Free Republic

Nebraska State Sen. Ernie Chambers is taking criticism for calling the American flag a "rag" and comparing it to the Nazi swastika. Chambers (I) made the comments Tuesday as he spoke out against a state bill that would update civics requirements for students. "I don't come here for this rag every day, and it's a rag. That's all it is to me," Chambers said in reference to the flag. "When you show a way to persuade Jews to sanctify and worship the swastika, when you show me that I'll come up here and stand while you all hypocritically pretend that...

Nebraska state Sen. Ernie Chambers on Tuesday compared the American flag with the Nazi swastika on the floor of the legislature. “I don't come here for this rag every day, and it's a rag. That's all it is to me,” said Chambers about respecting the flag. “When you show a way to persuade Jews to sanctify and worship the swastika, when you show me that I'll come up here and stand while you all hypocritically pretend that rag is something that it definitely is not.“ The comments were in response to a bill put before the Nebraska legislature that would...

We Nebraskans shall have a momentous task, before the Nebraska Unicameral, tomorrow at the state capital in Lincoln. Several Legislative Bills will be proposed to the Judiciary Committee, and each of these bills is a travesty against the natural law. I have contacted the Committee Chair - Senator Steve Lathrop, to state my objections, and have them entered into the public record for each hearing on each of the proposed bills. I would appreciate that any Nebraskan, who is so inclined, either send their own testimony to Chairman Lathrop, or else appear at the hearings in Lincoln, which are scheduled...

In June, the Trump administration instituted new rules that would allow small businesses and individuals to access health insurance through what the president called “ association health plans.” This would permit certain businesses and the self-employed to band together, even across state lines, to provide coverage for members outside of Obamacare’s strict rules. It turns out association health plans have quickly become a solution to many Americans’ coverage problems, are more affordable than Obamacare, and are helping many get the care they need. “It's time to acknowledge that critics may have misjudged one of the Trump administration's signature health-care policies...

In a surprising op-ed, Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI), who has announced she is running for President, called out fellow Democrats for fomenting “religious bigotry” during the confirmation of some of President Trump’s recent judicial nominees. Although she did not call them out by name, Senators Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Kamala Harris (D-CA) were undoubtedly in Gabbard’s crossfire, as both Democrat Senators recently (and repeatedly) asked Brian Buescher, a nominee to the U.S. District Court in Nebraska, about his affiliation with the Knights of Columbus, a faith-based, service organization that supports the Catholic Church’s historical teaching on marriage, abortion, and human sexuality. With around two...

On New Year’s Day this year, I predicted in a column published here that under pressure of various governmental investigations, Donald Trump will be compelled to resign from the presidency before the end of 2019. The recent disclosures regarding these investigations have strengthened my position. Upon Trump’s resignation from the presidency, Vice President Mike Pence will become the president. Pence, however, will be a very poor reelection prospect in 2020. Mike and Karen Pence, his wife, have a well-deserved reputation for extremism on social issues, particularly on issues affecting gay and lesbian voters. The Pences possess a “kook” factor they...

Nebraska GOP Sen. Ben Sasse, in an interview Thursday with Fox News, ramped up his criticism of Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam over comments on a controversial late-term abortion bill -- saying the governor effectively discussed "infanticide" and should resign if he won't back down. Sasse, a pro-life Republican, said Northam’s comments were “morally repugnant” and argued the Democratic governor should “get the hell out of office” if he doesn’t support protecting the life of a child who survived an abortion. “The comments the governor of Virginia made were about fourth-term abortions,” Sasse said on Fox News’ “The Daily Briefing with...

Nebraska Republican Sen. Ben Sasse reacted to comments Virginia Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam made Wednesday morning, telling the governor that he shouldn’t serve in government if he supports leaving babies to die after they’ve been born. Northam, in a Wednesday morning interview, couldn’t precisely answer whether he supports abortion until birth and suggested an infant could be born and then the mother and doctor could discuss what should happen next, The National Review reported. “This is morally repugnant,” Sasse said in a statement. “In just a few years pro-abortion zealots went from ‘safe, legal, and rare’ to ‘keep the newborns...

He claimed he was a Recon Ranger — there is no such thing as a Marine Recon Ranger, Rangers are in the Army. Retired US Navy SEAL Don Shipley, who is known for publicly outing people for ‘stolen valor,’ obtained Nathan Phillips’ DD-214 form and exposed the truth. Nathan Phillips was enlisted under the name Nathaniel Richard Stanard. “Nathaniel Phillips enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserves on May 20th, 1972 and served until May 5th, 1976,” Don Shipley said as he read the DD-214 form. “He served under just four years and was discharged at the exalted rank of ‘Private'”...

Vice President Pence’s wife Karen has come under withering attack in recent days from many in the media. From this “reporting,” one might think she has transgressed some obvious social boundary of a civilized society. In reality, the big “scoop” is that this Christian wife and mother, whose Christian beliefs are important to her, is teaching at a Christian school, which being Christian, holds to Christian beliefs about marriage. Yet you wouldn’t know that from reading the headlines about her, which lead the reader to believe that the driving force of Karen’s actions is the targeting of those who identify...

