Free Republic

More than 150 leaders across a spectrum of conservative Christianity on Friday released a 4,700-word document vowing civil disobedience if they are forced to take part in "anti-life acts" or bless gay marriages. Called the "Manhattan Declaration," the six-page, single-spaced document was drafted by Prison Fellowship founder Charles Colson, an evangelical, and Princeton University professor Robert P. George, a Roman Catholic, and included a bevy of Catholic, Anglican and Orthodox bishops, archbishops and cardinals as signatories along with dozens of clergy and laity. Archbishop of Washington Donald W. Wuerl is one of the signatories. "Throughout the centuries, Christianity has taught...

NY Activists: Join NOW NY State Dec. 4! Demand health care reform that includes full reproductive rights for ALL women! Join with the National Organization for Women New York State chapter, local activits and prominent reproductive rights advocates to say NO to any Stupak-Pitts-like amendemnts in the National Health Care Reform package. Full Reproductive Rights for Women....Nothing More, Nothing Less Location: Front of Senator Schumer's office 757 Third Avenue (at 48th Street) NYC Date: Dec. 4, 2009 Time: Noon until 2:00 pm

9/11 Panel Questions Two Hijackers' Help Sept. 11 Commission Wonders Why Two Hijackers Got Help From Two Muslim Men When in U.S. The Associated Press WASHINGTON June 27, 2004 — The FBI long has contended that not a single al-Qaida operative in the United States collaborated with the 19 hijackers in the Sept. 11 attacks. Yet the commission investigating the attacks has identified two Muslim men who may have had advance knowledge of the plot. The commission found that two hijackers got substantial help from Mohdar Abdullah and Anwar Aulaqi after settling in California in 2000. The bipartisan panel created...

It’s been a little while since a good confrontation between a birther and a member of Congress, but here’s one from last week: a constituent of Rep. Scott Garrett (R-N.J.) asking his congressman why Republicans won’t do anything about the “eligibility issue.” It makes for awkward viewing, as Garrett’s staff clearly wants a change of subject from an audience that seems to be fine with pushing the question. At around 4:40 in the video, the congressman finally engages. “Obviously, there is no political solution to it,” says Garrett. “Even if the entire Republican Party was united on the issue–” He’s...

<p>Contact your Senators and let them know what you think!</p> <p>U.S. veterans or subsidies for United Nations (U.N.) bureaucracy.</p>

The United States has entered into a settlement with a New Jersey hospital and filed a motion to intervene in a lawsuit against a New York hospital involving allegations that the hospitals defrauded Medicare, the Justice Department announced today. The United States settled for $3.02 million, plus interest, with Trinitas Regional Medical Center in Elizabeth, N.J. The United States is also seeking to intervene in a lawsuit brought against Brookhaven Memorial Hospital in East Patchogue, N.Y. Both of the hospitals are defendants in a suit brought by a whistleblower, Tony Kite, in 2005. The lawsuit involved allegations that the hospitals...

Asian voters switching to Republicans? ... All this evidence strongly suggests that Republicans made gains and Democrats suffered significant losses among Asian, and specifically among Indian-American voters, in Middlesex County. This upscale group, ready enough to vote for John Kerry in 2004 and Barack Obama in 2008, seems to have been repelled by New Jersey’s high taxes and big government under Jon Corzine. There should be some lessons here for Republicans generally—and for Democrats as well.

Asian voters switching to Republicans? Prowling through the election returns in the governor races two weeks ago, I was surprised to find that Middlesex County, New Jersey, voted for Republican Chris Christie over Democratic incumbent Jon Corzine by a 48%-44% margin, almost exactly the same as Christie’s 49%-45% statewide margin. Middlesex County has been a Democratic county for as long as I have been studying election returns (going back to the 1960 election). In close elections it voted 58%-42% for John Kennedy in 1960, 46%-43% for Hubert Humphrey in 1968 (when he failed to carry New Jersey), 51%-47% for Jimmy...

