Free Republic

Barack Obama has pledged to push through immigration reforms that would give America's 12 million illegal migrants a form of citizenship. "I will make it a top priority in my first year as President - not only because we have an obligation to secure our borders and get control of who comes in and out of our country...but because we have to finally bring undocumented immigrants out of the shadows," he said in a speech in Washington. Both the Democratic nominee and his Republican rival Senator John McCain addressed the League of United Latin American Citizens, the largest Latino organization...

Excerpt- WASHINGTON -- Two hard-charging political operatives are teaming up to create a bipartisan consulting organization to advise corporations in crisis -- as they work to burnish their own reputations as well. Former Clinton strategist Mark Penn, chairman and CEO of public-relations firm Burson-Marsteller, is hiring former Bush adviser Karen Hughes as a vice chairman, the principals say. The political combatants, known for their partisan efforts, decided to combine forces to offer a one-stop crisis-communication and public-affairs shop to corporations caught in front-page headlines or faced with a changing Washington. ~ snip ~

Only in America could critics of a group called "The Race" be labeled racists. Such is the triumph of left-wing identity chauvinists, whose aggressive activists and supine abettors have succeeded in redefining all opposition as "hate." Both Barack Obama and John McCain will speak this week in San Diego at the annual conference of the National Council of La Raza, the Latino organization whose name is Spanish for, yes, "The Race." Can you imagine Obama and McCain paying homage to a group of white people who called themselves that? No matter. The presidential candidates and the media have legitimized "The...

Democrats on Tuesday proposed billions in tax increases on businesses and high earners to help bridge California's budget shortfall. The proposed hikes include rolling back the dependent child income tax credit expanded in the 1990s, creating two higher income tax brackets for the state's biggest earners and increasing corporate taxes. The long-awaited list of revenue proposals faces near certain defeat, however, as Republican lawmakers have repeatedly said they are unified in their opposition to any tax increases. Approving a budget and increasing taxes requires a two-thirds vote, which means GOP support is mandatory. "I guarantee you it will be a...

The lefties have hit this hard. 58% remove ban entirely 22% keep don't ask don't tell 20% gays shouldn't be in at all

The list of issues on which Barack Obama has flipped now that the primaries are over is long and growing rapidly. • He says he believes in a Second Amendment right to bear arms. • He now opposes late-term abortion. • He suddenly is a devotee of using faith-based institutions to deliver public services. • He now says that he won't raise Social Security taxes on anyone making less than $250,000 a year. In the primary, he said he'd eliminate the threshold entirely, including on people making as little as $100,000. • He recently opposed the Fairness Doctrine for talk...

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - Two environmental groups on Tuesday filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn new federal regulations that grants permission to oil companies working in the Chukchi Sea to disturb the polar bears and walrus that live there. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Anchorage, challenges regulations issued last month by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that allow "incidental takes" of the animals, meaning permission to disturb or accidentally harass them as long as such actions do not result in physical injury or death. Tuesday's lawsuit, filed by the Center for Biological Diversity and Pacific Environment,...

Who read Free Republic? Apparently the U.S. Secret Service does!This past weekend, I posted an article alerting the Secret Service that members of the terrorist supporting group Code Pink were using fake presses to gain access to events headlined by Secret Service protectees like presumptive Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (AZ).This morning, McCain spoke at the LULAC convention in Washington, D.C. Usually when he speaks at an event in D.C., McCain can expect to have his speech disrupted by Code Pink activists who rush the stage and heckle him from the audience and the press section.That didn't happen today....

POWDER SPRINGS, Ga. — Senator Barack Obama on Tuesday forcefully addressed concerns that he had moved too quickly to the political center, acknowledging complaints from “my friends on the left” about his statements on Iraq, his approaches to evangelicals and his remarks on other issues that have alarmed some of his supporters. "Look, let me talk about the broader issue, this whole notion that I am shifting to the center,” he told a crowd gathered at a town hall-style meeting in this Atlanta suburb. “The people who say this apparently haven’t been listening to me.” “I am someone who is...

Conservatives complain that the media have a bias to the left. Do you believe that this is true? Mike Kovanda, DAVIS, ILL. The problem with the media is not that they're veering to the left or to the right but that they have an addiction to presenting two sides to every issue, even when the truth lies on one side or the other. I'd much rather we make our preferences and points of view transparent than pretend we don't have them. ---snip--- What can liberal politicians learn from Republican tactics? Jack Bini, NEW YORK CITY Go after your opponent's strengths....

