Free Republic

Senators McCain and Obama will take the stage in Nashville, Tennessee tomorrow night at 6:00 PM PST for their highly anticipated joint town hall appearance. As the differences between these two men - in experience, views, judgement, and character - become clearer by the day, make sure you tune in for this special event. LINKS to latest ads, must reads and clips of the day.

To say goodbye, 41 years too late Vietnam War officer, missing since 1967, comes home to rest Sunday, October 5, 2008 3:39 AM By Holly Zachariah THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH WEST LIBERTY, Ohio -- He called her Tootsie. Pat Zook doesn't know exactly why. She thinks maybe it was because her husband always liked that old Al Jolson song: Yesterday I heard a lover sigh, Goodbye, oh me, oh my. Toot, toot, Tootsie, goodbye. Oh, no, Tootsie, don't cry. She last touched his face -- those bedroom eyes, the full and pouty lips, that Elvis Presley hair -- as he left...

A millionaire banker has been beaten to death after intervening to save a couple being assaulted by a mob. Frank McGarahan, 45, was out with relatives the night before his niece's christening when he saw the pair being attacked near a taxi rank. But as he shouted at the gang of ten men to stop, they turned on him. In the fracas, he suffered a serious head injury. The father-of-two was the chief operating officer of Barclays Wealth, the bespoke finance arm which caters for the bank's richest customers, and managed their combined assets of £133 billion.On Saturday evening the...

Add your name to our pen Letter to Sarah Palin. We're taking your message of opposition to meet her in St. Louis, Missouri, for the vice-presidential debate. Dear When I first heard that John McCain had selected Sarah Palin as his vice-presidential running mate, I thought, "That MUST be a mistake." It was hard to believe that McCain had actually found someone more anti-choice, more extreme, and more out of touch than he is on issues that matter to women. And now, I'm deeply concerned about what lies ahead if McCain and Palin are elected — disappearing reproductive health rights,...

Cantor Hedges On Whether House GOP Will Accept Deal (The Politico) Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.) is still hedging his bets on whether House Republicans will back the bailout bill. Cantor, who has led House conservatives in drafting alternative principles on the bailout, said he wasn't sure there was a deal since he hasn't seen a bill. "We are not ready to say that a deal is done," Cantor said on CNN's Late Edition. At this point, it sounds like House Republicans are still looking for a way to oppose the plan, even though House Minority Whip Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) was a...

<p>An unconfirmed report just came in from AD reader Kubrickguy. Newman was battling cancer but must have lost the fight. Long live Paul Newman.</p>

Living in Tennessee and hearing John Duncan and Zach Wamp tell it, the senators and representatives from the great state of Tennessee were getting phone calls agains this bailout to the tune of 100 to 1. From what I have heard of other "red" areas, the same can be said. With the Republicans arching their collective backs against this bailout, it really was necessary for John McCain to come in and "save the day" so to speak. If not for McCain's cover and his authority as the candidate on the ticket, this deal would not have gotten done. The difference...

CITRA, Fla. -- A 13-year-old student was killed and eight others injured when a school bus crashed and caught fire, trapping the injured children in their seats. Officials said the bus carrying 21 students from North Marion Middle School and North Marion High School was struck by a big rig Tuesday afternoon on U.S. Highway 301 at 155th Street near Citra. As flames began to overwhelm the bus, four motorists stopped and began pulling the trapped students out of the flames. "They were heroes," Marion County School Superindent Jim Yancey said at the crash scene. "(The motorists) started pulling people...

Alabama Republican Sen. Richard Shelby on Tuesday sharply criticized the Bush administration's massive Wall Street bailout plan and urged rapid work in days ahead to develop a better package to calm markets "before we waste $700 billion of taxpayer money." Shelby, the top Republican on the Senate Banking Committee, said at the beginning of a committee hearing that the administration's plan "merely codifies (the Treasury Department's) ad hoc approach" taken so far to tackling the worst U.S. financial crisis since the Great Depression. He said the plan, as initially drafted, aims to rescue "the same financial institutions that created this...

