Free Republic

Cuba has released all 53 prisoners it had promised to free, senior U.S. officials said, a major step toward détente with Washington. The release of the remaining prisoners sets a positive tone for historic talks next week aimed at normalizing relations after decades of hostility, the officials said.

Obama on Christmas: ‘World Is Better, Safer’ 26 December 2014 On Christmas day, U.S. President Barack Obama described the world we live in as “better and safer” after marking more than one decade of combat in Afghanistan, the Associated Press reported. At an oceanfront Marine Corps base in Hawaii, Obama told troops that while tough challenges remain for the U.S. military in hotspots like Iraq and West Africa, the world as a whole is better off because American troops put country first and served with distinction. He said Americans and their president could not be more thankful. ________________________________________________________ Terror experts...

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio feared police officers were spying on his conversations during his election campaign last year, it has emerged. In an early sign of his tension with the force, de Blasio's team was 'convinced' that members of his police detail were listening in on his private conversations inside his city-assigned car, a former de Blasio aide has told Politico. De Blasio would even step into the street to make sure he was out of their earshot, the aide added. The mayor's office has not yet responded to a request for comment on the claims.

If you happen to be a young Republican or conservative of any stripe who is attending the University of Michigan, rest assured that you will receive the same respect and fair treatment as anyone else. Particularly if you happen to wind up taking a class from Professor Susan J. Douglas or any other in the department she chairs. The educator of young minds and prolific writer has penned a thoughtful editorial piece in which she explains that it’s actually okay to hate Republicans because the science supports it. National Review has the details. “I hate Republicans,” communications department chairwoman and...

VIDEO AT LINK White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough said that under a Republican-led Congress, Washington will “work better,” as long as President Obama has his way. “Is there one thing you can say to American voters they’re going to see that’s different, given the message they sent on Tuesday?” MSNBC’s Chris Jansing asked McDonough. “They’re going to see Washington working better if this president has his way,” McDonough said. “And that’s what he’s going to do.” “How?” Jansing asked. “Well, we’re going to do it any number of ways,” McDonough said. This is the rhetoric of ‘reconciliation’ coming...

Only 10 Senate Democrats are up for re-election in 2016, the residual benefit of the shellacking they took in 2010 when tea party Republicans swept into office. The only two challenges Democrats likely will face will be defending Michael Bennet's seat in Colorado and Reid's in Nevada. In a presidential year, Bennet, who managed to survive in 2010, will be the favorite. Reid may be the most vulnerable, but he is a tenacious campaigner and in the past pulled off re-election in the face of stiff odds.

First, I want to make one thing perfectly clear: It is the stated position of Erick and the mods that Red State advocates voting for the most conservative candidate in the primaries, and the Republican in the general election. I agree with that, and it is not my intent here to troll or disrupt. Anyone who has read my earlier diaries knows that. However, if those in charge feel this diary strays over the line, they should take it down. People, this is MISSISSIPPI. This is totally different. What has happened here is an abomination. Everyone here knows what was...

YouTube Video President Obama discussed the election and how "all" the Democrats running away from him "have supported my agenda" in an interview with Al Sharpton earlier today: "Well, look, here's the bottom line," said Obama, "We've got a tough map. A lot of the states that are contested this time are states that I didn't win. And so some of the candidates there, you know, it is difficult for them to have me in the state because the Republicans will use that to try to fan Republican turn-out. The bottom line is, though, these are all folks who vote...

With the midterm elections just weeks away, DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz seemed confident during her appearanceon “Fox News Sunday” that Democrats will keep the Senate. “We are going to hold the Senate,” the Florida lawmaker said. “The president is not on the ballot.” “Republicans are desperate to put him on the ballot because they’re trying to turn away from their own terrible record,” she added. She made her prediction amid a majority of polls that give Republicans at least a 60 percent chance of retaking the upper chamber, including a Washington Post forecast that gives the GOP a...

Sen. Lindsey Graham is also now considering a run for the White House. The South Carolina Republican, up for re-election next month, told the Weekly Standard he might make a bid in 2016 if he feels like no one represents his views on foreign policy. Graham also criticized Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, a potential presidential candidate, saying he is “not quite ready” to become president. “If I get through my general election, if nobody steps up in the presidential mix, if nobody’s out there talking — me and McCain have been talking — I may just jump in to get...

