Free Republic

A resolution passed by all 19 Republicans authorizes that Senate Dems be taken into custody for being in contempt of the Senate. Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said the GOP majority has been "overly reasonable" with the missing 14 Dems to this point, but "they have pushed us to the edge of a constitutional crisis." The resolution passed without any remarks from the other 18 Republicans. Fitzgerald said the Democrats have insulted their constituents and "the very fabric of our representative democracy" with their actions. "This is not something we have taken lightly, and it is not something any member...

One of the 14 Wisconsin senators who has been hiding out in Illinois with his Democratic colleagues says protesters have discovered the hotel where many of the lawmakers are staying. State Sen. Chris Larson said Tuesday that the senators were trying to keep their locations a secret because they were concerned for their safety. For example, he said, someone e-mailed him threatening to burn down his house. Larson was speaking by cell phone Tuesday when protesters pulled up in front of his hotel. He said he and his fellow Democrats would likely move, although he wasn't sure whether that meant...

Now Democratic lawmakers from another state seem to be leaving their homes for Illinois. House Democrats in Indiana are leaving the state rather than vote a bill that would modify collective-bargaining for some workers there, according to the Indianapolis Star. A source told the paper that Democrats from that state's lower chamber are headed to Illinois, though the paper notes that some might go to Kentucky. Only two of the 40 Democrats were on the Indiana House floor when the chamber convened Tuesday. The lack of Democratic House members showing up at the Capitol in Indiana prevents the Republican majority...

Link only, per FR policy. FULL STORY

At 8 a.m. Thursday, 14 state senators from Wisconsin met upstairs from a coffee shop a block from the capitol and decided the safest route to blocking Republican Gov. Scott Walker's budget bill was to leave town. Elder statesman, 83-year-old Sen. Fred Risser, who was first elected in 1956, gave his blessing. ...snip... Minority leader Mark Miller suggested they meet up at the Best Western Clock Tower Resort in Rockford, Ill. It was across the state line, only about an hour and a half away by car, and the hotel's clock tower was easy to spot from the I-90. ...snip......

MADISON, Wis. – Wisconsin's senate majority leader says the chamber will convene to pass non-spending bills and act on appointments Tuesday even if minority Democrats remain out of state. Republican Sen. Scott Fitzgerald told The Associated Press on Sunday that he would be reviewing which bills and appointees to schedule for action. He says senators can't wait around "twiddling their thumbs" until the Democrats return. Fourteen Democrats fled to Illinois last week to delay action on a budget bill that would effectively eliminate collective bargaining rights for most public employees. Republicans need 20 of 33 members to have a quorum...

[LIVE THREAD] This is the place to post the ongoing exploits of the good guys and bad guys involved in Wisconsin's continuing constitutional crisis...

CHICAGO (AP) -- Democrats who fled Wisconsin to block a vote on a sweeping anti-union bill could stay in hiding for days or even weeks. Democratic state Sen. Jon Erpenbach spoke to The Associated Press at a Chicago hotel on Friday.

Wisconsin GOP Senate Leader Sends State Troopers After Missing Top Democrat Published February 18, 2011 | FoxNews.com The top Republican in the Wisconsin state Senate has asked Gov. Scott Walker to send state troopers after Democratic leader Mark Miller as Democrats boycott a vote on a bill that would end collective bargaining rights for unionized public employees. Senate Democrats have been missing from the Capitol for a day and a half. Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald says he has asked Gov. Scott Walker to send two state troopers to Miller's home in Monona. He says he believes the troopers are...

In Robert Louis Stevenson's famous novella about the duality of human nature, a minor character describes Mr. Hyde thus: "There is something wrong with his appearance; something displeasing, something down-right detestable. I never saw a man I so disliked." It is difficult to avoid similar feelings of revulsion watching the C-SPAN video of Dr. Donald Berwick's alter ego testifying at the February 10 hearing of the House Ways and Means Committee. His disingenuous opening remarks, evasive answers, and transparent contempt for congressional oversight revealed Obama's recess-appointed administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) as a grotesque changeling. Gone...

