Free Republic

Before it had even started in earnest, the much-maligned vacation became a PR nightmare, after it emerged this morning that he and his wife took separate government jets to Martha's Vineyard just hours apart. Michelle Obama​ was revealed to have arrived at the Massachusetts retreat, only 500 miles from Washington, four hours before her husband yesterday. ... The extra transport to get the the First Lady to the island for only a few more hours of vacation time will have cost taxpayers thousands in additional expenses. The costs related to Mrs Obama’s solo trip mainly include the flight on the...

When Gov. Rick Perry returns to Austin this weekend, he’s likely to return to a hero’s welcome. He launched his campaign in a flawless rollout in South Carolina last weekend, captured the top spot in Rasmussen by double-digits, and is off to a dominating start in the GOP primary. Perry’s welcome will take all of that into account, as well as something else: Those of us who have watched him campaign have seen him blitz like this before, and in the past it has been a prelude to a long, entertaining campaign and ultimate victory. The first week since Texas...

A Pennsylvania man and his son were arrested Thursday on charges of harassing Sarah Palin's family and lawyers in a case a prosecutor said went beyond "merely creepy to truly threatening." Craig Christy, 47, and his son, Shawn Christy, 19, were placed under arrest at the FBI office in Allentown. The pair was indicted by a federal grand jury in Alaska on Wednesday. They are accused of harassing members of the former Alaska governor's family as well as her attorneys and employees of the law firm. Palin, the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee, is also a possible presidential candidate. The...

A careful audit of combat support and reconstruction contracts reveals that at least $360 million in US tax dollars has gone to fund the Taliban and terrorist operations in Afghanistan. Corrupt contractors and subcontractors are responsible for the diversion of funds which have surely resulted in harm to soldiers and civilians throughout the region. LOS ANGELES (Catholic Online) - The losses demonstrate one of the challenges the US faces in Afghanistan, specifically, rampant corruption. Private Afghan corporations are providing many support services to the US and NATO forces and are collecting payments from the military for their services. However, the...

Two and a half years after the election, after the imposition of a heathcare plan, a Fin Reg bill, two rounds of quantitative easing, and one gargantuan stimulus plan, President Barack Obama is once again promising to “pivot” towards job creation. To say most Americans are less than enthused might be an understatement. Last week the president’s approval rating dipped to 39 percent, the lowest rating of his presidency so far. Yesterday, the president said he will present a plan to Congress — after Labor Day. Prior to that he will be embarking on a vacation to Martha’s Vineyard, after...

During a town hall meeting at Wyffels Hybrids in Atkinson, Illinois, a farmer expressed concern to President Obama about forthcoming regulations. The man stated that people would rather be farming than "filling out forms and permits to do what we like to do." President Obama told the farmer "don't always believe what you hear" and blamed Washington for ginning up speculation.

About seven out of 10 Americans are unhappy with how President Obama is handling the economy, a new low that represents a significant decline since mid-May on the one of the most politically sensitive issues, the Gallup poll reported Wednesday. According to the poll, just 26% of those surveyed approved of the president’s handling of the economy, while 71% disapproved. Obama earned comparably poor approval ratings for his handling of the federal budget deficit and creating jobs, at 24% and 29%, respectively.