamese strip mall in Falls Church, Virginia, McDonnell visited no less... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Oct 23, 2009)
Sarah Palin, Steve Forbes, and Glenn Beck have all lined up for Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman in the New York-23 race, while Republican candidate Dede Scozzafava... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Oct 22, 2009)
The day of reckoning has arrived in the fight over net neutrality. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulators meet today to decide whether to restrict the ability of... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Oct 21, 2009)
On Monday, the founder of the non-government organization Human Rights Watch issued a scathing editorial condemning the organization for its recent support of a U.N.... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Oct 19, 2009)
Personal doctors on call 24/7. Coverage that knows no caps. No exemptions for pre-existing conditions.
Those are the sorts of benefits members of Congress currently... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Oct 16, 2009)
Upon listening to “America the Beautiful,” President Obama’s most recently confirmed District Court judge’s first thought was not of spacious skies or amber waves of... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Oct 15, 2009)
Welcome to the chat everyone! I'm really looking forward to taking your questions and having some live interaction with our readers.
I'm going to take a question that was... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Oct 14, 2009)
The explanations of many political scandals that involve sexual
affairs invariably involve men – rather than women – committing a
breach of marriage, morals, common decency... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Oct 11, 2009)
The National Equality March saw tens of thousands of homosexual activists flood Pennsylvania Avenue and cover the lawn of the Capitol, denouncing legislation that many... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Oct 09, 2009)
After no-name candidate Marco Rubio raised about $300,000 in his first quarter for his primary campaign against Charlie Crist, he announced a cool $1 million pull for his... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Oct 08, 2009)
Virginia voters can already cast their vote in the off-year Governor’s race via absentee ballots, but the boxing match between Creigh Deeds (D) and former Attorney General... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Oct 07, 2009)
The Senate Finance Committee is slated to vote on a health care bill today that will probably provide the template for what, if any, health care bill is eventually passed.... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Oct 03, 2009)
Newt Gingrich. Ed Morrissey. Larry Kudlow. Hugh Hewitt.
The all-star lineup of conservative speakers on the last day of the Americans for Prosperity Summit had one... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Oct 03, 2009)
“We were able to stop an inevitability.”
That was the message on health care from Laura Ingraham at the Americans for Prosperity Summit on Friday night in Washington, D.C.... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Sep 30, 2009)
A rally to promote school choice shook D.C.’s Upper Senate Park on Wednesday after President Obama and the U.S. Congress announced plans to axe the program for the upcoming... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Sep 30, 2009)
The public option was excised out of the Senate Finance Committee’s health care legislation just two days after the conclusion of a massive two-month effort from religious... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Sep 26, 2009)
A Muslim prayer gathering on Capitol Hill on Friday was attended by maybe a tenth of the 50,000 people organizers were expecting. The event's PR was even less successful than... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Sep 24, 2009)
Critics have three main complaints over the recent undercover videos exposing ACORN’s criminal activity.
They say that amateur filmmakers James O’Keefe and Hannah Giles... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Sep 22, 2009)
A “shield law” that could make journalists virtually untouchable by federal prosecutors was stalled in the Senate over concerns raised by both Republicans and the Department... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Sep 17, 2009)
President Obama's rally at the University of Maryland on Thursday was a highly choreographed campaign event that drew in college students and union members by the... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Sep 17, 2009)
Dawn Johnson, on the docket for the position of Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Council, is another Obama nominee with the potential to change the shape of... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Sep 16, 2009)
In the wake of the Van Jones resignation, Townhall.com is taking a look at a few other characters in Obama’s closet and what their policies could mean for America. First on... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Sep 12, 2009)
Five hundred thousand. Eight hundred thousand. One and a half million.
The numbers of conservative protesters at the March on D.C. on Saturday, September 12 wasn't... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Sep 11, 2009)
A new poll shows that 58% of Americans don’t want abortions to be paid for as part of any new public insurance plan.
