Free Republic

If we look back through history, growth in government has been a modern phenomenon. Beginning in the 1850s and lasting until the 1920s or ’30s, the government’s share of GDP in most of the world’s industrialized economies was about six percent. From that period onwards — and particularly since the 1950s — we’ve seen a massive explosion in government share of GDP, in some places as much as 35-45 percent. (In the case of Sweden, of course, it reached 65 percent, and Sweden nearly self-destructed as a result. It is now starting to dismantle some of its social programs to...

Fayetteville native escorts first lady By Greg BarnesStaff writer Cathy Jackman Somehow, somewhere in the hustle and bustle of preparing for a funeral, Cathy Jackman found the time to call her mother in Fayetteville on Thursday. Within a few hours, Jackman was expecting to again be on national television, wearing a black suit and Army wives' scarf while walking arm-in-arm with first lady Laura Bush. Jackman, a 1970 Terry Sanford High School graduate, has escorted President Bush and his wife at all of President Reagan's funeral proceedings. Jackman's husband has had an even bigger job. Maj. Gen. Galen B. Jackman,...

Military exercise will test GPS jamming, affect boaters The Associated Press June 11, 2004   8:16 am WILMINGTON, N.C. -- Boaters may have to rely on dead reckoning to get around for the coming week because a military exercise will test and evaluate a system designed to jam signals from navigation satellites.The exercise starting Friday and continuing through most of next week will gauge the military's ability to interfere with global positioning systems from about 50 to 60 miles off the North Carolina coast and in parts of Florida.Testing may affect cell phones as well and will take place during...

I was going to write this column about George Soros, but sometimes events overtake intentions. Beyond the three men, the subject is understanding America. Reagan understood his nation. Soros does not understand his adopted nation. But deHollan, another Hungarian who came to America nearly a half century ago, does understand this land. America has a talent, rare among the nations of the world, for finding greatness in her leaders at the most urgent of times. More than that, she has the talent of finding greatness in the hearts of ordinary men. Thomas Jefferson was a man of greatness all his...

I'll summarize. In 1995, this guy walked down a street in Chappel Hill, firing an M-1 at anyone he saw. He killed two people, wounded a policeman and was tackled while reloading. He was found to be insane and sentenced to Dorothea Dix Hospital. A year ago, they decided to give him one more year. NOTE: He murdered two people. He was attending an AA meeting when he simply walked off. NOTE: There is no fence at the Hospital.

DALLAS -- Dallas police hope a little exposure will get "johns" to think twice. The DPD is posting pictures on its Web site of people busted for allegedly soliciting prostitution. The Internet page not only has pictures of the alleged Johns, but their names, birth dates and hometowns, too. The photo gallery is under the heading of "indecency related offenses," and police officials said it's pretty popular. Lt. John Dagen said in the first 24 hours alone, the site had more than 4,100 hits. He said they even had two women call the department, after hearing their husbands' pictures were...

A major section of Cornwallis Road has been shut down between Davis Drive and Miami Boulevard in Durham. Police and the bomb squad officials found two suspicious devices near the Cornwallis Road rail crossing that the bomb squad later identified as smoke bombs. A container of clear liquid was also found at the scene, and is now being tested by authorities. Nearby businesses were evacuated as police continue to search the area for other suspicious items. Two other railroad locations were also targeted: Highway 54 and 55 and Highway 55 and Cornwallis. At all three locations the crossing arms that...

Six vie to challenge EasleyCandidates try to tone image, hone message Are Republicans tired of Richard Vinroot? Is Bill Cobey too strident on social issues? Does Patrick Ballantine have what it takes to govern? And, most important of all: Which GOP candidate for governor has the best chance of defeating Gov. Mike Easley this fall?The six Republican primary candidates have broadly similar platforms. All say they would deliver lower taxes, smaller government, less regulation and more jobs to North Carolina. But all are working hard to distinguish themselves. The goal is to appeal to primary voters July 20 as the...

