Free Republic

<p>Mod note: the source has changed the title and the body of this article after this was posted.</p> <p>Forget police drones flying over your house. How about police coming inside, once a year, to have a look around? As Orwellian as that sounds, it isn’t hypothetical. The notion of police home inspections was introduced in a bill last week in Olympia.</p>

Dick Morris just tweeted: "worried that Obama is 3 up in Florida with 28% counted. Romney cannot win without Florida"

April 1, 2008 -- Did you know that the state of California makes 64 cents in taxes on a gallon of gasoline while the oil companies make only eight cents of each dollar in gasoline sales, or 24 cents if gasoline is three dollars a gallon? Or that the federal government makes 18 cents per gallon? No, this is not an April Fool’s joke. This is the truth. In general, states average 29 cents per gallon in taxes on a gallon of gas. So who’s really gouging the American public? If politicians are really concerned about the rising cost of...

just reported on local tv here in louisville ...

When terrorists attacked on Sept. 11, they killed Americans and destroyed infrastructure, but they did not directly damage America. Surprised? Consider the fact America is a concept - an idea about how people can and ought to govern themselves, crafted by visionary men at a critical time in world history. Intelligent, well informed, humane, creative and far-seeing as they were, our national founders devised a system with legislative, judicial and executive branches that they felt would actually work. And it did. In the 200-plus years since their time, Americans fine-tuned and adapted that model to give us modern America -...

Ward Churchill, ethnic studies professor at the University of Colorado, presented a lecture Friday on campus where he said the Bush administration is ignoring the U.S. Constitution and the rights it guarantees all citizens, including controversial ones like himself. More than 300 audience members attended Churchill’s lecture in Fraser Hall Room 4, a part of the CASCAID Advocacy Conference. Western senior Kyle Shielbs said he appreciated Churchill’s thoughtful and honest point of view. “Being a Native American myself, seeing Ward was really inspirational,” Shielbs said. “It is nice to see someone out making a difference, someone doing some pretty radical...

The Associated Students Senate discussed options for the proposed equal-access restroom in the Viking Union at an open-forum Feb. 16. Western senior and Research and Outreach Program director, Megan Farwell, six student senators and senate committee member, sophomore Kevin McClain, volunteered to host the forum. They asked questions of students and responded to questions about the ideas and logistics of the proposal. “We are not here to attack people,” Farwell said. “We are here to start a dialogue.” In November 2005, Farwell proposed an equal-access restroom on the fifth floor of the Viking Union in place of two gender-segregated restrooms....

Republicans have a bad rep when it comes to racism — from Mississippi Sen. Trent Lott’s endorsement of racist former Sen. Strom Thurmond, R-S.C., to President George W. Bush’s slow response to Hurricane Katrina. Now conservative commentator William Bennett is adding fuel to the fire with his comments that aborting black babies will make the crime rate go down. Racism continues to be a divisive topic in America — one Republicans would like to ignore. Bennett, a former U.S. education secretary and national drug policy director under the Reagan administration, said on his nationally syndicated morning radio show Sept. 28,...

W stands for ... what? I had many out-of-body moments watching the Republican Convention a few weeks ago. The most startling was hearing about the "W stands for Women" campaign, designed by the Bush team to convince women -- that desirable block of swing voters-- that Bush is our man. He's our man? The National Women's Law Center points out that women as a group have not fared well under the Bush administration. In the past four years, women lost medical coverage in increasing numbers. Since Bush took office, unemployment for women, particularly for black and Hispanic women, rose dramatically....

Letters to the editor RACHEL CORRIE'S LEGACY Facing a bulldozer, activist tempted foreseeable fate Editor, The Times: "Rachel Corrie was killed by Israel's illegal wall," by Steve Niva (Times guest commentary, March 16), doesn't pass the logic test. Standing in front of bulldozer to prevent the demolition of a house is like standing in front of a speeding car on the freeway to stop speeding. Niva claims Corrie "was clearly visible to the bulldozer drivers," but he declines to say that the bulldozer was clearly visible to Corrie, who was standing in front of it. What kind of argument is...

Erotic films shown on campus last week incited controversy around Bellingham and at Western due to a local radio station highlighting Western's National Outdoor Intercourse Day celebration. Local radio station KGMI aired a story Thursday, May 8 during its morning talk show about the week's events, which included Friday's Pornfest and "Porn and Popcorn," an evening showing of the erotic film, "Urban Friction." KGMI's morning talk-show anchors Brett Bonner and Debbie Schuitema talked about the different events, said Jacqueline Cartier, a KGMI news reporter who wrote the story they discussed. "We have a very conservative audience," Cartier said. Cartier said...

Do you think President Bush is more concerned about the well-being of the American public, or with his oil business?

Are you and your family better off than you were two years ago?

Hillary Clinton ordered Bill to undergo psychological counseling for sex addiction after learning he indulged in a secret orgy with gorgeous young models! The bombshell disclosure about the orgy was turned up by a private detective hired by Hillary -- who's eyeing a run at the White House -- to dig up information about Bill's extramarital affairs. The issue that goes on sale Friday reveals the inside details of Bill's sex romp with the models, tells why news of the orgy forced Hillary to act, why Bill agreed to go into therapy … and much more.

<p>Her party lost its majority in the Senate, but Sen. Patty Murray retains her clout in the Democratic party. Washington state's senior senator was one of four Democrats named Tuesday to a new executive committee that will advise Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D.</p>

<p>Alice Vassar got goose bumps when she heard the state Supreme Court's ruling Thursday that Washington law bars the Fraternal Order of Eagles from excluding women. Vassar is president of Tenino Eagles Lodge 564. To her the decision means it will be easier to strengthen a struggling club that started to turn the corner about a month ago and to heal wounds brought about by the controversial lawsuit.</p>

Manute Bol has traded in his basketball sneakers and boxing trunks and now is in a shocking search for a pair of ice skates. Manute Bol figures to stand out in the hockey crowd, just as he did in his flirtation with boxing. Seriously. The 7-foot-7 former NBA shot-blocker agreed to terms Tuesday to play with the Indianapolis Ice of the Central Hockey League. Bol is expected to be in uniform for an appearance with the Ice on Saturday night, but it is unlikely he will play in the game against the Amarillo Gorillas. "We're in the business of selling...

<p>Federal agents in Washington state will soon be stopping people at surprise checkpoints near the Canadian border to look for illegal immigrants, potential terrorists and drug and weapons smugglers.</p> <p>FBI Agent Dawn Clenney said counterterrorism work is also important in Michigan, where stops began Tuesday and where three men have been charged with supporting terrorism since the Sept. 11 attacks.</p>

During the recession and the possibility of war, do you think it is a good idea for the Republicans to have control of the House of Representatives and Senate?

A top Sneed snoop claims Bill Clinton was campaigning in Florida last week for failed gubernatorial hopeful Bill McBride when the duo--accompanied by two others--stopped at Bice eatery in Palm Beach and caused a patron to lose his temper. Why? McBride reportedly hied to the fella's table and invited his pretty, 24-year-old date to join them at their table for a drink because "there was someone who wanted to meet her." Please. Give it a rest, Bill.