Free Republic

“Any people anywhere, being inclined and having the power, have the right to rise up, and shake off the existing government, and form a new one that suits them better. This is a most valuable—a most sacred right—a right, which we hope and believe, is to liberate the world.” —Abraham Lincoln The battle lines continue to be drawn, and in this article I will discuss one that you can, and should, draw now. Glenn Beck ought to get the Medal of Freedom, and Fox News deserves America’s heart-felt gratitude. Without Fox News, and Beck in particular, we would largely be...

As soon as his cancer was detected, I noticed the immediate attempt at the "canonization" of old Teddy Kennedy by the mainstream media. They are saying what a "great American" he is. I say, let's get a couple things clear & not twist the facts to change the real history. In other words, let us not let our sympathy for his illness get in the way of truth. 1. He was caught cheating at Harvard when he attended it. He was expelled twice, once for cheating on a test, and once for paying a classmate to cheat for him. 2....

THE Medal of Freedom is the nation's highest civilian honor. Past recipients include John Wayne, Norman Rockwell and Vaclav Havel. This year, one of the 16 recipients President Obama selected (along with such worthies as Sen. Edward Kennedy and the late Jack Kemp) is former Irish President and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson. Bad choice. Robinson's views are well out of the American foreign-policy mainstream. Rep. Peter King (R-LI) says, "She is definitely from the school of moral equivalency which somehow invariably comes down on the side against vibrant democracies such as Israel and the United States."...

Today the President handed out the Presidential Medal of Freedom to not one, but two Antisemites. There was has been a lot of written about one of of the recipients, former Irish President Mary Robinson, who was responsible for the 1991 UN Conference on Racism, which turned out to be a conference for every type of Antisemitism in the world. But the former UN hate monger wasn't the only Antisemite receiving a Presidential award today, the other one honored by the President was Bishop Desmond Tutu For example Tutu has made some very disturbing statements about the Holocaust. He has...

When President Obama today awards a posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom to Harvey Milk, it may mark the first time in history that the nation's highest civilian award has been granted primarily on the basis of someone's sex life. As the White House announcement explained, "Harvey Milk became the first openly gay elected official from a major city in the United States when he was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977." Yet Milk served in that office for less than a year, so that hardly qualifies him for the Medal of Freedom. Milk was also assassinated...

This afternoon, President Obama awards Senator Edward Kennedy a Presidential Medal of Freedom – the nation's highest civilian honor. According to a spokesman, Kennedy will not attend the ceremony -- his oldest child, Kara Kennedy will accept the award for him. Also present will be his other children, Ted, Jr. and his wife Kiki, Patrick, Caroline Raclin and Curran Raclin. Kennedy will remain at home in Mass., where he is fighting brain cancer. He was diagnosed last year in May. Kennedy is among 16 recipients this year, who have made an "an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national...

The President announced today the 16 recipients of the 2009 Presidential Medal of Freedom, America’s highest civilan honor. The President praised the recipients for breaking down barriers and lifting up their fellow citizens: "These outstanding men and women represent an incredible diversity of backgrounds. Their tremendous accomplishments span fields from science to sports, from fine arts to foreign affairs. Yet they share one overarching trait: Each has been an agent of change. Each saw an imperfect world and set about improving it, often overcoming great obstacles along the way." The awards will be presented on August 12. Here is a...

President Obama will award Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) next month with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country's highest civilian honor. In announcing the award for Kennedy, a nine-term senator who is fighting brain cancer, the White House called him "one of the greatest lawmakers — and leaders — of our time." The award comes as Democrats in Congress and Obama are pushing for healthcare reform legislation, which has long been Kennedy's top issue, the White House noted in its release. "He has called health care reform the 'cause of his life,' and has championed nearly every health care bill...

Rush attends a Medal of Freedom ceremony at the White House. During the ceremony President George W. Bush presented the Medal of Freedom to former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, former Australian Prime Minister John Howard and Colombian President Alvaro Uribe.

With the exception of the collective body of men and women who wear or have worn America's military uniforms, we are hard-pressed to identify a single organization that has contributed more than C-SPAN during the past quarter century to the appreciation, understanding, enhancement and defense of the fundamental governing institutions that form the foundation of the American republic. So, we weren't surprised when President Bush selected C-SPAN's founding chairman and CEO, Brian Lamb, to be a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which is the highest civilian award for distinguished Americans...

“Dr. Biscet, you are an inspiration to the world. You are not alone in your struggle. The prayers of the freedom-loving world are with you.”Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet is a truly worthy recipient of the 2007 Presidential Medal of Freedom. President Bush should be commended for honoring this gentleman with our nation's highest civilian award and for their unwavering commitment to the Cuban people. For over two decades, Dr. Biscet has sacrificed his life in the pursuit of dignity and freedom for his fellow Cubans. Sadly, Dr. Biscet will not be present to receive his award at the White House...

