Free Republic

Last week had to be a bit awkward for Democrats. They labored to pass a health care bill that, among other things, establishes a government advisory panel to curb health care costs with industrywide medical recommendations. And at just the wrong moment, a similar government advisory panel provoked outrage by recommending that women stop getting so many breast cancer screenings. Unruffled, the Democrats pressed on with their 2,000-page health care bill, going so far as to hold a rare Saturday night vote on whether to proceed to debate. There's a good reason they are in such a rush to pass...

It is time to cast aside all remaining doubt. President Obama is not trying to lead America forward to recovery, prosperity and strength. Quite the opposite, in fact. In September of last year, American Thinker published my article, Barack Obama and the Strategy of Manufactured Crisis. Part of a series, it connected then presidential candidate Barack Obama to individuals and organizations practicing a malevolent strategy for destroying our economy and our system of government. Since then the story of that strategy has found its way across the blogosphere, onto the airwaves of radio stations across the country, the Glenn Beck...

Heard on Fox News this morning that the great recession of 2008-2009 is over, and that job growth will greatly accelerate in 2010. Fox News source... NABE (National Association of Business Economics) NABE Outlook: Recovery Soon to Lose "Jobless" Label Reaffirming last month’s call that the Great Recession is over, NABE panelists have marked up their predictions for economic growth in 2010 and expect performance to exceed its long-term trend. NABE members can read the full survey online. There is a summary for the public. Are these poeple clueless? One just has to look at the leadership summary from its...

There is a lot of talk across the nation about how to replace sitting members of Congress and restore the Republic as established by the Founders. The conversations usually end in frustration as 95% of incumbents continue to be re-elected, seemingly untouchable inside a system designed to keep them in office. Most polls indicate that well over 80% of Americans disapprove of the job Congress is doing, yet 95% of incumbents get re-elected every election. Why? Because the process for selecting our representatives is broken. A recent Rasmussen poll said that only 25% of voters insist the election process for...

The Obama Democratic Party demonstrated their desire to help the poor, unfortunate victims of Hurricane Katrina by giving them $100 million - provided that their U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu votes in favor of legislation they want enacted. How's that for hope and change. Makes the Visitors in the television series seem downright altruistic. These Obama Democrats are the same people who derided Bush and the Republicans as racist and callous to the problems of Louisianans. They ridiculed Bush's response. They clamored for more federal money because of Hurricane Katrina when Bush was in office. Now the only way the Katrina...

U.S. Rep. Dennis Moore, a Democrat who confounded the GOP by winning six consecutive elections in a heavily Republican district, will not seek re-election next year, key Democrats said Sunday. Moore, who represented Johnson, Wyandotte and a portion of Douglas counties, will issue a statement today explaining his decision and outlining his plans. Moore, 64, is expected to finish out his term, which ends in January 2011.

We received this embed by email this morning. Coburn nails it… Video Link

Is Congress, behindhand on Barack Obama's deadlines on health care and cap-and-trade legislation, and flummoxed by the failure of the stimulus package to hold unemployment below 10.2 percent, prepared to address the immigration issue next year? Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano says it better be. The current situation, she told the Center for American Progress on Nov. 13, "is simply unacceptable." We need a "three-legged stool," with provisions to strengthen enforcement, legalize some illegal immigrants and improve "legal flows for families and workers." Ironically, the push for legalization in 2006-07 resulted instead in stronger enforcement measures. Some 600 miles of...

The outcome of the health care reform legislation in the House demonstrates that while the Republicans don't have the votes to stop it, the Catholic Church has the votes to pass it. Could the same thing happen in the Senate? On Nov. 7, Catholic lobbyists working for the church's bishops finalized a deal with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. An anti-abortion amendment by Rep. Bart Stupak, a Catholic Democrat, was offered and passed. The bishops then came down officially in favor of a bureaucratic plan that could spell the end to freedom of choice in health care. The turn of events...

For Sen. Blanche Lincoln, the moderate Arkansas Democrat, the nation’s health-care woes may lead to more headaches than any medicine could alleviate. Lincoln is a pivotal vote on the motion to begin debate on Senate majority leader Harry Reid’s health-care legislation; if the motion passes, she could be the swing vote on the eventual motion to close debate. Her decision isn’t simply a calculation about winning the right number of concessions, as perhaps President Obama and the Democratic leadership hope; it’s about her political survival. The pressure in Washington may be significant — Lincoln has had sit-down meetings with Obama...

