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RUSH: Let's go to the audio sound bites, yesterday CNN Late Edition, Wolf Blitzer had this exchange with Barack Obama advisor Anita Dunn.   BLITZER:  I'm going to play a little clip, Anita.  I want you to you listen to what Rush Limbaugh said on Wednesday before we knew that Joe Biden was, in fact, the running mate.  Listen to what Rush Limbaugh said.   RUSH:  I really hope it's Biden.  We don't want to say that too loud, but I really do hope that it's Joe Biden 'cause we've got a mountain of archival audio on Joe Biden.  ...

Over the years, I've had my disagreements with Sean Hannity. At times he's been a bandwagon republican too easily throwing aside principles for party (or personal) loyalties. And three hours of "you're a great American" can get a bit tedious. However, in light of the work Sean has been doing to expose Obama, I think we all owe him our thanks and notes of encouragement. Sean has been on top of this charlatan from day one -- hammering the Rev. Wright issue, Bill Ayers, Pfleger, etc, etc. His "Stop Obama Express" has been exposing Obama, his views, his background, his...

A Journey of 1,000 Thanks spans thousands of miles Posted: Wednesday, Aug 6th, 2008BY: Matthew Trout Statesman Editor     Keela Carr began her Journey of 1,000 Thanks in Barstow, California on Memorial Day, and is scheduled to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington, Virginia on August 8, 2008. On Memorial Day, Keela Carr began a journey. A journey that would take her across the United States on foot in an effort to give thanks to those who have defended her freedom to do so. The goal of her journey was to give...

A top Iraqi official visited wounded American troops at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., Tuesday to thank them for their part in ending Saddam Hussein’s rule in his country. “We have come … to express our gratitude and appreciation for the sacrifices made by these great warriors, soldiers, in freeing the Iraqi people and in helping us in Iraq recover from tyranny and dictatorship,” Jawad Karim al-Bolani, Iraq’s minister of the interior, said through a translator to a handful of journalists in the lobby of the medical center. “We also want to express our gratitude to the...

French President Nicolas Sarkozy sent a letter to his Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chávez thanking him for the "tireless efforts that helped" release last week several hostages held by the Colombian guerrillas, including Ingrid Betancourt. "As we celebrate the release of Ingrid Betancourt and other 14 hostages, I thank you again for your tireless efforts that helped the hostages of Colombia to come back to freedom and the love of their beloved ones," said the French president, as quoted on Tuesday in a press release from the Venezuelan government. Early this year, Chávez welcome six hostages in Venezuela, who were unilaterally...

WASHINGTON, June 17, 2008 – President Bush today praised the former commander of NATO’s International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, who plans to retire next month after a 40-year Army career. Earlier this month, Gen. Dan K. McNeill wrapped up a 16-month duty tour in Afghanistan, where he oversaw a multinational force of roughly 48,000 troops, including about 18,000 U.S. servicemembers. “I've gotten to know the general well. He's a tough, no-nonsense patriot who was our commander in Afghanistan,” Bush said after his meeting with McNeill in the Oval Office this morning. “I want to thank you very much for...

So, you hate "big oil" and the soaring gasoline prices they are forcing on you? You've bought into the Democrats and Republicrats rhetoric about greed and "unjustified" profits, and you can't wait for someone to be elected president and get even with those evil corporate robber barons that are profiting at your expense. Well before you get all excited about tearing down the energy industry, stop and think for a moment about what makes your comfortable life possible. Your heat and most of your electricity are provided through the burning of oil and natural gas. The thousands of plastic items...

Rather than just griping about things - why not do something? Let President Bush and Vice President Cheney know that you deeply appreciate their efforts to keep us safe and prosperous. comments@whitehouse.gov vice_president@whitehouse.gov While you're at it, send the troops some cheer with a donation to the USO or your favorite support organization: http://www.uso.org/

Iran, Iraq and other hot spots topped discussions between U.S. President George Bush and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi Thursday in Rome. "We did have a wideranging discussion," Bush said during a news conference. "I appreciate very much the fact that Italy is meeting international obligations." Bush noted that U.S. citizens probably didn't realize how many Italian troops were deployed around the world, including 8,700 troops in areas such as Kosovo and Chad. "We talked about Iraq, how Iraq is changing for the better, how people are beginning to realize the blessings of a free and peaceful society," Bush said,...

It's easy to understand how Minnesota National Guard soldiers deployed overseas would miss lots of things about home. Things like sitting down to a simple Sunday dinner with family. A number of years ago, that notion struck St. Paul City Councilman Pat Harris as he sipped a beverage at Mancini's Char House on West 7th, and he decided that an overseas dinner was do-able. Harris didn't have to go far for help. Mancini's, Cossetta, O'Garas, Skinners Pub, are among the familiar names on St. Paul's restaurant landscape that power and help fund an effort called 'Serving our Troops.' It's a...