(Raleigh-AP) -- US Senate hopeful Erskine Bowles is among the North Carolina Democrats who are crossing into enemy territory, trying to woo veterans who typically vote Republican. In recent campaign stops, Bowles has called for reform in the way veterans benefits are administered to those who've fought for the United States and their families. Bowles touted his veterans plan in Greensboro today. He was joined by US Representative Mel Watt, a Democrat who was one of just three members of North Carolina's House delegation to vote against the 2002 resolution that authorized President Bush to use military force in Iraq....

Rep. Frank Ballance (D-N.C.) Resigns Congressman Cites Health as Reason for Resignation The Associated Press Tuesday, June 8, 2004; 11:50 AM WARRENTON, N.C. -- Rep. Frank Ballance resigned from Congress on Tuesday, saying a neuromuscular disorder has affected his ability to carry out his duties. Ballance, 62, was diagnosed in February with myasthenia gravis, which causes muscle weakness. He said in a statement Tuesday that he was "no longer able to carry out the responsibilities of this office due to my current health condition."

ASHEBORO -- First of all, this is a real newspaper, not a grocery-store tabloid. So, the story you're about to read is true.Randolph County resident Bill Kurdian photographed this unidentified animal in his back yard May 20.Kurdian took the photo with a motion-sensing camera. It starts with Bill and Gayle Kurdian throwing out dried corn for the wildlife in their neck of the woods in eastern Randolph County, and an odd-looking creature taking them up on their hospitality early last winter. "What in the world?" Bill Kurdian asked himself when he saw the animal for the first time. About the...

Politician's campaign tactics questionedFormer N.C. GOP leader accused of unfairly using party resources to bolster bid for governorThe Associated Press RALEIGH, N.C. — GOP rivals are accusing former N.C. Republican Party chairman Bill Cobey of unfairly using the party's common resources and staff to boost his bid for governor.Supporters or aides to three other Republican candidates for governor — Southern Pines insurance executive George Little, former Charlotte Mayor Richard Vinroot and former state Sen. Patrick Ballantine of Wilmington — complain Cobey is using party mailing lists and e-mail lists in his campaign to win the party's nomination in the July...

This week we formally dedicated the World War II Memorial on the Mall in Washington, D.C. The center of the Memorial is a reflecting pool in front of a curved wall on which there are 4,050 golden stars, each of them representing one hundred Americans who gave the last full measure of devotion in that conflict. This was the long-delayed memorial for the 16 million Americans who served in that conflict, only a quarter of whom are still alive. A substantial number of those were in attendance at the dedication. Of course, World War II was not the war in...

Dems' eyes are on ex-beauty queen Can she unseat Hayes in 8th District? RONNIE GLASSBERG Staff Writer Daunted by Rep. Robin Hayes' financial muscle, Democrats say they are counting on a former beauty queen to unseat him by drawing on her connections with Hollywood donors. In North Carolina's 8th Congressional District, top Democrats decided to stay out of this year's race, even though some party leaders view Hayes, the incumbent Concord Republican, as vulnerable. That leaves two lesser-known candidates: Mark Ortiz, a Kannapolis Green Party activist running as a Democrat; and Beth Troutman, 27, a former beauty pageant contestant...

Freightliner adds 600 workers to meet growing demand for trucks The Associated Press June 4, 2004   1:45 am CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Freightliner LLC will add nearly 600 workers to its assembly plant in Rowan County to meet demand for 18-wheelers, the company said Thursday.The new workers will push employment at the Cleveland plant to 3,600, the most since the late 1990s.Jeffrey Fisher, a spokesman at Freightliner's headquarters in Portland, Ore., said the economic recovery means more freight is being moved."That's putting great demand on freight forwarders and trucking organizations," he said. "They need the trucks and need the drivers...

Republican says party leader taking sidesBy LYNN BONNER AND ROB CHRISTENSEN, Staff Writers> Charles Taylor, a Sanford Republican, had such an unpleasant experience at the state party convention last month that he resigned from its executive committee. Taylor says GOP political director Bill Peaslee needlessly barred him from the committee's meeting. Now he wants Peaslee to resign from his job. Taylor found that Peaslee registered two Internet sites, www.billcobey.com and www.billcobey.org, on July 16 -- five days before Cobey, who was state GOP chairman, announced he was running for governor. They are addresses for Cobey's campaign Web site. The party...