Staffers on Capitol Hill were calling it the Louisiana Purchase. On the eve of Saturday's showdown in the Senate over health-care reform, Democratic leaders still hadn't secured the support of Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.), one of the 60 votes needed to keep the legislation alive. The wavering lawmaker was offered a sweetener: at least $100 million in extra federal money for her home state. And so it came to pass that Landrieu walked onto the Senate floor midafternoon Saturday to announce her aye vote -- and to trumpet the financial "fix" she had arranged for Louisiana. "I am not going...

California Royce, Edward Town Hall Meeting11/30/2009   5:00 PM Orange County office1110 E. Chapman Ave., Suite 207, Orange Sherman, Brad Town Hall Meeting11/30/2009   5:00 PMJohn Burroughs High School1920 W Clark Ave, Burbank Connecticut Larson, John Town Hall Meeting11/24/2009   Time UnknownGoodwin College Auditorium, River CampusOne Riverside Drive, East Hartford Kansas Brownback, Sam Healthcare Town Hall Meeting11/24/2009   1:00 PMCentral Olathe City Hall100 E Santa Fe Street, Olathe Moran, Jerry Listening Tour Town Hall Meeting11/23/2009   11:30 AMWilmore Community Building Corner of Railroad and Taft, Wilmore Listening Tour Town Hall Meeting11/23/2009   1:30 PMThe People's Bank117 S. Main, Medicine Lodge Listening Tour Discussion11/30/2009   11:30 AM Moran will be walking down Main Street...

got this in an email....representative gooberment my butt....this is just more ammo for the We The People vs. Congress law suit.... The United States Senate regularly passes major legislation without even voting on it. That disturbing fact caught my attention when I first arrived in the Senate, and frankly, it still bothers me. The legislative process as it taught in eight grade civics class is logical, consistent, and most of all, transparent. The legislative process as it is practiced in the Senate today is nothing like that ideal. Every week, the Senate routinely passes legislation that is never voted on,...

Congratulations to Harry and the Pelosicrats for advancing Dear Leader's Long March!  That $300 million bribe to Senator Landrieu was classic!  Chicago Democratic machine politics comes to Washington...  Lord only knows what dirty deals will never see the light of day... Here we are in the age of hyper-freedom.  Top 40 DJs who told us what to listen to are a thing of the past.  Fan clubs?  What's that?  You can start your own site dedicated to whatever or whoever you want on the internet. Those Nostalgic Democrats! We're in the age of iPods, indy music, facebook, ultimate internet freedoms,...

FORT WAYNE, Ind. — When tickets to see Sarah Palin in Michigan ran out, people drove to her appearance here, three hours away. Thousands had lined up overnight, starting nearly 24 hours before she was to begin signing books, camping out in 39-degree weather for a moment with the woman many see as the great conservative hope, a role model, “one of us.” They brought their sleeping bags, their children, homemade chocolate Cheerios bars, and balloons to twist into animal shapes and hats for the crowd. And they brought their anger — about bailouts, jobs and health care. If Sarah...

Senators have to find a balance between voting their conscience and voting as their constituents would like. If senators vote their conscience too heavily, constituents tend to get angry. When this happens, constituents may ask for a recall of their U.S. Senator. (The 5 steps are listed in detail) -- The 18 states allowing for recall are as follows: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington and Wisconsin.

Frustration, anger, disillusionment, disenfranchisement, call it what you will, but sooner or later we can feel it creeping into our minds. The fact that Congress is violating the Constitution and trying to strip the American people of their rights, while refusing to listen to the American people, the vast majority of which do not want the government to control health care, the auto or finance industries, salaries or introduce cap and trade because none of these things are Constitutional, is causing frustration on behalf of the American people. There is a madness sweeping the country. The left hates the right....

Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) said she’d deliver the deciding vote to push forward with a sweeping health reform plan in the Senate Saturday, ending days of speculation over whether President Barack Obama’s signature priority would proceed to the floor or suffer a debilitating blow. As with several centrists before her, Lincoln’s yes vote to start debate came wrapped in series of serious concerns about the current bill – and she said it would require major revisions before she could cast a similar vote in favor of final passage. "I'm prepared to vote against moving to the next stage of consideration...

On Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee met to question Attorney General Eric Holder about his decision to prosecute Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four others in criminal courts rather than military tribunals. As the father of Todd Beamer, who died on United Airlines Flight 93, I was able to attend that hearing. What transpired caused me great concern and shook my confidence in our current administration....How can we be assured that these enemies will be found guilty? Given that criminal courts are now the presumed venue for those captured on the battlefield, will soldiers need to read them their rights at...

