Free Republic

A new study says when it comes to health, leadership and the economy, Utah women are some of the worst in the country. According to the Center For American Progress’ “State of Women In America,” Utah women rank 49th. The only state worse on the report was Louisiana. Utah women are dead last in leadership. Their poverty level is 43rd and they rank 34th in health. California, Colorado, Washington, New York, Connecticut and Maryland are all ranked as the best states for women to get ahead.

This week's United Nations General Assembly underscored how little influence President Barack Obama has on the world stage, and the longing among allies for a resurgence of strong American leadership, Peggy Noonan says. In her column for The Wall Street Journal, Noonan says that conversations behind the scenes at the annual U.N. session indicated concern that American influence has waned, and nostalgia for the "old America" that set an example of leadership and success admired throughout the world. "The world misses the old America, the one before the crash — the crashes — of the past dozen years," the author...

Sen. Ted Cruz on Friday appeared to confirm that he plotted with House conservatives to prevent Republican leadership from shifting strategy in the government shutdown fight. “We’ve had numerous conversations with numerous members of the House,” Cruz (R-Texas) said after the Senate approved a continuing resolution that was amended by Democrats to preserve funding for ObamaCare. [snip] The conversations indicate that Cruz is seeking to wield influence not only in the Senate but in the House, where the leadership can afford only 16 defections if it wants to pass legislation without relying on Democrats. A Boehner spokesman declined to comment.

Fresh off his 21-hour filibuster against Obamacare funding, a new poll shows that Sen. Ted Cruz has leapfrogged past his potential rivals for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination and that GOP primary voters trust him more than their party leaders on Capitol Hill. The Public Policy Polling survey found that 20 percent of those surveyed supported Mr. Cruz, Texas Republican, while 17 percent supported Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, 14 percent supported New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and 11 percent supported former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. “Ted Cruz this week established himself as the grassroots hero of the Republican party,”...

With several political climaxes looming, it serves to recall “High Noon” starring Gary Cooper as Will Kane, the beleaguered marshal who single-handedly confronts paroled murderer Frank Miller and his gang. As civil society’s elected protector, Kane is a reluctant hero, abandoned by his cowering and self-interested townsfolk. Improbably victorious, he departs town, flinging his badge with contempt for the citizens who wouldn’t defend the rule of law on which their freedom, prosperity and security depend. Though protagonists in our national Kabuki Theater claim to care about us, Think Again before allowing them to join Kane on the moral high ground....

The movie Braveheart stands as one of the classics of all time. Embodying the courage of William Wallace in his fight to overturn English rule over Scotland, the movie is a testimony to the power of an individual who is willing to risk it all for freedom. In honor of those like Representative Tom Graves (R-Ga.), and Senators Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah), who are battling both their own leaders (the Scottish noblemen) who fear for their position, as well as Obama and Harry Reid (the English), a few of the key lines from brilliantly written Braveheart are...

In the aftermath of Senator Ted Cruz’s epic performance on the Senate floor, a few observations: After his disgraceful attacks on Cruz, including his reach-across-the-aisle, dog-in-the-manger response today, this should be the end of Senator John McCain as a voice of influence in the Republican party. Ditto his mini-me, Senator Lindsey Graham. Indeed, the entire Old Guard of business-as-usual “comity” fans passeth. When you care more about what the other side thinks, it’s probably time either to switch teams or step down. There is new leadership in the GOP, whether the party wants to admit it or not: Cruz, Rand...

The other day, I was thinking about leaders, in everything from the White House to my own house to countries such as Syria to companies such as Apple. I was reflecting upon revolutionaries, from Nelson Mandela to Rosa Parks to the single parent of three who inspires her or his children with hard work and tough love. I was contemplating the power of influence and influencers who make a difference by their command and control to others who demand respect with their silence and servitude. From Jesus to James Dean and prosperity to prowess, leaders and what attracts others to...

Last Tuesday morning, at 9 a.m. in a room deep within the bowels of the Capitol, Representative John Campbell was trying to determine whether the GOP leadership’s plan to fund the government would sink or swim. “Some meetings like that, they present an idea, and it just gets blasted,” he says. “And you can just tell, walking out of the meeting, ‘Okay, this is not gonna fly.’” Campbell, an affable and wealthy Californian who is leaving Congress at the end of this session and is eager to get ownership of his calendar back, has always had a knack for anticipating...