Radio station suspends pro-English ad The Associated Press 6/1/2004, 7:35 p.m. ET WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — A radio station temporarily suspended broadcasts of a commercial for a Republican congressional candidate who rails against illegal immigration but then signs off in Spanish, including the salutation "Yo, Gringo!" WSJS-AM said it made the decision over the holiday weekend because it was unclear if the sponsor was clearly identified in the otherwise-English ad for candidate Vernon Robinson. The ad contends the prevalence of Spanish spoken in the United States can make English-speaking Americans feel like they're in "The Twilight Zone." Only the final...

Democratic Senator - and certain presidential nominee - John F. Kerry gave the middle finger to a Vietnam veteran at the Vietnam Memorial Wall on Memorial Day morning, NewsMax.com has learned. Ted Sampley, a former Green Beret who served two full tours in Vietnam, spotted Kerry and his Secret Service detail at about 9:00 AM Monday morning at the Wall. Sampley walked up to Kerry, extended his hand and said, "Senator, I am Ted Sampley, the head of Vietnam Veterans Against John Kerry, and I am here to escort you away from the Wall because you do not belong here."...

Sandwiched between two squirming, squealing piglets, Gov. Mark Sanford walked up the State House steps to take a light-hearted jab at the Legislature about pork in the state budget. But, instead, the stunt infuriated lawmakers, who took it as a direct insult and an attempt to embarrass them, further eroding their rocky relationship with the governor. The move came a day after House members angered Sanford in what has become an ongoing clash over the $5.5 billion state budget. With cameras rolling and lawmakers and lobbyists gaping, Sanford stood just outside the House chambers, pigs wriggling under his arms, pig...

RALEIGH, N.C. -- U.S. Senate candidate Richard Burr is getting his organizational chart across the state in place. He has enlisted the help of North Carolina Sen. Elizabeth Dole as his campaign chairwoman. Dole said she wants to help Burr with his campaign. "[To] ensure that I have time to give to Richard as he sees needs that come up -- whether it be an advocacy role, speaking, fund-raising. In any way, I'll be there for him," Dole said.

WASHINGTON -- Buckling to congressional pressure, the Navy has reversed course and agreed to give the rusting hulk of a demolished World War II-era aircraft to a Princeton, Minn., aviation buff who is restoring the plane. Lex Cralley, a ground services mechanic for an airline, dug up the abandoned Corsair fighter plane in Craven County, N.C., in 1991 and took it home to Minnesota. The airplane had crashed Dec. 19, 1944. With its unique gull-wing design, the Corsair was one of the most recognizable airplanes of World War II. U.S. pilots flew the propeller-powered plane in such storied campaigns as...

No one gets to be President of the United States without substantial experience in public speaking. Only a rare few and only occasionally, rise to the rhetorical heights of an Abraham Lincoln. Only a rare few (fortunately) sink to the depths of deception of a Bill Clinton. But all should be at least marginally adequate at the task. In his Iraq speech Monday to the War College in Pennsylvania, President Bush failed to reach that low standard. The first rule of public speaking is: Know your audience. The second rule is: Speak to the interests of your audience. Many Americans...

Announcing the Free Republic Freedom Tour ~ 2004 ~ Rocky Mountain & South Western Division Well, we've finally set the starting date and a rough itinerary for the first leg of our nationwide Free Republic Freedom Tour! We'll be departing Fresno on Thursday, May 27th heading south, then east across California's Mojave Desert, through Las Vegas, and across Utah. We'll spend our first night on the tour somewhere around the midway point between Fresno and Ft Collins, Colorado, possibly near Cedar City or Beaver, Utah. Have never been in the area, so don't know exactly what to expect. It'll be...

These columns now appear in print in the Canyon News, 20,000 copies weekly in Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Malibu and 12 other L.A. communities. A high proportion of those folks could readily turn "The No Bullsh*t News" into reality. Consider the Sunday news programs. Reporters pretend to ask relevant questions; politicians pretend to answer them. The reporters throw softballs to guests they agree with, or goad political opponents into making unfortunate statements. A minor slip of the tongue gets play if it fits a headline. Who takes these frauds seriously? Guests try to avoid "committing news in a public place." The...

