Free Republic

Dirty Business as Usual at California High Speed Rail From the article: Out of the entire universe of those who could have won the first phase construction contract for California’s high speed rail boondoggle, who would stand out as the last person who would win it if there were no political patronage. Put another way, who is the most likely person to win it if there is political patronage? Both questions have the same answer: Richard Blum, the husband of California senator Diane Feinstein. So, who won the contract? Blum, of course, as the principle owner of Tutor Perini, the...

If you want to know why Sen. Dianne Feinstein's assault weapons ban couldn't muster 40 votes -- that's according to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who says he will cut the ban from the Democrats' gun bill -- attend a National Rifle Association event in Feinstein's backyard. Though critics like to paint the organization as an out-of-touch haven for angry old white guys, Sunday's NRA "Fun Shoot" at the San Leandro Rifle & Pistol Range was anything but. I attended a safety and shooting lesson for 12. Half of the group was female -- and white, black and Asian....

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) pretty much dumped Senator Dianne Feinstein’s assault weapons ban bill, leaving her feeling a bit betrayed. In fact, it is questionable that a serious background check will make it to the Senate floor. Feinstein’s response to Reid’s decision was classic. She told CNN, “What Senator Reid told me is that I would have an opportunity for a vote. I take him at his word. I told him also that it would be my intention to separate out the prohibition on the future, manufacture, transfer, sales, and possession of large ammunition-feeding devices of more than...

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN: Now, Senator Reid, Senator Feinstein, had said before that you deserved a vote. But its appearing now it's going to be an amendment, it could ultimately just be a symbolic vote. What's your response to this new -- SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN (D-CA): No, no if it's an amendment, that is not a symbolic vote. I did the bill in 1994 on the floor as an amendment, it enacted a law. It went on to the House, it was enacted.

After a meeting yesterday with Harry Reid (D-NV), Sen. Dianne Feinstein learned that her controversial assault weapons ban mess will not be part of the gun control bill package heading to the senate floor next month.  The AWB could be offered up as an amendment, but the bill was already considered a long shot, as senate democrats will be facing a competitive election cycle for 2014. Many face constituents back home who do not support such legislation. 

Texas Senator Ted Cruz's question to California Democratic Senator Diane Feinstein on the Second Amendment in a March 14 hearing forced MSNBC hosts into conniptions, At the heart of the congressional debate are the questions: Does the Second Amendment prohibit the federal government from passing laws related to firearms, leaving the role exclusively to the states? Or does the Second Amendment grant Congress the authority to pass laws banning guns whenever it believes it appropriate? The Second Amendment in the Bill of Rights provides that “the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” The...

Want to keep helping the Muslim Brotherhood? My CA Jewish (sort of) Senators do. What system of law has resulted in every single country from which we removed inconvenient dictators using American blood, treasure and technology? Inconvenient dictators – all Muslim rulers are dictators. The inconvenient ones had the temerity to trade with Israel and somewhat tolerate Christians and Jews in their countries. Was the result a democratic society with freedom of the press and religion? A model based on the freedoms and cautions expressed in the Declaration of Independence which gives the Constitution meaning (and why people have historically...

The race to further the gun-control agenda in the wake of last month’s tragic shooting by a crazed gunman in Newtown, Connecticut is moving into high gear. The Grand Old Lady of Gun Control, California Senator Diane Feinstein, last week introduced a bill that not only seeks to reinstate the 1994 “Federal Assault Weapons Ban” (AWB), but goes far beyond the scope of the earlier law (which expired a decade later) in undermining Second Amendment protections for law abiding Americans. Feinstein’s proposal specifically targets 157 modern sporting rifles -- or, as she almost gleefully refers to them, “assault weapons.” In...

