Free Republic

**SNIP** A flyover state is the huge region between the coasts. As opposed to the eastern seaboard, northern post-industrial states and Pacific Ocean states. They’re overwhelmingly Republican, stanchly conservative, regressive right wing, evangelical Christian and working class, well, the loudest, most ill-informed of them are. The term wasn’t commonly used in a political manner until recently with the emergence of the Tea Party and the election of Obama. **SNIP** Since the inception of the term silent majority almost 50 years ago, and all of its iterations since, this block of voters was hardly a majority and never silent. This group...

A top Iraqi diplomat urged Arab states to “use the weapon of oil” against the United States because of its alliance with Israel, raising more questions about the Middle Eastern nation's allegiance to the nation that freed it from a ruthless dictatorship.

Pakistan vehemently protested NATO helicopter strikes that killed more than 70 militants, saying Monday that U.N. rules do not allow the choppers to cross into its air space even in hot pursuit of insurgents. NATO said it launched the strikes in self-defense after militants attacked a small security post in Afghanistan near the border.

MEXICO CITY -- As if Mexicans needed more evidence that criminal groups are trying to hijack the political life of the nation, it came with a ferocious triple-whammy punch in the past 24 hours. Assailants shot and seriously wounded the mayor-elect of a town in the border state of Chihuahua on Friday afternoon, less than a day after commandos in Nuevo Leon state executed a sitting mayor, making him the 10th municipal chief slain so far this year. In Mexico City, a fugitive legislator with drug charges pending against him sneaked into Congress and took his seat, automatically obtaining immunity...

SACRAMENTO -- Republican Assemblyman Guy Houston of San Ramon announced plans today to punish Berkeley's stance against Marine recruiting by withholding $3.3 million in state road funds, atop a $2.3 million federal allocation that's being challenged. Meanwhile, Move America Forward -- which calls itself the nation's largest grassroots pro-troop organization -- scheduled an all-day demonstration against the Berkeley City Council on Tuesday, until the council meeting begins at 7 p.m. The council voted last week to tell the Marines that a recruiting office is not welcome in their town. Move America Forward today asked Berkeley to rescind its action and...

CHICAGO (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Wednesday the United States would use political, economic and other measures to stop Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. Speaking to the Chicago Council on Foreign Relations, Rice said the international community agreed Iran could not have a nuclear weapon and was mobilized to respond. On Tuesday, President George W. Bush refused to rule out nuclear strikes against Iran if diplomacy failed to curb the Islamic Republic's nuclear ambitions. "In order to turn the Iranians back from what has been behavior that is contrary to all the wishes of...

The Washington Timeswww.washingtontimes.com Democrats threaten shutdownBy Charles HurtTHE WASHINGTON TIMESPublished March 16, 2005 Democrats yesterday said they will halt all Senate business except essential operations and national defense if Republicans use the "nuclear option" to unclog President Bush's judicial nominees.     Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada made the threat in a letter yesterday to Majority Leader Bill Frist, who has said he has the 51 votes needed for a parliamentary procedure that would force the nominees through the Senate on a simple majority vote.     "Of course, Democrats would never block legislation vital to our troops or other national...

Pakistan: Christian jailed for insulting Koran The Sharia is not in force anywhere except Saudi Arabia and Iran, you'll hear. Christians enjoy rights equal to those of Muslims in other Muslim countries, you'll hear. Then why are there so many stories like this one? From the Post.ie, with thanks to Nicolei: A Pakistani court has convicted and sentenced a Christian man to seven years in prison for insulting Islam’s holy book, the Koran, as he practiced magic, police said today. A court delivered the ruling on Monday against Bashir Masih, 35, in the town of Chistian, about 90 miles northeast...

U.S. President George Bush dismisses strike suggestions, but says "all options are on the table" WASHINGTON - The idea of an American attack on Iran's nuclear facilities is “simply ridiculous,” U.S. President George W. Bush said Tuesday. "Having said that, all options are on the table,” added Bush, who spoke in Brussels following a meeting with the 25 European Union foreign ministers, implying the U.nited States is not planning a military strike, but the move cannot be overruled should diplomatic efforts fail. “It's in our interests for them not to have a nuclear weapon,” he said. In the past, Bush...

Brussels WHEN JOHAN VANDE LANOTTE, Belgium's Vice Prime Minister, goes to the toilets today, he finds the urinals in the offices of his ministry decorated with stickers. They show an American flag and the head of George W. Bush. "Go ahead. Piss on me," the caption says. Vande Lanotte is one of Bush's hosts in Brussels. Is peeing on your guest's head appropriate? In Belgium it is. After all, Brussels' best known statue is that of "Manneken Pis," a peeing boy.

BAYREUTH - Baffled authorities in southern Germany have issued an alert concerning unknown persons who have been sticking small US flags into piles of dog droppings in public parks in Bayreuth. "This has been going on for about a year now, and there must be 2,000 to 3,000 piles of excrement that have been thusly 'adorned' during that time," said Bayreuth parks administrator Josef Oettl. The sporadic series of incidents originally was thought to be some sort of protest against the US-led invasion of Iraq. And when it continued it was thought to be a protest against President George W....

Video on Islamic militant Web site appears to show beheading of American

<p>KABUL, Afghanistan — Two gunmen firing assault rifles assassinated Afghan Vice President Abdul Qadir as he was being driven from a government ministry Saturday. His driver was also killed but the gunmen escaped.</p> <p>The attack took place about 12:40 p.m. as Qadir was leaving by car from the Ministry of Public Works, which he also headed, according to Interior Minister Taj Mohammed Wardak.</p>