Free Republic

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio signed into law a measure that creates a municipal identification card that can now be used by illegal immigrants to access government services, rent an apartment and open a bank account. “Today we’re living up to our highest ideals, and today we’re saying that no one should be left out,” said City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, calling the signing of the bill into law an “historic” moment, the New York Daily News reported. Ms. Mark-Viverito, along with fellow council members Carlos Menchaca and Daniel Dromm — all Democrats — said the new ID...

NEW YORK, April 17, 2014, (LifeSiteNews.com) – A New York City councilman has effectively told traditional marriage supporters they are “not welcome” in the Big Apple. In response to Chick-fil-A’s proposed plans to expand their business and set up restaurants in several locations, including New York City, Councilman Daniel Dromm told the Huffington Post that the fast-food chain would not be welcome in the most populous city in the country. Councilman Daniel Dromm “We don’t need bigots coming to New York City,” Dromm told HuffPost. “They are not welcome here unless they can embrace all of New York’s diverse community,...

That was a big wide smile on Bill de Blasio’s face the other night, and why not? He sure as hell earned one. He was the only Democrat in a cluttered primary field to recognize—and then to capitalize on—the lesson Barack Obama taught the nation in 2008: That is, it is no longer necessary to do important things to win high office; it is only necessary to talk about doing important things. Obama rode that insight into the White House, and de Blasio—bless his progressive heart—is at the cusp of the New York City mayoralty. … (W)hat de Blasio really...

New York City could soon become the first major city in the country to give non-citizens the right to vote. The proposal, which would allow certain non-citizens to vote in local elections, appears to have a veto-proof majority in the New York City Council—enough to overcome opposition by Mayor Michael Bloomberg. As hearings on the proposal get underway Thursday, supporters are optimistic it will become law by the end of the year and believe it will have an impact beyond the five boroughs. “It’s going to be huge and just imagine the implications that are involved here,” Councilman Daniel Dromm,...

There's no sugarcoating it. The November 2014 election results marked a serious setback for Democrats, the anti-ultra right alliance and the broad people's coalition led by labor. The fight for jobs at living wages, workers and immigrant rights, racial and gender equality, for climate justice and peace proceeds under more unfavorable conditions. The election resulted in a wave of victories for the Republicans and ultra right that may have surpassed 2010. However, while the GOP claims otherwise, it was not a mandate for right-wing policies. Grassroots efforts by labor and its allies mobilized millions of voters. Tens of thousands of...

Michael Brown had THC, a behavior-altering substance found in marijuana, in his system when he was killed on August 9th by Ferguson, Missouri, police officer Darren Wilson, according to a toxicology report performed at a St. Louis University lab. The toxicology screen, which was done on Aug. 10th, found “12 nanograms/ML of Delta-9-THC”, the primary psychoactive ingredient in pot, in Brown’s bloodstream at the time of his death. This amount of Delta-9-THC in Brown's blood was more than twice the amount that in Washington State--where marijuana is legal--would allow someone to be arrested for driving under the influence. “Delta-9-THC detection...

Tommy Chong, star of such films as Up in Smoke and until this week a contestant on ABC’s Dancing With the Stars, was the #OneLuckyGuy on Fox News’ Outnumbered (for some reason) Wednesday, and while he was there he weighed in on issues like marijuana legalization (naturally), health care, and immigration. But when the issue of Obamacare “architect” Jonathan Gruber’s controversial comments came up, Chong surprised the show’s co-hosts by comparing it to another hot topic on Fox: Benghazi. Andrea Tantaros and Harris Faulkner were expressing outrage over Gruber’s comments and the Obama administration’s reaction to it when Chong decided...

The fate of a little-noticed ballot measure in strongly Democratic Oregon serves as a warning to President Barack Obama and his party about the political perils of immigration policy. Even as Oregon voters were legalizing recreational marijuana and expanding Democratic majorities in state government, they decided by a margin of 66-34 to cancel a new state law that would have provided driver's licenses to people who are in the United States illegally. "The Oregon measure tells you these measures are not easy or simple," said Muzaffar Chishti of the Migration Policy Institute. "The political cost may be significant, even in...

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The fate of a little-noticed ballot measure in strongly Democratic Oregon serves as a warning to President Barack Obama and his party about the political perils of immigration policy. Even as Oregon voters were legalizing recreational marijuana and expanding Democratic majorities in state government, they decided by a margin of 66-34 to cancel a new state law that would have provided driver's licenses to people who are in the United States illegally. Obama is considering acting on his own, as early as this week, to possibly shield from deportation up to 5 million immigrants now living...

If I were advising the White House right now, I would encourage President Obama to take advantage of the end of this year's election cycle—the next fifty or so days—to immediately try to change the subject, in a big way. The Obama administration should act right away to use its executive powers to take steps to deal with long-ignored issues that need to be dealt with for the good of the nation. This cannot be done quietly. To change the media narrative, issues acted upon will have to be controversial enough to dominate the news. President Obama should embrace good...