Last week, Sen. Dianne Feinstein introduced a new, supposedly improved version of the federal "assault weapon" ban that expired in 2004. But like that earlier law, which the California Democrat also sponsored, Feinstein's bill prohibits the manufacture and sale of guns based on characteristics that have little or nothing to do with the danger they pose. Although arbitrary distinctions are a defining characteristic of "assault weapon" bans, recent polls indicate that most Americans support them. New survey data suggest one possible explanation: Most Americans don't know what "assault weapons" are. Feinstein's bill would ban "157 dangerous military-style assault weapons" by...

<p>It will be an uphill battle--all the way. I know this.</p> <p>Do we let the gun industry take over and dictate policy to this country? Do we let those who profit from increasing sales of these military style-weapons prevent us from taking commonsense steps to stop the carnage?</p>

Since the December 14th murder of 27 people prevented by law from defending themselves, the American left has worked overtime to intimidate, embarrass and harass 2nd Amendment supporters into relinquishing their God given right to keep and bear arms. Gun and accessory bans, sales by private citizens outlawed, imminent threats of confiscation, millions in new taxes and fees and countless, law abiding citizens menaced with being summarily pronounced felons—all of these threats have been brought to bear on the American public by self-righteous hypocrites. Yet a full month has gone by since the grisly, Sandy Hook killings and the far...

Though it’s doubtful anyone will hear much about it, neither lawmakers, judges or even a president has the constitutional authority to infringe upon the inalienable right of the American people to keep and bear arms. One hundred thirty eight years ago, the Supreme Court wrote that the right to keep and bear arms “…is not a right granted by the Constitution. Neither is it in any manner dependent upon that instrument for its existence.” (1) The case was the United States v Cruikshank and the Court made it clear that the right to keep and bear arms is an inalienable...

Once cowed at the thought of provoking 2nd Amendment supporters, leftists will soon attempt to ban “assault weapons” (and much more) as legislation offered by Diane Feinstein makes its way to the Senate floor. It seems that DC liberals have finally become convinced that American gun owners are too cowardly, too lazy or too dependent upon the financial "generosity" of Big Brother to fight for their 2nd Amendment rights. During the past 4 years, the gun banning left have watched as American buyers broke sales records in the purchase of semi-automatic rifles. Opting for these and other powerful, efficient weapons...

Though “Coach is Right” rarely posts pieces not original with its staff writers, this letter from Marine Corporal Joshua Boston to California Senator Diane Feinstein concerning her proposed “assault weapons” ban must be the exception. For in just 200 words, Corporal Boston has captured both the essence of our nation’s existence and the courage which will be required of determined Americans if our nation is to endure. Senator Dianne Feinstein, I will not register my weapons should this bill be passed, as I do not believe it is the government’s right to...

As I noted earlier today, Al-Jazeera has been dubbed "the most powerful voice of the Muslim Brotherhood." And Pamela Geller has noted that "Al Jazeera is the leading terrorist propaganda organization in the world. Jihad murder mastermind Anwar al-Awlaki has praised Al Jazeera, and several years ago one of its most prominent reporters was arrested on terror charges. Al Jazeera also has for years been the recipient of numerous Al Qaeda videos featuring bin Laden, Zawahiri, and American traitor Adam Gadahn. Yet they never seem to be able to trace where these videos are coming from. They have repeatedly been...

<p>The following letter, written by U.S. Marine Joshua Boston and headlined “No ma’am.,” was posted in the CNN iReport on Dec. 27 with the included note from the producer and photo. It has struck a nerve with many and is being circulated around social media venues like Twitter and Facebook.</p>

The widely anticipated senate bill soon to be introduced by gun-banner extraordinaire Diane Feinstein will do far more than eliminate “assault weapons” (AW’s) and “high capacity” magazines. According to a summary on the senator’s website, concealed carry license holder Feinstein–who proposed an outright ban on all handguns while packing her own for self-defense—will demand that owners of guns affected by her legislation: pay a $200 fee for EACH banned weapon owned; submit pictures, fingerprints and register AW’s with the ATF; have local law enforcement attest to the owner’s identity and specify the address at which each weapon will be kept....

