Free Republic

The reservoir of Democratic support for legislation to stimulate the economy — while adding to the deficit — is drying up. Already faced with what many economists are labeling a jobless recovery, Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill are considering passing more measures to lower the nation’s highest unemployment rate in 26 years. Most of the fixes Democrats are eyeing would add to the budget deficit, which was recently estimated at $1.4 trillion. But fiscally conservative Blue Dog Democrats and the Democratic freshman class of 2008 are raising objections. Some members of these two factions reluctantly went along with the $787...

[THIS IS A GOOD OLE' FASHIONED VANITY] OK, so my son calls me from Auburn ... Right after downloading and installing the latest updates from our friends in Redmond, the OS crashes into a memory dump/ BSOD. Vista Home Premium 64 bit on an HP notebook duo core 2 quad etc etc. It'll boot and run in safe mode, but something Microsoft sent out conflicts BIG time. I called Geek Squad to set up an appt for him, and the gentleman at Geek Squad said they had been getting a LOT of calls about laptops crashing after a Windows update....

Preparing for the future under health care reform, the parent of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois will shed 650 jobs amid the economic downturn that has caused its employer customers to reduce employees and a demand from Congress and President Obama to reduce administrative costs. Chicago-based Health Care Service Corp, which operates Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans in Illinois, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas today confirmed plans to reduce its workforce by about 4 percent across the country. Jobs will be eliminated by the first quarter of 2010.

The typology study's finding of significant cleavages within parties not only runs counter to the widespread impression of a nation increasingly divided into two unified camps, but also raises questions about political alignments in the future. In particular, the study suggests that if the political agenda turns away from issues of defense and security, prospects for party unity could weaken significantly. As the following chapters detail, numerous opportunities exist for building coalitions across party lines on many issues currently facing the nation ­ coalitions that, in many cases, include some strange political bedfellows. Overall, there are many more shades to...

The Energy and Commerce Committee will resume its markup of healthcare legislation Wednesday afternoon under a deal between Blue Dogs and House leaders, but there will be no floor vote on the legislation before August. Delaying a vote until August was a key demand of the Blue Dogs, along with reducing the cost of the bill by $100 billion and allowing states to create health "co-ops" that would compete with the government-run "public option" and private insurers.

Democrats will meet in committee in one hour to begin marking up healthcare legislation. They’ve cut a deal with the Blue Dog Democrats. Go here and get the number for your Congressman. Call now.Tell him to oppose H.R. 3200.

Contact: Katie Moreau PHONE (202) 225-5315 Congressman Baron Hill's Web site Tuesday, July 21, 2009 [Baron] Hill Reacts to Health Care Meeting with President Obama (Washington, DC) - This afternoon, Congressman Baron Hill was invited to the White House to discuss the health care bill pending before the U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee. Hill was joined by his Blue Dog Coalition colleagues who are also members of the Energy and Commerce Committee. Following the meeting, Hill issued this statement: “We had the opportunity to meet with the President for several hours this afternoon regarding health care. And,...

The United States is prepared to provide more military observers, police, and civilian staff to beef up the U.N.'s far-flung peacekeeping operations, the U.S. ambassador said Monday. The United Nations has nearly 115,000 troops, police and civilians deployed in 16 peacekeeping missions from Africa and the Mideast to Cyprus, Kosovo, Western Sahara and Haiti, but it has had trouble finding soldiers, helicopters and other key assets for several important operations.

Blue Dog Coalition criticizes house health care leaders for developing legislation in secret12. May 2009 20:58 Members of the fiscally conservative, Democratic Blue Dog Coalition on Monday sent a letter to the chairs of three House committees who have been tasked with drafting health care legislation, saying they are "increasingly troubled" by the exclusivity of the process, the New York Times reports. The letter -- sent to House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), House Education and Labor Committee Chair George Miller (D-Calif.) and House Ways and Means Committee Chair Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) -- said the Blue Dogs...

Ambrose Bierce in The Devil's Dictionary satirically defined electricity as the power that causes all natural phenomena not known to be caused by something else. This definition seems apt for California Assembly Bill 32 (AB 32), also known as the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006. AB 32, which mandates shifting to much costlier forms of green energy, is not about Global Warming or Green Power at all. It would not have a chance of success in greenie California without its environmental mythology. What AB 32 is all about is passing along the costs of cleaning the air in California...