Democrats can hold the Senate in November, President Barack Obama said in his "60 Minutes" interview on Sunday, insisting the country is "definitely better off than we were when I came into office." "Ronald Reagan used to ask the question, 'Are you better off than you were four years ago?'" Obama said Sunday, reports The Hill. "In this case, are you better off than you were in six?" Obama admitted Sunday that Americans aren't feeling the recovery, and blamed that on incomes and wages that are not increasing. That problem can be addressed through Democratic policy, said Obama, and he...

Asiya Ummi Abdullah doesn't share the view that the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) group rules over a terrorist dystopia and she isn't scared by the American bombs falling on Raqqa, its power center in Syria. As far as she's concerned, it's the ideal place to raise a family. In interviews with The Associated Press, the 24-year-old Muslim convert explained her decision to move with her toddler to the territory controlled by the militant group, saying it offers them protection from the sex, crime, drugs and alcohol that she sees as rampant in largely secular Turkey. “The children...

First Lady Michelle Obama proudly defended her husband’s record at a Washington, D.C. fundraiser, reminding the attendants how far the country had come since the Obamas entered the White House.

On Tuesday, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) said that a comprehensive amnesty bill would have helped America contain the Ebola epidemic in Africa. Durbin, a member of the Senate's Gang of Eight that wrote the immigration reform bill, said during a Senate hearing on Ebola that the Senate's amnesty bill would have even allowed doctors in the United States to travel to Africa to combat Ebola "without jeopardizing their immigration status."

VENTURA COUNTY (CBSLA.com) — An Ojai man has come up with a unique challenge to personally attempt to curb the drought crisis in Southern California. CBS2’s Peter Daut reported Cody Creighton is 58 days into his challenge of not showering for 128 days. However, Creighton still manages a form of hygiene by washing his hands and face. According to Creighton, he believes that 30,000 gallons of water is saved for every shower that he doesn’t take during the challenge. To follow Creighton on the rest of his personal challenge, visit his Instagram account where he posts photos and video updates...

The fire this time is about invisibility. Our society expects the police to keep unemployed, poorly educated African-American men out of sight and out of mind. When they suddenly take center stage, illuminated by the flash and flicker of Molotov cocktails, we feign surprise. The proximate cause of the rioting in Ferguson, Mo., is the killing of 18-year-old Michael Brown, who was stopped, a witness has said, by a white policeman for walking in the street rather than on the sidewalk. Officer Darren Wilson shot Brown at least six times, according to a private autopsy and, reportedly, one conducted by...

The Washington Free Beacon has put together a greatest hits compilation of the Democrats’ border security quotes. Why would the Democrats continuously insist that the border is secure? Perhaps because Republicans insist on having a secure border before discussing any type of immigration reform legislation. Democrats don’t think people will catch up to this at some point? The PR game that carried Obama – health care lies and all – to the White House is showing significant signs of incompetent wear and tear lately…

Some of Texas' moderate Republicans say the state's far-right turn since Sen. Ted Cruz's political ascendancy could have unintended consequences.At a breakfast in Washington’s St. Regis Hotel in June, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, R-Texas, took a moment to gather his thoughts before he was ready to answer a question about how junior Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, had changed his home state. “Texas is pretty big and pretty diverse,” Perry said peering intently through his black horn-rimmed glasses. “I’m not sure one person has the ability to change all of that.” A few seconds later, he clarified exactly where he think...

Have you been following the news about Obamacare? The Affordable Care Act has receded from the front page, but information about how it’s going keeps coming in — and almost all the news is good. Indeed, health reform has been on a roll ever since March, when it became clear that enrollment would surpass expectations despite the teething problems of the federal website. What’s interesting about this success story is that it has been accompanied at every step by cries of impending disaster. At this point, by my reckoning, the enemies of health reform are 0 for 6. That is,...

The roots of modern-day voter suppression is buried in Florida, and it grew and blossomed during the 2000 presidential elections. “Florida is the state where awareness of how serious flaws in elections administration could result in voters being disenfranchised developed,” said Marcia Johnson-Blanco, coordinator, Voting Rights Project, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.votersuppression2 The critical role of Florida in deciding the presidential contest between Republican candidate George W. Bush and Democrat Al Gore, and the narrow margin by which the outcome was decided shined a global-sized spotlight on the state, revealing several election irregularities. Before the elections, state officials...