The California Democratic Party has donated $250,000 to help Don Perata pay off his legal bills, as the Senate Democratic leader continues to rack up expenses fending off an ongoing FBI corruption investigation. The party made the quarter-million dollar donation on July 1, according to campaign filings. The money comes just in time for Perata, who, according to a May disclosure, had only $273 cash on hand in his legal defense fund and $250,000 in unpaid bills. Jason Kinney, a spokesman for Perata on legal issues, said the donation -- and the continuing expenses -- are "no indication of anything."...

John Edwards said Tuesday that if he were asked to accept the vice presidential slot or a cabinet position in a potential Barack Obama administration, he would “seriously consider” whatever the Illinois senator asked him to do. It has been widely reported that the former North Carolina senator is on Obama’s vice presidential shortlist. On Tuesday, NPR interviewer Guy Raz called the former Democratic presidential candidate’s presence on the list an “open secret,” and asked Edwards whether he’d weigh accepting a vice presidential offer, or might take himself out of consideration as Virginia Senator Jim Webb had done Monday. “I’m...

In an under-covered moment I only caught by streaming the event online, Sen. Barack Obama told voters today in Powder Springs, Georgia, they should not be worried about making the United States an "English-only" country. He said he agrees immigrants should learn English, but felt the concern should be more about global competitiveness. "Instead of worrying about whether immigrants can learn English, because they will learn English, you need to make sure your child can speak Spanish," he said. "We should have every child speaking more than one language." For comic effect, he added, "It's embarrassing when Europeans come over...

CAPITOL MEDIA SERVICES PHOENIX — Arizonans without state permits will not be able to carry loaded guns under the seats of their cars. Gov. Janet Napolitano on Monday vetoed legislation that would have made cars and trucks the same as someone's home, where you could have a gun anywhere, visible or not. The governor said the measure "would have added to the level of uncertainty and danger law enforcement officers who make traffic stops already face in the line of duty." But Rep. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, said existing law already allows people to carry holstered weapons in places not...

Obama: I think that if we don't get a handle on our energy policy, it is possible that the kinds of trends we've seen over the last year will just continue. Demand is clearly outstripping supply. It's not a problem I think we can drill our way out of. Consumers are obviously painfully having to adapt to rising gas prices, but it can be a drag on our economy for a very long time unless we take steps to innovate and invest in the research and development that's required to find alternative fuels, make our transportation system much more energy-efficient....

Barack Obama's campaign changed the rules of a highly publicized fundraiser Tuesday, after gambling regulators said the contest — a chance at one of 10 trips to the Democratic National Convention — was an illegal lottery. "We are happy to have resolved this issue working closely with state officials," said Nick Kimball, spokesman for the Obama campaign ... A spokesman for the Colorado Secretary of State said Democrats would have to get a license if they were conducting "a standard raffle where they're buying tickets" in order to win. But under the new rules, supporters don't have to donate money...

Barack Obama took a "tough love" message to African American youth, telling that finishing high school is a better route to success in life than an unlikely trip to the NBA or the top of the rap industry. "You are probably not that good a rapper. Maybe you are the next Lil' Wayne, but probably not, in which case you need to stay in school," Obama, D-Ill., told a cheering crowd, brought to a standing ovation at a town hall meeting in Powder Springs, Georgia. The presumptive Democratic nominee was speaking about high school drop out rates and the need...

WASHINGTON, D.C., July 7, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Sen. Barack Obama has the Democratic Party's pro-abortion political base incensed and up in arms over recent overtures designed to soften the candidate's image as the party's most pro-abortion presidential candidate ever. The presumptive nominee has followed recent calls for continuing faith-based initiatives by voicing a position in favor of abstinence education and prohibiting abortion in certain cases. Sen. Barack Obama has been trying to enhance his appeal to voters by moving closer to the political center at the same time as pro-family and pro-life groups have been drawing attention to his extreme...

Who do you want be McCain's VEEP and give reasons! I read that Romney is on the top of the list, and I'm wondering if this is true and if this is the best choice in everyone's opinion. If its not the best choice, state why. Maybe McCain reads freerepublic (yeah right :P)

Sen. John McCain gave two economics speeches in the last 48 hours. They were very strong, pro-growth, and pro-energy production. McCain also is finally slamming Obama on taxes and energy. Yesterday in Denver, the senator said, “If you believe you should pay more taxes, I am the wrong candidate for you. Sen. Obama is your man. The choice in this election is stark and simple. Sen. Obama will raise your taxes. I won’t.” This is good. Strong. I hope it’s the beginning of a Big Mac resurgence under the new management of Steve Schmidt, who is effectively running the campaign...

