Free Republic

There is quite a lot of interesting, but wild, speculation running around the blog-o-sphere, progressive circles and just plain dinner conversation these days about whether BushCo will allow a peaceful and constitutional transfer of Executive power in the ’08 elections. Unless or until George Bush appears on our TV boxes one night, wearing a dark blue suit, white shirt and red tie with his hands sweatily clasped in a desperate death grip on top of his desk in the Oval Office, telling us that some catastrophic event, whether man-made or natural, has just occurred somewhere, and he must, for the...

Anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan was awarded the 2007 Thomas Merton Award last night for her work within the peace and justice community. Sheehan was unable to attend the ceremony at the Sheraton at Station Square, but accepted the award in absentia. Sheehan began her career in activism after her son, 25-year-old Spc. Casey Sheehan, was killed during a mission in Iraq on April 4, 2004. Since that date, Sheehan has called for the country's leaders to end the war, recall U.S. troops and hold themselves accountable for the decisions that sent the troops to Iraq. Sheehan was forced to cancel...

ANALYSIS: Protesters took to the streets in past conflicts; today their presence may be strongest online. In May, saddened that she had failed to stop the war in Iraq that took her son's life and made her the face of opposition, Cindy Sheehan tearfully quit the anti-war movement. She had concluded that her son Casey, a 24-year-old Army specialist killed in an April 2004 battle in Baghdad, had "died for nothing." "Casey died for a country which cares more about who will be the next 'American Idol' than how many people will be killed in the next few months," Sheehan...

MINNEAPOLIS - Shrouded in black, with a bandanna masking her face, a self-proclaimed anarchist slips into her combat boots and dashes through town, tossing a Molotov cocktail here, launching a bowling ball there. The YouTube video is more parody than threat: The flaming cocktail ignites a charcoal grill, and the bowling ball knocks down pins instead of crashing through a Navy recruiting office window. But as the video fades to black, the message on-screen is clear: "We're getting ready. What are you doing?" With less than 10 months to go before the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis-St.Paul, activists are already...

No, I'm NOT exaggerating. These are actual communists from the A.N.S.W.E.R. group. Or at least many of them are. The first guy interviewed is merely a useful fool. He is so clueless that he has no idea of the organization listed on his sign. They gave him the sign and all he knows it is against the EVIL Bush Regime so it is okay with him even if they are communists which he isn't sure about. The second guy interviewed, in the green shirt, knows the score but doesn't mind being associated with the communists. However, the BEST part...

If the "peace" movement holds a protest and no one in the press covers it, does it still exist? If Americans are sick of the war, they're also sick of the "antiwar." Even the media have grown antiwar-weary. Rallies on Oct. 27 drew only perfunctory news mentions. The peaceniks have become a bipartisan political problem, now that the Democrats who control Congress haven't dared to placate the radicals by cutting off money for the troops. Cindy Sheehan is threatening to run against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. But suddenly -- surprise, surprise -- the media aren't interested in Sheehan's new crusade....

Stephanie Burns and Ben Parkinson strolled down sun-drenched Fillmore Street with political thievery on their minds. Both are grass-roots volunteers for Republican presidential contender Ron Paul, a Texas congressman whose libertarian views might seem to make him a tough sell in this legendarily left-wing city. But Burns, Parkinson and other Paul supporters have been spending their weekends marching, staffing tables and knocking on doors in an improbable quest: picking up some of California's 173 convention delegates in the Feb. 5 primary. On the surface, the plan seems quixotic given general assumptions about California: that the state is too big for...

AMVETS National Commander John P. "J.P." Brown III announced today that AMVETS is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and successful prosecution of those responsible for the Sept. 7, 2007 vandalism of the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial. According to the National Park Service, an unidentified substance stained 14 of the memorial's 140 panels. For more information, visit the AMVETS website.

Washington, D.C.—Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid issued the following statement today after Republicans blocked the Webb-Hagel Amendment to enhance military readiness: “In blocking this bipartisan bill, Republicans have once again demonstrated that they are more committed to protecting the President than protecting our troops.  They have shown they will allow President Bush’s flawed war strategy to continue to strain our military rather than allow the availability of troops to dictate our operations.  And they believe it is in our national security interest to push our brave troops and their families beyond their breaking point.“Democrats disagree.  We care deeply about rebuilding our...