From changing the color of baby chicks to shooting effigies to properly honoring the glory of the log cabin, Americans have spent valuable legislative hours throughout the years making sure we're on the straight and narrow. As a New Year arrives, here are 10 wacky laws that remain on the books across the country: 1. In Billings, Mont., it is illegal for anyone to sell, harbor or give away rats as pets or toys for any purpose other than to feed snakes or birds of prey. Scientists, however, can keep lab rats. 2. Using profanity is against the law on...

Anybody have any sort of a red/blue map breakdown by counties from last night?

Hey what is up? The house Of Taz (diamonds) came to our area and no longer carry Blue Diamonds. I did a search of Blue Diamonds and get Topaz or other. Do we have a Gem in oligist who can explain to me why I have been told no more Blue Diamonds in the US?

WASHINGTON, April 11, 2008 – Servicemembers’ friends and families living in west-central California have a shoulder to lean on if they should need it. Members of Delta Blue Star Moms prepare care packages to send to deployed troops. The group, an official chapter of Blue Star Mothers of America, is based in Knightsen, Calif. Photo courtesy of Delta Blue Star Moms  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. “Our group offers a supportive environment for family members, primarily moms, of service personnel,” said Tammy Callahan, president of the Delta Blue Star Moms, based in Knightsen, Calif. “It is most difficult...

Anthropologists from Wheaton College (Illinois) and The Field Museum have discovered how the ancient Maya produced an unusual and widely studied blue pigment that was used in offerings, pottery, murals and other contexts across Mesoamerica from about A.D. 300 to 1500. First identified in 1931, this blue pigment (known as Maya Blue) has puzzled archaeologists, chemists and material scientists for years because of its unusual chemical stability, composition and persistent color in one of the world’s harshest climates. The anthropologists solved another old mystery, namely the presence of a 14-foot layer of blue precipitate found at the bottom of the...

Pantone, Inc., the global authority on color and provider of professional color standards for the design industries, selected PANTONE 18-3943 Blue Iris, a beautifully balanced blue-purple, as the color of the year for 2008. Combining the stable and calming aspects of blue with the mystical and spiritual qualities of purple, Blue Iris satisfies the need for reassurance in a complex world, while adding a hint of mystery and excitement. "From a color forecasting perspective, we have chosen PANTONE 18-3943 Blue Iris as the color of the year, as it best represents color direction in 2008 for fashion, cosmetics and home...

Man turns blue By Duncan Hooper Last Updated: 3:48pm GMT 21/12/2007 An American man's attempts to cure an irritating skin condition backfired when his face turned blue. Fair-skinned Paul Karason developed dermatitis as a result of stress 14 years ago and decided to treat it using silver extract. Paul Karason's says he has moved states and avoids public places The substance is usually consumed orally but Mr Karason also decided to rub it into his peeling skin to accelerate the effects. According to the 57-year-old, the effect began so gradually that neither he nor he friends noticed the change at...

This Great Blue Heron was fishing in Maria Sanchez Lake yesterday.

A strange blue cloud seen floating and darting around customers, freezing for 30 minutes and then speeding from an Ohio gas station, remains unexplained even though it was caught on security cams. The ghostly image was seen moving near and over cars at a Marathon gas station located near the corner of State Road and Pleasant Valley in Parma on Sunday. Surveillance video of the image showed it flipping and then sitting in the same location for 30 minutes. It then flies off the screen at a high rate of speed. "It gives me the chills," a witness said. Security...

Attention Linux, Vista, and Apple fan boys: put on your gloves... it's time to rumble! A 6-month vulnerability report issued by Jeff "Security Guy" Jones has caught the eye of Redmond and the ire of places beyond. The report which bases its security assessment upon vulnerabilities found (not actually exploited) claims that Vista is "more secure than OS X and Linux." In fact, the much maligned XP even crushes the competition using their calculations. Of course, it's worth noting that Jeff is a member of Microsoft's Security business unit which will probably sway your opinion as to the integrity of...