Free Republic

WASHINGTON — Washington D.C.'s City Council has voted to legalize gay marriage in the nation's capital. Mayor Adrian Fenty has promised to sign the bill, which was co-sponsored by 10 of the council's 13 members. The final vote Tuesday was 11-2. The bill now goes to Congress, which has final say over the district's laws. Opponents say they'll try to get Congress or voters to overturn it. Passage of the bill is a victory for gay marriage supporters, who have been dealt a recent string of defeats... Gay marriage is legal in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa and Vermont. New Hampshire will...

Entrepreneurs from Muslim World Sought for Washington Summit The 2010 summit follows up on President Obama’s pledge in Cairo to find ways to deepen ties between the U.S. and the Muslim world.By Stephen Kaufman Staff Writer Washington — Approximately 150 entrepreneurs from Muslim-majority countries and Muslim communities around the world will be invited to a two-day summit in Washington in spring 2010 to meet with their peers and U.S. officials to explore areas of partnership and ways to drive economic and social innovation. Deputy Secretary of Commerce Dennis Hightower told reporters at Washington’s Foreign Press Center November 23 that the...

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama does not plan to accept any of the Afghanistan war options presented by his national security team, pushing instead for revisions to clarify how and when U.S. troops would turn over responsibility to the Afghan government, a senior administration official said Wednesday. That stance comes in the midst of forceful reservations about a possible troop buildup from the U.S. ambassador in Afghanistan, Karl Eikenberry, according to a second top administration official. In strongly worded classified cables to Washington, Eikenberry said he had misgivings about sending in new troops while there are still so many questions...

LOS ANGELES—More than a quarter of English learners don't make it into mainstream classes by the eighth grade in Los Angeles and most of those who don't were born in the United States, according to a study released Wednesday. The study by Tomas Rivera Policy Institute at the University of Southern California showed 29 percent of English learners in the Los Angeles Unified School District were still in these classes in the eighth grade. More than half of these students were born in the United States and were in classes for English learners for more than eight years. "They're staying...

Dear MoveOn member, We're writing today because you recently signed a petition calling on CNN to hold Lou Dobbs accountable for his role in promoting the ridiculous "Birther" conspiracy theory about President Obama's birth certificate. Right now, the pressure on CNN is rising, and we need your help to make sure CNN answers for its Dobbs problem once and for all. During the past month, our friends at Presente.org have been running an amazing campaign called "BastaDobbs." They've been calling on CNN to cut ties with Dobbs for his long history of spreading myths about immigrants and Latinos, and his...

The TERRY ANDERSON SHOW.. Articulating the Popular Rage! Sundays - 12-1 AM EDT, 11-12 PM CDT, 10-11 PM MDT, 9-10 PM PDT KRLA - 870 AM - Los Angeles -- KDWN - 720 - Las Vegas -- KFNX - 1100 - Phoenix "Stupid People of America !!! If You Ain't Mad, You Ain't Payin' Attention!" Call-In Number - (866) 870-5752 Don't miss the October 18th show when Terry will rant: "65% (Guess Who) Say Amnesty Will Bring More Invaders" Can you guess WHO the most Horriblest Clown of the Week is? Listen to Terry online ... http://krla870.townhall.com/ http://www.republicbroadcasting.org/index.php?cmd=listenlive

And we thought McCain was bad.... Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County, Arizona, known through out the country for his no nonsense stance on illegal immigrants in his home county, has been reprimanded by the Obama Administration. Sheriff Arpaio (better know simply as Sheriff Joe) and his deputies were authorized by the federal government to detain, question and verify the status of suspected illegal immigrants in the area. After receiving a litany of complaints from liberals various individuals, the Obama Administration revoked his ability to make immigration arrests. Sheriff Joe responded by stating that he would continue to make arrests...

