Free Republic

It may come as a surprise that one of this country’s greatest experts on Richard M. Nixon’s many crimes is, in fact, Hillary Clinton. In 1974 she was, by many accounts, among the brightest members of the staff of the House Judiciary Committee that investigated Nixon and prepared the articles of impeachment. In this bizarre election year, it must be painful to her that she should find herself at the center of a scandal described by her hyperbolic political opponent, Donald J. Trump, as “worse than Watergate.” But while “Emailgate” is no Watergate, there are some noteworthy echoes. For one,...

It's been an interesting week. Last weekend, I wrote about a sudden surge in my family's cell phone data through Verizon. In my unscientific survey that lasted one week, every friend and acquaintance I asked said they were having the same problem: Their monthly data use had been soaring in recent months for no apparent reason. In some cases, using more data meant hefty over-limit fees. Well, well, well. Since my column ran a week ago, I've heard from about 700 Verizon customers (and quite a few AT&T customers too) in Ohio and many other states. Most have iPhones. Some...

Warren Buffett showed that the selloff in Wells Fargo & Co.’s stock this year has just made him love the banking giant even more, as he boosted his stake in the company to 504.3 million shares, according to regulatory filings. Buffett’s investment vehicle Berkshire Hathaway Inc. BRK.B, +0.01% now owns 10% of Wells Fargo’s common stock outstanding, making him by far the largest shareholder. That is up from 479.7 million shares, or a 9.45% stake, as of Dec. 31, filings show.

Leonardo DiCaprio has backed out of a pricey fundraiser lunch for Hillary Clinton that the actor had been scheduled to host at his Los Angeles home this week. Pop star Justin Timberlake and his wife Jessica Biel will instead host the event at their home. .......snip......... But the timing of DiCaprio’s cancellation comes as the actor’s environmental-focused charitable organization, the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, was linked to a $3 billion Malaysian embezzlement scheme in news reports last week. The foundation — which focuses on climate change initiatives and hosts a glitzy annual party for hundreds of A-list celebrities and dignitaries —...

Viewers can now watch Clinton Cash online and see the controversial documentary that uncovers how Bill and Hillary Clinton built up a net worth of more than $150 million and established a foundation that takes in $2 billion in donations since leaving the White House in 2001. The film was adapted from the New York Times bestseller Clinton Cash: The Untold Story of How and Why Foreign Governments and Businesses Helped Make Bill and Hillary Rich, written by Peter Schweizer. It follows the sources of the Clintons’ wealth and the seemingly intertwined and shadowy connections between her work as secretary...

As I watched a video recently of Black Lives Matter protestors, I saw several of the mostly peaceful marchers raise their hands in the "Hands Up, Don't shoot" routine. Apparently, they haven't heard that Michael Brown never said that but since, celebrities, athletes, the mainstream media and of course, Democrats continue to spread that lie, who can blame the low infos from believing it. [snip] Certainly, the demonstrators don't even pay attention to what black journalists have reported but they aren't interested unless Beyonce, Jay-Z and other hip-hop singers tell them what to think. When MSNBC's Jonathan Capehart, wrote an...

To former President Bill Clinton's and former senator and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's long, long list of scandal, impropriety and simple embarrassment add two new entries: the curious cases of Rajiv Fernando and Laureate University. Steven Hayward of Power Line, one of the blogs that pioneered investigative blogging, put together a summary of the Laureate International Universities' facts, the most important three of which are that Bill Clinton served as the organization's "honorary chancellor" between 2010 and 2014, that he was paid $16.5 million to do so (good work if you can get it). The Department of State granted...

Top Republican donors may be taking their time flocking to Donald Trump, but a prominent billionaire is on board: energy and hedge fund magnate T. Boone Pickens. Pickens, speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a hedge fund conference in Las Vegas, said he talked to Trump Monday and confirmed to the New York billionaire and presumptive nominee he'd support his candidacy.

Everyone has already voiced their astonishment regarding the complete disenfranchisement of approximately 1,000,000 registered Republican voters in the State of Colorado. It is clear that the Colorado Republican Party has no interest in the voice of their constituents. The CO Republican Party rules for the delegation selection process and delegates are outlined at the source below. http://www.thegreenpapers.com/P16/CO-R As you have seen, the GOP is extremely proud of their achievement to privatize the selection of a presidential candidate for Colorado. They have published the list of Colorado delegates in The Denver Post and other sources. Many of you may have friends...

Saudis, Russia Agree to Freeze Oil Output; Iran Still Resists by Reuters Feb 16 2016, 9:34 am ET Top oil exporters Russia and Saudi Arabia agreed on Tuesday to freeze output levels but said the deal was contingent on other producers joining in - a major sticking point with Iran absent from the talks and determined to raise production. The Saudi, Russian, Qatari and Venezuelan oil ministers announced the proposal after a previously undisclosed meeting in Doha. It could become the first joint OPEC and non-OPEC deal in 15 years, aimed at tackling a growing oversupply of crude and helping...