OTTAWA -- The Conservative Party is planning another four by-elections for the first week of September - two in Quebec and two in Ontario - but has hit a snag: John Godfrey, the Liberal MP for Don Valley West, is not going to resign until August 1, even though he has already taken up his new job as head of the Toronto French School. The delay would push the Don Valley contest into the middle of September at the earliest. Conservatives allege the Liberals have stalled Mr. Godfrey's resignation because they are so hard-up for money they don't want to...

He was a fighter pilot in World War II, bombing targets in Europe to stop Hitler. But former Senator and 1972 Democratic presidential nominee George McGovern says that didn't qualify him to run the country--and the same goes for GOP presumptive nominee John McCain. ``I don't have any regrets about that,'' the antiwar Democratic stalwart said in a brief interview yesterday on Capitol Hill. ``While bombing is a terrible thing, we smashed Hitler's oil refineries all over Europe.'' ``But I don't recall ever saying that experience as a bomber pilot equipped me to be very strong on how to run...

Election '08: McCain shouldn't be "choosing" between low taxes and spending cuts. Both are needed. And on economics, Obama loses. Blind to the entitlement crisis, his new spending would mean crippling new taxes.According to the New York Times, John McCain's economic advisers are agonizing over whether their candidate should balance the budget, as he recently promised to do by 2013, or extend the Bush tax cuts? Then, at the end of an article on the supposed competition between supply-siders and deficit hawks, came the definitive answer from McCain senior economic adviser Douglas Holtz-Eakin: "You'll never have successful deficit-reduction without strong...

You'd think Chris Matthews might wish Howard Wolfson well on the news that the former top aide to Hillary Clinton has joined Fox News as a Dem analyst. Think again. The Hardball host has ungraciously predicted that the move to Fox could spell the end of Wolfson—and in doing so revealed his own pop-culture roots. Here was Matthews on this evening's Hardball: CHRIS MATTHEWS: Fox News loves presenting itself as the alternative to the other news networks. Roger Ailes, the guy behind the network, figures that the Hillary campaign needs a new home, now that she's out of the race...

In typical fashion, House Democrats are trying to pass rules that stifle debate and require regulation. Rep. Michael Capuano (D-MA) sent a letter to the Chairman of the Committee on House Administraion Kevin Brady. The letter is a response to a debate about whether the House should allow members to use YouTube, first raised by Rep. Kevin McCarthy back in April. From that story: The reason is simple enough: The Franking Commission frowns on official links to campaign-related Web sites, political parties, advocacy groups and "any site the primary purpose of which is the conduct of commerce." Well, Capuano's proposal...

More than four years after a stunning report about America's vulnerability to a nuclear electromagnetic pulse attack was released to Congress, the House Armed Services Committee will hear testimony from the scientist who issued the warning and who believes Iran is pursuing such an option. William R. Graham, President Reagan's top science adviser and the chairman of the Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Attack, will update the committee Thursday morning. Graham warned in 2005 that Iran was not only covertly developing nuclear weapons, but was already testing ballistic missiles specifically designed to...

*** National Day of Action for an Oil-Free President Wednesday June 9 5:00PM Kwik Trip Station, Corner of Civic Center Drive and 11th Ave NW (in Rochester) Sponsored by Moveon.org This Wednesday, we're pushing back with our National Day of Action for an Oil-Free President. We'll be gathering at gas stations around the country to reach out to voters and make sure they know John McCain is Big Oil's candidate and that he won't solve our energy crisis. Can you join the event in Rochester? Host: Lyle A.—fellow MoveOn member Where: Kwik Trip Station, Corner of Civic Center Drive and...

When Democrats won majorities in both chambers of Congress, they pointed to the falling approval ratings of the legislature as a mandate for change. They have certainly provided it -- albeit in the wrong direction. Rasmussen's latest polling shows the approval ratings for Congress have reached a new low, and a new achievement ... single digits: The percentage of voters who give Congress good or excellent ratings has fallen to single digits for the first time in Rasmussen Reports tracking history. This month, just 9% say Congress is doing a good or excellent job. Most voters (52%) say Congress is...

.... Obama the symbol possesses the enviable quality that Walker calls "projectability," and Obama himself has marveled that he often seems to be "a blank screen on which people of vastly different political stripes project their own views." He is, in short, a cutting-edge brand. But if he does win the general election, what then? A brand can't be president of the United States. Once in the Oval Office what beliefs, values and ideas would Obama bring to the job? Rather than look at calculated official pronouncements (a recent release cited William Shakespeare and Ernest Hemingway as the candidate's favorite...