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Former member of Congress Henry Hyde will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom next Monday for his work opposing abortion. For decades, after his landmark Hyde Amendment stopped federal funding of virtually all abortions, Hyde became the pro-life movement's elder statesman on Capitol Hill. Hyde was first elected to the House in 1974 and served as chairman of the House International Relations Committee and the House Judiciary Committee from 1995 to 2001. In those positions, Hyde advanced pro-life legislation and worked to stop using taxpayer dollars to subsidize abortions in other countries. Hyde's lasting legacy will...

Former transportation secretary and San Jose mayor Norm Mineta joins the likes of Ronald Reagan, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and other well-known leaders Friday when President Bush bestows on him the nation's highest civilian award. At a White House ceremony, Mineta and nine other luminaries will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom -- an award to honor those who have made an ``especially meritorious contribution'' to the security or national interest of the United States, to world peace or to other significant cultural endeavors. According to a news release issued by the White House, Mineta ``worked to improve...

WASHINGTON -- President Bush on Thursday announced the recipients of this year's Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian award. Those to be honored at a White House ceremony on Dec. 15 are:

As the scent of burning electrical wire and the pulverized dust settled over Manhattan in the wake of the 2001 World Trade Center attack, a certain book disappeared from New York City bookstore shelves. Within a week, that book rocketed from No. 8,000 to No. 125 on Amazon.com rankings. It described the nature of fanatics, offering a powerful window of understanding into the people capable of blowing up those two towers. "The True Believer" was published in 1951. Its author, Eric Hoffer, was a self-educated longshoreman born in New York City to a German cabinetmaker and his wife. His keen...

THE PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM, "the nation's highest civilian award," was established by Harry Truman in 1945 to recognize notable service in World War II. Eighteen years later, John F. Kennedy, prompted by White House aide Daniel Patrick Moynihan, decided to revive the moribund honor by awarding it to people of distinction--and not just U.S. citizens--who might otherwise remain unrecognized by the American government.The first class of recipients was supposed to get its medals on the Fourth of July, 1963, but for one reason or another, the White House ceremony was repeatedly postponed. By the time it was finally...

WASHINGTON -- Aretha Franklin couldn't hold back the tears. Carol Burnett pranced coquettishly for the cameras. Muhammad Ali, though unable to walk unassisted, mimed boxing jabs with President Bush. Having the president fasten the Medal of Freedom around your neck while an announcer booms your life's greatest accomplishments apparently does something even to those most accustomed to fame and fortune. Last year, Bush chose three architects of his Iraq agenda as the sole award winners -- and drew fire for it. This year's 14 recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the government's highest civilian honor, were divided about equally...

Ali does the "Rope-a-Dope" on Bush. This draft dodger, Cassius Clay, changed his name to Muhammad Ali and became a Muslim in order to avoid serving his country during the Vietnam war. For some reason (does anyone know?) everyone now loves to kiss his ass. What did he ever do for his country to deserve this honor? As a further insult, they do it right before Veterans Day.

Ailing boxing legend Muhammad Ali swapped wisecracks with President George W. Bush in his first public appearance in five months which dispelled recent fears over his health. Ali, 63, went to the White House to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States' highest civilian honor, from Bush. He appeared weak from his longstanding battle against Parkinson's Disease but attentive throughout the ceremony in the East Room of the White House, applauding each recipient. Ali's first public appearance in five months

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush on Thursday announced the recipients of this year's Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civil award. Those to be honored at a White House ceremony this coming Wednesday are: -Muhammad Ali. The three-time heavyweight boxing champion successfully defended the title 19 times and was a gold medalist at the 1960 Olympic Games. -Carol Burnett. The actress and comedian debuted on Broadway in 1959 and starred for more than a decade on "The Carol Burnett Show." -Vinton Cerf and Robert Kahn. They designed the software code used to transmit data over the Internet. -Robert Conquest....

When George W. Bush presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom earlier this month to three former officials intimately involved in his Iraq policy, the news was greeted by his political opponents with all the suave grace characteristic of Howard Dean and MoveOn.org. One could almost be forgiven for thinking the awards had been bestowed upon the three as part of a clever Karl Rove plot to keep the administration's opponents in a permanent state of self-discrediting hyperventilation. On the other hand, Mr. Bush would probably provoke the same state of excitation merely by reading the first three names in the...

(AP) President Bush awarded the nation's highest civilian honor Tuesday to three men central to his Iraq policy, saying they had played "pivotal roles in great events." Mr. Bush presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom to retid Gen. Tommy Franks, who oversaw combat in Afghanistan and the initial invasion of Iraq, former CIA Director George Tenet and former Iraq administrator L. Paul Bremer. Franks is a retired four-star Army general who commanded U.S. forces in Afghanistan and Iraq. He didn't decide until last summer to endorse Mr. Bush's re-election, but then spoke on the president's behalf at the Republican National...