For many in Washington, the biggest unanswered question from Army. Gen. David Petraeus’ high-profile, low-satisfaction testimony last week was not about military strategy but about political tactics. Why has the anti-war movement been unable to translate the clear public mandate they claim into any clear change in our government’s Iraq policy? To most war opponents, the blame increasingly lies with the Democratic leadership in Congress, for not taking a hard enough line with President Bush and not fighting to cut off war funding. And their frustration is visibly bubbling over — the provocative group Code Pink, for example, has actually...

The mainstream mediaÂ’s coverage of the antiwar march in Washington, DC did its best to ignore the extreme Left views that were on display at the protest. A split-second image at the very beginning of Saturday eveningÂ’s NBC Nightly News showed some of the extreme views that were on display on signs, which included a call for the impeachment of President Bush for "war crimes," and a sign that cried "9/11 Truth Now!" The full NBC Nightly News report on the march devoted almost a minute to footage of the antiwar marchers, and only 15 seconds to comments from one...

Two days after bringing thousands of protesters to the U.S. Capitol, Iraq war opponents will begin a "week of action" today that starts with sending activists to area high schools and military recruiting centers and marching through a congressional building. Dozens of war opponents, including some who were among the 192 arrested Saturday, spent yesterday training for this week, which will be "the most intense week" of planned actions since the Iraq conflict began, said Brian Becker, national coordinator of the ANSWER Coalition, which organized Saturday's rally and march and many of the other large antiwar events across the country....

Saturday Antiwar Protests Fizzle by Jack Langer September 15, the day of International ANSWER’s antiwar protest/“die-in” in the capital, started out calmly enough. But it didn’t end that way. It began with a pro-troops rally sponsored by the Gathering of Eagles. This was the group that organized thousands of people, mostly Vietnam Vets, to come to the ANSWER rally last March and heckle the bejeezus out of the surprised antiwar protestors marching to the Pentagon. This time, several hundred Eagles were gathered on the mall, waving American flags, singing patriotic songs, and cheering speeches that praised U.S. soldiers and ridiculed...

'Then they had to endure a three-block stretch that was lined with around a thousand flag-waving, pro-American counter-protestors. The marchers at first tried to ignore the interlopers, but their self-control always seemed to break down right around the guy who was singing into a bullhorn “All we are saaaying, is give soap a chance.”

Muslim terrorist leaders are "thankful" for the efforts of activist and congressional candidate Cindy Sheehan, stating in a new book Sheehan's anti-Iraq war activities and her statements against President Bush "give us hope" the U.S. will change its Mideast policies. "You [Sheehan] give us hope and you show us that there are different Americans than those whom we know," stated Ramadan Adassi, chief of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades terror group in the West Bank's Anskar Refugee Camp. "This sincere woman says what we've been saying all these last years – Saddam never threatened America or its security. Now Iraq...

Middle East Times US anti-war protest numbers less than expected By Charles R. LarsonMiddle East Times Published September 16, 2007 What ought to have been the most massive protest ever in Washington, DC Saturday turned into a 1960s love fest, with leftover agendas and slogans from an earlier war. The long-planned march in Washington by the Act Now to Stop War and End Racism (ANSWER) antiwar coalition, petered out with a skimpy crowd of 25,000 protesters.  Organizers of the protest claim nearly 100,000 people marcheda from the White House to the Capitol to demand an immediate end to the...

Well Freepers, if you think we Eagles were outnumbered today. You could not be more wrong and here is some information, you need to know. It seems that our friends on the left had to resort to bribes to inflate their numbers today. I spoke to several students from Hollins College, who claimed they would receive extra credit and even credit for attending today's rally. I did observe what would be college professors leading their students along the route to the Capitol. After the event of the day I observed several signs in the trash near the homeless shelter several...