How would a politician who argued today that guns "bring us together" and gave personal testimony to using handguns for personal protection be greeted by Democrats like Harry Reid? Why not ask Reid himself --- or at least the 2010 version of Harry Reid, discovered by BuzzFeed’s Andrew Kaczynski? Appearing with then-NRA VP Wayne LaPierre at an opening of a shooting park in Clark County, Nevada, Reid fondly recalled the days of sport shooting with his three brothers, and how Reid protected himself against "a lot of bad people" while serving on the Nevada Gaming Commission:CLICK ABOVE LINK FOR THE...

If you thought President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder had given up on closing Guantanamo Bay and bringing jihadists to American soil, think again. Two troubling developments on the Gitmo front should have every American on edge. The first White House maneuver took place in October, while much of the public and the media were preoccupied with election news. On Oct. 2, Obama's cash-strapped Illinois pals announced that the federal government bought out the Thomson Correctional Center in western Illinois for $165 million. According to Watchdog.org, a recent appraisal put the value of the facility at $220 million. Democratic...

A faux pax by Senator Diane Feinstein outed the presence of Mossad chief Tamir Pardo in Washington to discuss a possible strike on Iran. Mossad director Tamir Pardo is in Washington for talks about a possible attack on Iran's nuclear installations, Israel's Channel 2 reported on Tuesday. Pardo's visit, which would normally be conducted in secret, was revealed by US Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein, 78, who made the faux pax at committee hearing. The hearing was being broadcast live by US television. Feinstein said she had spoken with Pardo, who also met with CIA director David Petraeus, adding...

Is she a Pinhead or Patriot? You be the judge. I am talking about treasurer Kinde Durkee (and what "kinde" of name is that?) who embezzled the campaign funds of a number of CA Democrats to the extent of wiping out the money entirely, including that of Rep. Loretta Sanchez and others. Since Durkee has also been acting as treasurer for Senator Diane Feinstein there is a chance that part or all of DiFi's $5 million in campaign cash was wiped out. Most likely this money actually did serve a useful purpose in that it was pumped into the ailing...

Longtime Democratic strategist Kam Kuwata, a mainstay of the California political scene for decades, was found dead today in his Venice condominium. He was 57. “I am greatly saddened by the passing of Kam Kuwata,” said Eric Bauman, Los Angeles County Democratic Party chairman. “Today, we lost a dear friend and a top Democratic political mind whose influential behind-the-scenes work had touched California and American politics alike. Kuwata’s work extends nearly 30 years in campaign strategic planning, communications and messaging. He served in many key roles for major and local Democratic campaigns including: U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein, Daniel Akaka and...

Politics: The water spigots are back on, at least temporarily, in California's Central Valley. Turned off to protect a tiny fish, they happen to be in the districts of two congressmen "undecided" on health care reform. One could chalk it up to good fortune or just good constituent service. But in the middle of a contentious health care debate marked by Cornhusker Kickbacks and Louisiana Purchases, we may be forgiven if we find an announcement by the Department of the Interior regarding California's water supply a tad too coincidental. On Tuesday, the Department of the Interior announced it was increasing...

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – A group of Democratic lawmakers on Thursday asked Senator Dianne Feinstein to abandon draft legislation that would divert more water to California's farmers, a plan that has quickly become a flashpoint in the state's long-running water wars. Feinstein's proposal, which would ease Endangered Species Act restrictions, has angered environmental activists and fishing groups. The powerful Democratic senator's rebuke by members of her own party underscores the incendiary nature of water politics in America's No. 1 farm state. The 12 lawmakers, who sent a letter to Feinstein asking her to drop the plan, say it could ultimately...

WASHINGTON — Attorney General Eric Holder said Wednesday he made the decision to charge the Christmas Day terror suspect in the civilian system with no objection from all the other relevant departments of the government. In a letter to Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, the attorney general wrote that the FBI told its partners in the intelligence community on Christmas Day and again the next day that Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab would be charged criminally.