The Tea Party has "completely captivated and ruined" the Republican Party, and will doom the party's chances of reclaiming the presidency unless it is checked, says Jon Huntsman, Sr. The billionaire and one-time adviser to President Richard Nixon weighed in on the state of the GOP Tuesday in an interview with Yahoo Finance. He recommended that the party turn to a candidate such as former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush or his son, Jon Huntsman, Jr., the former governor of Utah and U.S. ambassador to China who ran in the Republican primary for the 2012 nomination and was widely perceived as...

NEW YORK (AP) — Voters in Oregon and the District of Columbia approved ballot measures Tuesday allowing the use of marijuana by adults, elating legalization activists who hope to extend their winning streak across the country. Oregon will join the company of Colorado and Washington state, where voters approved the recreational use of pot two years ago. And the District of Columbia is on the same path unless Congress, which has review power, blocks the move. Still to come were results from Alaska, which also had a marijuana-legalization measure on its ballot Tuesday. Other volatile issues on state ballots include...

Lena Dunham has teamed up with rapper Lil Jon in this exclusive new music video for "Rock the Vote" in which she "turns out" for abortion rights and promotes other issues that will reportedly influence American millennials to vote this fall. "My name is Lil Lena and I'm turning out for reproductive rights," she confessed. "What's up? It's Lil Jon and I'm turning out for the legalization of marijuana," said the rapper. Sophia Bush, Natasha Lyonne, Glee's Darren Criss, and several other celebrities are featured "Rock the Vote" ambassadors. The midterm elections are just around the corner, and this star-studded...

 Thanks to LD for allowing me to publish this lengthy article that is mirror-posted at The Country Thinker. It will be shocking to some, but I have been accused (politely) of being crazy, insane, and a variety of similar expressions over my political positions. This is my rebuttal to explain in detail why I am not.I don’t normally post on Saturday, but I had a conversation with a political consultant friend of mine on Thursday and what we discussed is just too critical to let slide. (I can’t mention his name because he does paying work for the Big Two;...

Former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson was an interesting character in the 2012 Republican Primaries that didn’t get the attention he deserved. I was never a Johnson devotee by any means, but his fiscal record was impressive and his libertarian leanings were worth giving a fair shake in the process. Now Johnson is running as the Libertarian Party candidate for President with hopes of playing spoiler, and as RealClearPolitics reports, he’s doing it with the help of Roger Stone, a rather interesting but mostly mythical operative legend: He doesn’t have a vast campaign account, as the two major-party candidates do,...

COMMENTARY | Could Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson, a former New Mexico governor, play a spoiler role in the 2012 election, especially out west? Most polls aren't even giving him the benefit of the doubt, failing to include him as an option. But those polls that do include Johnson find him doing surprisingly well. He could tip the balance in several western swing states like Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico. And with every state mattering, that could be the difference in a close race in 2012. A poll by the group "We Ask America" released on June 26 in Colorado...

www.FinancialSurvivalNetwork.com presents We met up with Gary Johnson, former governor of New Mexico and present Libertarian candidate for President. Gary was a former governor of New Mexico. During his two terms in office, of an overwhelmingly Democrat state, he vetoed 750 bills and exercised thousands of line item vetos. He was so effective that his opposition referred to him as Governor Veto. He ran for the Republican nomination this year, but he was kept out of the early debates by CNN and CNBC rules, which were created to keep out minor candidates. As a result, he never attained the status...

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama's re-election effort is paying close attention to two candidates mounting third-party campaigns for the presidency, believing they could draw votes from Republican rival Mitt Romney and help Obama win a few tightly contested states. One candidate is Virgil Goode, a former conservative Virginia congressman who is running as a member of the Constitution Party. The other is Gary Johnson, a former two-term Republican governor of New Mexico who is the Libertarian Party's presidential nominee. Obama's team has scenarios whereby Obama can win states like Virginia and Colorado with less than 50 percent of the...

In the 2008 United States election, I wrote in Ron Paul for President. In the 2012 election, I will be voting for Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson. Those who are of a more leftist persuasion than myself might want to consider voting for Green Party candidate Jill Stein. Here are 93 things that Barack Obama has done, that should cause his supporters to switch to Gary Johnson or Jill Stein: 1) Carried out military interventionism in Libya without Congressional approval In June 2011, U.S. Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) said that Obama had violated the Constitution when he launched military operations...

I wanted to get the current opinion of Freepers on whether or not they believe Gary Johnson will cost Mitt Romney the election? I am asking this because I have been seeing more and more polls as well as interest on Facebook and Twitter about Gary getting the Ron Paul voters and Independents to swing his way. A lot of them are from the legalize crowd and the others are from the Alex Jones wing. Recent polls in Montana show Johnson picking up 2% of the vote, in places like Colorado, New Mexico and Nevada he is picking up around...