At a time when 83% of Americans view government corruption as a very important problem, isn't it time that we stop fostering a culture of corruption by failing to control illegal immigration? Most illegal aliens come from countries where corruption is rampant. In 2008, the average corruption score of the ten countries with the largest number of their citizens residing illegally in the United States was 3.43 out of a possible ten signifying a serious to rampant level of corruption. Corruption is involved in virtually everything illegal aliens do. They either sneak into the United States or lie to consular...

So Obama, with tanking personal stats, and a Democrat congress he can't control, and seems to be losing backers of Obamacare every day (they want to stay in office, too!), Obama turns to the 1% group in the country in an effort to spin things to show him in a good light: the homosexuals. Homosexual ACTIVISTS, to be more accurate. There is a big difference in terms of anger and political activism and underhandedness at pushing a radical agenda onto the other 99% of society. Well, perhaps he will have better luck than he did, say, wooing the Olympic committee...

Judy Shepard stood before a massive crowd at the Capitol on Sunday for a single, painful reason. "I'm here today because I lost my son to hate." Her gay son, Matthew Shepard, was kidnapped and severely beaten in October 1998. He died five days later in a hospital. More than 10 years later, Judy Shepard addressed the thousands of gay rights activists in Washington who wrapped up Sunday's National Equality March with a rousing rally at the Capitol. "No one has the right to tell my son whether or not he can work anywhere. Whether or not he can live...

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama pledged to end the ban on homosexuals serving openly in the military in a speech Saturday, but acknowledged to a cheering crowd that the policy changes he promised on the campaign trail are not coming as quickly as they expected. "I will end 'don't ask-don't tell,'" Obama said at the annual dinner of the Human Rights Campaign, a gay civil rights advocacy group. He did not give a timetable for the repeal of the law passed by Congress in 1993 and signed by President Bill Clinton, who also promised to repeal the ban on homosexuals...

In the Long Run, the GOP Must Be Inclusive. BY MICHAEL GERSON Mel Martinez's recent resignation from the U.S. Senate was for personal and family reasons. But the departure of the Republican Party's most visible Hispanic leader crackles with political symbolism. Martinez does not consider himself disillusioned, but he is "frustrated." "There are lots of Hispanics to the right of you and me on immigration," he told me, "but they think, 'Republicans just don't like us.' " Martinez makes clear that a number of his Senate colleagues were "conservative, but not inflammatory." Other elected Republicans, however, made "pretty divisive use...

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele on Monday said his party must take steps to win over black voters, and he faulted both Democrats and the GOP for failing to address poverty. Speaking at a historically black college near downtown Little Rock, Steele said Republicans and Democrats need to address poverty in discussions ranging from health care to environmental issues. "Dr. King would be disappointed in the political leadership of this country for failing to address the least of us," Steele, who is the first African-American head of the RNC, told an audience of more than...

Many immigrants are drawn to the Midwest for the same reasons that anyone moves to the heartland: job opportunities, the strong educational system and the high quality of life. However, new immigrant workers are too often vulnerable to discrimination, exploitation or unsafe working conditions, according to Amy Weismann, University of Iowa Center for Human Rights deputy director. The U.S. Department of Justice has awarded a grant of $50,000 to the UI Center for Human Rights, the UI Labor Center and Nebraska Appleseed for Law in the Public Interest to extend significant outreach activities to immigrant workforces in Iowa and Nebraska....

WASHINGTON -- President Obama says he has no plans to ask the Justice Department to end its criminal investigation into the harsh interrogations of suspected terrorists during the Bush administration. Seven former CIA directors have asked the president to do just that. In a letter to Obama on Friday, they warned that the probe could discourage CIA officers from doing the kind of aggressive intelligence work needed to fight terrorism. Obama tells CBS' "Face the Nation" that he appreciates that the former CIA chiefs are wanting "to look after an institution that they helped to build."

CRANSTON, R.I -- Ivan G. Marte, chairman of the Rhode Island Republican Hispanic Assembly, says he has quit the GOP out of embarrassment at South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson's outburst during President Obama's address to Congress last week. Wilson shouted 'You Lie,' when Obama remarked that illegal immigrants would not receive benefits under his health care plan. "I do not want to continue being a member of a party in which the members of the party express themselves in that way," said Marte, 59, of Cranston. In a phone interview, he called Wilson's behavior "shameful" and "uncivilized." But Marte said...