A Democratic lawmaker has a message for Americans voicing concerns over rising unemployment, record federal deficits, the health care debate and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq: Stop complaining so much. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri is seeking to pass a resolution that would officially make the day before Thanksgiving "Complaint Free Wednesday." "From time to time, we all experience anxiety, frustration, stress, and regret. And often, we respond to these feelings with a criticism or complaining," Cleaver wrote to his colleagues, seeking co-sponsors. "Regrettably, complaining keeps people stuck on current problems, inhibiting them from thinking constructively to find solutions....

It seems the voices of the folks back home are beginning to register with their representatives, especially with midterm elections coming up. The fear of being replaced finally strikes home on both sides of the aisle. Angry Congress lashes out at Obama The Washington Post Fri., Nov . 20, 2009 Growing discontent over the economy and frustration with efforts to speed its recovery boiled over Thursday on Capitol Hill in a wave of criticism and outright anger directed at the Obama administration. Episodes in both houses of Congress exposed the raw nerves of lawmakers flooded with stories of unemployment and...

Ask yourselves why the price of gold is headed to $1500. The answer is that this government has lost control of the currency and therefore the economy. Normally price appreciation is great except when it comes to gold. It means our political leaders have no idea what they are doing and there are going to be very severe consequences. Very! Last November gold was at $700. Now it is at $1100 on its way to $1500. We will all have third rate health care with no jobs. What a future.

Growing discontent over the economy and frustration with efforts to speed its recovery boiled over Thursday on Capitol Hill in a wave of criticism and outright anger directed at the Obama administration. Episodes in both houses of Congress exposed the raw nerves of lawmakers flooded with stories of unemployment and economic hardship back home. They also underscored the stiff headwinds that the administration faces as it pushes to enact sweeping changes to the financial regulatory system while also trying to create jobs for ordinary Americans. President Obama's allies in the Congressional Black Caucus, exasperated by the administration's handling of the...

November 20, 2009 Dear Senator Bayh, I tried to call your Washington and Indianapolis offices, but the voice mail boxes were full. I am writing this email to you to plead with you not to vote to bring this health care bill up for senate vote. NOTE: A vote for it now IS a vote to allow it to eventually pass because, as you know, it is quite possible you can vote against its final version knowing full-well that there will be enough votes for it's final passage because the vote requirements are fewer. There are many reasons why you...

While the Senate is now preparing to debate Democratic Leader Harry Reid's 2000-plus-page version of the health care reform plan, 47% of Americans still believe the private sector rather than the federal government has the best chance of keeping health care costs down and the quality of medical care up. But a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 33% of adults think the federal government would do a better job of reducing costs and maintaining quality of care. Twenty percent (20%) are undecided. Forty-nine percent (49%) of adults who already have insurance say the private sector would accomplish...

Former Marine Nick Popaditch, aka the Cigar Marine, is running for the Republican nomination to challange the incumbent Democrat in the California 51st Congressional race for 2010. He needs your support. The district is heavily Democratic and he faces an uphill struggle but this Marine is one tough opponent. This man is a true war hero, not some "Swift Boat" wannabe. His slogan, "A Marines word is his bond", says it all. He gained national popularity when he was photographed atop his tank turret smoking a cigar at the fall of Baghdad. Later in the war he was seriously wounded...

November 19, 2009 Politics as Usual? A Glenn Beck case study Today's Show Segment Video-6:15

After serving 18 years in Congress, former Rep. William Jefferson of Louisiana, a Democrat, will continue his service in a different federal institution -- prison. He was sentenced recently to serve 13 years for bribery. But his fellow prisoners will have to forgive Jefferson if he grins and whistles as he stamps out license plates. That's because he is still eligible for a guaranteed $50,000 pension in his first year of retirement, which will increase each year thereafter with the cost of living.

THE ONLY REAL SURPRISE in the latest disastrous batch of data on housing is that anybody is surprised. With the $8,000 tax credit originally set to expire, housing starts plunged nearly 11% in October, to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 529.000 units. That put new home construction back to the dismal levels of last spring before a temporary blip lifted housing activity during the warm-weather months. Even though the home-buying subsidy was extended through next March and expanded beyond first-time buyers, there's little evidence that these giveaways are working. Applications for mortgages for home purchases, for instance, fell to...

Reid scrambles for 60 health votes With an assist from Joe Biden, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid scrambled Wednesday to pull together 60 votes for his health reform bill, awaiting all-important cost estimates in hopes of getting the bill to the floor by the weekend. At around 2:15 p.m., the three moderate Democratic holdouts - Blanche Lincoln, Mary Landrieu and Ben Nelson - entered Reid's office for a briefing. "He is walking through the particulars with them," said Reid’s spokesman, Jim Manley. "We need 60 votes to get this bill to the floor." Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), chairman of the...

