Free Republic

Yes, we won the Cold War, but unlike other wars the Cold War did not end with an act of surrender and with the defeated enemy throwing down his weapons. But no, we are not fighting Marxism in our country, because the American people have not yet been warned that their country is being contaminated by Marxism. ...

That Walter, he’s snuggling up to his new job as the purrfectly strong mayor of Divide. Until his inauguration on April 7 he had been best known as the official greeter at the Animal Clinic of Woodland Park. Then he whupped all his competitors in the election and now he’s The Man. ...

it is just getting sad now. In April the number of people not in the labor force rose by a whopping 522,000 from 87,897,000 to 88,419,000. This is the highest on record. The flip side, and the reason why the unemployment dropped to 8.1% is that the labor force participation rate just dipped to a new 30 year low of 64.3%. ...

With the bird cornered, it seemed like guaranteed lunch. But this patient puss was ultimately left disappointed after trying to catch his feathered foe as it flew out of a nesting box. The pet cat was spotted sitting next to the box, which was attached to a fence at a farm in Roseburg, Oregon, U.S. ...

A retired Marine has finally been reunited with her old military service dog after a six-year bureaucratic battle to adopt him. Cpl. Megan Leavey, 28, served with her four-legged German shepherd partner Sgt. Rex through two tours in Iraq, completing hundreds of missions searching for roadside bombs until an insurgent explosion took them both out of service in 2006. . . Rex was diagnosed with a kind of nerve paralysis earlier this year, permanently taking him out of service and prompting Leavey to take up a new adoption campaign. It became a race against the clock to get final approval...

A woman who served in Iraq for more than three years is now fighting to adopt the German Shepherd who she survived a roadside bomb with. As a dog handler for the military, Megan Leavey, 28, completed over 100 missions during two six-month tours in Iraq with the military service dog Rex. And since being discharged from the military in December 2007 Leavey has campaigned to adopt the bomb-sniffing canine so he can enjoy a civilian life with her in Rockport, New York. ... Recovered from his war injuries, the military considered Rex a valuable work dog and denied Leavey's...

U.S. Unemployment Up in February Underemployment is 19.1%, up from 18.7% in January PRINCETON, NJ -- U.S. unemployment, as measured by Gallup without seasonal adjustment, increased to 9.1% in February from 8.6% in January and 8.5% in December. . . . In addition to the 9.1% of U.S. workers who are unemployed, 10.0% are working part time but want full-time work. This percentage is similar to the 10.1% in January, but is higher than the 9.6% of February 2011. . . .

Msgr. Robert Ritchie — and the flock at St. Patrick’s Cathedral — have lost their best four-legged friend. Lexington, the beloved yellow Lab who been a gentle presence at the cathedral for more than 15 years, and who was the inspiration for the new dog statue in the Christmas Nativity scene, died Monday. Ritchie was recovering from knee surgery when his companion passed away peacefully. . . .

DIVIDE, COLO. -- Republican Presidential hopefuls are busy campaigning for their party's nomination, but in one small Colorado city, the campaigning is being done for mayor - and the candidates aren't exactly human. Nine animal candidates are running for mayor of Divide, a small city on the west side of Pikes Peak. The election is actually a fundraiser for the Teller County Regional Animal Shelter. Each vote costs $1, with all proceeds going toward renovations and expansion for the shelter. . . .

As hard as it may be to believe, these adorable pups have been abandoned and are on the lookout for new owners. The eight-week old Jack Russell crosses, with their sad puppy dog eyes, are among a record 16 puppies in only five days taken into one Welsh rescue centre. ‘They are really cheeky, playful little things, so I’m hopeful we should be able to find good homes for them,’ said Nicky Owen from North Clwyd Animal Rescue. . . .