Free Republic

Sen. Ted Cruz speculated Sunday that Republican presidential rival Donald Trump might be delaying the release of his tax returns because of possible ties with the mob. "Maybe it is the case that Donald, there have been multiple media reports about Donald's business dealings with the mob, with the mafia," Cruz said on "Meet the Press." "Maybe his taxes show those business dealings are a lot more extensive than has been reported," he added. Cruz repeated the suggestion on ABC's "This Week," seemingly stunning host George Stephanopoulos. "Business dealings with the mafia?" Stephanopoulos asked, incredulously.

Real-estate mogul Donald Trump contrasted his own "evangelical" beliefs with US Sen. Ted Cruz's (R-Texas) religious beliefs at a Friday-night campaign rally. "I am an evangelical. I'm a Christian. I'm a Presbyterian," Trump said, speaking in Des Moines, Iowa. The Republican presidential front-runner then highlighted the fact that Cruz's father is Cuban. "We're doing really well with the evangelicals," he continued. "And by the way, and again, I do like Ted Cruz, but not a lot of evangelicals come out of Cuba, in all fairness. It's true. Not a lot come out. But I like him nevertheless."

Michele Bachmann's efforts in 2007-8 to have Drug Dealer and Money Launderer Frank Vennes pardoned for his 1987 convictions have begun to receive some light scrutiny in the media. Some embarrassing details have emerged, including the fact that, while Bachmann was lobbying hard to secure a pardon for him from President Bush, Vennes himself was engaged in a brand new, massive $3.65 billion ponzi scheme, for which he was recently indicted by a Federal Grand Jury. Worse yet, Vennes and his family had donated money to Bachmann--a lot of money--in the 2006 and 2008 campaign cycles, $27,400 to be exact,...

Do you know this crotch grabber? By John Jagler Story Created: Nov 14, 2007 We are in a frantic search to track down the man who grabbed Packers Wide Receiver Ruvell Martin's junk at Sunday's game against the Vikings. The guy in the white at the far right literally left a mark on the Packers wideout. Donald Driver, during his regular Greenhouse segment on Newsradio 620 WTMJ said what happened to Ruvell "just ain't right" and that it's the talk of the lockerroom. We know this was a Milwaukee season ticket "holder" game, so chances are this guy's i-d will...

Thai transsexual boxer Nong Tum returns to the ring and wins her first fight. Transsexual boxer Nong Tum, famous in her native Thailand as the "beautiful boxer", has returned to the ring after a long hiatus. Nong Tum, or Parinya Charoenphol (pronounced Pa-rin-ya Ja-roen-pol), 25, made her comeback after an absence of nearly three years at Nong Tum Fairtex Gym, newly named in her honour. Her first opponent in the 135-pound contest was Japanese male Kenshiro Lookchaomaekhemthong (pronounced : Ken-shi-ro Look-chao-mae-kem-tong). The beautiful boxer hung up her gloves three years ago to have sex-change surgery which cost around 150,000 baht...

"Fair Game" From the October 25, 2004 issue: Does John Kerry really think the American people will believe that he singled out Mary Cheney because he "was trying to say something positive about the way strong families deal with this issue?" by William Kristol 10/25/2004, Volume 010, Issue 07 "We're all God's children, Bob. And I think if you were to talk to Dick Cheney's daughter, who is a lesbian, she would tell you that she's being who she was, she's being who she was born as." --John Kerry, responding to Bob Schieffer's question, "Do you believe homosexuality is a...

OP-ED COLUMNIST Washington — The memoir about the Kerry-Edwards campaign that will be the best seller will reveal the debate rehearsal aimed at focusing national attention on the fact that Vice President Cheney has a daughter who is a lesbian. That this twice-delivered low blow was deliberate is indisputable. The first shot was taken by John Edwards, seizing a moderator's opening to smarmily compliment the Cheneys for loving their openly gay daughter, Mary. The vice president thanked him and yielded the remaining 80 seconds of his time; obviously it was not a diversion he was willing to prolong. Until that...

WASHINGTON - Political consultants get six-figure salaries to figure out what turns voters for or against a candidate. Political scientists write books and scholarly papers about campaigns, focusing on the strategies that produced victory -- and defeat. You don't need an advanced poli-sci degree to know that the run for the White House depends on a couple of key voting groups: each candidate's ideological base and independents or swing voters, who often are undecided until the last minute. Appealing to both at the same time is tricky business. The just-completed presidential debates illustrate the point. President Bush and Sen. John...

An overwhelming majority of voters believe it was wrong for Democratic nominee John F. Kerry to have mentioned in Wednesday's presidential debate that Vice President Cheney's daughter was a lesbian, according to the latest Washington Post tracking survey. Nearly two in three likely voters -- 64 percent -- said Kerry's comment was "inappropriate," including more than four in 10 of his own supporters and half of all swing voters. A third -- 33 percent -- thought the remark was appropriate.

<p>MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa., Oct. 13 -- Lynne V. Cheney, wife of Vice President Cheney, accused John F. Kerry Wednesday night of "a cheap and tawdry political trick" and said he "is not a good man" after he brought up their daughter's homosexuality at the final presidential debate.</p>