September 15, the day of International ANSWER’s antiwar protest/“die-in” in the capital, started out calmly enough. But it didn’t end that way. It began with a pro-troops rally sponsored by the Gathering of Eagles. This was the group that organized thousands of people, mostly Vietnam Vets, to come to the ANSWER rally last March and heckle the bejeezus out of the surprised antiwar protestors marching to the Pentagon. This time, several hundred Eagles were gathered on the mall, waving American flags, singing patriotic songs, and cheering speeches that praised U.S. soldiers and ridiculed the protestors. It was not yet 10...

WASHINGTON - Several thousand anti-war demonstrators marched through downtown Washington on Saturday, clashing with police at the foot of the Capitol steps where more than 190 protesters were arrested. The group marched from the White House to the Capitol to demand an end to the Iraq war. Their numbers stretched for blocks along Pennsylvania Avenue, and they held banners and signs and chanted, "What do we want? Troops out. When do we want it? Now." Army veteran Justin Cliburn, 25, of Lawton, Okla., was among a contingent of Iraq veterans in attendance. "We're occupying a people who do not want...

WASHINGTON - Several thousand anti-war demonstrators marched through downtown Washington on Saturday, clashing with police at the foot of the Capitol steps where at least 160 protesters were arrested. The group marched from the White House to the Capitol to demand an end to the Iraq war. Their numbers stretched for blocks along Pennsylvania Avenue, and they held banners and signs and chanted, "What do we want? Troops out. When do we want it? Now." Army veteran Justin Cliburn, 25, of Lawton, Okla., was among a contingent of Iraq veterans in attendance. "We're occupying a people who do not want...

Thousands of protesters marched Saturday from the White House to the Capitol to demand an end to the Iraq war, leading to the arrests of at least 150 people. Many of the protesters were arrested without a struggle after they jumped over a barricade near the base of the Capitol. But some grew angry as police attempted to push them back using large black shields and a chemical spray. Protesters responded by throwing signs and chanting: "Shame on you." Before arriving at the Capitol lawn, the demonstrators marched on Pennsylvania Avenue holding banners and signs and saying, "What do we...

THIS is the face of the anti-war Left!I took this from the Navy Memorial side of the counterprotest today, 15 September 2007, Washington, DC. More left-wing insanity: The enemy: the Code Pinkos, trying their best to stir us up. The veterans who have turned their backs on their brothers and sisters. This "Free Palestine" character stood out. Accompanying the conspiracy nutjobs... http://photos-b.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-sf2p/v112/196/104/662887830/n662887830_199561_7230.jpg". Hugo Chavez fan. Don't know if he was an illegal or not. And the coup de gross:She just couldn't keep her mouth closed as well.

Home Call-In Washington Journal C-SPAN, Washington Journal Washington, District of Columbia (United States) ID: 200715 - 09/15/2007 - 3:00 - $29.95 Washington Journal Summary Saturday, September 15, 2007 7:00-7:45 Question/Newspaper Articles/Phones 7:45-8:30 KRISTINN TAYLOR (KRIS-tin) (male) R/T Gathering of Eagles Coordinator http://gatheringofeagles.org www.freerepublic.com MARA VERHEYDEN-HILLIARD (MARR-uh ver-HAY-dihn HILLY-urd) ANSWER Coalition Spokesperson www.answercoalition.org Topic: Both guests will discuss their respective rallies that take place today. 8:30-9:00 Newspaper Articles/Phones 9:00-9:30 TOBY DODGE International Institute for Strategic Studies Middle East Senior Fellow www.iiss.org Topic: A report on world affairs, especially in Iraq and what the Institute calls a loss of U.S. authority as...

Tomorrow's antiwar protest on the National Mall is going to be so big, it's gotten notorious activist Cindy Sheehan to come out of "retirement." The nutty left-wing organization Act Now to Stop War and End Racism (ANSWER) has coordinated a rally at the White House, followed by a march to the Capitol and a "die-in," where 1,000 people are expected to lie down in front of the U.S. Capitol to symbolize the soldiers and Iraqis who have died in the war in Iraq. It is a tasteless and offensive PR stunt. It's no secret that ANSWER supporters are among the...