Dobbs Won't Rule Out Senate BidNovember 17, 2009 9:28 AM Former CNN pundit Lou Dobbs could be contemplating a run for public office in his native NJ, he told Bill O'Reilly 11/17. In Dobbs' first interview since abruptly leaving his television show last week, he refused to rule out the idea of running for Senate. "A lot of things are on my mind. I'm not going to be coy about this," Dobbs said, when asked if he was considering a bid. "I can guarantee you 100 percent -- I'm going to remain in the -- in the public arena. These...

Prowling through the election returns in the governor races two weeks ago, I was surprised to find that Middlesex County, New Jersey, voted for Republican Christie over Democratic incumbent Corzine by a 48%-44% margin, almost exactly the same as Christie’s 49%-45% statewide margin. Middlesex County has been a Democratic county for as long as I have been studying election returns (going back to the 1960 election). In close elections it voted 58%-42% for John Kennedy in 1960, 46%-43% for Humphrey in 1968 (when he failed to carry New Jersey), 51%-47% for Carter in 1976, 46%-38% and 56%-32% for Bill Clinton...

If you were watching television on Tuesday night as the election returns came in showing Republicans capturing the governorships of Virginia and New Jersey, you probably missed seeing the biggest losers of the evening. You may have caught the concession speech of Creigh Deeds, who ran 12% behind Barack Obama's winning percentage of the vote in Virginia, and that of Jon Corzine who, after spending over $100 million of his own money on three campaigns, ran 13% behind Obama's winning percentage in New Jersey and got evicted from Drumthwacket, the governor's mansion in Princeton. But you missed seeing the guy...

Republican Jewish Coalition Executive Director Matthew Brooks commented today on a post-election poll done by McLaughlin & Associates in New Jersey on November 3 and 4, 2009: "Recently released post-election poll results from New Jersey show that Republican Chris Christie won 38% of the Jewish vote this year in his run for governor. We are pleased by Christie's strong showing in the Jewish community in a very close race. [Click here to download a memo of the poll results.] "The Jewish community was a key battleground in this election, with both Republicans and the Democrats actively campaigning for Jewish support....

STATEWIDE -- In what could become the highest profile game of political musical chairs in the state, Democratic sources claim they are considering replacing U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg with outgoing Gov. Jon Corzine. It would work like this: Corzine would resign prior to January, when Republican Christopher Christie takes over as governor. A Corzine resignation would allow state Sen. President Richard Codey to serve as acting governor. Then Lautenberg would retire from the U.S. Senate, leaving Codey to name Corzine to fill the seat until a special election. This is similar to a move made when Corzine resigned the senate...

A former Pentecostal bishop has admitted stealing nearly $160,000 by fraudulently soliciting loans from parishioners and religious associates in New Jersey. Steven Parrott of Newark pleaded guilty Friday to misconduct by a corporate official.

Out of the Closet; Into the Church Homo McGreevey Finds Higher Calling thelastcrusade.org What does a gay governor do after he resigns from political office in disgrace? He becomes an Episcopalian and enters the priesthood. Jim McGreevey, the former New Jersey love gov, has gone from Turnpike truck stops to All Saints Church in Hoboken, where he is known as “Father Jim.” Last Sunday, the ex governor administered the sacrament of baptism to a bevy of babies, blessed the Eucharist, and carried the cross during the processional. In 2004, Mr. McGreevey resigned as Governor of New Jersey after revealing...

Now that Lou Dobbs has hung up his microphone on CNN, the populist New Jersey resident could be a viable candidate for the Garden State's US Senate race in 2012, political experts said yesterday. The veteran anchor -- whose strong views on illegal immigration, health care and job creation propelled him to the top of the ratings at the cable network -- said yesterday he had been approached about getting into politics, but insisted he was still weighing his options. Should he choose to jump into the famously ferocious world of New Jersey politics, Dobbs -- who surprised his fans...

