Free Republic

Bishop Thomas J. Tobin of Providence has invited Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I., to engage in a discussion about the issue of health care reform following the legislator's sharp criticism about the U.S. Catholic bishops' role in the debate. Bishop Tobin told Kennedy in an Oct. 27 letter that, as Congress "nears agreement on a final bill, I believe it is important that you are provided with specific facts about the Catholic Church's position on this critical issue." As of early afternoon Oct. 28, the congressman had not responded to the bishop's invitation. The bishop sent his letter in response to...

Rep. Patrick Kennedy / Archbishop Timothy Dolan New York City, N.Y., Oct 27, 2009 / 09:55 pm (CNA).- Joining the response to U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy’s charge that the Catholic bishops are spreading discord on health care reform, Archbishop of New York Timothy Dolan has said the congressman’s remarks were “sad, uncalled-for, and inaccurate” and has asked for an apology.In an interview with CNSNews.com, Rep. Kennedy (D-RI), son of the late U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy, had accused the Catholic Church of fanning “the flames of dissent and discord” because Catholic bishops declared that they will oppose the proposed health...

Rhode Islanders may get a chance to shorten the state's longest-in-the-nation formal name over its ties to colonial slavery. Officially, Rhode Island is called the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. But the House Judiciary Committee approved a resolution Tuesday that would allow residents to vote next year on whether to drop the words "Providence Plantations" from that name. The issue now heads for a House floor vote. Supporters say "Providence Plantations" conjures painful images of colonial slavery. Rhode Island merchants grew wealthy off the trans-Atlantic slave trade.

[Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I) told CNSNews.com that the Catholic Church is doing nothing but fanning “the flames of dissent and discord” by taking the position that it will oppose the health-care reform bill under consideration in Congress unless it is amended to explicitly prohibit funding of abortion.] Bishop Tobin's rejoinder: “Congressman Patrick Kennedy’s statement about the Catholic Church’s position on health care reform is irresponsible and ignorant of the facts. But the Congressman is correct in stating that “he can’t understand.” He got that part right. As I wrote to Congressman Kennedy and other members of the Rhode Island Congressional...

Debate continues to rage over abortion coverage in all of the health care reform bills. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops have made it clear that they cannot and will not support any proposal that includes abortion coverage. Responding to the Bishops, Representative Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) recently slammed the Church, saying that it was fanning “the flames of dissent and discord,� by opposing the health care reform bills under consideration unless they are amended to explicity prohibit abortion funding. “I can’t understand for the life of me how the Catholic Church could be against the biggest social justice issue of...

Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., center, flanked Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., left, and Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., discuss "the urgent need for health insurance reform". GRAND RAPIDS — Senior citizens will find it harder to find a doctor who accepts Medicare if Congress does not stop a 21.5 percent cut in payment rates, say physicians and hospitals. “We might as well start building bigger emergency rooms, because that’s where people will be if they don’t have access to a regular physician,” said Micki Benz, vice president of development for Saint Mary’s Health Care. “In the end, people’s care will suffer, and...

Citing the assassinations of uncles John F. and Robert F. Kennedy, Rep. Patrick Kennedy accused grassroots conservatives of "very, very dangerous" behavior that could lead to violence against public officials. "When they go and stoop to the level of the vitriolic rhetoric that we've seen this debate turn up, it's very, I think, dangerous to the fabric of our country," the Rhode Island Democrat said according to The Providence Journal. Kennedy's remarks targeted Tea Party Patriots, 9-12 Project members, and other conservative activists. His comments came during a private forum on health care in Providence. His characterization of conservatives appeared...

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The chairman of the Rhode Island Republican Hispanic Assembly and member of the Republican Central Committee says he has quit the GOP because he was embarrassed by South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson's outburst during President Obama's address to Congress on Sept. 9.

The 9-12 Project/RI will hold a non-partisan solidarity rally to celebrate our nation and our shared American values, and to show our support for the national 9-12 March on Washington D.C. Come out in defense of liberty and support the values that made our country great. Our peaceful assembly is dedicated to preserving our rights as enshrined in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution! Join us at our State House and let your voice be heard! The event is Saturday, September 12th on the steps of the RI State House from 2-5 pm, rain or shine. The program will...

