Free Republic

LOS ANGELES (Billboard) – Yusuf, formerly known as Cat Stevens, will follow up 2006's "An Other Cup," his first secular album in 28 years, with a set that recalls his straightforward troubadour days. (snip) The single "Boots & Sand" features Paul McCartney and Dolly Parton -- with a video shot by Jesse Dylan, son of Bob -- while Michelle Branch and Gunnar Nelson assist on the track "To Be What You Must."

After months of partisan wrangling that included some key disagreements between Congress and the White House, the Senate is scheduled to vote tomorrow on the housing relief bill. The House approved the measure (H.E. 3221) on Wednesday, mostly along party lines. Most House Republicans opposed it, complaining about the cost and the provisions to give the Treasury Department to buy shares of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The bill sets up a fund, financed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mae, to provide government loans to help some of the victims of the subprime mortgage crisis refinance their mortgages. It also...

DENVER — A Colorado legislator known for kicking a photographer was ordered to leave the podium of the state House of Representatives on Monday because he called Mexican workers "illiterate peasants." State Rep. Douglas Bruce, who has a history of provoking controversy, made the comment during debate on a bill that would allow the state to help immigrant workers get temporary federal visas. The measure is intended to ease a shortage of farm workers in the state. "I would like to have the opportunity to state at the microphone why I don't think we need 5,000 more illiterate peasants in...

WASHINGTON - The Bush administration is likely to move its research on one of the most contagious animal diseases from an isolated island laboratory to the U.S. mainland near herds of livestock, raising concerns about a catastrophic outbreak Skeptical Democrats in Congress are demanding to see internal documents they believe highlight the risks and consequences of the decision. An epidemic of the disease, foot and mouth, which only affects animals, could devastate the livestock industry. One such government report, produced last year and already turned over to lawmakers by the Homeland Security Department, combined commercial satellite images and federal farm...

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) - The executive director of the Wyoming Republican Party says she's disappointed that presidential candidates focused on the Iowa caucuses and jetted off to New Hampshire without swinging out to Wyoming in between. Amy Larimer says Wyoming has been a bit overlooked. Because the Iowa caucuses are a straw poll - no delegates actually are chosen until later - Wyoming's Republicans will choose the first 12 national convention delegates today. No candidate has been to Wyoming, however, since Duncan Hunter visited a month ago.

NASHUA – Speaking to about 40 BAE Systems workers in what he called a "town hall meeting," Republican presidential candidate Duncan Hunter again blasted an opponent because his former company is doing business with a Chinese defense contractor. Hunter, a U.S. congressman from California, called on Bain Capital, a company founded by former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, another GOP presidential contender, to drop its strategic partnership with Chinese defense contractor Huawei Technologies in a bid to buy U.S. defense contractor 3Com. Hunter will also ask Romney to use his influence with Bain to end the proposed merger between Huawei and...

After seven Democratic presidential candidates debated on Nov. 15, CNN treated us to a debate of eight Republican hopefuls on Nov. 28. The transcript of the debate numbers 25 pages. Its first major subject is “illegal immigration,” which runs to Page 10, or about a third of the debate. Illegal immigration? The word “state” in the political sense (as in “the United States of America”) implies that foreigners cannot come to and live in a “state” as they could on land owned by no one. Otherwise, the “USA” should have been called “NOLA,” “No One’s Lands of America.” (Snip) Unwilling...

Several members of Congress derided President Bush yesterday for not including former U.S. Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean among the 29 pardons that he issued this week. Rep. Duncan Hunter, California Republican and presidential candidate, said that "two names were conspicuously missing" from the list, which included carjackers, drug dealers, a moonshiner, a man convicted of stealing government property and another sentenced for receiving kickbacks in military procurement contracts. "By refusing to pardon agents Ramos and Compean, the president has missed yet another opportunity to correct this miscarriage of justice," he said. "The fact that the...

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The first siege of Fallujah was under way in Iraq in April 2004 when a furious Marine lieutenant grabbed a satellite phone and shouted a stream of expletives at the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. "Dad, we've already taken four K.I.A.," hollered Lt. Duncan D. Hunter. "But we're sweeping through the city, and we just got orders to stop attacking. What are you guys doing?" (Snip) "He was a grunt in Vietnam, and he has taken that with him," said Gary Jacobson, a political scientist at the University of California, San Diego. "He is very...

2008 presidential candidate Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., stopped in Greenwood on Friday to answer questions from residents and pray for U.S. troops, answering to hails of “our next president.” “You notice she didn’t call for Romney when she said that,” Hunter said after one resident asked to take a photo with the next president. Hunter embarked on a tour through the historic corridor this week, visiting Pickens, Anderson, Abbeville, McCormick, Greenwood, Edgefield and North Augusta on Thursday and Friday. In Greenwood, Hunter first stopped at the Greenwood County Courthouse for a “Call to Prayer” for U.S. troops at home and overseas...

Having arrived here a couple of days ago full of thoughts about the falling dollar and the improving state of American trade, it is fascinating to observe at first hand that perceptions of low quality in Chinese products are the issue that seems to be driving consumers away from imports. Recent recalls of badly designed toys and toxic toothpaste seem to have driven a surge of interest in the "Made in America" label. Websites such as usmadetoys.com offer lists of US products that don't bite or poison you. This site offers an eco-friendly four tips on buying lead-free toys made...

Travis Holland: Duncan Hunter is an underdog in the Republican presidential race. He represents mainstream conservative views without the backing of more popular candidates. Hunter views a pullout of Iraq as a retreat in a very real war on terrorism. He advocates using more Iraqi troops in hot zones to replace Americans. Hunter is pro-life and supports bills to create laws defining unborn children as living people. As president, he wouldn't support gay marriage and believes that marriage is an institution that should only be between a man and woman. Duncan Hunter is a strong supporter of the Second Amendment...

Congressman Duncan Hunter is one of the longest of long shots seeking the GOP presidential nomination. The San Diego lawmaker barely registers in public opinion polls. But Hunter has won a long shot race before: his first campaign for Congress, 27 years ago.

Thursday Night 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on the Wake Up America Radio Show. Hear an exclusive personal interview with Presidential Candidate, Duncan Hunter.