.....Bush Made his speach standing before five of the six brigades of the 82nd Airborne during the Division's annual ceremony to review and inspect the soldiers.....

I just login in Free Republic once and posted some information about the earthquake in China. I have never thought I can get reply from American peoples. Although we are from different nations, and do not know each other,please let me say thanks to you. Now, all Chinese are do everthing we can do to help our sisters and brothers in the earthquake area. We will do a good job to save lives and rebulid our beautiful country.

Today is a huge day for me - 9 years CANCER FREE. On May 13, 1999 I was laying in a hospital bed recovering from cancer surgery to remove my right kidney, uretor and about 1/3 of my bladder. On that day I was given a new lease on life, and I cherish every single day the good lord gives me now. No matter what you have gone through, no matter how many family members may fight this horrible disease, nothing will ever prepare you for the moment your doctor looks across that desk and utters those three chilling words,...

Before Dick Cheney passes from this life to the next, he ought to receive another Presidential Medal of Freedom for boldly protecting this country while interminably catching holy hell for doing so. (He already got it once, for his exceptional service as Secretary of Defense.) But you know he won’t. It is a measure of Cheney’s selfless devotion to the United States that he obviously does not care. Headlines blared on Friday that Cheney made the call – in consultation with the highest-ranking White House staff, but excluding the president for what I guess were reasons of plausible deniability –...

Republican leader Mitch McConnell, over on his campaign site's blog, has drafted a thank you letter to David Petraeus, and has it set up so that you can add your name and brief comments that will be presented to the General.

As his mother talks, the little boy chews on her speech and wows the crowd with his bright eyes. He is 8 months old now. “This is a baby who would not be here if not for the Pregnancy Center,” says Chris Ward, a counselor. Indeed, his mother tells the audience of 300 at a banquet to celebrate the Parkland Pregnancy Resource Center that she had scheduled an abortion for the very day she went to the Farmington facility. “I was an alcoholic and taking drugs and I did not believe in abortion, but I did not know I had...

hey pookie, just heard daily toons was ending. many thanks man for a bunch of great reads

WASHINGTON, March 20, 2008 – Vice President Richard B. Cheney thanked American servicemembers today for their service in Afghanistan, saying they are making history every day. Cheney spoke with troops at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, and then presented five awards – including a Silver Star – and re-enlisted six servicemembers of Combined Joint Task Force 82. Cheney said the troops are making Americans proud. “Almost every factor that makes a battlefield tough is found right here in Afghanistan – rugged terrain, lousy weather, great distances, and a nasty, brutal enemy,” the vice president said. “But our military record here,...

Dear Faithful Friends, Last night was a tough one for all of us. While Janet and I stood on the stage, we felt as if we were surrounded by a much larger family than our immediate family. We have been surrounded throughout the process by a large and growing family of faithful friends whose efforts in the campaign have humbled and amazed us day after day. I regularly wept or choked back tears just reading comments on the blog when I realized the sacrifices that so many have made for the campaign. We had held out hope that we would...

Dear Faithful Friends, Last night was a tough one for all of us. While Janet and I stood on the stage, we felt as if we were surrounded by a much larger family than our immediate family. We have been surrounded throughout the process by a large and growing family of faithful friends whose efforts in the campaign have humbled and amazed us day after day. I regularly wept or choked back tears just reading comments on the blog when I realized the sacrifices that so many have made for the campaign. We had held out hope that we would...

WASHINGTON, Feb. 19, 2008 – Late last month my wife, Deborah, and I christened a Navy destroyer in Pascagoula, Miss. As we watched the champagne bottle break across the bow of this sleek new warship, some 25 miles away in the Alabama town of Irvington, more than 100 well-wishers gathered for a christening of their own. They were breaking ground on a new house for former U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Greg Edwards and his family. Edwards, 25, lost both legs and shattered his left hand in an explosion while on patrol in Ramadi last October. Now, thanks to the Taunton,...

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania — Africans showered President Bush with praise yesterday for the billions of U.S. dollars spent to help fight disease and poverty, while administration officials threatened sanctions against Kenya if its president does not compromise in that nation's political crisis. Mr. Bush, who will send Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to meet tomorrow with leaders in Kenya, said during his first stop, in the small West African nation of Benin, that the U.S. desires "that there be no violence, that there be a power-sharing agreement that will help [Kenya] resolve its difficulties." A Bush administration official...