TRENTON -- A N.J. gun law needs exceptions for various groups — including retailers who will only be able to buy one handgun a month from suppliers — members of a task force reviewing the legislation said today. The law, intended to restrict the flow of weapons to criminals, has riled gun advocates who say it penalizes law-abiding citizens like target shooters and collectors. The task force’s central proposal would make it easier for gun store owners to stock their shelves while still limiting customers to buying one handgun every 30 days. "As it stands now, retailers would be prohibited...

N.J. lawmaker says legislature may not vote on gay marriage bill before session ends By The Associated Press November 13, 2009, 5:09PM EAST RUTHERFORD — A key lawmaker said the New Jersey Legislature might not vote on a bill to allow gay marriage before the current session ends in January. State Sen. Paul Sarlo says he will not bring up the bill in the Judiciary Committee he chairs unless there are enough votes to pass it along to the whole Senate. And the Bergen County Democrat said today that there currently are not enough votes. Gay rights activists are pushing...

...two Catholic candidates won elections this year to state-wide office without compromising their pro-life, pro-family principles. The world didn't end, and once they are in office, they won't conduct witch hunts against those who disagree with them on these issues - but they will use their office to promote these central values, which transcend any one religion or political party. Catholics aren't pro-life and pro-family, after all, only because the Church tells them to be so, but rather, they are encouraged to hold true to these commonsense principles because of the witness and encouragement of their Catholic faith. You read...

Robert Sciarrino/The Star-LedgerGuns on display at the Bullet Hole, a gun store and indoor shooting range in Bellville. Gun sales have been up since the election, as firearm owners stock up in fear of federal bans on weapons. TRENTON -- A N.J. gun law needs exceptions for various groups — including retailers who will only be able to buy one handgun a month from suppliers — members of a task force reviewing the legislation said today. The law, intended to restrict the flow of weapons to criminals, has riled gun advocates who say it penalizes law-abiding citizens like target...

John Runyan, a former lineman with the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles, announced Thursday that he is considering running for Congress in New Jersey. Runyan issued a press release saying he is looking at taking on freshman Democrat John Adler in the 3rd District, which stretches from the Philadelphia suburb of Cherry Hill, N.J. all the way to the Atlantic coast. Adler won a close race in 2008 for the open seat left by retiring Republican H. James Saxton, and is already a member of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's "Frontline" program for vulnerable incumbents. Runyan, 35, played 13 seasons of professional...

MOUNT LAUREL, N.J. — Former NFL player Jon Runyan says he's considering running for Congress. In a statement issued Wednesday by the Burlington County Republican Committee, Runyan says he believes the country is being taken in the wrong direction by career politicians. Runyan, an offensive lineman, played 13 seasons in the NFL, the last nine with the Philadelphia Eagles. The 36-year-old is out of football this season, though he's talked to the Eagles and other teams about coming back. If he runs for Congress, it would be in New Jersey's 3rd District, which stretches from the Philadelphia suburbs to central...

<p>SOMERVILLE, N.J. (AP) ― A quadriplegic in New Jersey has the right to bear arms even though he can't hold a gun or pull a trigger.</p> <p>A judge ruled Tuesday that James Cap is eligible for a firearms ID, which is required to buy a gun.</p>

In his election-night acceptance speech, New Jersey Gov.-elect Chris Christie aimed straight at the Garden State's entrenched political class, vowing to "turn Trenton on its head." As his victory suggests, many residents would welcome such dramatic reform. He has the opportunity to harness popular anger with the previous administration and make real reforms. Christie inherits a state that's in arguably the worst financial condition in its 233- year history. Last year's $7 billion shortfall, closed with stimulus dollars and tax hikes, has resurfaced at an even larger $8 billion for 2010. Residents face crippling property taxes (an average of $7,000...

