Free Republic

Perhaps government is more like a zombie than a parasite. Especially given that about $1 billion in taxpayer money goes to 250,000 deceased individuals (according to a review of reports by the Government Accountability Office, inspectors general, and Congress itself). How, might you ask? According to Sen. Tom Coburn’s, R-Okla., office: The Social Security Administration sent $18 million in stimulus funds to 71,688 dead people and $40.3 million in questionable benefit payments to 1,760 dead people. The Department of Health and Human Services sent 11,000 dead people $3.9 million in assistance to pay heating and cooling costs. The Department of...

Speaking as a Brit who's just joined...

A character like Christine O'Donnell presents a unique problem for a humorist. Few elaborations are called for since the caricature is self-embodied. All that is needed is a dead-pan Jack Benny look. You know, the one where he just stares blankly at the audience without saying a word and eventually someone titters and before you know it the whole place is in hysterics? Her very existence as a major party candidate for US Senate is the kind of comedy which arrives ready-written and would only be spoiled by embellishment. I mean, what can you add to rabidantimasturbationtarianism, rats with fully-functioning...

A man was electrocuted and died as he and a female partner tried to steal copper wire from an electrical vault in South Gate on Saturday afternoon, police said. The woman tried to pull him away from the vault when it caught fire and exploded, but the electricity traveled through her body and she received severe burns, South Gate police spokesman Lt. Keith Huff said. He said she was taken to St. Francis Medical Center and transferred Saturday night to the Grossman Burn Centers. Two small children were found in a truck 15 feet from the accident but were not...

The U.S. Army has used local television stations in the U.S. as training posts for some of its psychological-operations personnel, The Upshot has learned. Since at least 2001, both WRAL, a CBS affiliate in Raleigh, N.C., and WTOC, a CBS affiliate in Savannah, Ga., have regularly hosted active-duty soldiers from the Army’s 4th Psychological Operations group as part of the Army’s Training With Industry program. Training With Industry is designed to offer career soldiers a chance to pick up skills through internships and fellowships with private businesses. The PSYOPS soldiers used WRAL and WTOC to learn broadcasting and communications expertise...

An ass is an ass, alas, alas And no one can talk to an ass, alas Unless, alas, the name of the ass Is the hater Mr Ed ///// Go straight to his class and ask the ass He'll give you an answer that's really crass His hatred head and heart surpass Talk to Mr Ed ///// Rally turnouts are very weak The people stay away But Ed's not why, he's not unique Ask Rainbow Push and NEA ///// An ass is an ass, alas, alas And haters will hate til they're out of gas You've never heard of a...

Originally the message of the Tea Party seemed clear “Less taxes and spending”. Simple enough, Right? Somehow they have gotten distracted. Very, very distracted. I know that all Tea Parties and their participants are different, so it is not fair for me to throw them all under the bus. So for those who are distracted; let me attempt to recapture your attention. You wake up in the middle of the night to the sound of breaking glass, when you stumble out of your bed into the living room you find a man standing there with your TV in his arms....

When the Tea Party first started out, I was a enthusiastic supporter.. The Tea Party perfectly represented what my views are.. I'm a 100% fiscal conservative and I believe in small government on ALL issues. In the beginning, the Tea Party seemed to be such movement that would support candidates based on FISCAL issues. Initially, that was the case and people like Scott Brown have been elected. However, since then, it seems like the Tea Party Express and other Tea Party organizations have been hijacked by the social conservative wing of the GOP (i.e. Sarah Palin). Social issues were introduced...

I believe that there is a large body of factual information available, such that, if any reasonable person were to be made aware of just those facts alone, they would conclude several things: 1. The 9/11 terrorists were aided and protected by corrupt elements within this country. 2. It is far more likely, than commonly thought, that Sadaam Hussein had an active role in the 9/11 attack. I would like find a web page which already assembles those facts in a concise, and readable format. I would like to find a book which does the same. A movie should be...

Government agents can sneak onto your property in the middle of the night, put a GPS device on the bottom of your car and keep track of everywhere you go. This doesn't violate your Fourth Amendment rights, because you do not have any reasonable expectation of privacy in your own driveway - and no reasonable expectation that the government isn't tracking your movements. That is the bizarre - and scary - rule that now applies in California and eight other Western states. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which covers this vast jurisdiction, recently decided the government...

It is hard to imagine that anything has gone unsaid about the so-called Ground Zero mosque, but an important point seems to be missing. The mosque should be built precisely because we don't like the idea very much. We don't need constitutional protections to be agreeable, after all. This point surpasses even all the obvious reasons for allowing the mosque, principally that there's no law against it. Precluding any such law, we let people worship when and where they please. That it hurts some people's feelings is, well, irrelevant in a nation of laws. And, really, don't we want to...

<p>1. If you were a state governor who was eight months pregnant--and remember, Sarah Palin already knew hers was a high-risk pregnancy because of her age (44) and, according to her book, her baby having been diagnosed via amniocentesis as having Down syndrome--and you were scheduled to fly some 4,000 miles from home to give a speech at a conference, would you (a) give your speech from home via teleconferencing, using modern real-time technology, and explain to your hosts that the high-risk nature and advanced stage of your pregnancy made you reluctant to fly; or, alternatively, send the deputy governor to give your speech or (b) dismiss any staff or security slated to fly with you and insist on flying 4,000 miles to the conference yourself?</p>

For decades the CIA has undertaken operations all over the world to support right wing regimes. In Latin America and elsewhere there tho it seems thier efforts often led to massive amounts of death of civilians with the US govt often looking the other way. Would you folks say the ends justified the means regarding the many regimes the CIA propped up and supported in the name of 'anticommunism'? I dont beleive the idea of imperialism was at play,but its clear the safety of US interests (political and economic) were clearly the goal in these operations

I deposit the Risk into the account of a dummy finance company for management, called the republican party. Then, I deposit the damage into the account of a dummy corporation for control, called the democratic party. I leave all the bible belt religions as spoilers, or third parties; putting them down as department store chains. To stave off the profit into the mints money burning facility, to insure that the money is worthless in terms of pragmatic value, and is only practical believed values. And the Black market is pimped as bad but, even losing even your kindeys in a...

A kitten, believed to be about 6 weeks old, is now being cared for by the Animal Rescue League of Iowa after being found this week in the trash. ARL Director Tom Colvin says the baby girl kitten, now named “Alley,” was one of six kittens found by Waste Management workers in Des Moines early Wednesday morning. “They were found in a garbage bag…when one of their trucks came in and dumped its load,” Colvin said. Alley was the only kitten still alive. Colvin says Alley is very fortunate, not only to survive, but also because she seems comfortable around...

over 50 dollars for a 12 ounce steak is outrageous

What do you think will happen in 2010? It could go either way. It would be great to see the tea party express crush the rinos, but will we then be able to beat Obama and the Rats in November, or will we be seen as too conservative "for the nainstream"? You saw with the far left Kerry in 2004 how easily we beat them. The tea party is real conservative, but I don't want to lose to the Dems and Obama again either.

I know there is a lot of speculation on what will happen in the next few years, but I would really like to know if anyone has a real good sense of what will be going on in a few years. I would like to be prepared, but don't want to over prepare. Is there a real good sense of what is coming in the next few years? I have the ammunition I need, but is it really necessary to stockpile food. Just curious as to what other here are doing. Thanks

I tried accessing this address: webmaster@freerepublic.com and came back "unknown". So how does one cancel their registration?

<p>I just switched from pro life to pro choice and from pro gun to anti gun. I've always supported amnesty for illegal aliens.</p>