How can 1% of the population constitute the largest percentage of special interest pandering by the United States government? A two-word hint that is also the name of this blog. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to Host Iftar DinnerWashington, DCSeptember 14, 2009Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will host an Iftar dinner to celebrate the Holy Month of Ramadan on Tuesday, September 15, 2009, at 7:15p.m., in the Benjamin Franklin Room at the U.S. Department of State, Washington, D.C.The Holy Month of Ramadan is a time devoted to worship, contemplation, charity, and fellowship, observed with a daily fast from sun up...

As state sat, illegals got OKs to drive Sunday, September 13, 2009 3:46 AM By Randy Ludlow THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH A loophole in an Ohio policy allowed thousands of undocumented immigrants to register cars and get license plates even though many did not have valid Social Security numbers or car insurance. The practice was so widespread that law officers in other states asked the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles why they were seeing so many undocumented immigrants driving cars registered in Ohio. State Public Safety Director Henry Guzman delayed a proposed crackdown for more than a year after he met...

Muslims are what make America great, if President Obama is to be believed. At a White House interfaith dinner honoring Ramadan on Tuesday, he said that "the contribution of Muslims to the United States are too long to catalog because Muslims are so interwoven into the fabric of our communities and our country." We would be intrigued to see that long list and to learn more about how Muslims have been part of the woof and warp of America.

DAVIE, Fla. (AP)—The Williams sisters stood at the edge of the Miami Dolphins’ practice field, easy to spot in elegant, color-coordinated beige dresses and high heels that dug into the turf. The team’s workout had ended, and it was time for introductions. Joey Porter(notes), meet Serena Williams. Jason Taylor(notes), meet Venus Williams. The NFL and the best of women’s tennis converged Tuesday when the Williamses paid a visit to the Dolphins’ complex as the latest celebrities to buy a small stake in the franchise. Their deal with owner Stephen Ross, first reported last week, was confirmed at a news conference...

Many of the 130 immigration reform advocates and leaders who attended a White House meeting with Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano last Thursday thought it was productive. Or so they said. "Both Secretary Napolitano and President Obama [who made a cameo appearance at the meeting] signaled their willingness to lean into the issue," said Angela Kelley of the Center for American Progress. Ali Noorani of the National Immigration Forum had this to say: "President Obama and Secretary Napolitano remain committed to comprehensive immigration reform." Well, that's great. But weren't we supposed to know this already? What does it mean that...

...The Obama administration has approved a Sept. 20 peace concert in Havana's Revolution Square by Colombian rocker Juanes, who lives in Key Biscayne and is one of Latin music's hottest artists. Cuban officials say they are also looking forward to hosting the New York Philharmonic in late October. An orchestra spokesman confirmed that a trip to Cuba is being planned...Juanes visited Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to discuss plans for the concert.... Juanes, whose real name is Juan Esteban Aristizãbal, may need it. The concert is under attack from hard-line Cuban exiles in Miami who accuse Juanes of naively...

Debate over Health Care to Illegal Aliens will Continue after August Recess Updated Wednesday, July 29, 2009, 1:42 PM Blue Dog Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee have struck a deal with the House leadership that will prevent a floor vote on the health care reform bill before the August recess. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has been optimistic on holding a vote before the House breaks at the end of the week, but key details of the bill, including the coverage of illegal aliens, remain topics for debate. Although the bill contains a section that excludes illegal...

The healthcare reform bill that Obama and the Democrats are pushing to get approved by September is a prescription for murder. Better start moving to protect your aging loved ones by mounting an overwhelming effort to defeat this bill!