Mark R. Warner, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, is answering Jim Gilmore's first television salvo with a commercial depicting the Republican as a budget-buster. Warner yesterday put up a 30-second advertisement that accuses Gilmore of attempting to "cover up the biggest shortfall in Virginia history." The Gilmore spot, which started running this past weekend, spotlights the $1.4 billion tax increase that Warner won for police, public education and social services in 2004. The dueling commercials -- on cable and over-the-air stations -- are pegged to the candidates' fiscal stewardship as governor. Gilmore served from 1998 to 2002 and was...

DO NOT MISS THIS VIDEO OF A WAR HERO WHO SUPPORTS McCAIN

Video Herethe video is not the best quality but the narration is good

CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq, Sept. 2, 2008 – If Army Cpl. Edward Helzer has a feeling of déjà-vu, it’s probably because he’s been to Iraq more than once. Army Cpl. Edward Helzer, a Laredo, Texas, native, mobilized for his second deployment to Iraq four days after he returned home from his first deployment. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Carmen Guerrero, Multinational Division Baghdad  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Now on his second deployment, he’s running the exact same routes he did before, still in his vehicle of choice: the towing and mine-detection vehicle known as the Husky. Helzer hails...

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Prime Minister Vladimir Putin was feted by Russian media on Sunday for saving a television crew from an attack by a Siberian tiger in the wilds of the Far East. Putin, taking a break from lambasting the West over Georgia, apparently saved the crew while on a trip to a national park to see how researchers monitor the tigers in the wild... The 55-year-old former KGB spy, who cultivated a macho image during his eight years as the Kremlin chief, was shown striding through the taiga in camouflage and desert boots before grappling with the feline foe.

By: Center for American Progress Action Fund ASHINGTON, DC Aug. 13, 2008 - Representative Duncan Hunter (R-CA) voted against every attempt to increase clean alternative energy sources during this Congress, according to a new analysis by the Center for American Progress Action Fund. Rep. Hunter's opposition to wind, solar, geothermal and other clean energy sources contrasts with his participation in the House Republicans protests in favor of offshore oil drilling in protected areas. These protests in the closed House chamber began on August 1st and House Republican Leaders announced that they will continue through August 22nd. "Rep. Hunter wins the...

"New Mexico and Sedona"POSTED BY MEGHAN AND PHOTOS BY HEATHER Earlier this week, we traveled to Las Cruces, New Mexico where Dad held a very lively town hall on the campus of New Mexico State University.  From there we flew to Sedona where everyone was able to chill out a bit and Dad grilled dinner for everyone.  More from Sedona soon!  Song of the Day: "Red House" by Jimi Hendrix   Duprey and his summer bumper stickers. Frank is ready for the day. Dad catches up on his reading material. Dad's opening remarks at the town hall. Waiting in the...

Based on that question, there are signs that undecided voters may be more inclined to move to McCain than to Obama. The largest number of undecideds – 38 percent – would rather get advice from McCain – that’s nearly three times as many as the 13 percent that would go to Obama. The remaining say “neither” (27 percent) or are unsure (18 percent). Furthermore, independent voters pick McCain by a 15-point margin (41 percent – 26 percent). As one would expect, most Obama voters — 78 percent — say they would go to him for advice. Similarly, fully 83 percent...

Check him out for yourself. He's the whole package. This is not only the kind of man you would want with you in the foxhole, this is the kind of man you want representing you in Washington – a man of integrity, character, moral clarity. This is a candidate I am excited about. Maybe you ask, "Farah, what can I do to support Col. West? I don't live in his district." The answer is simple. Do what I am doing. Send him the most generous campaign contribution you can. Maybe you don't have a man like West running in your...

For the better part of 60 years, two old Army pilots who loved each other argued over many a meal and drink as to which of them was the second best pilot in the world. The two shared the cockpits of old Beaver prop planes and Huey helicopters; they shared rooms in military hooches all over the world; they shared a love of practical and impractical jokes and they shared an undying love of flying and soldiers and the Army. They also shared membership in a very small and revered fraternity of fewer than 105 men who are entitled to...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 20, 2008 – After being medically retired from the Army last year as a result of mental wounds he suffered in Iraq, Michael Bradley faced a daunting challenge that would later prove pivotal in his recovery: holding down a job in the civilian world. But a new education campaign, America’s Heroes at Work, aims to make employment a less intimidating transition by teaching bosses and managers how to accommodate workers like Bradley -- a pool of productive, capable employees who are afflicted with post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury. Bradley, who today joined officials from the...