Republican McCain Thanks Evangelicals for Support

No, seriously why won’t you listen to me? I’m not trying to change your mind. I’m just trying to understand where you’re coming from. Maybe I can get you to look at this from my point of view for once, minus all the hatred. Why won’t you listen to me? A bomb just exploded outside the gate and I can't sleep. I swear that’s true. I thought a mortar hit my room. (I found out later that it was a very large car bomb that killed four and wounded 40 Iraqi’s manning a local checkpoint – they are tired of...

Andy Olmsted by hilzoy Andrew Olmsted, who also posted here as G'Kar, was killed yesterday in Iraq. Andy gave me a post to publish in the event of his death; the last revisions to it were made in July. Andy was a wonderful person: decent, honorable, generous, principled, courageous, sweet, and very funny. The world has a horrible hole in it that nothing can fill. I'm glad Andy -- generous as always -- wrote something for me to publish now, since I have no words at all. Beyond: Andy, I will miss you. My thoughts are with his wife, his...

Fort Carson-based Army Major Andrew Olmsted who wrote a blog from the war for the Rocky Mountain News was killed Thursday in Iraq. He went there to teach members of the Iraqi Army how to defend their country and provide security for citizens. Major Olmsted was a veteran blogger and was determined to make a difference in Iraq. He began writing for RockyMountainNews.com on May 21. He left behind a final blog post on his website AndrewOlmsted.com. No details were available on how the Major Olmsted died.

Iraq thanks Bush for vetoing defense billThu Jan 3, 11:56 AM ET BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq thanked U.S. President George W. Bush on Thursday for vetoing a defense bill that would have let companies and people win compensation from the new Iraqi government for actions by ousted leader Saddam Hussein. Bush announced his decision to veto the bill last week, after concluding that the provision allowing lawsuits against Iraq would pose a "grave financial risk" to the country. "The Iraqi government has expressed its gratitude and appreciation for the efforts of President George Bush in using his veto against the...

This year I received a police scanner for my Christmas present. I wasn’t sure if my wife would “ok” this, or consider it a “waste of money”, but nevertheless I kept mentioning that I wanted one since I had a police scanner about twenty years ago and enjoyed it very much. Recently, a movie in which a police scanner was featured in several of the scenes reminded me of my interest in scanners, and so I decided that is what I wanted for Christmas this year. Well, I got the police scanner. And I couldn’t wait to try it out....

ANKARA Abdullah Gül, the Turkish President, praised the US for providing military intelligence as Turkey confirmed its third airstrike in ten days against Kurdish rebel hideouts in northern Iraq. The attack on Nirvorokan in Dohuk province was the third against Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) targets in northern Iraq that the military has confirmed since December 16, in addition to a cross-border ground operation. The Turkish general staff said that six PKK militants were killed in mountains inside Turkey, bringing to 11 the death toll from a two-day security operation in the area. The PKK has waged a bloody campaign for...

Senator Fred Thompson had this video produced to thank our troops for their courage and sacrifice, and to let them know they are not forgotten as they are away from their loved ones during the Christmas holiday.

 Destroying CIA Tapes Deserves a Thank You By Linda Chavez Friday, December 21, 2007 His name isn't yet familiar to most Americans, but I expect it will be by the end of 2008: Jose A. Rodriguez Jr. He is the man, according to recent press reports, who ordered the destruction of interrogation tapes made by the CIA, which allegedly show the effects of waterboarding and other "enhanced interrogation techniques" used against terrorists Abu Zubaydah and Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri. In the next few months, his name will likely be dragged through the mud, and he will be vilified as a rogue official...

As Americans prepare for the holidays with their families and loved ones, we have many challenges to face but also many reasons to be thankful. We are thankful we live in a nation that is still a land of freedom, hope and opportunity. And we can be thankful that President Bush has kept us safe. Too often our politicians in Washington and on the campaign trail seem to have forgotten this simple fact. It was disheartening when Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) questioned the sworn testimony of General David Petraeus, the troop commander of our forces in Iraq, when he reported...

U.S. sailors and Marines on a humanitarian mission to Bangladesh are being met with extreme gratitude as they work to prevent and treat waterborne illnesses and meet basic needs in the aftermath of a Nov. 15 cyclone, a U.S. commander there said today. “With all of our deliveries, we’ve been greeted warmly and with gratitude by the Bangladesh people,” Rear Adm. Carol M. Pottenger, commander of Navy Task Force 76, said in a news briefing broadcast from the USS Kearsarge. Upon receiving medical treatment, one local man told American troops, “In the eyes of my village, you are the face...

As fiery debris rained down on them, two city cops rushed through a pair of Bronx homes engulfed in flames Sunday and helped rescue 12 people, including two infants. Officers Michael Welsh and Christopher Scott kicked down doors and screamed to wake people as the blaze devoured 374 Bronx Park Ave. in West Farms. After they emerged from the inferno, they busted into the neighboring house, which was already spewing plumes of black smoke into the air. The cops suffered minor injuries, but no one else was hurt because of their heroic efforts while on patrol about 9:15 a.m., officials...

