Free Republic

States represented in gray are not participating in 7-Election. States represented with stripes are tied.

Add the National Republican Congressional Committee to the list of conservative groups capitalizing on former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Jim Messina’s secret meetings with lobbyists at a Caribou Coffee near the White House. President Obama has repeatedly promised that his would be “the most transparent administration in history,” but the House Energy and Commerce Committee released a report yesterday showing that high-ranking Obama staffers, including Messina, used private email addresses to bypass these rules and meet with industry lobbyists. “I will roll Pelosi to get the 4 billion,” Messina wrote Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America lobbyist Jeffrey...

One of the most deplorable habits still spreading amongst Canadian liberals seems to be anti-Americanism. The saddest thing about those who spout anti-Americanism is that their views aren't rebellious, original, or remotely unique. In fact, their views only exhibit their insurmountable ignorance and the nonsensical and hypocritical nature of their conformity. Canadians who proudly display their anti-Americanism in public and in private conversations haven't only failed at making themselves look intelligent, they've failed to provoke anything but laughter and ridicule from rational Canadians. The nature of anti-Americanism in Canada has no roots in logic, nor does it have any place...

I love coffee! Even before I was old enough to drink the brew, I enjoyed its alluring aroma. Coffee was also my favorite flavor of ice cream and still is. Fortunately, when I was about 10 years old we visited relatives and my Cousin Jerry who was a year younger than me was allowed to drink coffee so that pretty much made my case and the official drinking of the stuff was finally permitted although I had already sneaked sips on the sly for years. I can honestly say that coffee made me what I am...namely a writer because...

Gay marriage activists had a vision: Tuesday would be their clarion call for consumers to reject Chick-fil-A ... crowding into Starbucks and other more sympathetic companies. Though its still early in the day, National Marriage Equality Day...seems to be getting a mostly mild start. A Facebook profile created for the event by Equally Wed, a lesbian and gay wedding magazine, shows more than 34,000 people signed up to attend. But a photo page populated by submissions from supportive consumers had fewer than 20 images just before noon on the East Coast. ... “Let's show the right that the left can...

Starbucks Coffee Co. will continue expanding beyond its coffee-serving cafes with its first stand-alone tea shop. They also will be able to choose among iced teas, tea lattes and full-leaf tea sachets. In addition to tea, the store will feature packaged chocolates, infused sugars and honey. Other foods and brewing merchandise will also be available. Tazo already represents a $1-billion business for Starbucks, executives said in April, when they briefly referenced the brand's "unique opportunities … in multiple channels of distribution." Starbucks bought Tazo in 1999 for $8.1 million. Some estimates peg the global tea market to be worth $95...

In case the hot air isn’t enough to tell Democrats and Republicans apart, a new study has broken down the different kinds of things the two political camps apparently like. Meaning, they diverge not just on politics, but on favorite fast food, TV channel and coffee. All the important things, right? But according to Buyology, a brand-research company and author of the study, branding is big business. Alright, but does your politics have any connection with whether you like to drink a Starbucks Frappucino? Here’s a look.

Drinking a daily cup of coffee -- or even several cups -- isn't likely to harm your health, and it may even lower your risk of dying from chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease, a new study in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests. NIH followed 400,000 men and women for 13 years, during which 13% died. In the study, both regular and decaf were associated with a lower risk of dying Overall, coffee drinkers were less likely than their peers to die during the study, and the more coffee they drank, the lower their mortality risk...

A study that tracked health and coffee consumption finds that coffee-drinkers had a lower risk of death. Subjects who averaged four or five cups per day fared best, though it's not clear why. Researchers have some reassuring news for the legions of coffee drinkers who can't get through the day without a latte, cappuccino, iced mocha, double-shot of espresso or a plain old cuppa joe: That coffee habit may help you live longer. A new study that tracked the health and coffee consumption of more than 400,000 older adults for nearly 14 years found that java drinkers were less likely...

MILWAUKEE — One of life’s simple pleasures just got a little sweeter. After years of waffling research on coffee and health, even some fear that java might raise the risk of heart disease, a big study finds the opposite: Coffee drinkers are a little more likely to live longer. Regular or decaf doesn’t matter. The study of 400,000 people is the largest ever done on the issue, and the results should reassure any coffee lovers who think it’s a guilty pleasure that may do harm. Java drinkers may live a little longer, according to a new study that linked longevity...