Yet four of the five health care plans floating around... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Sep 04, 2009)
With President Obama slated to give a televised address to public school students across the nation on Tuesday, schools in the D.C. area – including the school from which... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Aug 31, 2009)
In the aftermath of the cash-for-clunkers boondoggle, dealers have first hand knowledge as to how to do it better next time. Now, it’s just up to the government to... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Aug 28, 2009)
Ted Kennedy had an immeasurable impact on the American political landscape during his time in office and has been praised by feminists as a champion of women’s rights. But... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Aug 27, 2009)
With a long road ahead before Afghanistan’s first presidential election is decided, a recent Washington Post-ABC News poll showed a majority of Americans have no faith in... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Aug 26, 2009)
The town hall held by Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.) on Tuesday night was a fun house.
One opponent was escorted out by aides after yelling too loudly. A flash mob started on the... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Aug 24, 2009)
The election of Audra Shay to chairwoman of the Young Republican National Federation in July shined a national spotlight on what is typically a quiet, biannual occurrence for... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Aug 21, 2009)
After news broke this week that over 60,000 AARP members had left the organization because of its support of Obamacare, the group launched a massive media campaign to try... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Aug 20, 2009)
Are physician-owned medical groups a silver bullet for health care reform, a bad idea from yet another special interest group, or just one component of a larger reform... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Aug 14, 2009)
Obama’s “town hall” meeting in Montana was filled with lengthy cheers and softball questions, despite the administration’s vows that questions would not be pre-determined and... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Aug 14, 2009)
What's the best way to save the planet? Don't have kids, say researchers from Oregon State University.
"Clearly, the potential savings from reduced reproduction are huge... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Aug 12, 2009)
Former Sen. Rick Santorum is making a trip to Iowa that screams “I’m running for President.”
In the state with the crucial first presidential primary competition, Santorum... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Aug 12, 2009)
Mark Lloyd has recently been appointed “Chief Diversity Officer” at the Federal Communications Commission. Conservative groups believe his installation is merely another way... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Aug 07, 2009)
Who will Charlie Crist appoint to replace outgoing Fla. Sen. Mel Martinez? The jury is out, but here are four names that have been put into the ring so far.
Former State... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Aug 07, 2009)
“Don’t go there.”
That’s the message from British MEP Daniel Hannan, who was catapulted into fame after his widely-circulated YouTube video bashing Prime Minister Gordon... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Aug 05, 2009)
The Senate is gearing up for a vote that will almost certainly lead to the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor on Thursday or Friday. But a key Republican... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Jul 31, 2009)
With the House pushing for another 2 billion to be injected into the cash-for-clunkers program, auto dealers have found themselves in a sticky situation.
Many dealerships... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Jul 31, 2009)
A judge in Washington State ruled that 138,500 residents who signed a petition protesting a recent move to give gay couples the same rights as married couples will not have... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Jul 30, 2009)
Liberal blogger Mike Stark filmed an online video that portrayed eleven Republican members of Congress as being evasive when asked whether or not they believe President... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Jul 24, 2009)
To vote on health care, or not to vote on health care? That is the question for House Democrats, whose decisions on the legislation in the next few weeks could make or break... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Jul 24, 2009)
Marco Rubio has sticky fingers, and he wants to rinse them off.
“Some of the pancake syrup got on my hands, I’ll be right back,” he told me in the lobby of his posh... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Jul 22, 2009)
In his prime-time press conference Wednesday night, President Obama took to the podium to push his health care agenda and pressure Congress into working harder and faster on... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Jul 22, 2009)
One hundred and thirty four Republican Members of Congress took to the House Floor yesterday in a stunt that rained down press coverage on the GOP, allowing them to highlight... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Jul 20, 2009)
Are you a Republican running for office? Do you have $50? Then you can put your campaign online via a new tool called Netboots, designed to get everyone and their mother a... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Jul 17, 2009)
During the Sotomayor committee hearings, Sen. Arlen Specter was a study in conflicting instincts, ambiguous authority, and party politics.
