Free Republic

A leading Democrat, the new mayor of Chicago, is claiming that Republicans in America still refuse "to accept the results of the Civil War." It is Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson who recently unleashed a rant about "right-wing extremists." They are the ones, he charged, that are responsible for the huge problems facing the Democrat-run city. And specifically, "It's the same Republican right-wing extremism that stormed the Capitol, it's the same right-wing extremism that refuses to accept the results of the Civil War. It's raggedy. It's disrespectful. It's mean-spirited," he charged. Actually, History.com reports the GOP was founded in 1854 as...

President Joe Biden is confident that after two years in the White House, the U.S. is still in better than shape when he was handed the keys. During an interview with MSNBC, Biden claimed that most of what the Democrats have passed and what they’ve done has not “kicked in yet,” in response to polling data showing people trust Republicans more when it comes to the economy. MSNBC host Jonathon Capehart asked “here’s a problem, I think, for you and Democrats, despite all the good economic news, low unemployment, record job creation, wage increases, Social Security cost of living adjustment...

On Friday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s “Andrea Mitchell Reports,” Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said that the Biden administration thinks gas prices “should continue coming down,” and there have been “historic spreads between the cost of crude oil and the cost that’s being paid at the pump. So, we’re calling on those who own those gas stations to bring down the price.” Host Andrea Mitchell asked, “Bottom line, can you do anything to bring down gas prices between now and the election a month from now?” Adeyemo responded, “So, Andrea, we think that gas prices should continue coming down, because we’ve...

It may well turn out to be that Kamala Harris was not picked to be Joe Biden’s Vice-Presidential running mate because she checked all the right boxes progressive gatekeepers require be checked for them to care about someone, but she may have been chosen for another, much more important reason. No, not what got her into politics through Willie Brown, Joe likes young staffers not old ones. It is likely that Kamala Harris was tapped to be the number two because she really is number two at politics. She might be the only running mate prospect who could make Joe...

For six days and 10 events, I chased Beto from west to east across the state — a sliver of this mostly rural tour that began in his hometown of El Paso last month and traces the perimeter of the state, including the border with Mexico, before ending near Dallas in September. And when I say chased, I mean it. The man drives as if he’s a criminal trying to lose a tail, easily going 95 to 100 mph at times. “If we want to create 30 minutes to eat lunch, we gotta drive fast,” he says, devouring a chocolate-dipped...

A climate change protester interrupted the French Open semifinal match between Casper Ruud and Marin Čilić by rushing the court and tying herself to the net on Friday. “We’ve got an interloper on the court,” the commentator said as the protester stormed the court. “Security in black sport coats is out to protect.” The woman reportedly used a necklace to tie herself onto the net while donning a shirt that read “We have 1028 days left.” Her shirt also referenced a website that reportedly provided more insight into the reason for her protest. “Today, I entered the field because I...

David Axelrod, Barack Obama’s former political consultant, curbed President Joe Biden’s constant claim that Russian President Vladimir Putin is somehow the only person responsible for soaring inflation numbers and skyrocketing gas prices — which started before the unprovoked attack on Ukraine. “Why not just be blunt with people … now they’ve overcorrected, and for a few days he [President Joe Biden] was saying, you know, everything was Putin’s price hikes, inflation was Putin’s fault,” Axelrod said during a recent episode on the Hacks on Tap podcast he helped start. “People don’t believe that either. They know that we had inflation...

Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Thursday recounted being evacuated from the Senate chamber during the Jan. 6 attack, including a close brush with rioters who he was told made antisemitic remarks about him. "I was within 30 feet of these nasty, racist, bigoted insurrectionists. Had someone had a gun, had two of them blocked off the door, who knows what would have happened. I was told later that one of them reportedly said, 'There's the big Jew. Let's get him,' " Schumer said. "Bigotry against one is bigotry against all. And I saw something that I had been...

A member of the legislature of Canada's province of Ontario was expelled during a session Tuesday morning because she was not vaccinated for COVID-19. Cambridge, Ontario, MPP Belinda Karahalios had recently recovered from COVID-19 and tested negative for the virus. But Speaker Ted Arnott ordered her to leave because the current advice from the public officer of health was that she must be out of the chamber for 90 days following her positive test, Canada's CBC News reported. "I need to address the member for Cambridge – member for Cambridge is obviously in the precinct and in the chamber at...

The U.S. announced it will provide an additional $144 million in aid to Afghanistan as part of efforts to help citizens in the country in a statement by Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday. The assistance brings the total amount of aid to Afghanistan to $474 million in 2021, making the U.S. the top aid donor to the country out of any nation, the statement wrote. Blinken said the aid would provide “lifesaving protection, food security support, essential health care, winterization assistance, logistics, and emergency food aid” to those suffering the effects of “healthcare shortages, COVID-19, drought, malnutrition, and...