By Annie Gasparro Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES NEW YORK -(Dow Jones)- Starbucks Corp. (SBUX) says it's seeing strong sales of its K-cup portion packs for Keurig single-serve coffee brewers, even though Keurig's parent company, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (GMCR), has seen an unexpected deceleration of sales growth lately. Starbucks Chief Executive Officer Howard Schultz sent an e-mail to employees Thursday, reassuring them that "Starbucks K-Cups continue to see robust gains," and that "Starbucks' relationship with Green Mountain remains as strong as ever." The e-mail came as Green Mountain's shares tanked 48% Thursday after it reported its latest quarterly earnings. Green...

PORTLAND, Ore. - This coffee can cost as much as $700 a pound and $80 a cup, and it is processed through the digestive system of a cat. It's said to be the most expensive coffee in the world and it was served up Friday at the International Coffee Expo in Northeast Portland. An Indonesian company brews it here as it is done in cafes in Jakarta.  "It is very delicious, very smooth and so luxurious," said Valerie Sindal, director of sales and marketing for ValBeMar Specialty Coffee. Coffee cherries are eaten by Civet cats, processed through their digestive...

The chairman and CEO of Starbucks, has controversially admitted that the best way to make a cup of coffee - is not his brand's way. Howard Schultz says he uses a Bodum French press - a coffee presser brand - which results in 'the best cup of coffee known to mankind.'

When Starbucks changed its Frappuccino mix a couple years ago, it made sure the new ingredients were dairy-free. But no one said anything about being bug-free. Turns out the strawberry sauce used in strawberries-and-cream Frappuccinos contains cochineal extract, which is made from the bodies of ground-up insects indigenous to Latin America. A vegan barista who works for Starbucks sent a picture of the sauce’s ingredient list to a vegetarian blog called www.ThisDishIsVegetarian.com, which posted it earlier this month. The revelation sparked some criticism from advocacy groups questioning the practice. “The strawberry base for our Strawberries & Creme Frappuccino does contain...

When roasted at 475 degrees, coffee beans are sometimes described as rich and full-bodied. But for the full-bodied person who is not so rich, unroasted coffee beans — green as the day they were picked — may hold the key to cheap and effective weight loss, new research suggests. In a study presented Tuesday at the American Chemical Society's spring national meeting in San Diego, 16 overweight young adults took, by turns, a low dose of green coffee bean extract, a high dose of the supplement, and a placebo. Though the study was small, the results were striking: Subjects lost...

The Opera House in Seattle was the setting for Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz and the annual board meeting of his church of Starbucks. That's what it felt like -- what with the heart-stirring videos, the soulful songs of Grammy award-winning Esperanza Spalding, and a real Baptist preacher (Rev. Calvin Butts), not to mention free coffee and doughnuts. Jonathan Baker, head of the National Organization for Marriage's Corporate Fairness Project was there to ask if the board really approved the statement that gay marriage is "core to the Starbucks brand." Yes, Schultz said. Most of the room there applauded, but what...

<p>NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — First, the battle was selling customers on the idea that they really cared about what kind of coffee they were drinking.</p> <p>Then, get them hooked on a brand, or even a type of drink. People suddenly had a strong opinion about whether they were getting a latte instead of a cappuccino.</p>

The National Gun Victims Action Council has declared a Valentine’s Day boycott of Starbucks to protest the coffee chain’s support for American gun laws. TTAG Commentator Greg in Allston has a counter-proposal, as originated by Sebastian and gay cynic . . . “OK everyone, let’s have some real fun, shall we? Good! Listen up and please hear me out. The antis are planning a boycott. Let’s counter with a BUYcott. On February14, please make the effort to go to Starbucks and buy something. Don’t like their coffee? Get a tea, a cocoa, a pastry, anything. Thank the clerk for Starbucks’...

Starbucks has joined the fight for gay marriage, as Washington state edges closer to becoming the seventh state to approve marriage equality. Executive vice president of Partner Resources at Starbucks sent an email to business partners yesterday afternoon with the subject, "RE: A Message From Kalen Holmes: Starbucks Supports Marriage Equality." "Starbucks is proud to join other leading Northwest employers in support of Washington State legislation recognizing marriage equality for same-sex couples," Holmes wrote.

An anti-gun group is attempting to organize a nationwide Valentine's Day boycott of Starbucks over the coffee chain's gun policy. Starbucks does not ban guns in its stores; rather, it defers to local laws. The National Gun Victim's Action Council (NGAC) says that amounts to a pro-gun policy that endangers customers. "Starbucks allowing guns to be carried in thousands of their stores significantly increases everyone's risk of being a victim of gun violence," NGAC CEO Elliot Fineman said in a news release. "Open and conceal and carry are among the reasons there are 12,000 gun homicides each year in the...