WASHINGTON — Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the Nigerian man accused of trying to blow up a jetliner bound for Detroit on Dec. 25, started talking to investigators after two of his family members arrived in the United States and helped earn his cooperation, a senior administration official said Tuesday evening. Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab Mr. Abdulmutallab, 23, began speaking to F.B.I. agents last week in Detroit and has not stopped, two government officials said. The officials declined to disclose what information was obtained from him, but said it was aiding in the investigation of the attempted terrorist attack. “With the family, the...

WASHINGTON — U.S. officials said a Northwest Airlines passenger from Nigeria said he was acting on behalf of al-Qaida when he tried to blow up a flight Friday as it landed in Detroit. And a White House official called the Christmas incident an attempted act of terrorism. Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., identified the suspect as Abdul Mudallad. King said the flight began in Nigeria and went through Amsterdam en route to Detroit. One of the U.S. intelligence officials said the explosive device was a mix of powder and liquid. It failed when the passenger tried to detonate it. The passenger...

Here is a video report on what the White House has confirmed as an attempted "terrorist attack" aboard a Northwest Airlines flight that was about to land in Detroit. A Nigerian national sought to ignite an explosive device aboard the plane, and was burned in the attempt: A male passenger on an international flight bound for Detroit Friday tried to blow up the plane with an explosive device in an incident that the White House is labeling an attempted act of terrorism. Several people were hurt on the plane, which had Delta markings, but was listed as Northwest Flight 253....

It only took a public thrashing to get Obama and pals to figure out that hey, maybe we want to get this Christmas Day Bomber to cooperate after all: The Nigerian man accused of trying to use a bomb hidden in his underwear to bring down a Detroit-bound airliner on Christmas Day has been cooperating with investigators since last week, discussing his contacts in Yemen and providing intelligence in multiple terrorism investigations, officials said Tuesday. Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab’s cooperation could prove to be a national security victory and a political vindication for President Barack Obama, who has been under fire...

After being embarrassed by a report on the breakdown of counterterrorism efforts before Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab boarded a Northwest flight in Amsterdam for Detroit and a series of Congressional appearances that demonstrated a lack of communication in the decision to treat the terrorist as a criminal rather than an enemy at war, the White House has begun to push back.  Citing unnamed “officials,” the AP reports that the FBI and the CIA have begun to get information from Abdulmutallab despite having clammed up after getting Mirandized.  The key, they claim, was to get his family involved in breaking his resistance:...

The Nigerian man accused of trying to use a bomb hidden in his underwear to bring down a Detroit-bound airliner on Christmas Day has been cooperating with investigators since last week and has provided fresh intelligence in multiple terrorism investigations, officials said Tuesday. Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab's cooperation could prove to be a national security victory and a political vindication for President Barack Obama, who has been under fire from lawmakers who contend the administration botched the case by giving Abdulmutallab the right to remain silent, rather than interrogating him as a military prisoner. In the days following the failed bombing,...

Now the Dem libs have gone way over the line with California Senator Diane Feinstein laying out the devil’s doctrine. She focuses especially regarding abortion.

Environmentalism: Sen. Dianne Feinstein votes to deny water to California's drought-stricken San Joaquin Valley. Farmers, families and food are being held hostage to an endangered fish called the delta smelt. (snip) The Senate rejected the amendment by a largely party-line 61-36 margin, with Feinstein opposing the restoration of water deliveries to farmers. The California senator claimed she was blindsided by the amendment to the bill she was managing in the Senate, bizarrely comparing the move to a "Pearl Harbor." "No one from California has called, written or indicated they wanted this on the calendar," Feinstein protested.

