Free Republic

WASHINGTON, Nov. 5, 2008 – Navy Adm. Mike Mullen didn’t like the way wounded Vietnam veterans were treated when he first entered the service in 1968, and he is working to ensure that America’s wounded from Iraq and Afghanistan get the care and help they need and deserve. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said during a Pentagon Channel podcast interview yesterday that as one of the leaders of the U.S. military, he is passionate “about seeing to the needs of those who are wounded – who have sacrificed so much, whose lives have been changed so...

WASHINGTON, Feb. 5, 2008 – It is imperative for Congress to quickly approve $102.5 billion in fiscal 2008 emergency supplemental funding earmarked to finance the global war on terrorism, a senior Defense Department official said here today. “We need that money as soon as possible so there is no disruption to our warfighting efforts and not a disruption to our soldiers’ lives, both in the field and their families at home,” Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell told reporters during a news conference. “It is imperative that we get that money as soon as possible,” Morrell reiterated. President Bush requested $189.4...

There is always a good excuse for big government. I thought I would spend some time to catalogue some of those excuses, just to put them down on the record. Whether it is on the floor of the Senate or Assembly, in budget or other committee hearings in the Legislature, these excuses pop up from time to time. In this era of term limits, it is rare for those in decision making positions to hang around long enough to hear these excuses repeated, so this article can act as a chronicle, since I have now heard many of these excuses...

All you need is ubuntu You and me, me and you, lots and lots, for us to do By Sean Coughlan BBC News Magazine Bill Clinton told the Labour conference to get into ubuntu. Eh? Ubuntu. That was what Bill Clinton told the Labour party conference it needed to remember this week. "Society is important because of Ubuntu." But what is it? Left-leaning sudoku? U2's latest album? Fish-friendly sushi? No, it's a word describing an African worldview, which translates as "I am because you are," and which means that individuals need other people to be fulfilled. The former president, husky-voiced...

Sentencing should be delayed for two Border Patrol agents facing 20 years apiece in jail for shooting a drug smuggler and violating his civil rights, 22 congressmen told the Department of Justice Wednesday. In an official letter, the congressmen asked U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to postpone sentencing and review the case against Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean. "Due to significant concerns over the circumstances surrounding the prosecution of agents Ramos and Compean, the House Judiciary Committee has already recognized the need for a thorough review of this case by calling for congressional hearings and an...

Why do men need war? It's male bonding Reports by Roger Highfield and Nic Fleming (Filed: 09/09/2006) Men need threats, rivalry and war for them to work together the most effectively, according to a study of the "male warrior effect". The issue of why men start wars has been investigated in a series of experiments by Prof Mark van Vugt of the University of Kent. They reveal that conflict is part of male bonding. "We all know that males are more aggressive than females but with that aggression comes a lot of co-operation," Prof van Vugt said yesterday. While male...

Dear friend: Do you want to see a Libertarian in Congress? Of course you do. And thanks to Tom DeLay, the Libertarian Party may have its best chance ever. A surprise opportunity has offered itself recently, and we need to exploit it. A federal judge has ruled that Tom DeLay’s name can not be replaced on November’s ballot with another Republican politician. Late last week, DeLay announced that he will withdraw his name, leaving only two candidates on the ballot: a liberal Democratic former congressman, and Libertarian Bob Smither. Bob is well known by the voters and media in this...

California has approved 18 power plants to be built in the next few years, but only two are under construction and will cover only half of the expected growth in peak energy demand state officials are predicting by 2008. Five years after the state's power crisis, anxiety over insufficient supply stems from a more cautious power market in which generators want to be sure they can sell the energy they produce before spending billions on new plants. Energy experts warned that the record-setting heat wave alone should not spur a power plant boom. The two plants being built will add...

No need for witch doctors - I'm staying, says Mugabe By Peta Thornycroft in Harare (Filed: 17/07/2006) President Robert Mugabe has ridiculed followers for consulting witch doctors to choose his successor, dismissing the suggestion that he is going to step down. Robert Mugabe:cheers and laughter from the crowd Shaking his fist, Mr Mugabe, 82, told Zanu PF leaders and party elders at a weekend "consultative" rally in the country's capital, Harare, that they should not rely on witchcraft to choose Zimbabwe's next president. Mr Mugabe, who drew cheers and laughter from the crowd, told them: "The things we hear about...

WASHINGTON, June 28, 2006 – To successfully prosecute the war against terrorism, the U.S. military needs additional funds to maintain its equipment, the Army chief of staff told Congress yesterday. "To prevail in the long struggle we are now engaged, we must maintain our readiness by resetting those who have deployed through a disciplined, orderly reconstitution of combat power," Army Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker said before the House Armed Services Committee. "Our soldiers' effectiveness depends upon a national commitment to recruit, train, equip and support them properly." Equipment "reset" actions include repair and replacement of worn hardware. "In simplest terms,...