...The problems began last fall when [principal David] Davis, who did not return phone messages from The Associated Press, admonished the senior, who is identified only as "Jane Doe" in court records and whose friends say she doesn't want to talk about the experience. The friends donned gay pride T-shirts and rainbow-colored clothing when they found out how Davis had treated her, and he questioned many of them about their sexuality and association with gay students. Some were suspended. "Davis embarked on what can only be characterized as a 'witch hunt' to identify students who were homosexual and their supporters,...

Marine Robert Lamica was getting ready for his second deployment to Iraq on Monday. So his parents drove to North Carolina to bring his wife and the couple's belongings back to Massachusetts. During the trip home to Florence, the family stayed at a motel in Delaware. ~snip~ Lamica says, "Everything they own is on that truck and in the trailer, all of his Iraq medals all of his Iraq pictures, their wedding pictures, their furniture, their clothes, everything they own is on that truck."

Smart voters know, however, that campaign "promises" are no such thing. They represent a wish list and should be characterized as goals. Because they want to sound authoritative, candidates will sound as though they are promising this or that. Voters need to understand that circumstances change, and that such pledges hinge on a legislature going along with an idea and funding it if necessary. Senate candidate and former Republican Gov. Jim Gilmore has charged that his successor and opponent, former Democratic Gov. Mark Warner, promised during the '01 gubernatorial campaign that he wouldn't raise taxes but then saddled Virginia taxpayers...

Coburn is a medical doctor who continues to deliver about 400 babies a year. When told that it would be a violation of Senate rules to earn such outside income, Coburn stopped collecting money. He actually loses money for delivering the babies since he pays for malpractice insurance out of his own pocket. The latest Rasmussen Reports survey found that 77% of voters say such conduct is appropriate for a senator while only 8% disagree. But, according to Politico.com that’s not good enough for the six senators on the ethics committee, three from each party. They have ordered Coburn to...

MARIETTA, Pa. -- A former tough-on-crime Pennsylvania lawmaker has adopted a new and unpopular cause, taking into his home three sex offenders who couldn't find a place to live -- a stand that has angered neighbors, drawn pickets and touched off a zoning dispute. As cities across the nation pass ever-tighter laws to keep out people convicted of sex crimes, Tom Armstrong said he is drawing on his religious belief in forgiveness and sheltering the three men until he can open a halfway house for sex offenders. ''I think that our system is trying to treat everybody under a particular...

McCain slams Obama on Georgia

Dark Knight Shift: Why Batman Could Exist--But Not for Long Q&A with movement researcher E. Paul Zehr Batman is the most down-to-earth of all the superheroes. He has no special powers from being born on a distant world or bitten by a radioactive spider. All that protects him from the Joker and other Gotham City villains are his wits and a physique shaped by years of training—combined with the vast fortune to reach his maximum potential and augment himself with Batmobiles, Batcables and other Bat-goodies, of course. In the 2005 blockbuster Batman Begins, vengeful Bruce Wayne (played by Christian Bale)...

The Country singer John Rich (half of Big and Rich) has kindly released a song to help John McCain to the White House. Raisin' McCain narrates the senator's war experiences: "Well he got shot down in a Vietnam town, / Fighting for the red, white and blue. /And they locked him up in the Hanoi Hilton, / Thinking they could break him in two." The trouble is that the conventions of Country music normally emphasise the tragedy and rejection of Vietnam vets. Remember Kenny Rogers's Ruby Don't Take Your Love to Town? "It's hard to love a man whose legs...

Click to watch video: McCain: Sound of Freedom (50,000 Bikers)

Standing on the main stage at a world famous motorcycle rally in rural South Dakota on Monday, John McCain looked out on a sea of denim-wearing bikers and told them he enjoyed their company much more than that of the 200,000 Germans who turned out to see Barack Obama last month. “As you may know,” he told the tens of thousands gathered at the 68th annual Sturgis Rally at Buffalo Chip campground, “not long ago, a couple of hundred thousand Berliners made a lot of noise for my opponent. I’ll take the roar of fifty thousand Harleys any day.”