Olympia Snowe, the "Republican" who voted with the Democrats on the stimulas is now in negotiations with the Whitehouse over a public option "trigger" in the healthcare bill. It seems she is willing to vote with the Democrats again. When will the Republican party TOSS HER OUT? I can't believe freepers give me schtick for admiring someone like Ron Paul and yet tolerate the REAL traitor Senator Snowe. THROW HER OUT, MCCONNELL IS WEAK

Story at link

CUMBERLAND — After living under a rusty bridge for a half-year, the homeless at Hope City Wednesday moved to a new spot: a grassy swath near railroad tracks and a toxic waste dump. “We have enough water for six days,” said Roland Colpitts, 37, head of the homeless group. By then, the group hopes to find transitional or permanent housing, he said. Colpitts, treasurer Barbara Ferrara and other Hope City residents began setting up camp around 2 p.m., erecting a screened sitting area and two-room tent next to a wall of cement railroad ties. They spent about a half-hour unloading...

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Rhode Island will shut down its state government for 12 days and trim millions of dollars in funding for local governments under a plan Gov. Don Carcieri proposed Monday to balance a budget hammered by surging unemployment and plummeting tax revenue. The shutdown would force 81 percent of the roughly 13,550-member state work force, excluding its college system, to stay home a dozen days without pay before the start of the new fiscal year in July. The closures come as the worst recession in decades has eliminated hundreds of millions of dollars in tax collections and pushed...

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Rhode Island will shut down its state government for 12 days and trim millions of dollars in funding for local governments under a plan Gov. Don Carcieri proposed Monday to balance a budget hammered by surging unemployment and plummeting tax revenue. The shutdown would force 81 percent of the roughly 13,550-member state work force, excluding its college system, to stay home a dozen days without pay before the start of the new fiscal year in July....

BOSTON -- Political blogs are abuzz with a rumor that former Alaska governor and vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin is moving to Rhode Island. The rumor was first reported Saturday by the Anchorage Daily News, which said the gossip is that Palin has “finally decided” what she is going to do with the rest of her life. Her plan, the column said, is to settle “in Rhode Island with $7 million from her book and a contract with FOX.”

PROVIDENCE –– As the health-care debate rages across the country, Rhode Island’s congressional delegation has mixed feelings about how to handle the explosive issue in their own backyards. In raucous “town hall” meetings from Pennsylvania to California in recent weeks, angry protesters have heckled and booed members of Congress, warning of “death panels” and flashing signs such as “No Nazi Health Care.” Democratic lawmakers –– encouraged by party leaders to counter such misinformation during their August recess –– have been frustrated and embarrassed as the hostility is captured by the media. “I think that our opponents to health-care reform have...

<p>After months of planning, FR's DC Convention is coming together.</p> <p>Help make history, join in Free Republic's return to DC as a national group and help to herald in another wave of conservative activism Free Republic is famous for!</p> <p>“Reagan is good for business” was Andrew’s introduction to politics. “I was real little, but that’s what my dad used to say.” Andrew Wilkow began his radio career at the college radio station. Conservative leaning politics were always his heart and he expressed his views on the air regularly, much to the anger of his co-workers. “I was basically just anti-P.C. at first.” He broke out of music radio in 2002 when he was given a trial/fill-in slot for Mark Levin on his hometown station, WABC in NYC. “That was huge and that’s when I first met Sean Hannity.” Soon after that he earned a weekend slot then a full time job at an upstate station. I basically did a 300 mile roundtrip every weekend for over 3 years to do both shows. Wilkow’s move to SIRIUS brings his new sound of conservative talk radio to a national audience. To quote Andrew, “Now is the time for the new school of conservative voices with a whole new style and passion – moving to SIRIUS lets me take that style and passion nationwide."</p>

Four men with a Spring Grove-based pro-family organization had condiments, paint and pepper spray thrown at them as they protested gay marriage at a rally in Rhode Island last week. And four young women, including a lesbian couple, face assault charges in the fray, according to a report in The Providence (R.I.) Journal. The men were members of The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property, a national organization headquartered in Spring Grove. The Providence Police Department would not provide a police report on the July 29 incident in Warwick. But according to The Providence Journal, those...

President Obama will bring his healthcare-stimulus road tour to New Hampshire next week, the White House just announced. The town hall will be in the Portsmouth area on Tuesday. More details to come.

