Free Republic

KABUL — A Democratic Party strategist who helped Bill Clinton get into the White House is now assisting a former Afghan finance minister in his campaign to unseat President Hamid Karzai in upcoming elections. James Carville said he joined the team of Ashraf Ghani, also a former World Bank official, so Afghans had a viable choice in the Aug. 20 poll.

In these circumstances, it seems unlikely that either side would back down. This would set the stage for a military confrontation at the border, during which it is conceivable that Mr. Zelaya and others would be killed. That’s what may happen. What I think should happen is rather different. Panamá has it right, and foreign countries should keep their noses out of Honduras’ internal affairs. The early elections proposed by the interim Honduran government would very likely defuse the explosive situation there and, like the vote a few years ago when Mr. Zelaya was elected, would be fair and transparent....

While people get ready to spend their time and money to honor a twisted individual who could sing, Michael Jackson, nary a peep comes from most of the country about Obama voting present as Iran cracks down even harder on those wanting a free and fair election. Guess that's what should be expected when 52% of this country fall victim to one of the great swindlers of our time. Michael Ledeen: The Iranian tyrant, Ali Khamenei, told his cluster of top advisers two days ago that it was time to totally shut down the protests, and he ordered that any...

Help me out here. President Obama immediately "meddles" in the affairs of Honduras, denouncing a military coup, the intent of which is to preserve the country's constitution, but when it comes to Iran's fraudulent election and the violent repression of demonstrators who wanted their votes counted, the president initially vacillates and equivocates. Are we expected to accept this as a consistent foreign policy? Even Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was reluctant to call the removal of President Manuel Zelaya a coup, if for no other reason than it would stop U.S. aid flowing to the impoverished Central American nation. The...

The White House said Monday that President Obama is "deeply concerned" about reports of significant violence in Western China, but said it is premature "to comment or speculate further." Reports out of Urumqi put the death toll at more than 150 after ethnic tensions flared and protests were touched off by the ethnic Muslim Uighurs. The White House urged all in the restive Xinjiang province "to exercise restraint." Obama, who is in Russia meeting with leaders there, said earlier in the day he could not comment on the matter because he had been traveling and in meetings and had yet...

TEL AVIV – Not a single Jewish home will be built in the strategic West Bank without approval of the Obama administration and the Palestinians, Nimer Hamad, senior political adviser to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas told WND. In spite of recent reports Israel will build 50 new homes in a northern West Bank Jewish community, Hamad said U.S. guarantees make him "confident" such housing will not actually be constructed. "The guarantees we received from the U.S. make us confident all the talks about the 50 houses in Adam are only a piece of meat (Defense Minister Ehud) Barak threw...

The coup in Honduras -- the first in Latin America in 16 years -- is being condemned by practically everyone, especially leaders of neighbouring countries who don't want the same thing happening to them. That includes Venezuela's nasty Hugo Chavez. Until relatively recently, coups d'etat were almost a traditional way of changing governments in some countries. After all, President Manuel Zelaya was guilty of only wanting to stay in office longer than the Constitution allows, and sought to have a referendum to change the Constitution to permit him to seek another term. A true democrat. When the Honduras Supreme Court,...

WASHINGTON (AP) — Dealing with the first Latin American crisis of his presidency, Barack Obama sought a swift, clear response that would not be interpreted as U.S. interventionism in a region that loathes it. So he condemned a coup in Honduras by turning to that most reliable standby: democracy. "We stand on the side of democracy, sovereignty and self-determination," Obama said when asked Monday about the forced exile of Honduran President Manuel Zelaya, a takeover that has drawn international criticism and unnerved a part of the world that has worked to shed itself of strong-arm tactics.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya is expected to come to Washington to attend a special meeting of the Organization of American States on Tuesday and will likely meet with U.S. State Department officials, a department spokesman said. State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said after Zelaya speaks at the United Nations, he is expected to come to Washington for the OAS meeting, which will take place in the late afternoon. "He wants to come down to Washington and participate in the special general assembly of the Organization of American States," Kelly said. "If he does come down to...