RAISIN' MCCAIN Music and lyrics by John Rich Well we're all just raisin' McCain Everywhere across the USA You can get on the train or get out of the way We're all just raisin' McCain And we're all just raisin' McCain Everywhere across the USA You can get on the train or get out of the way We're all just raisin' McCain Well he got shot down in a Vietnam town Fighting for the red, white and blue And they locked him up in the Hanoi Hilton Thinking they could break him in two He stayed strong, stayed extra long...

A Genuine American Hero Navy Seals Honor One of their OwnNavySeals The story of an extraordinary funeral for an extraordinary hero. PO2 (EOD2) Mike Monsoor, a Navy EOD Technician, was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor posthumously for jumping on a grenade in Iraq , giving his life to save his fellow Seals. From the Summary of Action, Petty Officer Second Class (SEAL) Michael A. Monsoor For actions on Sept. 29, 2006: Petty Officer Michael A. Monsoor, United States Navy, distinguished himself through conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty...

Today was the funeral for Army Cpl. Matthew Phillips. Phillips, 27, was just weeks from completing his 15-month tour when he and eight other soldiers were killed in a July 13 attack. They died during a three-hour battle with Taliban militants at a remote base in Afghanistan’s Kunar province. People started lining the road to his funeral at about noon. By the time his procession was passing, escorted by police and Patriot riders, there was a large crowd on both side of the road as far as I could see. I remember seeing an older lady in a car right...

A fallen soldier returned home this morning to a hero's welcome. The body of Cpl. Matthew Phillips arrived at 9:35 a.m. Wednesday at Lee Gilmer Memorial Airport in Gainesville. The chartered jet from Dover Air Force Base was met by an honor guard from the U.S. Army, which placed the casket into a waiting hearse for the trip to Ingram's Funeral Home in Cumming, where his body will lie in repose until a funeral Saturday. His family arrived about 45 minutes before the plane in a funeral home limousine. The soldier's widow, Eve, was escorted by an Army officer as...

My brother in Gainesville, Georgia closed down his store for a bit to capture the funeral procession of Corporal Matthew Phillips, on the way to neighboring Cumming. Matthew was one of the nine killed in Afghanistan not long ago.

Sgt. Frank Lugo leads a double life. In the United States, he was a successful hedge fund trader with condos in New York and South Beach, Fla. Now he is in an unlikely spot -- Iraq, where he lives in the sprawling slum of Sadr City. "My lifestyle's obviously drastically different back home than it is here," Lugo said. "But there are things that can't be replicated back home that are here. This belief that we're trying to accomplish something that's greater than oneself." Lugo is an Army reservist. At 36, he has re-enlisted four times, swapping fast cars and...

A school district near Austin, TX wants to name a new high school there Vandegrift High School after a fallen Marine who graduated in 1999. He was killed in Iraq serving his country, and the local school board voted to name a new high school after him. This is a great gesture of appreciation. But unfortunately some lunatic leftists are protesting this decision. Please contact the Leander ISD to let them know you support their decision, despite what a vocal, anti-American minority of fringe activists think. Call the school district at 512-434-5000. Fax a letter to them at 512-434-5398. Email...

Fox News is announcing that Tony Snow has died. Heartbreaking news.

Dear Friends, Family and fellow Americans, On this Fourth of July, as we celebrate our Country’s freedoms, I want you all to know about a great American. His story so powerful, Susan and I felt compelled to share it with you on this day in the spirit of those who have also served so honorably, that we may all enjoy the blessings of freedom. His name is Lt Col Allen West and he is running for US Congress. Upon detailed inquiry my wife Susan and I have chosen to support Col. West and we could not be more proud of...

uring the service, as Monsoor's coffin was taken from the hearse to the gravesite, Navy SEALs lined up in two columns. As the coffin passed, video shows each SEAL slapping down the gold Trident from his uniform and deeply embedding it in Monsoor's wooden coffin. The slaps were reportedly heard across the cemetery. The symbolic display moved many, included Bush, who during his speech in April's Medal of Honor ceremony spoke about the incident. "The procession went on nearly half an hour," Bush said. "And when it was all over, the simple wooden coffin had become a gold-plated memorial to...