(snip)The resolution against Morgan listed his primary offenses as working to defeat his opponents within the party and supporting a version of a legislative redistricting plan -- a redrawing of the map of what area each lawmaker represents -- that conservative Republicans said likely would prevent the election of a Republican majority in the House. Morgan said he didn't want the most conservative Republicans to be the party's "mouthpieces." "They're full of gloom and doom," Morgan said.

GREENSBORO -- North Carolina GOP leaders moved Friday to strip the highest-profile Republican in state government -- House co-Speaker Richard Morgan -- of his party leadership post, saying he was "culpable of disloyalty." In a closed meeting that participants said was filled with angry speeches, the state GOP's 45-member Central Committee recommended overwhelmingly that Morgan be excluded from party leadership -- the political equivalent of a papal excommunication. The 500-member Executive Committee is expected to ratify the decision when it meets Sunday. "I think it sends a strong signal that Republicans in this state are going to stand up for...

Poll gives Bowles a 10-point lead over Burr By ROB CHRISTENSEN, LYNN BONNER AND AMY GARDNER AND JOHN WAGNER, Staff Writers Democrat Erskine Bowles holds a 10-percentage-point lead in North Carolina's U.S. Senate race and is in far better position than two years ago, a new poll says. Bowles, a Charlotte investment banker, leads Republican Congressman Richard Burr of Winston-Salem by a 45 to 35 percent margin with 20 percent undecided, according to the Mason-Dixon Poll conducted for WRAL-TV and several other news organizations. The poll found that Bowles, who was President Clinton's White House chief of staff, leads Burr...

School Calendar RALEIGH, N.C. -- The state's top teacher lobbying group may be ready to let the General Assembly mandate when the school calendar starts and ends in local districts. Member surveys by the North Carolina Association of Educators show at least 60 percent of those polled statewide support legislation that would require schools to start no earlier than Aug. 25 and end by June 10. The measure also would cut in half, to 10, the number of teacher workdays -- days when students are not in session. NCAE, with 70,000 members, strongly opposed a bill last year that would...

MOUNT AIRY, N.C. -- A local high school teacher who watched the beheading of Nicholas Berg in class with some of his students was suspended for two days. Mack Hodges teaches social studies at Mount Airy High School and also coaches baseball and football. Hodges recently told his class that he could not find the Web site carrying the video of the beheading, a school official said. In the video, Nicholas Berg is seated on the ground while five armed men disguised by head scarves and masks stand behind him. A man in the middle identified as terrorist Abu Musab...

N.C. GOP bans gay party members from opening booth at convention 5-19-04 From Staff Reports Posted 2 p.m. RALEIGH (AP) — North Carolina's Republican party has banned gay members from setting up a booth at this weekend's state GOP convention. "I am extremely disappointed that the leadership of the North Carolina Republican Party is attempting to so narrowly define who can be a Republican," Ed Farthing, a retired Hickory lawyer who requested the booth. "It appears to be you must be a white, Anglo-Saxon Protestant and married for the Republican Party to pay any attention to you. I think that...

Author's Note: Because it quotes everyday campus life at UNC-Greensboro, this editorial contains extremely offensive language. If you read it anyway, and still write to complain, you might be a Democrat. The other day, I got a call from a freelance reporter wanting me to comment on a recent controversy I helped to start at UNC-Greensboro (UNCG). I declined the interview because I have been busy promoting my new book and trying to start some more controversies to help me get started on a second book. Interestingly, the reporter kept calling and sending emails after I declined an interview, insisting...

A North Carolina school district has agreed to apologize for engaging in unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination against three Christian students who wore shirts bearing biblical messages opposing homosexuality. Watauga High School in Boone, North Carolina, recently suspended the students for wearing T-shirts bearing Bible verses and statements such as "Homosexuality is sin" and "Hell is real." But after the American Family Association Center for Law & Policy (CLP) threatened to sue over the censorship, the school board vowed to revise its clothing policy. That policy bars items or content that is "offensive to any race, gender, or religion." Watauga principal Gary...