Nicholas Manocchio, the director of the New England Regional Organizing Fund (NEROF) of the Laborers International Union of North America (LIUNA), pleaded guilty today to conspiring to receive money and other things of value from building contractors whose employees LIUNA represented. Gerald Diodati, a construction contractor, also pleaded guilty today to conspiring to make unlawful payments to LUNA officials, including Manocchio. Acting United States Attorney Luis M. Matos, Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Department of Justice Criminal Division, and Warren T. Bamford, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, jointly announced the guilty pleas,...

The weapons included mayonnaise, ketchup and salsa –– but also pepper spray, a glass jar and fists. A difference of opinion over gay marriage sparked the incident, and emotions escalated quickly. Punches were thrown. A small group of men visiting Rhode Island this week urging people to support traditional marriage called the police. Offended by the men’s message, four young women now face charges of assault or battery and disorderly conduct. The youngest, 17, also faces a more serious charge — felony assault with a dangerous substance.... ...The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property –– traveled...

The Providence Journal’s coverage of the assault on traditional marriage advocates in Warwick, RI on July 28 has consistently downplayed how pepper spray was used on the conservative protesters, in favor of how food was thrown at them. ProJo.com’s Wednesday report on the attack ran with the headline, “Same-sex marriage protesters assaulted with food,” and didn’t mention the pepper spray until the second-to-last paragraph. The following morning, reporter Kate Branson used a more nuanced headline (“Update: 4 accused of hurling food at activists in Warwick”), but at least mentioned the pepper spray in the second paragraph.The American Society for the...

PROVIDENCE — State tax officials have put more than 1,200 businesses across the state on notice this week that they are out of business unless they pay their overdue sales taxes immediately. For most, that action came in the form of a personal visit from the state Division of Taxation, ordering business owners to lock their doors at once. By Wednesday, a line of people had queued up inside the Department of Administration building on Smith Hill, waiting their turn to plead their case to a state revenue agent. Some were angry. Others frustrated. “I understand the state needs money,...

PROVIDENCE — State tax officials have put more than 1,200 businesses across the state on notice this week that they are out of business unless they pay their overdue sales taxes immediately. For most, that action came in the form of a personal visit from the state Division of Taxation, ordering business owners to lock their doors at once. By Wednesday, a line of people had queued up inside the Department of Administration building on Smith Hill, waiting their turn to plead their case to a state revenue agent. Some were angry. Others frustrated. “I understand the state needs money,...

Volunteers from the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family, and Property (TFP) were assaulted by pro-homosexual activists yesterday [July 28] in Warwick, Rhode Island, as they peacefully held signs in support of traditional marriage. Volunteer Rex Teodosio described the scene: "We were at a busy intersection, getting strong support for traditional marriage. Three women approached us -- one threw mayonnaise, while the other two grappled with our photographer." "Then we were sprayed with mace. Finally, a burly woman got out of a car and punched our photographer in the face. They shouted obscenities the whole time." "It happened...

NORTH HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (KABC) -- Most public officials like red light cameras, but many motorists do not. The city of Los Angeles is concerned it could lose these high-tech "speed catchers" because of one company's financial woes. The red light cameras are scattered at intersections all over Southern California, but the company that runs them is also in the red. "For this particular company, our information is they're $33 million in debt. That's a major problem," said L.A. Councilman Dennis Zine. The company, Nestor Traffic Systems out of Rhode Island, filed for receivership in June.

SACARMENTO, CA - A national "Tea Party Express" tour (website: www.TeaPartyExpress.org ) will conduct a series of 35 tea party rallies across the country 35 days from now. The "Tea Party Express" will rally Americans to oppose the current policies of higher deficit spending, higher taxes, bailouts and quasi-socialistic government policies. Starting in California on August 28th, the caravan will travel eastward towards its final destination of the massive 9/12/09 Taxpayer March on D.C. The "Tea Party Express" is a project of the Our Country Deserves Better Committee, one of the nation's largest conservative political action committees. What started out...

The Bristol Fourth of July Committee and the Rhode Island Tea Party put down their sabers Wednesday, a week after a phone call between two Bristol residents unleashed a torrent of nationwide anger upon this town and the state of Rhode Island. The Tea Party accepted an apology from Fourth of July committee chairman Dave Burns, and assurance that the citizens activist group has not been banned from future July 4 parades. The Fourth of July Committee also made it clear that their Float Committee chairman, Jim Tavares, had no authority to “ban” the Tea Party when he called float...