The informant who sparked the biggest criminal sting in New Jersey history briefly emerged from federal protection long enough yesterday to plead guilty to a $50 million bank fraud. But even as Solomon Dwek stood fidgeting before a judge in a perfunctory 30-minute appearance, explosive details about his private con schemes and his role as the cooperating witness in the ongoing federal corruption investigation were coming to light. A Star-Ledger examination of court documents shows before Dwek became an informer for the FBI, he was running a wild Ponzi operation in which one investment was being used to pay off...

-snip- Emily Rutherford, who is active in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered activisim on campus, had advocated for a policy last winter in a progressive campus magazine. These students, she said, especially transgendered students, may feel uncomfortable living with same-sex roommates. "Right now, students can approach the director of student life and have their needs accommodated, but that involves "coming out' and being stigmatized as someone with special needs," Rutherford said. "Making gender a nonissue in rooming removes that stigma for all LGBT students." -snip- Princeton's Anscombe Society, which seeks to promote traditional values on campus, criticized the university's approval...

Harding Township Manages To Keep Taxes Very Low Because Residents Volunteer, Do Many Things Themselves HARDING TOWNSHIP, N.J. (CBS) ― Across the Hudson River where property taxes are a hot button issue, homeowners in one New Jersey town know how to get more bang for their buck. What's Harding Township's secret? Lawmakers keep those taxes down and residents happy. It's a secret the residents don't want the rest of the state to know about -- how they've managed keep their property taxes down. When you step into Harding Township you feel like you've gone back in time. Horses, farms, barely...

There’s no shame in a bad prediction; last Monday, I predicted Jon Corzine would win reelection with caches of late, suspiciously-appearing votes. I predicted Conservative Doug Hoffman would win easily.* But we’ve all seen the rapidly-worsening chart comparing the Obama administration’s prediction of the unemployment rate against the actual continually-increasing unemployment rate. Last week, the national unemployment rate vaulted past 10 percent, a scenario that some very smart folks – no sarcasm intended there, really – were pretty confident would not come to pass.

Demand for private jets is way down and NetJets will lay off almost 500 pilots as a result -- almost 20% of its staff of 3,000 pilots. because of a decrease in demand. NetJets is a unit of investor Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway

Everyone and his brother has opinions about what happened on Tuesday, but not all assessments are equally correct, just as not all of the descriptions of the contests, while they were in progress, were equally on the mark. What were some of the mistakes and mischaracterizations during the campaigns and after the voting? One of the worst, I thought, was the widespread characterization of Dede Scozzafava, the Republican nominee in New York’s 23rd district, as a moderate. I realize that those of us in the media use that term to distinguish certain Republicans and Democrats from their more ideologically consistent...

"You put that camera away! You put that camera away!" What started out as a peaceful protest in front of a church in Newark ends with an officer taking a news crew down.

Prosecutors said a Parsippany man who was charged last week with possessing an arsenal of firearms in his home allegedly manufactured and converted guns into illegal automatic weapons at his home and sold them.Adam Coughlan, 29, who was arrested Thursday in a raid of his Lake Hiawatha home by authorities, also is a flight risk because he may have ties to the "neo-Nazi" underground, Morris County Assistant Prosecutor Bradford Seabury said during a bail hearing. Since the arrest, investigators have been examining Coughlan's computers, documents and books, and found instruction manuals on how to convert guns into fully automatic weapons...

How’s that “hope and change” working out for you? I can’t speak for the Democrats, but Republicans - particularly New England ones - are loving it. After a year of defeat and dire predictions, Massachusetts conservatives have renewed hope for 2010. There’s definitely change on the way, and in a state whose legislators are about 90 percent Democrat, change can only be good for Republicans. And who can we thank for this new conservative spirit of hopeful-changeyness? The Republican Party’s new hero: Barack Obama. One year ago today, pundits were writing off the American right for the next election cycle,...