Program director says courses will appeal to “sexual minorities” CHAPEL HILL—This fall the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill will offer a new minor program: “sexuality studies.” The program will be offered as an interdisciplinary program, similar to nearly 15 others on campus. Students who complete 12 hours’ worth of courses can receive a minor in sexuality studies. According to the program’s web site, the program is “designed for students who want to explore the study of sexual/gender identities — such as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and heterosexual.” Some of the courses being taught in the fall semester include...

Mark Twain frequently used the title quote to introduce himself to civic associations where he spoke. It seemed the proper beginning to an article about Congress in general, and about why I am not running for the House – in 2004. The “trade” that Twain referred to was extracting ill-gotten gains from the unsuspecting public. Eight years after the first Americans established our new government under the Constitution, we divided into two major political parties: the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists. Both they and their allied newspaper editors then turned the denigration of their congressional opponents into a cottage industry that...

(CNSNews.com) - The same-sex marriages taking place in Massachusetts can happen in other states, too - even states that bar homosexual "marriage," some lawmakers and conservative groups are warning their constituents. "Many North Carolinians are under the impression that what's happening in Massachusetts has no relevance to them because North Carolina passed legislation prohibiting homosexual marriage," said Rep. Walter B. Jones (R-N.C.) in a press release issued Monday. "Unfortunately, this couldn't be farther from the truth," Jones said. Jones said liberal activists have made it clear they will use the Massachusetts court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage to "overthrow" the...

Robert Morgan, Famed WWII Bomber Commander, Dies at 85 The Associated Press May 16, 2004 ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) - Col. Robert Morgan, commander of the famed Memphis Belle B-17 bomber that flew combat missions over Europe during World War II, died late Saturday of complications from a fall, his wife said. He was 85. Morgan was hospitalized April 22 with a fractured neck after falling following an air show at Asheville Regional Airport, said Carole Donnelly, spokeswoman for Mission Hospitals, where Morgan was treated. His condition had been deteriorating in the last week or so, and Morgan was taken off...

Cary, N.C.—Renegade professors and serious students hoping to buck the politically correct trend that engulfs academia and makes shared knowledge an endangered species may not find much refuge in their local community college. Dr. Michael Filozof certainly found no sanctuary at Monroe Community College in Rochester, New York. Married, with one daughter, the tenure-track political science professor at the school now faces imminent unemployment as a result of a scurrilous whispering campaign by two professors who found his political views (support for President Bush and for U.S. troops in Iraq) hard to take. When Dr. Filozof placed an American flag...

Supporters of gay marriage on Wednesday said a proposed constitutional amendment banning the practice amounts to "codifying into law" biblical interpretation. A bill introduced in the state Senate would let voters decide in November whether to amend North Carolina's constitution to ban gay marriage. The measure is sponsored by Senate Minority Leader Jim Forrester, R-Gaston. About 50 supporters of gay marriage attended a news conference Wednesday in front of the Legislative Building. Many held signs declaring "I'm Baptist," "I'm Jewish," I'm Methodist." "The debate over marriage equality in our society is a power struggle," said the Rev. Jack McKinney from...

Carolina Journal ExclusivesEasley Proposes $16 Billion Budget Adjustments would hike spending on state employee compensation, debt service, other items By Paul Chesser May 11, 2004 RALEIGH — Gov. Mike Easley released his mid-biennium budget term adjustments yesterday, which he said maintained his priorities for spending discipline, creating jobs, and improving public education. “I think it sets priorities,” the governor said, “and reflects the priorities of the people of North Carolina.” Easley’s plan states that it would increase “non-federal spending” by $876 million over last year. Because authorized General Fund spending for FY 2003-04 was reported as approximately $14.8 billion, the...

Dear Neighbors of the 10th District, Thank you for taking the time to look over my Platform. I believe that the Democratic Party has an economic policy, which serves the greater interests of the Constituency of this District. On social issues, however, I am conservative and I list some of those conservative social positions immediately below. I am Pro Life I support the ban on Partial Birth Abortion I support the Death Penalty and all due process as provided by law I am an advocate of School Prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance I support the 10 Commandments. I support...