GOUVERNEUR, NY - The computerized voting machines used by many voters in the 23rd district had a computer virus - tainting the results, not just from those machines known to have been infected, but casting doubt on the accuracy of counts retrieved from any of the machines

The Senate is headed for a rare Saturday vote to advance its major healthcare reform bill without a guarantee of success, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) indicated Thursday. At a rally with supporters of the healthcare reform bill, Reid would not say he had secured commitments from all 60 members of the Democratic Conference to vote for the legislation — an absolute necessity given unanimous opposition from the 40 Senate Republicans. "We'll find out when the votes are taken," Reid said. Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.), one of three Democratic holdouts, said Thursday that he would announce his intentions prior to...

The Senate voted to end debate and move to a final vote on President Obama’s first judicial nominee, former ACORN fundraiser Judge David F. Hamilton, who disallowed invoking Jesus' name in prayers in the Indiana Legislature. Ten Republicans voted to allow a floor vote on Hamilton's nomination, thus assuring his confirmation. Hamilton, nominated to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, won a 70-29 cloture vote. All 29 who voted against cloture were Republicans. while 10 Republicans joined with all 60 Senate Democrats to vote for cloture and allow the confirmation vote to proceed. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchiso (R.-Tex.) did not...

In 2006, long before there was an Obama administra tion determined to impose a command-and-control federal health-care system, a young orthopedic surgeon walked into the Goldwater Institute here with an idea. The institute, America's most potent advocate of limited government, embraced Eric Novack's idea for protecting Arizonans from health-care coercion. In 2008, Arizonans voted on Novack's proposed amendment to the state's Constitution: "No law shall be passed that restricts a person's freedom of choice of private health-care systems or private plans of any type. No law shall interfere with a person's or entity's right to pay directly for lawful medical...

Former State Representative Allen Quist announced Wednesday night that he will run against U.S. Representative Tim Walz for the First District Congressional Seat. In a press release, Quist said: "If people like what Congress is doing, they should vote for the incumbent. But if they believe, as I do, that Congress is headed in the wrong direction, then I will be the alternative." Quist had previously established a web site and Facebook page, so the formal announcement of his candidacy was not unexpected. A Republican, Quist served three terms in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 1983 to 1988, runs...

It’s been a little while since a good confrontation between a birther and a member of Congress, but here’s one from last week: a constituent of Rep. Scott Garrett (R-N.J.) asking his congressman why Republicans won’t do anything about the “eligibility issue.” It makes for awkward viewing, as Garrett’s staff clearly wants a change of subject from an audience that seems to be fine with pushing the question. At around 4:40 in the video, the congressman finally engages. “Obviously, there is no political solution to it,” says Garrett. “Even if the entire Republican Party was united on the issue–” He’s...

<p>Although most conventional wisdom rates Gerald E. Connolly of Fairfax County as the safest of three freshmen Democrats elected to Congress in Virginia last year, that wisdom rests on a rematch with Republican Keith S. Fimian in next year's midterm elections.</p>

This is a rush transcript from "On the Record," November 17, 2009. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated. GRETA VAN SUSTEREN, FOX NEWS HOST: Wait until you see what members of Congress are getting. It's pink. And we are told the number is more than 4 million. That's all the clues we are giving you. South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint will tell you all about it. He went "On the Record". (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) VAN SUSTEREN: Senator, nice to see you, sir. SEN. JIM DEMINT, R - S.C.: Greta, welcome to my place. VAN...

Republican candidates maintain a six-point advantage over Democrats in the latest edition of the Generic Congressional Ballot. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 44% would vote for their district’s Republican congressional candidate while 38% would opt for his or her Democratic opponent. Support for each party rose one point from last week. Republicans have held the lead for over four months now. Voters not affiliated with either party continue to heavily favor Republicans, 41% to 24%. (Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available...

The "pink slips" being sent to members of Congress, warning them to abandon Washington's "charge-it-and-spend-it" programs, new energy taxes under "cap-and-trade" and nationalized health care have surged past five million, but supporters of the program say they need to keep coming. Janet Porter, founder and president of Faith2Action, is one of the organizers behind the "pink slips" campaign and was at a news conference today in Washington where U.S. Reps Michelle Bachmann, R-Minn.; Louie Gohmert, R-Texas; Steve King, R-Iowa, and Trent Franks, R-Ariz., spoke in approval of the effort. She said it's clear the message – delivered through a stack...