If this scenerio unfolds , america can not afford a green pea like Obama. In you heart ... in your guts , you know you have to vote ... for McCain (Washington, D.C., July 8, 2008) -- War clouds continue to build in the epicenter. Last month in Rome, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad vowed that the United States and Israel would soon be "annihilated," language he had not used so explicitly since October 2005 when he promised to wipe Israel "off the map" and urged Muslims to "envision a world without the United States." This week, his regime authorized a...

The Democratic National Committee announced Tuesday that it is seeking input from the public in all states as it is drafting its 2008 national platform. The party is asking ordinary Americans to host and attend meetings “as an opportunity to exchange ideas and share perspectives on the challenges we face,” according to a DNC release. The party and the campaign of presidential candidate Sen. Barrack Obama (Ill.) will send policy experts to “as many meetings as possible to serve as facilitators.” The platform committee will then use the written summaries of the meetings in crafting the Democratic agenda. “This process...

Barack Obama's Berlin visit sparks German diplomatic row Barack Obama Roger Boyes in Berlin Berlin, a city torn apart by war, is the perfect setting for an American president preaching peace. Ronald Reagan famously stood metres away from the Brandenburg Gate and called on the Soviet Union to tear down the Wall dividing Europe. And President Kennedy used a Cold War visit to the once and future German capital to declare: “ich bin ein Berliner!” Now Barack Obama, the presidential candidate, wants to grandstand there too. But a simmering row between the German Government and the local Berlin authorities could...

Here's the You Tube link. Change that works for him! It's about time someone put together all the words this hypocrite and his cadre of followers have said regarding Iraq.

PRINCETON, NJ -- In 9 of the past 15 U.S. presidential elections, the candidate who was leading in Gallup polling roughly four months before the election ultimately won the popular vote for president. However, narrowing the set of races to the nine that were competitive, the early polling proved prescient in only three of those. With Barack Obama leading John McCain by no more than six percentage points in Gallup's early July polling, the 2008 race currently fits best into the "competitive" category. Given that assumption, Gallup's election trends from a comparable point in previous presidential election years offer no...

Facing bad publicity and a dwindling campaign account, U.S. Rep. Don Young last year turned to the "AK Wolfpack," a group of more than 20 lobbyists, including former Young staffers and retired former congressmen, with close ties to the Alaska Republican. Young's chief of staff, Mike Anderson, sent the Wolfpack an e-mail to tell them that national Democrats planned aggressive fundraising and claims of misconduct by Young to topple the 35-year incumbent congressman and his fellow Alaska Republican, U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens. If they succeed, Anderson warned, "you and your clients will be impacted." Anderson e-mailed the fundraising appeal on...

A 60-year-old librarian received a trespassing ticket Monday after a liberal group's protest outside John McCain's town-hall meeting. Kreck — a former Denver Post reporter who works part time as a librarian for an education think tank — said she was removed as she quizzed a police officer about whether he could deny her free-speech rights "on city property" by taking away her sign, while McCain supporters wore buttons inside. Jenny Schiavone, a spokeswoman for the performing arts center, said the venue is city-owned rental property but is not legally defined as public property. Detective John White, a spokesman for...

JOINT BASE BALAD — Army engineers across the world face the same challenges each day for soldiers, materials and equipment. Shortages of repair parts, force protection measures, and limited construction equipment are just some of those challenges. These shared challenges provided the opportunity for two engineer units to construct a lasting partnership together. Together, Soldiers from the 5th Engineer Battalion and the 5th Iraqi Army Engineer Regiment in Diyala province constructed an aggressive six-month training and combined operations partnership, June 5. The two engineer units are organized similarly, with combat capabilities of combat engineers, construction engineers and a boat and...

DNR is dealt a setback to its mission of conservation The agency must use E85 in its vehicles. And, as the ethanol boom grows, grasslands are lost to corn. Before buying vehicles doesn't the private citizen weigh the pros and cons of the purchase? So why is it so unreasonable for the state to … read more do so? Of course this is the same agency that is going to destroy the current largest fishing lake in Wright County on belief you can't have ducks and fish in the same body of water. This is just one more reason for...

MUSSAYIB — Iraqis are immersed in another summer of triple digit heat and electrical demand, largely fueled by use of electricity loving appliances like air conditioners, washing machines and microwave ovens, continues to be greater than the supply. Electricity generated from new and refurbished electrical generation facilities like the Mussayib Gas Generation Power Plant help reduce the gap between need and capacity by putting additional mega watts (MW) on the grid. The Gulf Region Division engineers and the Government of Iraq’s Ministry of Electricity (MoE) are working in partnership to solve the enduring problem of providing more electricity to the...