Is anyone else sick and tired of listening to Republicans and Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee cower in the face of Sonia Sotomayor's sex and ethnicity? Reports out of Washington describe the Republican Senators tiptoeing ever so gingerly around Sotomayor so as not to alienate the female and Hispanic vote. What's worse, the embarrassing sideshow includes the kind of pathetic pandering many Americans have come to expect at these empty political charades. Senator Jon Kyl, R-Arizona, for example said he expected every American to be "proud that a Hispanic woman has been nominated to sit on the Supreme Court."...

WASHINGTON – Days from his first Moscow summit, President Barack Obama declared Thursday that former Russian President Vladimir Putin "still has a lot of sway" in his nation and needs an in-person reminder the Cold War is over. On next week's trip, Obama will meet not only with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev but with Putin, the prime minister who hand-picked Medvedev as his successor. Said Obama: "I think that it's important that even as we move forward with President Medvedev that Putin understand that the old Cold War approaches to U.S.-Russian relations is outdated. ... Putin has one foot in...

Obama's Muslim World Address In Cairo Examined By WILLIAM MAYER and BEILA RABINOWITZ June 4, 2009 - San Francisco, CA - PipeLineNews.org - In a much anticipated speech delivered today in Cairo, Egypt, president Obama presented his administration's views on American foreign policy as it pertains to the Muslim world. The address itself [available here] provides the clearest insight yet into what changes the new administration is contemplating in dealing with what seems to be the two major points of contention between the Middle East and the West, the war on terror and continued U.S. support of Israel. The speech...

CAIRO – Quoting from the Quran for emphasis, President Barack Obama called for a "new beginning between the United States and Muslims" Thursday and said together, they could confront violent extremism across the globe and advance the timeless search for peace in the Middle East. "This cycle of suspicion and discord must end," Obama said in a widely anticipated speech in one of the world's largest Muslim countries, an address designed to reframe relations after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and the U.S.-led war in Iraq. The White House said Obama's speech contained no new policy proposals on...

Building a fence along the Mexican border and fighting over proposed immigration restrictions in Fremont are a lot more visible right now than any new paths to citizenship. But that didn’t stop Nebraska advocates of a more welcoming attitude from stepping forward to make their case in Lincoln and Omaha Monday. “I can’t tell you how devastating it is to me to see that fence as an American citizen,” the Rev. Chuck Bentjen said at the Lincoln launch of the National Campaign to Reform Immigration for America. Bentjen, based in Lincoln with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, was one...

... Neglected for many years, Willets Point is now poised for transformation. A $3 billion, 10-year redevelopment plan approved late last year calls for razing all of the businesses — auto shops, scrap yards, an Indian food manufacturer and a few construction companies — and replacing them with a hotel, homes, a conference center and stores. As part of the deal, the area’s workers are being offered free training to learn to use a computer, wait on tables, keep books, fix cars or simply speak English. It is a challenging student body, made up primarily of illegal immigrants, who by...

President Obama delivered his speech, "Cleaning Up...a Mess" with his usual competence and smooth, lofty charm. These traits are more than enough to bedazzle his followers but others found his speech to be self-serving, contradicting and defensive. I certainly did, starting with his title. I'm immediately compelled to ask, does he think he's the first president in our history to enter the White House with unfinished business awaiting him at his desk? Does he think he will be able to get away with blaming the former administration for the very full plate of his presidency indefinitely? Does he honestly believe...

NISKAYUNA, New York (Reuters) - Improved credit markets have brought stabilization to the economy but it is still not clear when growth will resume, General Electric Co (GE.N) Chief Executive Jeff Immelt said on Tuesday. "The credit picture, we think, is improving and that's really one of the fundamentals to getting the broader economy doing better," Immelt said in an interview with Reuters. "Things certainly have stabilized and now the goal is to see where growth goes in the second half of the year." The largest U.S. conglomerate said it was seeking funding from the federal stimulus program for a...

On Morning Joe today, Joe Scarborough nailed the Washington press corps for its sycophantish performance at the White House Correspondents Association dinner this past Saturday night: “like a bunch of teenage girls waiting for a Bay City Rollers concert, waiting to scream at the top of their [lungs].” Mika Brzezinski, agreeing with Joe, lifted the veil on the goings-on behind the scenes, describing an enraptured TV production crew scrambling to get the most flattering shots of the prez and First Lady. View video here.