Rocky Mountain News The wrong choice for freedom medal President misfires in honoring former CIA director December 15, 2004 George Tenet is a dedicated and brave public servant who once threatened to resign if President Clinton pardoned a convicted spy whose case was under review. But Tenet does not deserve the Presidential Medal of Freedom that George W. Bush bestowed upon him Tuesday, and the award has been devalued as a result. Tenet was one of three men who received the Medal of Freedom in this latest ceremony, and all three played major roles in America's war on terrorism and...

WASHINGTON, Dec. 14 - President Bush on Tuesday bestowed the nation's highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, on three of the central architects and executors of the war in Iraq, one of the president's strongest efforts yet at putting a formal stamp of success on a war whose outcome is still a question. The recipients were Gen. Tommy R. Franks, the overall commander of the invasion of Iraq; L. Paul Bremer III, the chief civilian administrator of the American occupation of the country; and George J. Tenet, the longtime director of central intelligence who built the case for...

TODAY'S HIGHLIGHT: GWB awarded the nation's highest civilian honor -- the Presidential Medal of Freedom -- Ambassador L. Paul "Jerry" Bremer, former CIA Director George Tenet, and retired U.S. Army General Tommy Franks. QUOTE OF THE DAY: General Tommy Franks was raised in Midland, Texas -- nothing wrong with that. (Laughter.) I didn't know him then, but Laura and he went to the same high school. In those days, some people in Midland wondered about Tommy's future. It sounds familiar. (Laughter.) At a recent high school reunion, Tommy's old principal told the General, "You weren't the brightest bulb in the...

Doris Day, Estee Lauder, Arnold Palmer Among Medal of Freedom Honorees Elizabeth Wolfe/Associated Press Jun 18, 2004 WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush has selected a dozen people, including an actress, a golf champion and a former senator, to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the White House announced Friday. Two of the recipients will be honored posthumously, while the others are invited to receive the nation's highest civilian honor at a White House ceremony with Bush next Wednesday. The Medal of Freedom, established by President Truman in 1945 to recognize civilians for their World War II service, was reinstated by...

President Bush will award Pope John Paul the Presidential Medal of Freedom Friday, the highest U.S. civilian award, a U.S. official said Thursday. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the pontiff was being honored for "years of fighting for freedom and for his important moral voice." Bush is to meet the Polish pope at the Vatican Friday. The pope strongly opposed the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq and last week publicly condemned torture as an affront to human dignity, seen as a veiled reference to American abuse of Iraqi prisoners at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison. In November the U.S....

President Bush will award Pope John Paul the Presidential Medal of Freedom Friday, the highest U.S. civilian award, a U.S. official said Thursday. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the pontiff was being honored for "years of fighting for freedom and for his important moral voice."

President George Bush awarded America’s highest civilian honour today to retiring NATO secretary-general Lord Robertson, a man he called a “patient” and “determined” statesman. Lord Robertson, who has overseen the alliance through its largest expansion in history, grinned as he held the Presidential Medal of Freedom that Bush gave him during a ceremony in the Roosevelt Room of the White House. “Lord Robertson is a patient leader, a determined leader, and over the past four years, his skills and talents have made many achievements possible,” Bush said. He said Robertson had helped open a new chapter in NATO’s relationship with...

NRA Members' Councils of California Please Distribute Widely To All Gun Owners/Groups ----------------------------------- NRA MEMBERS' COUNCILS OF CALIFORNIA07/15/2003 ----------------------------------- At a ceremony to be held at the White House on July 23, 2003, President Bush will award the Nation's highest civil honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom to NRA former President Charlton Heston (and 10 other individuals). http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/07/20030718-2.html * Charlton Heston is an Academy Award winning actor and an eloquent, early voice on behalf of civil rights in the United States and democracy around the world. His films include The Greatest Show on Earth, El Cid, The Greatest Story...

June 21, 2002 12 to Be Awarded Medal of FreedomBy THE NEW YORK TIMES ASHINGTON, June 20 — President Bush announced today that he would award the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian award, to a dozen prominent people, including Nelson R. Mandela and Nancy Reagan. The medal is also going to A. M. Rosenthal, retired executive editor and columnist for The New York Times, who now writes a column for The Daily News in New York. Reached at his home in Manhattan this afternoon, Mr. Rosenthal said: "I've been surprised many times in my life, but never...

President George W. Bush today announced the recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the Nation's highest civilian honor. It was established by President Truman in 1945 to recognize civilians for their service during World War II, and it was reinstated by President Kennedy in 1963 to honor distinguished service. President Bush will award the Medals of Freedom to the recipients at a ceremony in July. Hank Aaron is one of the most accomplished players in the history of baseball. Aaron holds the career records for home runs, 755 in his 23-year career, runs-batted-in...