WSJ reporter Jay Solomon reported a update of the ousting of Honduras president Manuel Zelaya and several other reports from other sources have reported that President Obama and the US state department want Mr. Zelaya restored back in office through a peaceful democratic dialogue.

President Obama on Sunday called on all actors in Honduras to respect the rule of law after military leaders there arrested President Manuel Zelaya to head off Zelaya's attempt to hold a vote on constitutional changes deemed illegal by the country's Supreme Court and Congress. Zelaya, in a move similar to his ally, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, had wanted to overturn the law that prohibited him from seeking another term in office. He called the arrest a "coup" and a "kidnapping." "I am deeply concerned by reports coming out of Honduras regarding the detention and expulsion of President Mel Zelaya,"...

<p>The Obama administration worked in recent days to prevent President Manuel Zelaya's ouster, said a senior U.S. official. The State Department, in particular, communicated to Honduran officials on the ground that President Barack Obama wouldn't support any nondemocratic transfer of power in the Central American country.</p>

Is it “meddling” to speak out for those who yearn for freedom, and against those who arrest, beat and shoot them? Perhaps. But if so, we have a moral duty to “meddle.” Pastor Niemoeller learned that from bitter experience. He didn’t speak out against Nazism until it was too late, and he wound up in a concentration camp scheduled for execution. He was rescued by American troops. Fortunately, they were not afraid to “meddle.” In fact, they “meddled” across Europe and Asia, liberating millions from oppression. In those days, our attitude toward freedom was a bit less “nuanced,” both overseas...

THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary _______________________________________________________________ For Immediate Release June 20, 2009 Statement from the President on Iran The Iranian government must understand that the world is watching. We mourn each and every innocent life that is lost. We call on the Iranian government to stop all violent and unjust actions against its own people. The universal rights to assembly and free speech must be respected, and the United States stands with all who seek to exercise those rights. As I said in Cairo, suppressing ideas never succeeds in making them go away. The Iranian people will...

For Obama, Pressure to Strike Firmer Tone Richard Perry/The New York Times President Obama faces a delicate balancing act in trying to respond to Iran’s election turmoil. Mr. Obama is coming under increased pressure from Republicans and other conservatives who say he should take a more visible stance in support of the protesters. Even while supporting the president’s approach, senior members of the administration, including Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, would like to strike a stronger tone in support of the protesters, administration officials said. Other White House officials have counseled a...

Do any Wichita KS freepers want to help STOP a union organization vote, in Wichita?

With President Obama’s signing today of a new federal law, the size of your paycheck may become just a little more interesting to your co-workers. Enactment of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act is likely to spark many employees’ interest in possible pay discrimination. The measure will remove obstacles to lawsuits on the issue by reversing a 2007 Supreme Court ruling that refuted pay-discrimination charges by Lilly Ledbetter, a supervisor at a Goodyear Tire and Rubber plant in Alabama. The high court had rejected Ms. Ledbetter’s claim because it wasn’t filed within the 180-day statute of limitations. The new legislation...

A week before Minnesota’s firearm deer season I visited my 86-year-old father. He regaled me with an entertaining stream of tales from his 70 years as a deer hunter in the north woods. He lamented his failing eyesight and then rose from his ancient recliner and went to the closet where he keeps his guns. He took out a battered old case and handed it me. “I want you to have this.” I knew what was inside. A Savage model 219 single-shot 30-30 rifle. My father bought it in 1944 for $12. It’s well worn after more than 60 years...

Oh wow, this warranted a press release? Who the hell would've known if they received a solicitation from the McCain camp? What, did McCain's campaign request a signature for the letter? Why are the Russian's involving themselves in American politics? Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the United Nations 136 East 67th Street New York, NY 10065 Fax: (212) 628-0252 517-7427 STATEMENT 20 October 2008 ON FUNDRAISING LETTER FROM JOHN MCCAIN ELECTION CAMPAIGN We have received a letter from Senator John McCain requesting financial contribution to his Presidential campaign. In this connection we would like to reiterate that Russian...