Fifteen states have crossed a painful threshold: 10 percent unemployment. More states, and the nation, likely will follow, one of the biggest dangers to an economic recovery. How consumers behave in the face of rising unemployment will figure prominently in shaping a broader rebound. If they go back into hibernation and sharply cut spending like they did at the end of last year, the recovery could cave in. More likely is that consumers will stay cautious, making for a fragile and slow-moving national economic turnaround, economists said. The Labor Department on Friday said unemployment topped 10 percent in 15 states...

Unemployment topped 10 percent in 15 states and the District of Columbia last month, according to federal data released Friday. The rate in Michigan surpassed 15 percent, the first time any state hit that mark since 1984.

The chairman of the Bristol Fourth of July Committee has issued a formal apology to the Rhode Island Tea Party, which the organization’s treasurer has accepted — with some disclaimers. Fourth of July Committee Chairman David Burns issued a statement Tuesday saying he “would like to clear up any misunderstanding” regarding the Tea Party float, saying the committee “regrets and apologizes for any miscommunication” to the group and “assures them that they are not banned from future parades.” Tea Party treasurer Marina Peterson had said on July 8 that Float Committee Chairman Jim Tavares told her “not to waste the...

GLENN: Helen Glover is with us from our affiliate in Providence, Rhode Island, 920 WHJJ. Helen, tell me about the tea party that happened this July 4th? CALLER: Good morning, Glenn. Well, you know, the tea party movement's growing across the country and certainly here in Rhode Island, one of the most liberal states in the union, there's really been a real grassroots effort to get this tea party going. One April 15th and another one in June and then we put together a float for the Bristol Fourth of July parade which by the way is the oldest parade...

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - Rhode Island's governor has vetoed a bill that would let 16- and 17-year-olds register to vote. It's the fourth time that Gov. Don Carcieri has vetoed the legislation. The bill would have let teens "pre-register" to vote, with their registration automatically becoming active when they reach 18. Rep. Edwin Pacheco, D-Burrillville, who introduced the House measure, has said enrolling teens would help get more of them involved in the political process. Carcieri says the current law, which allows teens to register if they are eligible to vote by the next election, has served the state well....

Passing out U.S. Constitutions on July 4th gets group tossed from annual celebration. The Rhode Island Tea Party group says that it has banned from future Bristol 4th of July Parades. Last Saturday's parade, which is the oldest in the country at 224 years, had included a float representing the taxpayer group, which has recently been organizing "Tea Party" type political rallys. Tea Party spokesperson Marina Peterson says she was contacted by a parade committe member on Wednesday and was told "It is because some members of the RI Tea Party passed out U.S. Constitutions to the crowd. Apparently passing...

If nothing else, this illustrates how the celebration of an event can become more about the tradition of celebrating than about the event itself: In a temper-filled tempest, the Bristol Fourth of July Committee has barred the Rhode Island Tea Party from taking part in the annual Independence Day parade next year — or any other year. Marina Peterson, treasurer of the organization — it opposes government spending and new taxes — said she was told "not to waste the stamp to send in an application" to appear again in the Bristol parade, which the town says dates to 1785...

“Did policymakers in Rhode Island and the Division of Taxation not get the hint that passing a law in clear violation of the U.S. Constitution and current Supreme Court jurisprudence would cause their own in-state advertisers to lose business? “

ABC News’ Rick Klein reports: As job losses mount, Democrats are growing impatient about the impact of the massive stimulus package passed earlier this year, with talk beginning on Capitol Hill about a possible second stimulus bill. Today on ABCNews.com’s “Top Line,” Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., said a second stimulus is “probably needed,” and predicted that Congress is likely to act before the end of the year to inject even more federal dollars into the economy.

ABC News’ Rick Klein reports: As job losses mount, Democrats are growing impatient about the impact of the massive stimulus package passed earlier this year, with talk beginning on Capitol Hill about a possible second stimulus bill. Today on ABCNews.com’s “Top Line,” Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., said a second stimulus is “probably needed,” and predicted that Congress is likely to act before the end of the year to inject even more federal dollars into the economy. Said Whitehouse: “I think that it is probably needed. We’re going to need to have some further discussion. It will probably take place towards...