Four years ago, Specter, 79, was... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Jul 16, 2009)
As chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the job of Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) is to court votes in the next round of Senate elections. Given the large... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Jul 14, 2009)
During her first day of questioning, Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor offered a number of conflicting answers in response to questions by Republican lawmakers about the... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Jul 08, 2009)
Republican Members of the in the House Ways and Means Committee will have three days to read a health care reform bill that is being penned by Democratic staffers behind... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Jul 08, 2009)
Republican Members of the House Ways and Means Committee will have only three days to read a health care reform bill that is being penned by Democratic staffers behind closed... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Jul 06, 2009)
Audra Shay of Louisiana has been touring the country for seven months, drumming up support for her campaign to become chairwoman of the Young Republican National... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Jul 02, 2009)
Eric Soderblom sells about 100 knives a year as the owner of Ruff’s Sporting Goods in Flagstaff, Arizona, and thinks that new legislation proposed by the Customs and Border... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Jul 01, 2009)
When Congress gets back from its 4th of July recess, an important Subcommittee will make a decision that could impact taxpayer funded-abortions for years to come.
The... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Jun 26, 2009)
Finding new sources of revenue is a top priority for the happy-go-spendy Congress. But one taxation option that could have caused U.S. companies to cut millions of jobs just... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Jun 26, 2009)
Thousands of union members rallied for Obamacare on Capitol Hill today in a massive display of union outreach that threatened to deliver more votes for a controversial... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Jun 23, 2009)
My.barackobama.com, the website of the Democratic National Committee and campaign arm of President Barack Obama, features an advertisement advocating a protest of Health &... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Jun 22, 2009)
In Canada, where government provides health care for all of its citizens, the average wait time for life-threatening cancer treatment is seven weeks and the average wait time... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Jun 16, 2009)
Sen. Jim DeMint endorsed Marco Rubio over Gov. Charlie Crist in the flagship battle for the Republican Senatorial nomination in Florida, bucking the official GOP endorsement... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Jun 15, 2009)
President Obama is exempting health care legislation from his recent push for renewed adherence to the "pay-as-you-go" principle.
His logic is that health care will pay... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Jun 10, 2009)
Massive government intervention in the economy has spurred the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to launch an unprecedented campaign to promote a basic American principle:... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Jun 09, 2009)
The Philadelphia Women’s Center gave away free abortions Tuesday in honor of Dr. George Tiller, the abortionist who was murdered last week by an anti-abortion extremist.... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Jun 08, 2009)
Julie Edgington was pregnant for six weeks before she realized that she just wasn’t comfortable taking Paxil while she was expecting.
“But by then it was too late,” she... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Jun 03, 2009)
Jack Layton, the head of Canada's New Democratic Party (NDP), is meeting with Obama administration officials this week to try to help mold Obama's working healthcare plan... more
By
Jillian Bandes (May 29, 2009)
Republican strategy on Obama’s nomination of Sonia Sotomayor has been mixed so far, with an official response from Congressional leaders expected during the Sunday talk... more
By
Jillian Bandes (May 27, 2009)
In initial reviews of Sotomayor’s court record, a trend emerges: many of her questionable court decisions have been made per curiam, or, as part of an unsigned decision made... more
By
Jillian Bandes (May 27, 2009)
Sonia Sotomayor became a District Court judge under former President George H.W. Bush, but that doesn’t mean Bush or any other Republican actually supported her... more
By
Jillian Bandes (May 20, 2009)
President Obama voiced his support for an anti-gun treaty with such wide ranging implications that it could ban everything from assembling guns in kits to repackaging spent... more
By
Jillian Bandes (May 20, 2009)
After feeling pressure from the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Sen. Arlen Specter cancelled his appearance at a conference Tuesday on free speech protections,... more
By
Jillian Bandes (May 15, 2009)
The tribulations surrounding the GOP’s endorsement of Charlie Crist over Marco Rubio – and the implications it could have for the moderation of the national party - are... more
By
Jillian Bandes (May 14, 2009)
When Marco Rubio announced his candidacy for the open U.S. Senate seat in Florida, he inadvertently launched another battle in the war over the GOP’s march to the center. ... more
By
Jillian Bandes (May 13, 2009)
There’s no good news inside the annual report released Tuesday on the state of Social Security and Medicare. There’s just bad news and worse news.