The arrangements are nearly complete: the word is out and the streets of Washington, D.C. will be lined with patriots Saturday, protecting our monuments from further defacement, supporting our troops, and demanding victory, not surrender, in the War on Terror. There will be anti-troop forces there to be sure, but they will NOT own the streets. The anarchist supporting group ANSWER is working to further embarrass our country by filling the streets with brainless protesters who want to overthrow our government and destroy our way of life. But, as we did last March, there will be a visible, vocal and...

For Immediate Release Contact: Medea Benjamin 415 235 6517 Samantha Miller 818 419 6994 Gael Murphy 202 412 6700 Women's Peace Rally to Kick-Off Mass Mobilization on Saturday Morning Women from throughout the United States will gather to demand an end to the Iraq war, then join with tens of thousands of people at the ANSWER anti-war march. WHEN: Saturday, September 15, 2007, 10:30 AM WHERE: Women's Convergence at Freedom Plaza (Pennsylvania Ave between 13th & 14th NW), then join the rally/march starting at the White House at noon VISUALS: Thousands of women dressed in pink, carrying anti-war signs and...

These photos were taken by zombie at the "U.S. Out of Iraq Now" anti-war rally sponsored by ANSWER in San Francisco on Sunday, March 18, 2007

"Dubbed "Operation Eagle Justice," the GOE events will start with a rally on the National Mall and conclude with a counter-demonstration along the ANSWER march route. "As ANSWER and their allies in the hate-America crowd will stumble by, we will treat them to some good old-fashioned, red-blooded American 'free speech,'" the group says on its Web site."

Protestors play drums as they demonstrate against what they feel is a possible U.S.-government involvement in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and a loss of personal freedoms as a result of counter-terrorism security measures, Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2007 at Seattle's Pike Place Market. About 300 protestors from a variety of anti-war and Sept. 11 conspiracy organizations spent most of Tuesday demonstrating around Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) Stacy 'Banjo Man' Samuels, left, talks with Jon LeTowt, right, of Sonoma, Calif., during a CodePink 'general strike' outside the Federal building in Oakland, Calif., Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2007. The pair were protesting...

I slowly went from one end of The Wall to the other, videotaping all the way. I wanted those who have loved ones named on The Wall to know whether "their" panels were damaged. I also wanted the full extent of the damage to be documented. This is Part 1, showing the damage to the east side of The Wall. It will take me several more hours to get the second video up. Stay tuned... Vietnam Memorial Wall (DC) Defaced Sept 7-8, 2007: Part 1

Mrs. Trooprally called me this evening to tell me that she and her husband, as well as Concretebob, saw damage along almost the entire length of the Vietnam Memorial Wall. They found this damage this morning, when they walked through the area before participating in the September 11th Freedom Walk. Concretebob was told by a National Park Service employee that the damage was done on Friday night. There was no police report taken or written about the vandalism, apparently. And the damage was still very much there today. Here are a few of the photos that Mrs. Trooprally took this...

Last Friday, I inadvertently found myself in the midst of the opening salvo of a battle to turn the Twin Cities upside down next year. I was driving home at rush hour from downtown Minneapolis, when several hundred bicyclists blocked the street leading to Interstate 394. My fellow motorists and I sat obligingly for several minutes, missing green light after green light. Finally, folks began angrily honking their horns. If two police cars hadn't moved the riders along, people might have leaped from their cars to take on the bicyclists themselves. Later, the protest ride turned ugly. Two officers tried...

More than a dozen police officers converged at a corner of Lafayette Square yesterday, bringing with them a horse and extra handcuffs. Their target: a handful of demonstrators who had gathered to post two signs on an electrical box advertising a protest march Sept. 15 against the Iraq war.

BARABOO -- Anti-war activist and noted Bush administration critic Cindy Sheehan will speak Saturday at the sixth Fighting Bob Fest political rally at the Sauk County Fairgrounds. The festival is from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sheehan is scheduled to speak at 3:40 p.m. Others on the agenda include political commentator Jim Hightower, speaking at 2:30 p.m., and Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, whose district includes Columbia County. She will speak at 9 a.m. Entertainment will include the Raging Grannies, singer-songwriter Chuck Mitchell and poetry by Daniel Kunene. More than 70 activist organizations have booths at the event, ranging from Amnesty...