On Monday’s broadcast of the Fox News Channel’s “Special Report,” Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm responded to concerns on whether China will meet its climate goals by stating that the U.S. and its allies need to ensure there is pressure on China and that China doesn’t “want to be shamed.” Granholm said, [relevant remarks begin around 3:50] “[T]he whole world is surrounding this. I mean, every country that has signed onto the agreement to get to net-zero carbon pollution by 2050, we’re all surrounding, and China, they want to be seen as a leader. They don’t want to be shamed. But...

In the #MeToo era that we live in, there are certain journalists who have a lot of explaining and reflecting to do. Near the top of the list: Bill Clinton-era reporters who have made cringe-worthy comments excusing the president. It was 23 years ago this week that Time contributor Nina Burleigh told then-Washington Post writer Howard Kurtz: “I'd be happy to give [Clinton] ...

On Wednesday, MSNBC freaked out over the global cruise ship industry attempting to return to business after being largely shut down during the pandemic. The reason for the left-wing cable channel’s fear? That boats full of tourists represented the latest “climate crisis,” akin to massive wildfires or deadly floods. “Also, climate crisis after climate crisis. Fires growing in California, smoke reaching the east coast, deadly floods in China, and now, a new fear in Florida,” fill-in anchor Chris Jansing ominously warned at the top of the 11:00 a.m. ET hour. She then specifically attacked the state’s Republican governor backing the...

Actor and activist Sean Penn declared the Trump administration’s coronavirus policies were no better than “gunning down” vulnerable communities “from a turret at the White House” at the Cannes Film Festival. Speaking at the French film festival about his new film, Flag Day, Penn told the media of his efforts to continue observing coronavirus protocols as he filmed the movie. He also spoke about his efforts to sponsor vaccination and testing facilities in underserved communities. Penn slammed officials who pushed what he deemed to be “misinformation,” and the actor and director had particularly harsh words for the Trump administration. “We...

Key members of the GOP are calling for either an investigation or resignation following reports of former U.S. Secretary of State and current Climate Czar John Kerry leaking information about covert Israeli military operations to Iran.

Antifa rioters in Portland, Oregon, set a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building on fire while agents remained trapped behind blocked doors. The fire began after rioters smashed windows on the upper floors of the building. Antifa continued its months-long siege of the ICE facility in Portland on Saturday night. Videos posted on Twitter show the violence perpetrated by the Antifa rioters as they smashed windows and eventually set a fire on the front of the building while ICE officers remained trapped behind blocked doors.

On Monday’s The View, the liberal hosts were more upset at Sen. Ron Johnson [R-WI] making incendiary statements about Black Lives Matter and Antifa, than they were by scandal-plagued New York Governor Andrew Cuomo refusing to resign. Co-host Joy Behar was reluctant to see Cuomo go, because he had “good points” and a Republican would be far worse: What worries me is if he resigns and fast forward down the line a Republican becomes the governor of New York state a lot of things will happen that I won't be happy with. I mean, let's talk about for a second...

MARSHA BLACKBURN: I thought it was interesting last night that Senator Harris said that Joe Biden ran the Obama recovery, and we know that that was one of the slowest recoveries ever from a recession. 2% -- JOY BEHAR: What? BLACKBURN: Economic growth and 192,000 -- BEHAR: Excuse me, ma'am. Excuse me, Senator. I have to interrupt you. It's only an hour show, but I have to interrupt you, Ma'am because the way I saw it, President Obama left this country with a surplus and now we're in a huge deficit, not to mention the thousands who are unemployed right...

"The Marching Morons" is a science fiction story by Cyril M. Kornbluth that was published in 1951. It involves a man who is accidentally put into suspended animation and awakens hundreds of years later to a society in which the average IQ is around 45. I'm not sure whether the writers for the 2006 film "Idiocracy" had this in mind when they penned their screenplay, but the two themes are quite similar, save that the film was a comedy, and the 1951 novella definitely was not. I imagine it was the "marching" part of the title that led to my...

Matthew Stafford has made a lot of money in the NFL. However, he also comes from a lot of money. A fact which has led the Lions signal-caller to label himself a person of “privilege,” who now wants to get out of his “bubble.” In an article titled, We Can’t Just Stick to Football, Stafford insists that it’s necessary for his team and others to address the perceived racial injustices in the country. “Police brutality, white privilege, racism — it’s all real,” Stafford claims. “These are not political problems. These are human problems. It should not be seen as a...