Benefit payments will... more
By
Jillian Bandes (May 08, 2009)
Many analysts seem to agree with President Obama's notion that there is a silver lining to the recent Labor Department report that the jobless rate has reached a 26-year... more
By
Jillian Bandes (May 07, 2009)
Left wing media outlets claim that Carrie Prejean’s conservative views on gay marriage are illegitimate because of two semi-nude photos taken of her when she was 17 and... more
By
Jillian Bandes (May 06, 2009)
Republicans are revving their engines in the cap-and-trade debate, trying to stymie legislation that will probably reach the House floor before Memorial Day.
The main... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Apr 30, 2009)
Federal hate crimes legislation that just passed the House would make it illegal to discriminate against someone based on their sexual preferences. Critics claim the bill... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Apr 29, 2009)
Those praising Obama on his 100-day mark are trying to have it both ways -- both claiming Obama has mastered Washington with his oratory and brilliant political skills and... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Apr 29, 2009)
Barack Obama celebrates the hundredth day of his Presidency today. Liberals say he’s doing a bang up-job. Conservatives contend it’s been 100 days of absolute... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Apr 24, 2009)
On Thursday, Iraq suffered its worst death toll on a single day since the start of U.S. engagement there; 80 people perished after the supposed capture of Abu Omar... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Apr 23, 2009)
The 648-page energy bill just penned by Democratic Reps. Henry Waxman and Edward Markey is ostensibly designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save money. But... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Apr 21, 2009)
Last month, House Democrats rejected a measure introduced by Republicans to keep the
D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program (DCOSP) in the federal budget past its 2010... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Apr 16, 2009)
Most agree that that capitalizing upon the momentum generated by an estimated 2,500 tea parties nationwide on April 15 would be of great benefit to the GOP. But whether or... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Apr 15, 2009)
The DC tax day tea party suffered from partisan infiltrators, an oppressive city government, and the kind of weather that usually keeps people at home.
But you wouldn't... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Apr 14, 2009)
It seems tedious. Most people who already use it probably won’t notice a difference. And it’s funded in part by George Soros.
That said, the new improvements at... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Apr 09, 2009)
If you're educated, there's a better chance you're in favor of higher taxes. If you're a man, you're more likely to be amenable to higher taxes than if you're a woman. And no... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Apr 07, 2009)
An independent health research group concluded that President Obama's public health insurance plan is likely to put private insurers out of business.
The study isn't... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Apr 02, 2009)
The campaign for District of Columbia voting rights took an unexpected twist yesterday when it was revealed that Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. brushed aside the opinion... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Apr 01, 2009)
A procedure known as "reconciliation" has previously been used to push budget legislation through the Senate with a majority — not supermajority — vote. But in advocating for... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Mar 31, 2009)
Advocates of the FLAIR Act, or Federal Land Asset Inventory Reform, say the federal government has no central system to identify its land holdings. So for the third year in a... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Mar 26, 2009)
State laws that prohibit school boards from giving money to private educational institutions are now the reason disabled kids in Arizona can no longer attend specialized... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Mar 25, 2009)
The National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy just finished a two-day lobbying spree on Capitol Hill, waging another small battle in the growing war over the dwindling... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Mar 24, 2009)
The fate of card check seems to be sealed.
Arlen Specter, the controversial Republican from Pennslyvania, said he would vote no on the Employee Free Choice Act,... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Mar 20, 2009)
Considering the amount of money that has been and will be shoveled out from the U.S. Department of Treasury isn’t an easy task in light of the billions and trillions being... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Mar 19, 2009)
A new study released by the Tax Foundation details just how regressive the proposed cap-and-trade legislation will be on American families, a plan the Obama administration... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Mar 16, 2009)
On February 10, Congress enacted the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), wreaking havoc on sellers of children’s goods such as bookstores and thrift stores. Some... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Mar 12, 2009)
Mexican drug violence is decentralized, discombobulated and dangerous. Unfortunately, the recent U.S. response to Mexican drug violence can be characterized in exactly the... more
By
Jillian Bandes (Mar 11, 2009)
The three Republican Senators who joined with Democrats to pass the first stimulus package expressed hesitation over the idea of a second package but could not reject the... more