Rep. Eric I. Cantor, R-7th, has helped start an organization that he says will assist in developing policy to confront problems facing the U.S. In a conference call with reporters yesterday, Cantor said the National Council for a New America will solicit ideas across party boundaries from a wide spectrum of national leaders. The founding members are all Republicans, as are the 14 current House and Senate members. Cantor was joined on the call yesterday by Sen. John McCain, the Republican presidential nominee in 2008, who is listed as one of the group's "national panel of experts." Cantor and McCain...

A quick search of the term "racial diversity of teachers" on Google yields pages of results. But only one result offers a concrete diversity initiative to ensure that teachers from underrepresented groups end up in public-school classrooms. Gov. Mitch Daniels of Indiana recently signed a bill (HEA 1479) that will require school districts in the state to recruit educators from traditionally underrepresented populations. The bill will also require: · A web site to provide information on scholarships and resources for prospective teachers/education majors who are Black, Latino and Asian American · The development of research to address challenges faced by...

Several Hispanic organizations, including some Christian groups, spoke out this week about whether illegal immigrants should participate in the 2010 U.S. census. The debate intensified when leaders of the National Coalition of Latino Clergy and Christian (CONLAMIC) urged illegal immigrants to boycott the census unless Congress passes immigration reform legislation. The leaders claim information obtained by the census will be used by “anti-immigrant forces” to the disadvantage of undocumented Latinos in the country. “Our church leaders have witnessed misuse of otherwise benign Census population data by state and local public officials in their efforts to pass and enact laws that...

WASHINGTON AND JEFFERSON COLLEGE, Pa. -- Just finished a 9-person immigration debate here after doing a live interview on the Glenn Beck Show from a studio in downtown Pittsburgh (if you wondered what the Iron City skyline was doing behind me during my appearance). I'm on to Colorado tomorrow for a Thursday morning debate appearance at Denver University. Started today on a CNN segment about the effect of illegal immigration on (unemployment for less-educated American workers. )And throughout the day, did phone interviews with newspaper reporters through each airport as everybody is wondering . . . . . . why...

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago -- President Obama endured a 50-minute diatribe from socialist Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega that lashed out at a century of what he called terroristic U.S. aggression in Central America and included a rambling denunciation of the U.S.-imposed isolation of Cuba's Communist government. Obama sat mostly unmoved during the speech but at times jotted notes. The speech was part of the opening ceremonies at the fifth Summit of the Americas here. Later, at a photo opportunity with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Obama held his tongue when asked what he thought about Ortega's speech. "It was 50...

MEXICO CITY | Mexican President Felipe Calderon, ahead of a meeting and joint press conference with President Obama, called on the United States to pass an immigration bill as part of a new partnership between the two countries, even as he said Mexico welcomes U.S. business investment. "Open up the door of hope," Mr. Calderon said at a ceremony to welcome Mr. Obama for a one-day visit to Mexico before they both go to Trinidad and Tobago for the Summit of the Americas, a gathering of the Western Hemisphere's leaders, this weekend. For his part, Mr. Obama barely mentioned the...

Evidence for an SSN Card for an Illegal Alien

Those old Republican hot buttons are growing cold. For proof, check out a recent interview with Mitt Romney, a former presidential candidate and ex-governor of Massachusetts. According to TheHill.com, a congressional newspaper that publishes when Congress is in session, ''Romney believes that one way to attract more minorities to the GOP is to pass immigration reform before the next election, saying the issue becomes demagogued by both parties on the campaign trail.'' The article also quotes Romney as saying, ``We have a natural affinity with Hispanic-American voters, Asian-American voters.''