If jail time doesn’t deter burglars, maybe Internet shaming will. After a break-in at Frijoles & Frescas restaurant on Charleston Boulevard earlier this month, store manager Greg Carlson took matters into his own hands, turning security footage into a YouTube video titled “Burglars Just Want Tacos,” depicting the robbers as hunger-crazed patrons seeking out Mexican food. Since its posting on December 17, the video has collected more than 3 million views. “Guy wants a taco,” the text reads as the clip shows a man attempting to break into the restaurant by throwing a rock through the door. “Sorry, bro,” it...

The family of the 14-year-old Muslim boy who was led out of school in handcuffs has hired attorneys to get back the homemade clock that administrators mistook for a bomb. Ahmed Mohamed was suspended after showing his clock to a teacher at his Irving, Texas, high school last week. His case sparked an outcry on social media and attracted the attention of President Obama and a number of tech companies who invited Ahmed to visit. His family said in a statement Wednesday that it had pulled Ahmed and his two siblings out of the Irving school district "because of religious...

After five and a half days of deliberation, a Brooklyn federal jury found state Sen. John Sampson guilty of an obstruction of justice rap and lying to federal agents Friday.

Backers of President Barack Obama’s trade agenda are imploring key senators to stand by their previous votes when they revisit the issue in a showdown set for Tuesday. Opponents meanwhile are mounting an equally emotional push to keep Obama from obtaining “fast track” authority to negotiate trade agreements with Pacific Rim countries and others. At least 60 of the Senate’s 100 members must back the measure for it to clear a procedural hurdle Tuesday and complete a near-miraculous resurrection of the White House priority. In a May 21 vote, 62 senators backed fast track, but they didn’t expect it to...

Bill Clinton was interviewed by NBC News, discussing Hillary’s run, their foundation, and the income he makes from speeches. The Clintons have certainly stuck with the narrative of being average people. He defends his half million dollar speaking fees with “I gotta pay our bills,” and “it’s the most independence I can get.” While there in nothing wrong with his right to earn a living by fetching great sums for his appearances, the Clintons really need to stop pretending they are one of the “little people.” And whenever they get caught being rich, they throw in a something about being...

"In a Hillary Clinton campaign—not to mention a Hillary Clinton administration—her husband is a tremendous asset, someone who could help make the difference in a close election, or give valuable advice to a first-term president.....But there’s a cost to flying with Bill Clinton; you also have to carry his baggage........It was his fame,reputation,and powers of persuasion that drove the effort,which has raised and spent hundreds of millions of dollars on charitable activities around the world....but while Clinton and his foundation have done tremendous good, they have also had a questionable relationship with donors and contributors.........(NYT) published its first take on...

The world is accustomed to stock plays and players. A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum is but a take on a play written in Rome by Plautus a couple of thousand years ago, and all the key players are stereotypes of characters we see over and again in theatrical comedies. Is there after all much space between Pseudolus, the hero of that hoary work, and Sergeant Bilko? In much the same way, the Clintons tend to be characters in a stock play that we’ve seen over and again for decades. The only question this time around...

Rev. Jesse Jackson said Wednesday he is planning to celebrate Jackie Robinson West at a “Reaffirmation of Championship” celebration on Saturday. The event will be held at 9:30 a.m. at Rainbow PUSH Coalition, 930 E. 50th St. ”I was upset to the point of tears this morning,” Jackson said, adding that he already had spoken to some of the parents of the players and was distressed to learn they had heard the news through the media. Their children already have been harassed over the controversy, Jackson said, and “it’s not like the children are cheating.” Violating a boundary line when...

The American Tort Reform Assn calls NYC's asbestos court the nation’s top “judicial hellhole”. Silver has been blocking tort-reform bills for decades. Silver's arrest centers on his no-show legal work for asbestos-profiteer, Weitz and Luxemberg, (as well as millions in bribes and kickbacks from fixing real-estate cases)..... judges with ties to Silver and his lifelong pal, Jonathan Lippman, the chief judge of the state Court of Appeals, presided over the cases. Silver was “of counsel” to Weitz & Luxemberg which earned unusual fast-track “red-carpet treatment” “better judges” and first dibs on jurors. Sherry Klein Heitler, the chief asbestos judge (at...

An analysis of Boehner’s current investment holdings includes a number of stocks benefiting from Obamacare in a total portfolio estimated at between $3.5 and $5 million in current market value. Boehner’s Obamacare-related investments trace back to 2009, when the Obama administration was pushing the Affordable Health Care Act through Congress. Boehner has consistently maintained his investments are held in a blind trust and that he does not personally make investment decisions in his own investment portfolio. But few experienced congressional critics believe Boehner and other members of Congress are unaware of their investment holdings, because public disclosure requirements demand yearly...