Free Republic

Remember when New Hampshire Republican Steve Vaillancourt from Manchester defended the inappropriate comments made by Representative D.J. Bettencourt on Facebook last year in which he referred to Bishop John McCormack as a "pedophile pimp." Vaillancourt wrote, "This pedophile enabler has blood (and perhaps other bodily fluids) both figuratively and perhaps literally on his hands...The Bishop has disgraced the Catholic Church." See here. The highly emotional and erratic Republican lawmaker had to be physically removed from the state House of Representatives on Tuesday afternoon after making a Nazi salute during a contentious debate about limiting what is considered valid voter identification....

Timing is everything, and three Republican congressional candidates for Iowa's 2nd District agree it's past time for the current occupant of the seat to go. Republicans in southeast Iowa are hoping to build on the party's historic gains in 2010 and turn the southeast quadrant of Iowa red in 2012. Announced Republican congressional candidates Richard Gates of Keokuk; John Archer of Bettendorf; and Dan Dolan of Blue Grass, made their debut in Des Moines County Saturday night, speaking at the annual Des Moines County Republican steak fry fundraiser. "We've got to stop this type of politics where our elected officials...

A Concord state representative's email to Republican colleagues at the State House about her Army training is causing national controversy this morning. In the email July 21, State Rep. Lynne Blankenbeker, R-Concord, the city's only GOP rep., described some of the training she was getting at Fort Dix, before she ships off to Afghanistan later this year. Blankenbeker, who is a Naval Reservist nurse, said she was learning how to drive a hum vee for convoys, both day and night, as well as weapons training. Blankenbeker wrote: "Today I got to be the gunner which was fun. The .50cal is...

Fatah officials in Ramallah complained Wednesday their spokesman in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip was detained by Hamas security forces, the Palestinian Authority-run Maan News Agency reports. Fatah lambasted Hamas and said the detention of Fayez Abu A’itah violated the reconciliation agreement signed by the two factions in Cairo. "Fayez Abus A’itah's detention harms the basic rights of the Palestinians," a Fatah statement said. According to Fatah officials, Hamas security forces have "insisted on preventing the movement of A'itah, making it impossible for him to do his job." "In detaining A'itah," Fatah said, pointing fingers in its statement, "Hamas is harming...

Nancy Pelosi doesn't have much longer as Speaker of the House. But if there's one constant in our ever-changing world, it's that Pelosi will remain unconscionable until the gavel is wrested from her hand. During a recent speech on the House floor, she expressed opinions about unemployment insurance and tax policy that seem irrational even for her. Pelosi supports extending unemployment insurance beyond the current 99-week limit. To substantiate her position, she touted unemployment benefits as a burgeoning economic catalyst. All we need do is and tap into their power. Pelosi informed Congress that "[u]nemployment insurance ... returns two dollars...

Migration from high-tax states to states with lower taxes and less government spending will dramatically alter the composition of future Congresses, according to a study by Americans for Tax Reform Eight states are projected to gain at least one congressional seat under reapportionment following the 2010 Census: Texas (four seats), Florida (two seats), Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, South Carolina, Utah and Washington (one seat each). Their average top state personal income tax rate: 2.8 percent. By contrast, New York and Ohio are likely to lose two seats each, while Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania will be...

The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against Invasion; and on Application of the Legislature, or of the Executive (when the Legislature cannot be convened) against domestic Violence. -- Article IV, Section 4, U.S. Constitution Something I have been mulling for a few days but finally put to words. So many are pinning their hopes on repealing Obamacare or at least defunding it... What about nullifying it? Have we all forgotten how it was passed? "Deem it passed" and "We have to pass it to...

SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) -- Democratic Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez says she didn't intend to offend anyone when she told a reporter that "the Vietnamese" and Republicans were trying to take her seat representing California's Orange County. Sanchez said Friday she "used a poor choice of words that some people have taken as offensive" in a Spanish-language interview with Jorge Ramos on Univision's Sunday morning show, "Al Punto."

Several years ago I heard the word paradigm for the first time and hadn’t a clue what it meant; glad I took the time to learn this one. A friend explained how he’d observed a woman and her out of control children on a train while on his way to work. The woman seemed oblivious to the fact that her children were misbehaving and, by appearance, were unkempt to say the least. My friend came to the opinion that the woman needed to do more than simply sit staring off into space, her children making everyone on the train miserable....

The Hutchinson News' editorial board struggled some to endorse a candidate in the crowded Republican primary for Kansas' 1st District U.S. House seat, in which all six candidates sound mostly the same. But in an endorsement published in Sunday's editions, we settled on Salinan Tracey Mann as the best pick, saying he "at least shows the ability to be reasonable and straightforward with voters." We were wrong. And we withdraw that endorsement. Quite simply, the reason is that it turns out Mann is what is known as a birther. He questions the citizenship of President Barack Obama despite evidence that...