NEW DELHI , June 5, 2006 – Talks at a weekend security summit in Singapore moved beyond questioning if terrorism is a threat to discussing how to counter it - a sign that nations are ready to work together, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here today. Marine Gen. Peter Pace said at a news conference that he was struck by how nations have progressed in coming to terms with the terrorism issue. Gone appear to be the days when people debated whether terrorism is a threat, Pace told reporters during his visit here to discuss U.S.-Indo...

Hate to bug you all, but hopefully I can get some help from a Mod or Admin or someone else. I'm writing a paper about the Kelo case and am trying to capture the essence of the conservative reaction. I wanted to include a reference to the thread that was started when the decision was released. Unfortunately, it would seem as though the thread only exists in the barest of senses. The thread I'm referring to is here: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1428902/replies?c=1The only way I was able to find it was through a google search. Has the thread been pulled? Am I looking...

WASHINGTON, Feb. 21, 2006 – The U.S. attorney general called today's indictment of three Ohio men who conspired to kill U.S. citizens overseas, particularly military forces in Iraq, another indication that the United States must remain vigilant in fighting terrorism. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales announced indictments against three men he said were part of a terrorist conspiracy that has operated in Toledo, Ohio, over the past year. Mohammad Zaki Amawi, Marwan Othman El-Hindi and Wassim Mazloum were indicted in the U.S. District Court in Ohio. The three were charged with "conspiracy to commit terrorist acts against persons or individuals overseas...

WASHINGTON, Jan. 19, 2006 – Military life is full of ups and downs. But for it to be a more positive experience, military spouses have to know themselves, Amberlynde Graham said. Graham has been a married nearly six years to a Navy fire controlman - he operates, maintains and repairs weapons systems' control mechanisms. In that time, the couple and their four children -- the youngest is now 22 months old -- have had six changes of station in five states and gone through two deployments. They are currently stationed in San Diego. Through the moves and separations, her enthusiasm...

When Laura J. Birkmeyer was officially sworn into office as a Superior Court Judge on Wednesday, she filled the last opening on the local bench. But if state Supreme Court Chief Justice Ronald George gets his ambitious legislative agenda through in the coming year, there could be more slots to fill in San Diego and other state courts. George, the head of the state's judicial branch, is aiming to add more judges to the state courts and increase their pay. There are now 128 state judges in San Diego County, each paid $149,160 per year. He also wants to change...

This is a link to the video "Christmas Shoes"

WASHINGTON, Nov. 29, 2005 – U.S. and coalition initiatives to create well-trained and -equipped Iraqi security forces are paying off, with Iraqis taking on more of the fight, a U.S. Central Command general said Nov. 28 at the Heritage Foundation here. "Iraqi security forces are fighting hard. They're fighting well. They are not cracking under pressure, as you see in some armies, and they are making a tremendous contribution," Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt, CENTCOM's deputy director of plans and strategy, told the audience. Kimmitt, who divides his time between Iraq and CENTCOM's Tampa headquarters, said Iraq's security forces, which now...

City officials grilled on recovery process Wednesday, October 26, 2005 By Bruce Eggler Staff writer New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin takes a bite of a beignet (pastry) during the re-opening of the 153-year old Cafe Du Monde in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana, October 19, 2005. Wednesday is the first day of business for the New Orleans landmark since it was closed down due to Hurricane Katrina. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson Members of a state legislative committee pressed New Orleans officials Tuesday for answers to a long list of questions about the status of post-Katrina recovery efforts and plans for...

As oil companies struggle to repair their battered Gulf Coast refineries, President Bush and his congressional allies want to make it easier to build new ones. Legislation introduced last week would ease environmental restrictions on gasoline refineries and speed up the process for securing government permits to build them. Congressional Republicans, who introduced the measure, say the need couldn't be more obvious. Hurricanes Katrina and Rita briefly knocked out more than a quarter of the nation's refining capacity, sending gasoline prices to record highs. Some Gulf Coast refineries flooded by the storms could take months to repair. And the nation's...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 28, 2005 – Iraqi security forces are increasing in size and capability, and American forces are constantly adapting their tactics to fight the ever-changing tactics of terrorists in Iraq, President Bush said here today. After being briefed by Army Gen. John Abizaid, commander of U.S. Central Command, and Army Gen. George Casey, commander of Multinational Force Iraq, Bush spoke about the war on terror and emphasized the importance of a congressional briefing Abizaid and Casey are scheduled to give today. "The support of Congress for our troops and our mission is important, and Americans need to know about...