Once they discover that she is Dr. Kate, the supplicants line up to approach at dinner parties and ballet recitals. Surely, they suggest to Dr. Katherine J. Atkinson, a family physician here, she might find a way to move them up her lengthy waiting list for new patients. Those fortunate enough to make it soon learn they face another long wait: Dr. Atkinson’s next opening for a physical is not until early May — of 2009. Now in Massachusetts, in an unintended consequence of universal coverage, the imbalance is being exacerbated by the state’s new law requiring residents to have...

WASHINGTON - Lawmakers confronted corporate executives Friday about how they managed to take home hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation while their companies were taking a financial nosedive from the subprime mortgage crisis. "It seems that CEOs hit the lottery when their companies collapse," House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Henry Waxman, D-Calif., said at the opening of the hearing. "Any reasonable relation between their compensation and the interests of their shareholders appears to have broken down." Appearing before the panel were Angelo Mozilo of Countrywide Financial Corp., the nation's largest mortgage lender; Stanley O'Neal, formerly of Merrill...

Government meddling threatens cattle industry’s futureBy John Queen Once upon a time, the 2007 Farm Bill was going to be about free-market reforms that would reward the innovative, entrepreneurial spirit of our nation’s farmers and ranchers. Time and again, we heard top officials in Washington, D.C., talking of the need to loosen government’s grip on American agriculture. As a National Cattlemen’s Beef Association member, this was music to my ears. NCBA embraces the philosophy of less government control and interference in our industry. But now the heavy hand of government threatens to make this farm bill a disaster for cattlemen....

CARACAS, Venezuela The government of Venezuelan has donated 100-thousand dollars to a Santa Cruz-based non-profit organization dedicated to preventing violence among youths. Deputy Justice Minister Yuri Pimentel made the announcement during a meeting in Venezuela's capital with American singer and activist Harry Belafonte, who accepted the donation on behalf of the California Coalition of Barrios Unidos. The California Coalition of Barrios Unidos began as a community based peace movement in the violent streets of urban California in 1977.

Maricopa County Attorney Andrew P. Thomas in Phoenix accuses Mexico of being behind a lawsuit challenging Arizona's alien-smuggling law. He has asked the State Department to protest Mexico's "concerted attempts to undermine" U.S. law and its "interfering in the internal affairs" of Arizona. "The citizens of the state of Arizona will be deprived of their right to uphold public order and to protect themselves against the Mexican government's systematic, unlawful export of humanity into the state," Mr. Thomas told The Washington Times...

The National Assembly (AN) approved Thursday a statement in solidarity with 40 million of Hispanics residing in the United States. Additionally, it protested against a migration reform proposed by US President George W. Bush. The resolution echoed disagreement of the Venezuelan legislature with the US Government bill and claimed that it is a feeling shared by million people in Latin America and the rest of the world, DPA quoted. "In case of passing the draft migration reform submitted to the US Congress by the US ruler, it will be the legal ground to violate the rights of million Hispanic fellows...

The Embassy of Venezuela in Mexico has been shown, by very different sectors in that country and in Mexico, to be an instrument of the ideological propaganda and political expansion of the personal interests of Hugo Chávez. Observations of interventionism include giving electoral support to the PRD [Democratic Revolutionary Party of Mexico], even "espionage," as well as a presumed importation of high caliber weapons and contacts with the FARC, ETA and Al Qaeda. Mexico City | Tuesday, 15 November 2005 | Vladimir Villegas is a person of Euro-African heritage showing a good sense of humor and charisma. Tall, robust, sporting...

Disaster Relief: Ninety-five nations have pledged $1 billion in aid in the wake of Katrina, and while the U.S. can manage, it's heartening. But one government that wishes us ill has jumped in and it should be rebuked. We're talking about our antagonist of the last half-century, Fidel Castro. Cuba's dictator headed straight for the TV cameras to make the most of an offer of 1,600 doctors. Given how his munificence pales in comparison, say, to Kuwait's quietly pledged $500 million, it's amazing how much publicity he's reaped. But Castro's offer of medical help, supposedly waiting at the Havana airport,...