Washington (CNN) -- Military victims of the Fort Hood massacre will be eligible to receive the Purple Heart if Congress passes a bill introduced Tuesday. Non-military victims could receive the Secretary of Defense Medal of Freedom -- the civilian equivalent of the Purple Heart. Both military and civilian personnel killed or wounded in the November 5 attack would be granted the same legal status as combatant casualties in Afghanistan and Iraq. The bill was introduced by Texas GOP Rep. John Carter, who represents Fort Hood in the House of Representatives.

Rosanna Pulido Fires Back At David Ratowitz’s Immigration Proposals Rosanna Pulido: First off, let’s remember how immigration lawyers make their living. When you take it under consideration that David Ratowitz is an immigration lawyer, it’s no wonder that David wants even higher levels of legal immigration and would support legalization of the 12-20 million already here. Actually, what this government needs to do at this moment is suspend ALL UNNECESSARY IMMIGRATION until our economy recovers and the unemployment rate drops to below 5 percent. How can the government continue to bring in 125,000 foreign workers EVERY MONTH when 15 million...

There I was, expertly navigating through traffic, when a snippet of news came on. It was the voice of the Speaker of the House, Madame Pelosi, promising that the healthcare bill would be ready to give to the American people as a “Christmas” present. Luckily I was not the freeway. I may have driven into a barrier! Say what, Madame? “Healthcare reform bill” in the same sentence as the word “Christmas”? With all due respects Madame, Halloween, the time when the healthcare bill was introduced to “we the people,” is a more appropriate season for your bloated ghoul! Christmas is...

Today was the final day for absentee ballots to be received in New York's 23rd District Special Congressional Election. Already three counties have completed the final vote counts, and Hamilton County has already certified those counts to the State Board of Elections. Updated Counts Here: County Hoffman Owens Scozzafava Clinton 7530 10536 686 Essex 3175 3718 432 Franklin 4589 5125 247 Fulton 2489 1969 676 Hamilton* 1265 938 369 Jefferson 10884 10460 1179 Lewis 2676 2169 282 Madison* 9155 8290 724 Oneida* 3225 2243 459 Oswego 12748 11000 950 St. Lawrence 8748 12987 1194 Totals: 66,484 69,435 7,198 * -...

President Obama told the House Democratic Caucus before the roll-call vote on health care on Nov. 7 that they'd be better off politically if they passed the bill than if they let it fail. Bill Clinton, speaking to the Senate Democrats' lunch on Nov. 10, cited his party's big losses in 1994 after Congress failed to pass his health-care legislation as evidence that Democrats would suffer more from failure to pass a bill than from disaffection with a bill that was signed into law. These were closed meetings, but we can safely assume that the two Democratic presidents also assured...

For a chance to unseat a 5-term incumbent, check out Matt Friedman for Congress: Matt Friedman for Congress 302 Washington #942 San Diego, CA 92103. www.friedmanforcongress.org

Activists Sending Coat Hangers to Congress for Abortion Funding in Health Care Washington, DC -- Borrowing a page from the playbook of pro-abortion members of Congress who recently used the myth of illegal back alley abortions to oppose the Stupak amendment, grassroots pro-abortion activists are sending coat hangers to Congress to urge taxpayer funding of abortion in the health care bills. http://www.LifeNews.com/nat5663.html

Both Democratic and Republican voters are happier with Congress these days, and Independents are not. The uptick for the first two is easy enough to explain: both side’s partisans are happy that their respective sides are slugging it out. The question is, which side are the folks in the middle supporting? Americans express slightly greater approval of Congress this month after last month's decline. The current 26% rating is up from 21% in October but down from 31% in August and September. Still, more than two-thirds of Americans (68%) disapprove of the way Congress is handling its job. This month's...

This morning on Fox & Friends, three 9/11 family members debated President Barack Obama's decision to try Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other top attack conspirators in a federal court just six blocks away from the World Trade Center. The three were Debra Burlingame, James Riches Sr., and Charles Wolf. (See the video after the jump.)

On Wednesday, November 18, 2009, Attorney General Eric Holder will attempt to explain his decision to bring war criminal Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to trial in Manhattan's federal courtroom six blocks from Ground Zero. This is our Action Alert to you: Americans, it is time to unite, not as Republicans or Democrats, not as Conservatives or Liberals or Progressives. It is time to unite as CITIZENS. President Barack Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder have forgotten that their chief duty is the safety and the security of the American people. IT IS TIME FOR US TO REMIND THEM. AG Eric Holder...