WASHINGTON, July 8, 2008 – Long known to protect the waters surrounding the United States, the question asked each time someone sees them is, “What is the U.S. Coast Guard doing here?” Chief Petty Officer Daniel Kinville and Petty Officer 2nd Class Lauren Kowalewski are part of an eight-person unit from the Coast Guard’s 1179th Deployment Support Brigade, and are the only two Coast Guard personnel in Afghanistan. “Usually, everyone’s first reaction when they see us is shock,” said Kowalewski, a Pittsburgh native. “They can’t seem to figure out why we’re so far from the U.S. coast and why we’re...

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan, July 8, 2008 – Some areas of Afghanistan’s Parwan province have been without water for years, while other areas are nearly flooded. An irrigated courtyard shows an idea of what Afghanistan could look like with a healthy water supply. U.S. Army photo by Pvt. Tamara Gabbard, 382nd Public Affairs Detachment  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. A June 23 meeting brought together a Parwan Provincial Council member, a U.S. military civil affairs leader and a United Nations Habitat District manager to discuss plans to improve water distribution. Ahmed Zaki, Army Capt. Steve H. Keiser and...

BAGHDAD, July 8, 2008 – With the delivery of two large truckloads of medical equipment, hundreds of mothers-to-be soon will benefit from the opening of a refurbished maternity hospital in western Baghdad’s Karkh district. Management of the Al Karkh Maternity Hospital in western Baghdad accepts delivery of medical equipment and supplies as a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers renovation project nears completion. U.S. Army photo  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Gulf Region Division managed the nearly $600,000 renovation, which includes a new heating, ventilating and air-conditioning system and electrical and mechanical upgrades....

FORWARD OPERATING BASE LOYALTY, Iraq, July 8, 2008 – Take a platoon of deployed U.S. soldiers and add 100 Iraqi National Police officers. Then mix in a mission to search 400 houses and temper it with just one interpreter. The dynamic challenges speak for themselves. Army Pfc. Joshua Ingraham (center), a 19-year-old rifleman from Bradenton, Fla., prepares to enter a house with Iraqi National Police officers during a clearance mission in eastern Baghdad’s Hay Nassir district, June 20, 2008. Ingraham’s ability to speak Arabic is a great asset when working with Iraqi security forces. He is assigned to Multinational...

Major television networks are considering curtailing coverage of the Democratic National Convention after Monday’s announcement that Barack Obama will accept his party's nomination in a Denver stadium. According to several broadcast executives, the networks will still cover all the major speeches. But beyond that, all options are open as they look for savings to balance out the anticipated costs surrounding the stadium event. The acceptance event is an unexpected departure from the traditional convention hall format they had spent months planning for. Network executives expect Obama’s relatively late-breaking decision to speak at Invesco Field at Mile High, a 76,000-seat football stadium,...

Mayor Daley acknowledged today that there was a gang presence at this year's Taste of Chicago, but he insisted that Chicago Police officers were powerless to stop it. "You come out of the L. You're a gang-banger. But, what is a gang-banger? Is [it] a kid that has pants, a hat and a shirt? He thinks he's a gang member. ... Can you see the police stopping every person coming down who looks like a gang-banger [based on] how people dress?" Daley said.

When prospective First Lady Michelle Obama made the statement "For the first time I am really proud of this country" it seemed that all hell broke loose. Conservative pundits jumped on it and are still beating it into the ground. It is as if she did something blasphemous or terribly un-American. The fact is most people understood exactly what she was saying. Our nation is turning for the better. The promise of a free democratic nation for all was starting to take form. The problem was she used the term "proud" and that intrudes on the great mind game or...

A doctor who thinks space aliens have the key to unlimited alternative energy — but that the government is keeping a lid on it — will speak in Denver on Wednesday night. Dr. Steven M. Greer, founder of The Disclosure Project, says with gasoline at $4 a gallon, it's even more crucial now that government officials reveal what 60 years of studying UFOs has taught them. "The energy and propulsion systems used by so-called UFOs (or extraterrestrial vehicles) has been studied for over 60 years using taxpayer funds," Greer said on his Web site. "The disclosure of this vital information...

Former Senator and Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson, a keynote speaker at the group’s convention, said that pro-life supporters should oppose the election of Democratic Senator Obama, an ardent abortion supporter, at all cost. "If Sen. Obama is elected, he will, through Supreme Court and federal court nominations, cause [abortion] to accelerate, and that will bring about changes in this country that no one in the room, and most Americans, want to see," CNS quoted Thompson as saying. "And no one in this room will live long enough to see [the changes] rectified,” he added. Both Thompson and NRLC leaders...

"I just believe, frankly, in the sanctity and unique status of marriage between man and woman. That's what I believe. And that's what I support. And that's what I will fight for."