Delta smelts: Preferred over humans. Environmentalism: Sen. Dianne Feinstein votes to deny water to California's drought-stricken San Joaquin Valley. Farmers, families and food are being held hostage to an endangered fish called the delta smelt.There was a time when the San Joaquin Valley was the most productive agricultural region in the world. It was a large part of what made the Golden State golden.Now it's a place where farmers no longer farm, but instead line up at food banks to feed the families of those who once fed the rest of the country and a good chunk of the...

On the day the new Congress convened this year, Sen. Dianne Feinstein introduced legislation to route $25 billion in taxpayer money to a government agency that had just awarded her husband's real estate firm a lucrative contract to sell foreclosed properties at compensation rates higher than the industry norms. Mrs. Feinstein's intervention on behalf of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. was unusual: the California Democrat isn't a member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs with jurisdiction over FDIC; and the agency is supposed to operate from money it raises from bank-paid insurance payments - not direct...

California Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D) on Tuesday told Capitol Hill reporters that she is skeptical of the Employee Free Choice Act, possibly dealing another deadly blow to the legislation. Feinstein's skepticism, coming a week after Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) announced his opposition, means Democratic leaders might find themselves in an even deeper hole as they search for 60 votes to move the so-called "card-check" bill. "I think in this economy that what has to happen is that the unions and management get together and try to see if they can work out something," Feinstein said. "The card-check bill, as drafted,...

When House Speaker Nancy Pelosi joined Minnesota freshman Rep. Keith Ellison for his recent swearing-in ceremony, the controversy over his taking the oath of office on the Quran overshadowed his earlier role in supporting a terrorist whose group tried to kill policemen and allegedly twice tried to murder Pelosi's fellow San Francisco lawmaker Sen. Diane Feinstein. On Feb.12, 2000, Ellison joined Bernadine Dohrn, one of the founders of the 1960s radical group the Weather Underground, and several other speakers at a fundraiser for recently arrested Kathleen Soliah, a.k.a. Sara Jane Olson. Kathleen Soliah, a.k.a. Sara Jane Olson Soliah – who...

On Fox News Sunday night we were distressed to hear Senator Feinstein aver that she "would be looking into the 'Fairness Doctrine'", the most misnamed of the all the liberal, thought-control ideas we have to fend off constantly. Unfortunately, at her side was the normally conservative, but not always perceptive, Senator Lott.

RUSH: I was going to call in to the show on Friday and do some minor gloating and take a little credit here for the immigration bill being pulled, but right about the time I hit my third birdie on the front nine I said, "To hell with it, I'm going to keep playing golf." Besides, in all candor, it's not dead. It's still on life support. The president's going to meet with some people: Congress, GOP, probably Ted Kennedy, too, sometime tomorrow. It may even go up to the Capitol. The original meeting was supposed to be lunch at...

In an article in The Washington Times, California Senator Dianne Feinstein said that her office has received nearly 8,000 calls from people upset about her stance for amnesty bill currently being discussed by our government. She apparently does not think this is significant and has said that it would take 30,000+ phone calls to her offices to mean that "something is really going on". If you are upset about her stance in favor of amnesty for illegal aliens please call Dianne Feinstein and let her know what you think about the issue. Please do not be hostile, do not make...

CALIFORNIA GOLD = FEINSTEIN? By David Brown You may have noticed that Mr. and Ms. Blum are in the news again. Ms. Blum, of course, does not front herself with that name, she uses 'Dianne Feinstein'. Yes, that’s Senator Dianne Feinstein. As I was saying before I interrupted myself, these two pinnacles of American society, it would appear, have been caught with their hands in the cookie jar - again. Unfortunately, it’s not the first time - only the most recent.

The National Rifle Association is launching a preemptive attack on anticipated Democratic attempts to tighten gun control. The weapon: an illustrated pamphlet titled "Freedom in Peril.” A draft of the document, which was recently leaked to the Internet, begins: "Second Amendment freedom stands naked in the path of a marching axis of adversaries far darker and more dangerous than gun owners have ever known. Acting alone and in shadowy coalitions, these enemies of freedom are preparing for a profound and foreboding confrontation in which they will not make the mistakes of their predecessors. We’d better be ready.” The opening essay,...

