Free Republic

WASHINGTON — "Common Core," the name for a set of national education standards, is the latest rallying cry for right-wing activists. Derided as "Obamacore," it's been attacked as a government attempt to usurp local curriculums and impose liberal values on conservative communities. Glenn Beck calls it a plot to turn children into "cogs" under a police state, and several Republican politicians have jumped on the bandwagon, denouncing the Obama administration for supporting the standards. If this is confusing to ordinary observers — there's nothing totalitarian about guidelines for what students should know at the end of each grade — it's...

There are times to be competitive. Moments when all you want to do is humiliate your opponent as you defeat him. It's the nature of sports, and what our internal competition meters usually read. That, we all know, is how athletes feel most of the time. But, at times, and these are few and far between, we see acts that defy wins and losses. A moment when a girl is brought in on crutches to score a layup to break a record or someone being carried around the field after she twisted her ankle rounding the bases. Opponents coming together...

WASHINGTON — Supporters of a bill to provide health insurance for 10 million children failed this afternoon, as expected, to muster enough support in the House to override President Bush’s veto. The vote to override the veto was 273 to 156, or 13 votes short of the necessary two-thirds majority of those present and voting; the bill was originally approved by a 265 to 159 vote on Sept. 25. The main suspense before today’s vote was over how many Republicans would side against President Bush. Forty-four House Republicans voted for the bill today, compared with 45 on Sept. 25. The...

Gordon Brown’s first Washington visit as Britain’s prime minister has prompted tea-leaf reading about the strengths and weaknesses of the US-UK relationship. Momentarily diverting – and probably unavoidable – as the frenzy of speculation is, the real tests lie ahead. Actions ultimately trump semiotics in national security affairs. Moreover, as contentious and important as Iraq is, it is a mistake to think that disagreements on that issue represent a fundamental change in the US-UK relationship. Tony Blair and President George W. Bush disagreed on global warming, as will Mr Brown and Mr Bush, but in neither case does the disagreement...

With the California Democratic Party drifting leftward, Republicans had an opportunity this year to claim the decisive political middle by fielding a slate of centrist candidates for statewide office, led by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Curiously, however, Schwarzenegger did not lift a finger to help moderate Republicans in their duels with conservatives for party nominations... The same dynamic that will make it difficult, bordering on the impossible, for Parrish, Strickland, Poochigian and McClintock to win their offices in November is also working against Angelides in his contest with Schwarzenegger. A major party nominee for statewide office can count on party loyalists...

White House stung by criticism of its stance on Kyoto agreement Montreal: The White House was forced into a U-turn on climate change on Saturday after appearing to misjudge critically the international and domestic mood on its efforts to tackle global warming. After American delegates walked out of the United Nations climate change conference in Montreal over the wording of a draft statement calling for international co-operation on the issue, they signed a revised version after making only "trivial" changes. One senior British official said the U.S. negotiators shifted their position on the joint statement because the Bush administration was...

In Latvia will fine passengers of drunk drivers Minister of Internal Affairs of Latvia Eric Ekabsons suggests to fine not only drunk drivers, but also their passengers, radio station " Echo of Moscow " informs. " Passengers too are responsible for possible misfortune ", - minister at session of Security Council of traffic of Latvia has told. In general the Latvian ministers compete in an ingenuity how to punish drivers-alcoholics. At the same session minister of the message of Latvia Ajnar SHlesers has suggested to punish drinking drivers 160 hours of forced hard labour. They will be necessary for...