Barack Obama is, without question, the most embarrassing president of my lifetime — and that is saying something, since my life so far has encompassed 12 presidencies, some of which have brought a lot of embarrassment to the nation. Even Richard Nixon, with his Watergate scandal, Jimmy Carter, with his malaise, and Bill Clinton, with his lewd behavior in the Oval Office, could not top this president for pure, unadulterated disgrace. Of course, in Obama’s case, it is not a matter of personal scandal like it was for Clinton. By telling the world a year ago that he was...

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich urged Congress Tuesday to "vote no" on a military strike against Syria and instead begin debate on what he described as even bigger strategic challenges for the United States and the world. "The most powerful nation in the world does not need a three- or four-week debate about a limited, symbolic, tactical use of power," the Georgia Republican wrote Tuesday in an opinion piece for CNN, as he urged Congress to "vote no on a meaningless public relations use of military force against [Syrian President Bashar Assad]. "What we do need are three debates about...

While reading a book about Winston Churchill framed in his own words, I was struck by the vast difference between his leadership and our contemporary crop of leaders here in America. Where are the statesmen among us? When President John F. Kennedy made Churchill an honorary American citizen in April, 1963, Kennedy said of him, “In the dark days and darker nights when Britain stood alone -- and most men save Englishmen despaired of England’s life -- he mobilized the English language and sent it into battle. The incandescent quality of his words illuminated the courage of his countrymen.” Contrast...

Former U.S. House speaker Newt Gingrich told a meeting of the Republican National Committee that his party needs to move beyond its image of steadfast opposition to President Barack Obama and convince voters its goal is to improve the country. “We have to get beyond being anti-Obama and we have to convince people you can have hope in America,” Gingrich said on Wednesday. “What we have to do, in a sense, is be a party of optimism and a party of hope and show actual cases of how it can work.” Speaking at a Boston hotel adjacent to where Republican...

Russian President Vladimir Putin believes he can “dis” the United States without repercussions, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee said in an interview with CNN.  Rep. Ed Royce (R-Calif.) told Wolf Blitzer late Friday that Putin “intends to stick his thumb in the eye of the United States every time he can.” “I think there was an opportunity with the past leadership in Russia,” Royce said. “But right now, clearly, Putin intends to ... stick his thumb in the eye of the United States every time he can. And so it's a difficult situation. He's trying to undermine...

"The true solution for the problems of Honduras is first of all to understand that God is the One who decides and orders everything." -Honduran President Porfirio Lobo Honduras(Honduras)—As Latin American Christians joined with thousands of American missionaries in one of Central America's most violent countries, they joined in the cry: "One nation; One day." The intercession was said to be an answer to prayer for Honduran pastors, who viewed "One Nation, One Day" as a God-given strategy to reach their nation with the Gospel of Christ. It was supported by President Porfirio Lobo. HondurasAccording to a CBN report, the...

Conservatives on Capitol Hill are not the only ones frustrated with Speaker John A. Boehner. Now a group of conservatives in Ohio-8, his congressional district are working to defeat him in the 2014 GOP primary. According to the Ohio Accountability Project’s website, the group came together and decided it was time to hold their own congressman accountable: “John Boehner–was no longer adequately representing the people in OH-8.” In addition to challenging Boehner, the goal of the project is inform conservatives, so they can act before it is too late to stop the liberals, said its founder J. D. Winteregg, a...

<p>The Obamacare disaster is coming. Sure, the president is delaying or dismissing parts of it because they’ve proved either unmanageable or unworkable in the legally allotted time to set them up, but the most invasive and damaging aspects are still coming. But there is a chance to stop them in their tracks, IF Republicans have the courage to do it.</p>

JULIA Gillard has called for a Labor leadership ballot to be held at 7pm tonight. ''Anyone who believes they should be Labor leader should put themselves forward for this ballot,'' the Prime Minister said. She said anyone who entered the ballot should commit, in the interests of the party, to resigning from parliament if they lost. The move forces the Rudd camp to bring forward their preferred timetable for a challenge. They had hoped to engineer a special caucus meeting tomorrow and a challenge on Friday. “I am asking my political party to endorse me as a leader and Prime...

KEVIN Rudd will challenge Julia Gillard for the Labor leadership tomorrow morning. A petition for a ballot circulated among Labor MPs is believed to now have the required numbers for a spill of the PM.