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama will try to establish a cooperative new relationship with Latin America this week, but U.S. resistance to change on highly symbolic issues like Cuba and immigration could undercut the effort, analysts said. Obama travels to Mexico on Thursday for his first visit to the region as president and heads to Trinidad and Tobago on Friday for the Fifth Summit of the Americas. As he did at the G20 summit of major economic powers in London this month, the president plans to emphasize listening to regional leaders and working on shared goals. "With all that...

President Barack Obama plans to start addressing the thorny issue of immigration reform this year, including the search for a path to legalize the status of millions of illegal immigrants, The New York Times reported on Wednesday, quoting a presidential aide. Obama will speak publicly about the matter in May and bring together working groups including Democratic and Republican lawmakers over the summer to begin discussing possible legislation for as early as the fall, administration officials told the Times.

THE HAGUE, Netherlands -- The phrase "global war on terror" is finished, at least as far as U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is concerned. The top U.S. diplomat told reporters Tuesday that the Obama administration has quit using that line to describe the effort to fight terrorism around the world. "The administration has stopped using the phrase and I think that speaks for itself," Clinton said. Clinton spoke as she headed to Europe for a week of diplomatic meetings. The phrase "war on terror" is widely disliked in Europe and elsewhere overseas, where even close U.S. allies suggested...

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has delayed a series of proposed immigration raids and other enforcement actions at U.S. workplaces in recent weeks, asking agents in her department to apply more scrutiny to the selection and investigation of targets as well as the timing of raids, federal officials said. A senior department official said the delays signal a pending change in whom agents at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement choose to prosecute -- increasing the focus on businesses and executives instead of ordinary workers. "ICE is now scrutinizing these cases more thoroughly to ensure that [targets] are being taken down...

Hillary Clinton, speaking in Mexico City yesterday: We believe that we have announced a plan to use every tool at our current disposal through administrative actions to track illegal guns, to arrest and punish those who are trafficking in illegal guns, to share more information with the Mexican Government so that they can also track and seize these guns. Obviously, I am someone who supported the assault weapons ban which was passed in 1994, but it was passed with an expiration date and it expired ten years later. I, as a senator, supported measures to try to reinstate it. Politically,...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The detention of hundreds of thousands of immigrants every year in the United States represents a violation of human rights, Amnesty International USA said in a report on Wednesday. On an average day, the rights group said, more than 30,000 immigrants are in detention facilities. That's triple the number that were in custody a decade ago, according to Amnesty's report "Jailed Without Justice: Immigration Detention in the USA." "America should be outraged by the scale of human rights abuses occurring within its own borders," said Larry Cox, director of Amnesty International USA. "The United States has long...

I thought that by now President Obama had fixed the Immigration problem. After all he has done for the economy, you would think that most illegal immigrants had left the country to go look for a job, but apparently not. The Center for Immigration Studies believes that up to 15% of the new federally funded construction Jobs called for in the massive stimulus signed by President Obama, will be filled by people who are in the country illegally. $104 billion for construction projects [in the bill] should create construction-related jobs for about 2.04 million workers over several years. The Center...

JERUSALEM – U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton promised Tuesday to work with the incoming Israeli government, but delivered a clear message that could put her at odds with the country's next leader: Movement toward the establishment of a Palestinian state is "inescapable." Clinton also said the U.S. would soon send two envoys to Syria. It was the most significant sign yet that the Obama administration is ready to mend relations with the Damascus regime. The U.S. withdrew its ambassador in 2005, accusing Syria of supporting terrorism. "We have no way to predict what the future with our relations concerning...

Ethnic minorities could receive extra help during the recession following Government fears they will be hardest hit as the economy deteriorates.Work and Pensions Secretary James Purnell announced a controversial drive to ensure ethnic minority workers are not  'left behind'.He warned that employment levels amongst ethnic minorities fell by ten percentage points in the 1990s recession, more than other groups.Mr Purnell, announcing the initiative in a speech to Labour's Black Asian and Minority Ethnic annual general meeting in Leicester, said it was vital to ensure the mistakes of previous recessions were not repeated.'In the past too many were left behind...