Mounted police charged in to break up an outdoor press conference and demonstration against the Iraq war in Washington on Thursday, arresting three people, organizers and an AFP reporter said. "The police suppressed the press conference. In the middle of the speeches, they grabbed the podium" erected in a park in front of the White House for the small gathering, Brian Becker, national organizer of the ANSWER anti-war coalition, told AFP. "Then, mounted police charged the media present to disperse them," Becker said.The charge caused a peaceful crowd of some 20 journalists and four or five protestors to scatter in...

[Poster's note: I'm on ANSWER's email list, a dubious distinction at best :) Usually I just trash the garbage they send me. But occasionally they out do themselves.] Another Dishonorable Chicken-hawk by Cindy Sheehan I know just a little bit about Mr. William Kristol: He is the son of one of the founders of the "neo-conservative" movement, Irving Kristol. He is a commentator on Fox News. He was Chief of Staff for one of the political "geniuses" of our time: VP Dan Quayle. He is editor of another Rupert Murdoch war-propaganda rag, "The Weekly Standard." He is a member, and...

    ISLAMOFASCISM HAS A 'LOBBY' IN THE US - 'CAIR'     Just like the hypocrites at the infamous hate mongering "association" MSA (Muslim Student Association), who's actions have been proven more against non-Muslims then anything "for" Muslims, so is time to get rid of the "moderate" mask of the monsters at C.A.I.R., or at least call it by it's name.   America has had more than enough of these Jihad wolves in "moderate" clothing.   No matter how you turn it: Arab lobby, Muslim lobby, Islamic lobby, all the evidence, all of their actions show for a TERROR LOBBY,...

Is there no point at which decent people on the left draw the line against the extremists in their ranks? As noted below and in today's Web Briefing, our friends at The Weekly Standard have posted two brief pieces that suggest not. Bill Kristol writes about the grotesque and offensive “die-in” being led by such far left groups as ANSWER and appropriating the names of American soldiers and Marines killed in action. It’s here. Meanwhile, Hollywood is going to war – against American troops. Eight new movies are coming out over the next few months. Perhaps the most offensive of...

Surely most critics of the war still have a sense of decency.On August 19, the New York Times published an op-ed by seven enlisted soldiers critical of the Iraq war. At midnight on August 24, THE WEEKLY STANDARD posted on our website a response by seven Iraq vets. The Times had rejected the vets' response. The piece carried the straightforward headline "Iraq Vets Respond . . . to the New York Times seven." It was a sober rejoinder to the arguments in the Times op-ed. It suggested the antiwar soldiers' analysis was incomplete and "misguided." The vets emphasized, "We understand...

<p>The dog days of August have drawn to a close. This is the calm before the gathering political storm. On September 15, the far Left group ANSWER (”Act Now to Stop war and End Racism”) will descend on the nation’s capital to demand what they’ve been demanding for the last six years in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks: immediate withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan, immediate closure of the Guatanamo Bay detention facility and immediate release of every last suspected al Qaeda operative in American custody, immediate impeachment of President Bush and Vice President Cheney, and immediate capitulation to our enemies at home and abroad.</p>

...The Gathering of Eagles turnout was unprecedented. The Cindy Sheehanistas and socialist rabble-rousers had never been met and matched with such force. Now, the Eagles are organizing a return to Washington at a historic moment in the global war against jihad. Gen. David Petraeus, top commander in Iraq, and U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker are expected to testify before the Senate on 9/11. Yes, that 9/11. Four days later, Sept. 15, is the deadline for the president to submit reports to Congress on how Iraq is meeting benchmarks for progress since the troop surge was announced. ANSWER will lead...

Eagles! Don’t let these people interfere with Melanie and her Move America Forward caravan! It has come to our attention that our good friends at Move America Forward are being targeted by the anti-American left. It is not enough that these ultra-liberal forces think it fine to disparage our men and women in uniform. They are now targeting our supporters as they make their way to stand with us in Washington, DC, on 15 September. They have threatened Melanie Morgan personally and have used the vilest language to harass our friends. Obviously, they have underestimated our resolve and the resolve...