BRUSSELS, Belgium - A U.N. panel created to recommend how the Internet should be run in the future has failed to reach consensus but did agree that no single country should dominate. The United States stated two weeks ago that it intended to maintain control over the computers that serve as the Internet's principal traffic cops.

Mexico has 46 consulates in the U.S., more than any other country. Their latest is in St. Paul, MN, and they're building one in Little Rock, AR. Unlike other countries' consuls, Mexico's are quite activist and do not hesitate to attempt to meddle in our internal laws and policies. For example, attending city council meetings trying to get cities to accept Matricula Consular cards, aka IDs for illegals (examples from Napa, CA; Ventura County, CA; Richfield, MN; St. Clair County, MI). For other examples, see a description of the activities of Teodoro Maus. The latest example of their attempts to...

Equating filibusters with hearing minority voices, the Washington Office of the Presbyterian Church (USA) is urging that Congress' use of filibusters on President George Bush's judicial nominess not be ended. In its May/June 2005 Washington Report, Elenora Giddings Ivory, director of the Washington Office, said "Careful and independent scrutiny of judicial nominees can happen during the confirmation process in the Senate. Scrutiny should not be shortchanged by cutting off extended debate (filibuster). Without careful review we can almost guarantee that we will open our newspapers one morning and see stories of judges who are being impeached." According to Fox News,...

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands -- The European Union has asked Connecticut's governor and parole board to delay or halt the planned execution of serial killer Michael Ross, the Dutch government said Thursday. Ross' execution, scheduled for Jan. 26, would be the first in New England since 1960. The Netherlands currently holds the rotating European Union presidency and issued a statement on behalf of all 25 EU member countries. The EU, which opposes capital punishment, said in a letter to U.S. authorities that a freeze on carrying out death sentences was a "first step" toward abolition. It asked Gov. M. Jodi Rell, a...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush (news - web sites) on Wednesday warned Iran and Syria not to meddle in Iraq (news - web sites) ahead of elections scheduled for January 30 and voiced new hopes of forging peace between Israel and the Palestinians. At a White House meeting with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, Bush urged Iraq's neighbors to help the interim government of Prime Minister Iyad Allawi by enforcing border security restrictions in an effort to keep money and arms out of the hands of insurgents. "We will continue to make it clear to both Syria and Iran that...

OBERLIN, OHIO, AND MADRID, SPAIN – As an undeclared voter living in the critical swing state of Ohio, James Chapman is accustomed to intense appeals from the presidential campaigns. But on Tuesday, the Springfield resident received a handwritten letter urging him to support John Kerry - from a stranger in England. He's not alone. Last week The Guardian, a British newspaper, launched a campaign called Operation Clark County, which provides interested readers with the mailing addresses of undeclared voters in Clark County, Ohio - where President Bush lost in the 2000 election by 324 votes. The novel effort is creating...

The fact that at least some batches of this year's flu vaccine, manufactured by Chiron in England, have turned up contaminated and thus will not be allowed to be used in the United States has created something of a crisis. The United States is now short some 48 million doses of flu vaccine. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that 36,000 people die every year from flu, even when vaccine is available. So tens of thousands of people are probably at risk. What caused what could well become an annual vaccine crisis? In a nutshell, too much litigation, too much...

President Bush is leading steady progress toward a more rational, realistic and responsible approach to a host of environmental and resource issues close to the hearts of all Idahoans. For three years, the Bush administration has been encouraging stewardship, engaging those who know and understand the issues best. The idea is that people most influenced by federal policies should play a larger role in developing them. The president is committed to being a partner with local folks in the best interest of people and the resources on which they depend. President Bush is working to roll back policies from eight...

ABA Prepares to Add Gay Marriage Views By GINA HOLLAND .c The Associated Press SAN ANTONIO (AP) - The American Bar Association, the nation's largest lawyers' group, is not ready to consider endorsing same-sex marriage but will debate whether to urge Washington to stay out of the issue. Marriage of homosexuals is expected to be the most contested issue to come up during the ABA's winter meeting. The plan coming up for a vote Monday would encourage states to write their own marriage rules, without interference from Congress. The ABA has been criticized in the past for advocating a moratorium...