Nine years into the war in Afghanistan, a handful of U.S. soldiers have a new weapon in hand, a lethal combination of technology and explosives that the Army has called a "game changer." Looking like it came straight out of a sci-fi movie, the XM-25 fires highly specialized rounds that can be programmed to explode at the precise location where the enemy is hiding behind cover. (Snip) Though the XM-25 has tested well in the United States, military brass will be watching the weapon's performance in real-life combat to assess not only how well it performs, but also what weapons

When you're grilling, nothing's more handy than a digital thermometer...except maybe these: Tongs that incorporate a very fine temperature probe so you don't need to fiddle with multiple tools. Test 7 meat types (beef, veal, lamb, pork, poultry, turkey, and ground beef) to see if they meet the USDA regulations for char. Then, assuming you bought your meat from a decent butcher, disregard the hogwash and eat your burger so rare that you can feel the cow's heartbeat with every bite.

Cincinnati Tea Party meets downtown Cincinnati, to hold candlelight vigil and send a massage to U.S.Rep.Steve Driehaus-DWest Price Hill,to vote no on the Obama Insurance Bill. My final headcount was nearly 400, counting teenagers and children too.

Travellers to Europe face being treated like drug smugglers as security chiefs are expected to recommend new intrusive security measures. French anti-terror chiefs are expected to propose the new measures, such as full body X-rays or handing in all electronic devices, after a terrorist tried to kill a Saudi prince with a bomb he had inserted into his body. Al Qaeda's latest ploy was first pioneered by Abdullah Hassan al Asiri, who blew himself apart in Jeddah in late August in an attack on Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, the Saudi anti-terrorism chief. The 23-year-old terrorist blew himself into 70 pieces...

What are you doing for the next couple of days to drown out the noise of Obamamania? Comments and suggestions are encouraged.

WaPo. Mr. McCain's selection of an inexperienced and relatively unknown figure was unsettling, and the campaign's decision to keep her sequestered from serious interchanges with reporters and voters serves only to deepen the unease. Sequestered? She gave her first interview to a partisan MSM anchor, who tried to trip her up (unlike the softballs lobbed to Obama). She gave an interview to a friendly conservative commentator. She gave one to a celebrity rag and some more to her home-state press. Doesn't that cover everything? And there were no serious exchanges? Ask Charlie Gibson if he agrees with that. That "unease"...

Two days ago, the morons over at MSNBC had their panties in a twist saying that the Mavericuda campaign was hiding Sarah Palin in Alaska to avoid the media. Funny, they could have called Charles Gibson over at ABC who was offered an interview several days ago. Yeah, why would ABC confirm the offer a couple of days ago? Let’s let Fleeing Scaredycat Dipshit governor story just hang out there.

Washington, DC -- A leading psychology professor and a liberal pro-life group are concerned that the American Psychological Association will hide the risks of abortion when it released a new report in August. Last year, the psychological group began a new review of abortion and emotional issues. If the APA conducts an exhaustive and honest review of the data, it will find a New Zealand study showing 40 percent of women who have abortions experienced significant depression -- a higher rate than women who carry their pregnancy to term. Other studies have shown women who have abortions have higher levels...

Muslim Barack Obama fans told to hide from television cameras By Tim Shipman in Washington Last Updated: 12:23AM BST 19/06/2008 Barack Obama's campaign has been forced to apologise to two Muslim women barred from sitting behind him at a public event. About one in eight Americans falsely believes Mr Obama is Muslim The two women in headscarves were asked not to sit in view of cameras at a rally in Detroit on Monday, where Al Gore endorsed Mr Obama. Hebba Aref, a 25-year-old lawyer, told Politico magazine: "I was coming to support him, and I felt like I was discriminated...

AL ASAD — In 2007, the Marine Corps began launching a unique mission, merging the air and ground combat elements. These Aero Scout missions deploy troops to immediately search and assess any sighted suspicious activities across the Multi National Force - West area of operations. “We’re keeping our eyes on vast areas and maintaining an awareness of what’s out there,” said Capt. William Boulware, a pilot with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 361. “We’re multiplying the capabilities of the ground combat element by stretching their legs to places they normally don’t patrol.” These missions also provide a presence of security to...