On this day in 1960, per an executive order by President Dwight Eisenhower, the nation's 50-star flag became official. Especially on the Fourth of July, patriots salute Old Glory -- continued at http://grandoldpartisan.typepad.com/blog/2008/07/mccain-is-a-hero-and-obama-is-a-zero.html

WASHINGTON, June 30, 2008 – The goal of a troop-support group’s new Web-based campaign is simple: tell the troops “thank you” a million times over, starting today. Hire A Hero, which works to connect military job seekers and military-friendly employers, has created the “One Million Thank Yous” campaign to do just that. “We … know that servicemembers are not aware of the tremendous amount of support that exists for them,” said Brac Selph, executive director of Hire A Hero. “We want servicemembers to have a virtual place they can go to remind themselves that what they are doing is...

Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe 'a hero', say African leaders By David Blair, Diplomatic Editor Last Updated: 8:47PM BST 30/06/2008 African leaders gathering for a summit have greeted President Robert Mugabe as a "hero", dashing hopes that Zimbabwe's regime would come under immediate international pressure. President Omar Bongo of Gabon, who has held power for 41 years and won a series of widely criticised elections, gave his public backing for Mr Mugabe as leaders met in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. "He was elected, he took an oath, and he is here with us, so he is President and we cannot...

Throughout the Bush presidency, he toiled in secrecy deep within the White House Until yesterday. There he sat, hunched and scowling, at the witness table in front of the House Judiciary Committee: the bearded, burly form of the chief of staff and alter ego to the vice president -- Cheney's Cheney, if you will -- and the man most responsible for building President Bush's notion of an imperial presidency. David Addington was there under subpoena. And he wasn't happy about it. Could the president ever be justified in breaking the law? "I'm not going to answer a legal opinion on...

TANROW, June 13, 2008 (CWNews.com/LifeSiteNews.com) - A Polish volleyball star who was buried on June 9 is being compared by local Catholics to Blessed Gianna Beretta Molla because of her heroic sacrifice for her unborn child. Agata Mroz, who was originally known for her athletic prowess, was buried in her hometown of Tarnow. Mroz was pregnant with her first child when doctors discovered she had a fatal case of leukemia. After consulting with her husband, Mroz delayed a bone-marrow transplant until after she gave birth to her daughter Liliana on April 4, 2008. Polish fans dubbed the national team...

Dennis Kucinich is currently on the floor of the House presenting his bill to impeach President George W. Bush. C-SPAN, 8:00 PM 9 Jun 2008.

Joy from rescue of 5 Aggie boaters turns grim when 6th member of capsized boat crew is found dead amid wreckage A day that started with the joyous rescue of five crew members of a Texas A&M University at Galveston sailboat closed with the somber discovery of the sixth sailor's body in the wreckage of the sunken ship. Roger Stone, whose body was recovered by a salvage crew Sunday about 27 miles southeast of Freeport, was called a hero for helping two students escape from below decks seconds before the Cynthia Woods capsized. "I'm sure that's what lost his life,"...

POW, War Hero, President 

WASHINGTON, June 3, 2008 – Medal of Honor recipient Army Spc. Ross A. McGinnis joined a select group of military heroes during a Pentagon ceremony here today. Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England hosted the event that added McGinnis’ name to the roster of other Army Medal of Honor recipients. Army Secretary Pete Geren and Gen. Richard R. Cody, the Army’s vice chief of staff, also attended the event at the library and conference center. Medal of Honor recipients “are our nation’s most-revered heroes,” England said. “And every time a name is added, that individual’s story enriches the significance of...

The Story of PFC Ross A. McGinnis 1st Platoon, C Company, 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division (attached to 2nd BCT, 2ID) Parents: Tom and Romayne McGinnis Siblings: Becky Gorman and Katie McGinnis Hometown: Knox, Pennsylvania Enlisted: Delayed Entry Program June 14, 2004 at the Pittsburgh MEPS. Completed initial entry training at Fort Benning, Georgia Assignments: 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment (Schweinfurt, Germany) Deployments: Operation Iraqi Freedom Spc. McGinnis’ dedication to duty and love for his fellow Soldiers were embodied in a statement issued by his parents shortly after his death: “Ross did not...