Three Mexican lawmakers trade barbs in English in Santa Ana at a unique event. SANTA ANA – In an unprecedented event, three Mexican lawmakers from their country's top political parties traded barbs during a debate Monday night on subjects ranging from President George W. Bush's immigration-reform policies to Mexico's next presidential election. In front of a diverse audience at Rancho Santiago College, a congressman from the southern state of Chiapas and a senator and a congressman from the border state of Baja California Norte spoke about the status of modern Mexico. Although the debate was respectful and amicable, all three...

Spaniards have raised $150,000 to pay for the Death Row appeal of Pablo Ibar, who was convicted of a 1994 triple murder in Miramar. When George W. Bush traveled oversees for his first major diplomatic mission two years ago, Spaniards held vigils in the streets for three men on Florida's Death Row. This year, Gov. Jeb Bush had a similar experience in Spain. The regional premier of Madrid interrupted an economics discussion to plead the case of one of those men, Pablo Ibar, convicted in a notorious 1994 triple murder in Miramar. As Ibar's case reaches the Florida Supreme Court...

1. Why American Chaos Reigns in Iraq Chaos continues to reign in Iraq because of the State Department's meddling, NewsMax has learned. A high-ranking Reagan administration official, who has talked to several Americans working in liberated Iraq, says the situation “is chaotic, and remains more chaotic than the press is reporting.” The culprit for the troubles: the State Department. As has been described to us, there is not one interim U.S. authority in Iraq, but two, one with orders from Foggy Bottom liberals who oppose President Bush, and the other from the Defense Department. A few weeks ago, the New...

Nine U.S. senators from the home states of the other Big East schools wrote to the leaders of Miami, Boston College and Syracuse on Wednesday in an effort to stop them from bolting to the Atlantic Coast Conference. The senators from West Virginia, Virginia, Connecticut, New Jersey and Pennsylvania said the defection would devastate the Big East, erode the progress its schools have made in women's sports and "send a troubling message to student-athletes across America." "The Big East has instilled core values of integrity, responsibility, loyalty and leadership in each and every student-athlete," the lawmakers said in the letter...

(From a) Speech by His Majesty King Abdullah II ibn al-Hussein of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to commemorate the opening of The Saban Center for Middle East Policy, Brookings Institute, Tel Aviv. May 13, 2002. Made possible by a generous founding grant from Mr. Haim Saban of Los Angeles, the Saban Center will permit the Brookings Institution to dramatically expand its research and analysis of Middle East policy issues at a time when the region has assumed a dominant position on the U.S. foreign policy agenda. MR. INDYK: Your Majesty, the last question is on Iraq. You'll be glad...

Filed at 7:19 p.m. ET CHICAGO (AP) -- The Rev. Jesse Jackson said Saturday he has postponed a planned trip to the Middle East because of continuing violence there. The civil rights leader, who had planned to lead a religious delegation to the region this week, said the bombings and retaliations between Israelis and Palestinians make it impossible to forge any peace agreement right now. ``The din of recent bombs and missiles ... has dimmed hopes that our message of nonviolence, reconciliation and reconstruction can be heard,'' Jackson said in a written statement. ``We pray that we can reschedule the...

Recently Failed Eye Test, Former President Admits Fresh from his successful fact-finding trip to Cuba, former President Jimmy Carter visited Wisconsin today and said that he found "no evidence of cheese" anywhere in the state. "I am confident that there is no cheese anywhere in Wisconsin," Mr. Carter said after completing his tour of the state's dairy farms, cheese-making facilities and cheese storage warehouses. Click Here to go to JWR for rest of story

Filed at 8:24 p.m. ET PYONGYANG (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has invited former U.S. President Bill Clinton to visit Pyongyang to play a mediating role and to cool rhetoric from Washington, a North Korean official said on Monday. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, declined to specify whether Kim had issued the invitation to Clinton before or after President Bush's speech in January in which he branded North Korea as part of an ``axis of evil'' along with Iraq and Iran. ``The plan of the Dear Leader Kim Jong-il is that Mr. Clinton should end the...