After Democratic Senator Mazie Hirono of Hawaii (with an assist from her California colleague Kamala Harris and John Kennedy) decided to declare the Knights of Columbus a terrorist group or something, there was some significant pushback from the rest of the upper chamber. They went so far as to pass a unanimous consent decree (introduced by Ben Sasse) reaffirming the unconstitutionality of religious tests for office and rebuking the Senators raising these issues. So that probably showed Hirono the error of her ways and convinced her to slow her roll, right?Don’t be silly. She went after Sasse as some...

Arizona state politicians will introduce model legislation this week to encourage states to prevent children of illegal immigrants from being granted citizenship under the 14th Amendment. Lawmakers in at least 14 states have said they are committed to passing the legislation targeting birthright citizenship. Arizona's anti-illegal-immigrant bill, SB-1070, was also based on model legislation that could be easily copied by states, and at least seven states are likely to pass bills similar to the first Arizona immigration overhaul this year, according to one analysis by an immigrants rights group. Arizona state Senator Russell Pearce will unveil the bill Jan. 5...

More than four months after Missouri became the first U.S. state to regulate the term “meat” on product labels, Nebraska’s powerful farm groups are pushing for similar protection from veggie burgers, tofu dogs and other items that look and taste like real meat. Nebraska lawmakers will consider a bill this year defining meat as “any edible portion of any livestock or poultry, carcass, or part thereof” and excluding “lab-grown or insect or plant-based food products.” It would make it a crime to advertise or sell something “as meat that is not derived from poultry or livestock.” Similar measures aimed at...

Democratic lawmakers are divided over questions some see as a religious litmus test applied to candidates for the federal bench. The debate has turned into a war of words between members of Hawaii’s Congressional delegation “We cannot and will not tolerate prejudicial treatment of those with whom we disagree, any more than we would tolerate such treatment of those with whom we agree,” Rep Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) wrote in a Jan. 8 op-ed for The Hill. Gabbard accused senators screening judicial candidates of “religious bigotry” and warned against legislators “weaponizing” questions of personal faith. At least two judicial candidates in...

The unidentified man, who was providing medical assistance in the Democratic Republic of Congo, has shown no symptoms of Ebola... “This person may have been exposed to the virus but is not ill and is not contagious,” Doctors will work with federal, state and county public health officials to monitor the man and secure the area so no members of the public or other patients are exposed. The man is not officially a patient [?] at Nebraska Medicine, but will be monitored there for two weeks, hospital officials said.

The ugly specter of religious bigotry reared its disgusting head during Senate confirmation of the nomination of Brian Buescher for a federal judgeship. The Constitution’s Article VI, Clause 3 clearly specifies that “no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States,” but that must be news to Senators Mazie Hirono and Kamala Harris. Ed Condon of the Catholic News Agency reports:  A judicial nominee faced questions from Senators this month about whether membership in the Knights of Columbus might impede his ability to judge federal cases fairly. The...

Some Nebraskans are calling an elementary school principal a Grinch after she issued a memo to school staff that prohibited certain Christmas decorations and other religious symbols. Jennifer Sinclair of Manchester Elementary in Elkhorn, Neb., was placed on administrative leave Thursday following her directive, the Omaha World-Herald reported. District spokeswoman Kara Perchal said the district would not comment further. "Elkhorn Public Schools District administration promptly addressed the issue at Manchester Elementary School regarding the memo that was sent by the principal to Manchester elementary staff," the district said in a statement. An Elkhorn elementary school principal tried to ban Christmas....

If jolly old Saint Nick were a real person who had a real naughty and nice list, Nebraska school principal Jennifer Sinclair would most definitely be getting nothing but coal in her stocking this year. Sinclair has went on an anti-Christmas rampage, banning candy canes because their “J” shape represents Jesus, the reason for the season. However, that was just the beginning. What kinds of items, you ask? Liberty Counsel provided a memo from principal Jennifer Sinclair that spelled out in detail all the verboten paraphernalia at Manchester Elementary School in Omaha: Santas or Christmas items (clip art) on worksheets...

She’s not a senator, but Cynthia Nance plays an enormous role in shaping the debate over some of President Trump’s judicial picks. Ms. Nance, former dean of the University of Arkansas School of Law, handles the American Bar Association’s judicial ratings for nominees to federal courts in North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri and Arkansas, which make up the federal 8th Circuit. The ABA’s role is one the more opaque parts of the process, but Republicans are pushing it into the light, accusing her of allowing personal bias, particularly a fealty to abortion rights, to color her ratings....

Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) said President Donald Trump’s compliment of Rep. Greg Gianforte (R-MT) for assaulting a reporter last May was “not OK.” Sasse said, “I believe the First Amendment is the beating heart of the American experiment. We need to have a president who celebrates the First Amendment and not pretends that beating up a reporter is OK. What you hear from Nebraskans who also tune out most of the rallies is that there’s a short-term, long-term thing going on and feel that the president’s rhetoric is short-term playful. I don’t think...