Radio Host Calls for Expulsion of Rep. Slaughter Published in March 12th, 2010 HotAirPundit – Mark Levin Calls For The Expulsion of Louis Slaughter From The House of Representatives (Audio) Steve Schippert – ThreatsWatch – This We Will Defend – “Slaughter Strategy” Is An Affront To The Constitution Steve Schippert: You must defend the process. This is not on par with reconciliation, which at least still requires a voting body to vote. This is on a level all its own. The implementation of any ‘Slaughter Solution’ is the circumventing of the Constitution and the legislating of tyranny. Open debate and...

Hush money plagues Garn / Representative says he gave woman $150,000 after 1985 nude incident in hot tub Statement from Representative Kevin Garn - Delivered from the floor of the House on March 11, 2010 SALT LAKE CITY -- A top leader in the Utah House of Representatives, Rep. Kevin Garn, 55, admits he paid a woman to keep quiet about an incident in a hot tub 25 years ago. Garn, a prominent Layton businessman, said Thursday he paid a former Cedar City woman $150,000 eight years ago and that the deal included a confidentiality agreement. "This came up eight...

While press and pundits focus almost ad nauseum on what will happen Tuesday in New York's 23rd Congressional District, as well as the gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia, everyone has forgotten the battle being waged for the California congressional seat vacated by Ellen Tauscher when she resigned to become a member of President Obama's State Department. To be sure, the 10th Congressional District of the Golden State is a Democratic stronghold, especially after some recent gerrymandering. The latest poll shows Democratic candidate and current Lt. Gov. John Garamendi with a commanding 10-point lead over Republican challenger David Harmer,...

Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for the Americas Everett Eissenstat told a crowd at the Americans Conference that work was progressing on free trade agreements with both Panama and Colombia, though ``less tangible'' concerns about violence and impunity in Colombia have yet to be fully resolved. ``I don't think anyone even in Colombia is happy with the status quo,'' Eissenstat said in an interview with The Miami Herald following an address at the Americas Conference in Coral Gables. ``The Colombian government is undertaking tremendous reforms on its own initiative and I think that is indicative that they feel there is additional...

Reminder: Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, 5th District, Missouri, will be holding his monthly "coffee." Here are the details: COFFEE with CLEAVER AUGUST 8, 2009 JP Coffee 3390 SW Fascination Dr. Lee's Summit, MO 8-10 AM

The following letter was sent to urge my senators and congressman to vote against the Obama administration's universal health care proposal. I shouldn't have to elaborate to explain why it is such a foolish idea, but if you don't understand drop me a comment and I would be happy to indulge your curiosity. Senators Udall, Bennett, and Congressman Lamborn, I am a United States citizen residing in Colorado. This letter concerns the upcoming votes in the House and Senate related to the Obama Administration’s health care plan. I am asking you to vote against any proposed government health care plan.

In a time of economic turmoil, most Americans are being frugal with their money, but one freshman congressman is taking cost-cutting to a new level. Newly elected Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, opted out of renting an apartment in Washington, instead deciding on a cot in his office every night. "I will save $1,500 a month doing this," Chaffetz said. "I get paid a very handsome salary, no doubt about it, but you know, I've got expenses and a future for my kids and my family, too." In a stroke of luck, Chaffetz was one of the few freshmen members of...

Rep. Mike Simpson, sleeping with Pelosi on the first date e-mail I sent to Mike Simpson ~ Good job, sleeping with Nancy Pelosi on the first date. You guys will have more leverage for a better bill on the next go around. Maybe if you didn't quit so easy you could get a capitol gains cut and stop Mark to Market. Thank god there were some democrats to vote conservative or we wouldn’t have another shot at making this travesty easier to swallow. Maybe you ought to listen to Newt Gingrich or Steve Forbes or maybe your constituents before you...

Representative Anthony D. Weiner, Democrat of Brooklyn and Queens, drives a 2008 Chevrolet Impala, leased for $219 a month. Representative Michael R. McNulty, a Democrat from the Albany area, gets around in a 2007 Mercury Mariner hybrid, a sport utility vehicle, for $816 a month. “It gets a little better than 25 miles a gallon,” Mr. McNulty said. Charles B. Rangel, the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, is not so caught up in the question of gas mileage. He leases a 2004 Cadillac DeVille for $777.54 a month. The car is 17 feet long with a 300-horsepower...

DETROIT -- A member of Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's staff filed a police report claiming Detroit City Council Pro Tem Monica Conyers threatened him with a gun at a board meeting on Wednesday. Conyers' chief of staff, Sam Riddle, told Local 4 that Conyers never threatened him with a real gun and what she said was that she had a bigger gun than Milton, and the gun was her husband. Riddle said she was referring to a political gun. Conyers is the wife of U.S. Rep. John Conyers, D-Detroit. Milton also reported that Conyers said, "I am going to have my...