In November 2008, 658,000 Americans under 30 voted in New Jersey and 782,000 did so in Virginia. In November 2009, 212,000 Americans under 30 voted in New Jersey and 198,000 did so in Virginia. In other words, young voter turnout this year was down two-thirds in New Jersey and three-quarters in Virginia

The battle over gay rights will move to New Jersey and the federal government, advocates said, after Tuesday's narrow rejection of same-sex marriage by Maine voters in a hard-fought contest. The Democrat-controlled legislature in New Jersey, which currently recognizes same-sex couples in civil unions, is under pressure to pass a bill authorizing gay marriage before Gov. Jon Corzine ends his term in mid-January.

Governor-elect Chris Christie made a surpise appearance at the New Jersey Family Policy annual dinner. Gov Christie thanked the audience for all of the work done on behalf of New Jersey families. Christie told the New Jersey Family Policy group about his own family and his kids and spoke about their shared values. Governor-elect Chris Christie said he prepared his family for the possibility of a loss that was not to be. He huddled with his family on election night before going on stage to accept the election results. His family all shared their love and celebration. Governor-elect Christie graciously...

The plan to attack the Fort Dix Army Base in New Jersey this year, they wanted to "kill as many soldiers as possible!" Five Muslim immigrants accused of scheming to massacre U.S. soldiers at Fort Dix were convicted of conspiracy Monday in a case that tested the FBI's post-Sept. 11 strategy of infiltrating and breaking up terrorist plots in their earliest stages. The men could get life in prison when they are sentenced in April. The five, who lived in and around Philadelphia for years, were found guilty of conspiring to kill U.S. military personnel. But they were acquitted of...

Neither Barack Obama nor Nancy Pelosi can be as clueless as they want us to think they are. The White House said the president was so uninterested in the results on election night that he watched a documentary on the '08 presidential campaign, no doubt eager to see who won. Mzz Pelosi, as oblivious of the scoreboard as a ditzy cheerleader unaware of which team has the ball, insists her side won the night. Mr. Obama continues to campaign for the job the rest of us thought we gave him a year ago. The day after the Republicans sent wake-up...

Any judgment of Barack Obama’s presidency based on a handful of off-year races is overstating the case. Trying to decipher the real meaning is something like reading tea leaves, and just as reliable. Still, they are clues and warnings, at least, for the national parties. My reading of the leaves: independents flexed their muscle and gave Obama a warning, passing health care reform is going to be a little harder but still in the cards, and New York voters deepened the Republican identity crisis. You could say this was in a part the opening blow of Obama vs. Sarah Palin...

OK, here's what should be the nail in the coffin for conservative claims that ACORN is poised to steal the New Jersey governor's race through rampant voter fraud. Brian Kettenring, an ACORN spokesman, tells TPMmuckraker that the much-maligned group has conducted absolutely no political or voter registration activity in the state during the 2009 cycle. And Kettenring added that ACORN had done very little such work during the 2008 cycle. In a column published yesterday in the Wall Street Journal, John Fund sounded the alarm about the threat from ACORN -- but a close look reveals that even here he...

The decisions of the final holdouts on the House health bill are beginning to come in. Rep. John Adler, a New Jersey Democrat, said today he’s voting no. He criticized the bill’s $1 trillion-plus price tag over 10 years, and said it doesn’t do enough to control health costs. Adler’s state, of course, was the scene of a big Republican win this week when Chris Christie defeated incumbent Democrat Jon Corzine in the New Jersey gubernatorial race. Seeking his first term in Congress last year, Adler squeaked to victory with 52% of the vote, and he’s one of the many...

PATERSON — Supporters of a Muslim cleric whose deportation case is to return to Immigration Court after an immigration appeals panel remanded it, plan today to publicly denounce the panel’s decision and vow to fight for the imam. Aref Assaf, spokesman for imam Mohammad Qatanani of the Islamic Center of Passaic County, said that at today’s press conference he and others will ask for “continued financial and emotional support” for the imam as he prepares to fight again against efforts by the Department of Homeland Security to deport him. “We will express our disappointment in the Board of Immigration Appeals’...