WOONSOCKET — The quick-thinking owner of a Social District package store turned the tables on a man who had a knife to his throat and threatened to kill him for money Tuesday, police said. After a violent struggle with the robber, the owner of U-Save Liquors at 399 Clinton St. convinced him that he was too tired to fight anymore and he was giving up. In an attempt to put the robber at ease, John Quinn then offered him the keys to the store and invited him to lock the front doors before he looted the store. As 20-year-old Kevin...

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) ― The country's smallest state has the longest official name: "State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations." A push to drop "Providence Plantations" from that name advanced farther than ever on Thursday when House lawmakers voted 70-3 to let residents decide whether their home should simply be called the "State of Rhode Island." It's an encouraging sign for those who believe the formal name conjures up images of slavery, while opponents argue it's an unnecessary rewriting of history that ignores Rhode Island's tradition of religious liberty and tolerance. The bill permitting a statewide referendum on the issue...

See link below

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The country's smallest state has the longest official name: "State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations." A push to drop "Providence Plantations" from that name advanced farther than ever on Thursday when House lawmakers voted 70-3 to let residents decide whether their home should simply be called the "State of Rhode Island." It's an encouraging sign for those who believe the formal name conjures up images of slavery, while opponents argue it's an unnecessary rewriting of history that ignores Rhode Island's tradition of religious liberty and tolerance. The bill permitting a statewide referendum on the issue next...

The unemployment rates in eight states hit record-highs last month and only two -- Nebraska and Vermont -- did not report increases. The Labor Department says 48 states and the District of Columbia saw employment conditions deteriorate last month. The fallout from the longest recession since World War II, was the worst in Michigan. Its unemployment rate rose to 14.1 percent. The eight states that set records are: California, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Florida and Georgia. The West region reported the highest jobless rate at 10.1 percent. The last time any region had a rate of...

The Cape Cod Commission has submitted an appeal to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, claiming the state Energy Facilities Siting Board overstepped its authority when it overruled the commission and gave Cape Wind all the local and regional permits it needs to move forward; Gov. Deval Patrick sent some folks to the Massachusetts Maritime Academy to hear people's thoughts on placing wind turbines on public lands; the first floating wind turbine has been installed; and a new survey finds that a goodly portion of Massachusetts residents are concerned that NIMBYism has impeded the Cape Wind project. We'll get to all...

Rhode Island’s unemployment rate jumped sharply to 12.1 percent in May, up from 11.1 percent in April, according to a report issued Friday by the state Department of Labor and Training. The number of jobless Rhode Islanders increased by 5,800, to 68,500. It’s the highest unemployment rate for the state since at least 1976, when the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics began keeping records. “I was certainly looking for a different number,” Sandra Powell, director of the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training, said in an interview. The state shed 1,100 jobs in May, marking the 16th consecutive month...

Troubled Rhode Island congressman Patrick Kennedy’s slide back into rehab may have been triggered by stress related to his senator father’s grim cancer diagnosis, a relative said. “It’s sad,” Kennedy’s stepgrandfather, Edmund Reggie, told the Herald. “He’s been wrapped up in the senator so much. All of us expect (U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.)) to progress better than what’s realistic. I think it really gets to Patrick,” Reggie said of the senior senator’s diagnosis of a malignant brain tumor in May 2008. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.) checked himself in to an undisclosed rehab center once again this week. The lawmaker...

Enters rehab again.

Rep. Patrick Kennedy, who has struggled with depression, alcoholism and addiction for much of his life, said Friday that he has checked into a medical facility for treatment. The Rhode Island Democrat said in a statement that his recovery is a "lifelong process" and that he will do whatever it takes to preserve his health. "I have decided to temporarily step away from my normal routine to ensure that I am being as vigilant as possible in my recovery," Kennedy said. He did not disclose where he was being treated. Kennedy, who has wrestled with alcoholism, bipolar disorder, an addiction...

WASHINGTON—Rep. Patrick Kennedy, who has struggled with depression, alcoholism and addiction for much of his life, said Friday that he has checked into a medical facility for treatment. Discuss COMMENTS (17) The Rhode Island Democrat said in a statement that his recovery is a "lifelong process" and that he will do whatever it takes to preserve his health. "I have decided to temporarily step away from my normal routine to ensure that I am being as vigilant as possible in my recovery," Kennedy said. He did not disclose where he was being treated. Kennedy, who has wrestled with alcoholism, bipolar...