What follows is a reposting of a mailing I sent to my private email list on June 24, 2006.  I don’t feel a need to explain myself, but I wrote this right after someone sent me pictures of the mutilated bodies of two young American Soldiers.  Since the original posting, this letter has made a few laps around the net and been posted in many different places.  I can’t even tell you where else because, except for a few Freepers, no one ever asked me if they could repost it.  Other than to my private email list, I originally...

Jimmy Carter, you’re the father of the Islamic Nazi movement. You threw the Shah under the bus, welcomed the Ayatollah home and then lacked the spine to confront the terrorists when they took our embassy and our people hostage. You’re the Runner-in-Chief. Bill Clinton, you played “ring around the Lewinsky” while the terrorists were at war with us. You got us into a fight with them in Somalia, and then you ran from it. Your weak-willed responses embolden the killers. Each time you failed to respond adequately they grew bolder, until 9/11. John Kerry, dishonesty is your most prominent attribute....

Attention Los Angeles California Patriots (Please Read) Hello Everyone: If you live in Los Angeles California, I need your help with a simple task. It requires no money. It is very simple. With your help, we can make a very powerful statement in the illegal immigration debate. Please read immediately. --------- Please note that on Wednesday, Feb 15th at 6PM, illegal immigration activists will be meeting in Los Angeles at Diane Feinstein's office to encourage the senator to vote AGAINST amnesty/guest worker programs. For more information, please visit the following link: http://www.saveourstate.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=7919 In case you missed it, Save Our State...

She's running folks! Yes, you can bet on it. Diane Feinstein should have NEVER laughed at the possibility of Cindy Sheehan's candidacy on Hardball. Now Cindy is MAD. And I am POSITIVE she is going to run against DiFi for the senate seat as you can see in this DUmmie THREAD titled, "Sheehan just called Feinstein a War Monger on Stephanie Miller." Yes, the future of the Democrat party is Cindy Sheehan. And for those of her who don't think she can beat DiFi, keep in mind this is CALIFORNIA we are talking about. The leftwing Democrats in Northern...

Sen. Dianne Feinstein and her mega-millionaire husband, Richard Blum, are pulling up stakes on their quiet Presidio Terrace home and moving uptown to a Pacific Heights mansion -- with views to die for. The $16.5 million mansion -- which sits at the foot of Vallejo Street, between the Presidio and some of the city's most hoity-toity addresses -- offers a sweeping view of the bay. It's right off what Herb Caen christened the "Gold Rush" -- the final two blocks of upper, upper Broadway, where the residents include Ann and Gordon Getty, Oracle founder Larry Ellison, and Mimi Haas...

Taking on a test that other Republicans have shunned, retired state Sen. Richard Mountjoy said Tuesday that he was entering the race for the GOP nomination to challenge U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein. A longtime leader of the state Republican Party's conservative wing, Mountjoy had been weighing a Senate run for weeks but said for the first time Tuesday that his decision was "definite." I'm in the race," he said in an interview. "No turning back." The former Monrovia lawmaker described his candidacy as an effort to advance the conservative cause in Congress. Although Democrat Feinstein has been widely seen as...

Since the republicans don't have a candidate and Jim gilchrist did well in the race for Cox's seat, but obviously would've won it if he ran as a republican are reasons why I think he should challenge Feinstein. Who agrees?

Senator Diane Feinstein today spoke a little about Supreme Court nominees, and what we can expect from the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings. She also let us in on what issues Liberals in the U.S. consider when they think of the rulings that affected them, and which they cherish the most. Feinstein told those gathered to hear her at a meeting of the L.A. County Bar Association that in her opinion the person chosen to replace Sandra Day O'Connor should be "balanced and Fair," and not come from either extreme. She then proceeded to give a history lesson to those gathered,...