What's the status of my daughter? Mike S. Adams (archive) May 10, 2004 | Print | Send Since I wrote my last column, I have had a busy week. I began the week with a lecture at Yale Law School, which will soon be aired on CSPAN. That lecture was followed by an exciting exchange with brilliant law students offering insights from both sides of the political spectrum. Although exciting, I was disappointed with one portion of the exchange, which occurred while a student was questioning my motivation for seeking to abolish speech codes on college campuses. During the exchange,...

BAYBORO -- A handful of students from Pamlico County High School asked school board members Monday night to rescind their school's ban on clothing that contains the Confederate flag, arguing it strips them of their Southern heritage and compromises their First Amendment rights. The three students, all of whom were white, told board members that they don't believe the clothing creates any conflicts at their school, and they presented the board with a 201-name petition urging it to allow the clothing."Most people we've talked to don't have a problem with it," said 17-year-old Kristina Mayeur. "We've talked to black kids...

Rep. Ballance withdraws candidacy for N.C. district The Associated Press May 7, 2004   9:08 am RALEIGH, N.C. -- Rep. Frank Ballance Jr., D-N.C., withdrew his candidacy for re-election Friday to the First District congressional seat he has held for one term, citing health concerns.Ballance had filed for re-election Tuesday.He said in a statement that he had been diagnosed with myasthenia gravis, a neuromuscular disease and his treatment wasn't progressing as he had hoped.Ballance's statement said he suffered a setback on Wednesday and had treatment at Bethesda Navy Medical Center, which caused him to reconsider his decision to seek...

RALEIGH — The biggest backup most of us are likely to encounter in our bathroom is easily remedied with a 99-cent plunger or a bottle of drain cleaner and five minutes of our time. But imagine being a builder whose new subdivision, school, or store can’t open on time, simply because the required paperwork is clogged up in the state’s wastewater permit approval process in Raleigh. It’s a scenario Brunswick County Health Department Program Specialist Bruce Withrow understands firsthand. He’s been caught in the middle between frustrated developers and state engineers when permitting delays have occurred on some wastewater systems...

OXFORD - Barbara Howe filed to run for governor of North Carolina as a Libertarian Monday. Howe, a 51-year-old Oxford homemaker, was the Libertarian Party candidate in 2000. She won 80 percent of the vote in that year's first-ever Libertarian gubernatorial primary. "Republicans and Democrats will offer only more of the same: higher taxes, limited choice in education, overregulation and more corporate welfare," Howe said in a faxed announcement Monday. "The Libertarian philosophy is one that emphasizes individual rights and personal responsibility. As governor, I will respect the rights of every North Carolina citizen. "Our freedom is precious, but if...

<p>As former White House Chief of Staff Erskine B. Bowles makes his second run for a North Carolina Senate seat, he faces a $120 million lawsuit from the state of Connecticut for bad investments made while a top official at the Forstmann Little investment firm.</p>

I recently wrote an editorial entitled “With Liberty and Comfort For All” after I was admonished for making one of my co-workers feel “uncomfortable” in the workplace. The point of the article was to argue that university speech codes are responsible for a dangerous trend on college campuses whereby the actual constitutional right of free speech is being trumped by the perceived constitutional “right to feel comfortable.”The response to my article has been simply overwhelming. In fact, I have received more email about that article than any I have ever written. Scores of readers have written with disturbing stories explaining...

Gang Concerns Prompt School T-Shirt Ban POSTED: 3:22 pm EDT April 23, 2004 UPDATED: 5:42 pm EDT April 23, 2004 CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A Charlotte-Mecklenburg middle school has banned students from wearing solid color T-shirts. The principal at Northridge Middle School sent a letter to parents on Thursday saying that groups of students have begun wearing white and pink T-shirts that could be a system to identify different gangs. "We're not saying there are gangs at the school, but we are saying there had been some rumors and there were some students who were concerned and some discussions about not...

Husband burns house so wife won't get itBy J. Eric Eckard, Rocky Mount Telegram A Nashville man going through a divorce burned his home to the ground Wednesday in an effort to thwart his wife from receiving any property, Nash County authorities said. "He said that his wife had left him, and he didn't want her to have everything that he had worked so hard for," a Nash County Sheriff's Department spokesman said. The incident occurred early Wednesday morning, and included an armed stand-off with deputies. The man's name was not released because no crime was committed, the spokesman said....