Poster's note: For background, go read this link where ANSWER whines about being fined $10,000 for posting posters in DC promoting their "protest" on September 15th: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1881090/posts Then ANSWER filed a lawsuit against the government. More at this link: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1884483/posts And now, for the latest in this barkinng moonbats soap opera, here's part of an email I received today [snort]: Today, one week after it filed a free speech lawsuit, the ANSWER Coalition today received a second round of fines for another $10,350 for posters promoting the September 15 March on Washington to End the War on Iraq. In the...

An anti-war group will file suit Monday afternoon claiming that the District of Columbia is infringing on its First Amendment rights by imposing $10,000 in fines for "improperly" posting fliers promoting a Sept. 15 march. The ANSWER (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) Coalition last week received notices of violation from the D.C. Department of Public Works totaling $10,000 in fines for posters announcing a march in D.C. The notices require the group to remove the posters within 72 hours. The signs promote an anti-war march set for Sept. 15, the date that Gen. David Petraeus, the top...

An anti-war coalition has filed court papers challenging fines levied against it by the District of Columbia for putting up posters the city said are difficult to remove. Last week, the D.C. Department of Public Works ordered the ANSWER Coalition to remove the signs within 72 hours or face $10,000 in fines. That deadline came and went, leaving the signs still covering electrical boxes and lampposts throughout the city. ANSWER spokeswoman Sarah Sloan said the posters conform to city regulations, adding the group used water-soluble glue that is easily removed. So far, the group has been fined $150 for each...

SOMETIMES tragic occurrences force us to stop and think – those are the moments that crystallize our perceptions of human relations. I found myself in such a state with the passing of a constituent, friend and fellow conservative who also happened to be gay. Our conversations convinced me that my beliefs in limited government can be shared across the chasms that liberals and conservatives perceive to separate us – ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation. That conclusion is not popular on either side of the left-right spectrum: Liberals don't believe gays should be conservative and conservatives don't believe gays can be...

n an unprecedented action, the ANSWER Coalition today received citations fining the organization $10,000 for the placement of posters announcing the September 15 March on Washington DC. The fines come after a campaign led by FOX news calling for the DC government to take action against those putting up posters for the September 15 demonstration. They have told us that we have 72 hours to remove every poster, or the fines will go into effect. Tens of thousands of dollars in additional fines are expected in the coming days. Bush’s Interior Department is threatening similar actions against ANSWER. The September 15 posters are...

A coalition organized to support the embattled Holy Land Foundation (HLF) against federal charges of funding terrorism is "tainted" by the involvement of three organizations with a history of sympathizing with terrorist groups, according to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). "Hungry for Justice," a coalition established to speak out in support of the HLF through a Web site and a series of planned public events, claims the federal charges and ongoing trial in Dallas are part of a "politically driven" anti-Muslim witch-hunt and an attempt to single out Muslim charitable organizations in this country.  The coalition includes the Council on American...

(CNSNews.com) - The anti-war activist group Act Now to Stop War and End Racism (ANSWER) faces a $10,000 fine from the city of Washington if it fails to remove thousands of fliers it has posted to advertise a September anti-war march. "They have told us that we have 72 hours to remove every poster, or the fines will go into effect," the group said in a statement Tuesday. "Tens of thousands of dollars in additional fines are expected in the coming days." The group accuses "Bush's Interior Department" of using "intimidation tactics to slow our outreach or silence" the antiwar...

Saturday, September 15March on WashingtonEND THE WAR NOW!Check out Sept15.org A message from Ramsey Clark The People of Baghdad Have No Water Join MAS Freedom Sept. 15 for D.C. Rally and Iftar Join Iraq war veterans, active duty servicemembers and their families on September 15 Monday, September 17 Peoples March Inside Congress -- organizing group is CODEPINK. Come to Washington DC on September 15 for a large antiwar protest timed to coincide with the report by General Petraeus on the "Surge" in Iraq. Click here for more information and to get involved.Initial sponsors of the march include:The ANSWER Coalition; Ramsey Clark; Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation;...