Democrats have some thinking to do after Tuesday's elections, but Republicans don't have time to think. They're too busy trying to survive the party's internal purge and avoid being shipped off to political Siberia. Will loyal members inform on others for harboring suspiciously moderate views? Will anyone judged guilty have to wear a sign saying "Republican In Name Only" as penance? Will there be re-education camps? Will deviationists face the Enhanced Interrogation Technique of being forced to listen to the wit and wisdom of Glenn Beck, at ear-splitting volume, for days on end? Or worse: When Sarah Palin's memoir, "Going...

HACKENSACK, N.J. – A jury convicted a Florida man Friday of murdering his former son-in-law, rejecting the man's defense that he was too fat to have run up and down a flight of stairs to commit the crime and make a quick getaway. Edward Ates looked down and shook his head in court as he was found guilty of murder and weapons counts for killing Paul Duncsak, who was shot six times at his home in Ramsey, about 25 miles northwest of New York. Ates' "too fat to kill" defense provided an angle to the trial that attracted attention from...

NEWARK—A Clark man was sentenced today to 76 months in federal prison for his scheme to defraud customers of two banks where he had been employed of more than $2.5 million, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced. After imposing the sentence, U.S. District Judge Peter G. Sheridan revoked bail for Carlos Pinho and ordered him detained immediately to begin serving the sentence. A hearing to determine the amount of restitution Pinho will have to pay to his victims was scheduled for Dec. 15. Judge Sheridan also ordered Pinho to serve four years of supervised release upon completion of his custodial...

NOVEMBER 7, 2009 Gay-Marriage Fight Heads to New Jersey By KEITH J. WINSTEIN The battle over gay rights will move to New Jersey and the federal government, advocates said, after Tuesday's narrow rejection of same-sex marriage by Maine voters in a hard-fought contest. The Democrat-controlled legislature in New Jersey, which currently recognizes same-sex couples in civil unions, is under pressure to pass a bill authorizing gay marriage before Gov. Jon Corzine ends his term in mid-January. Mr. Corzine, a Democrat unseated in Tuesday's election, said he would sign such a bill. His successor, Republican Chris Christie, opposes same-sex marriages. "New...

Full County Results for New Jersey with results for most towns.

Dear xxxx, The results of Tuesday's elections in Maine, New Jersey, New York, Virginia and Washington were a mixed bag but there are some clear lessons we can learn. Voters rejected right-wing radicalism. Democrats who fail to stand up for Democratic and progressive principles fail in elections. The Right's lies still work. Despite the stinging loss for marriage equality in Maine, evidence elsewhere shows voters moving towards support of equality for all Americans. The Far Right strengthened its grip on the Republican Party. We have a lot of work to do to educate people, expose right-wing lies and counter the...

A New Grassroots Political Organization Makes Its Mark by Deal W. Hudson    11/06/09 The election results of November 2 were not merely the spontaneous reaction of Republicans to the bad economy and liberal excesses of the Obama administration. The four pro-life, conservative GOP candidates in Virginia and New Jersey were elected in a groundswell of religious and social conservatives, many of them independent voters who had voted for Obama only a year ago. A new grassroots organization played a major role in getting these voters to the polls -- the Faith & Freedom Coalition was founded by Ralph...

Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Despite the best efforts of the White House and much of the media to portray this week’s elections as a meaningless barometer of the public’s mood toward the Obama administration, the results were clear. The voters were communicating buyers’ remorse. One year after reaching its zenith, the Democratic Party is now grappling with what could be the beginning of the end of the Obama era. In Virginia, former Attorney General Bob McDonnell, a solid pro-family, pro-life conservative, won a landslide victory, as did down-ticket conservative candidates. Repeated Obama visits to his own backyard did...