Australian Prime Minister John Howard has conceded defeat in the national election as the Labour Party assumes control of Parliament. Perhaps America's staunchest defender of the global war on terror among world leaders, Howard now gives way to Kevin Rudd, and may find himself out of government altogether. Howard may be the first PM to lose his own seat in almost 80 years: Australian prime minister John Howard's 11 year reign has ended with a landslide election victory for the opposition Labour Party. Kevin Rudd, the former diplomat, was set to become Australia's 26th prime minister, less than a year...

WASHINGTON, Nov. 19, 2007 – Since 6 a.m. Nov. 17, thousands of Americans across the country paused to text a message of gratitude to the nation’s servicemembers for their sacrifices through the “Giving Thanks” text messaging program. “It already feels like a terrific, successful campaign, because from the thousands and thousands of messages that have come in already, we’re seeing that the American people really just want a chance to say ‘Thanks,’” said Allison Barber, deputy assistant secretary of defense for internal communication and public liaison, of the America Supports You initiative. America Supports You is a Defense Department...

BLACKSBURG -- Several thousands people gathered on Virginia Tech’s Drillfield this morning to form a giant message of thanks to the world for its support after the April 16 massacre. Photos of the event are posted on hokiesthanktheworld.org. Dressed in the school colors of maroon and orange, and surrounded by fall foliage of the same hues along the Blue Ridge Mountains, the crowd was arranged to form Tech’s "VT" logo, and under it, "THANKS YOU." At 11:10 a.m., a satellite aimed to capture the image as the thousands waved up at the sky.

So Americans should be thankful they have one of the last functioning nation-states. Europeans, because they've been so inept at exercising it, no longer believe in national sovereignty, whereas it would never occur to Americans not to. This profoundly different attitude to the nation-state underpins, in turn, Euro-American attitudes to transnational institutions such as the United Nations. But on this Thanksgiving the rest of the world ought to give thanks to American national sovereignty, too. When something terrible and destructive happens – a tsunami hits Indonesia, an earthquake devastates Pakistan – the United States can project itself anywhere on the...

Mark Steyn: World should give thanks for America November 17, 2007 Speaking as a misfit unassimilated foreigner, I think of Thanksgiving as the most American of holidays. Christmas is celebrated elsewhere, even if there are significant local variations: In Continental Europe, naughty children get left rods to be flayed with and lumps of coal; in Britain, Christmas lasts from Dec. 22 to mid-January and celebrates the ancient cultural traditions of massive alcohol intake and watching the telly till you pass out in a pool of your own vomit. All part of the rich diversity of our world. But Thanksgiving (excepting...

WASHINGTON, Nov. 16, 2007 – Just in time for the holidays, 13 major recording artists have created a musical “Thank You” for the troops. “CD for the Troops” is a compilation of songs from 13 of today’s top music artists. Active-duty servicemembers and veterans with a valid military identification card will be able to download the CD from the Army and Air Force Service Exchange Web site for no cost beginning Nov. 17, 2007.  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. “CD for the Troops” will be available for anyone with a valid military identification card to download at no...

On the day the British call Remembrance Day, marking the end of the First World War, Harry Patch, 109, recalled his bloody days in the trenches. But in a message that will also resonate with American citizens and troops, Patch exhorted listeners to honor those serving in today's conflicts, and not wait years before doing so. We were the PBI. That's what we called ourselves. The poor bloody infantry. We didn't know whether we'd be dead or alive the next day, the next hour or the next minute. We weren't heroes. We didn't want to be there. We were scared....

<p>During the course of this country's history brave men and women have stepped forward from time to time, answering the country's call to fight against would-be tyrants, dictators and despots,  and to defend the individual freedom that is our birthright.</p>

Veterans Day will be observed on Monday, November 12. Sadly for many in the population, Monday will be just another day that the banks and post office will be closed. Most offices will be open for business and the main reminder of what day it is will be the local car dealer will be advertising their annual Veterans Day sale. In our busy lives it becomes easy to forget that men and women have served, fought, and died for the freedoms that we enjoy. Veterans Day was originally celebrated as Armistice Day. It commemorated the 11th day, of the 11th...

Northfield, Vermont - November 8, 2007 When members of the Vermont National Guard arrived in the Al Anbar province of Iraq, it was one of the most dangerous places in the country. But thanks to the efforts of Task Force Saber and the members of the visiting delegation, Anbar, and its capital city of Ramadi, are some of the safest places in the nation. "We have seen pictures and share them amongst members of Task Force Saber and the difference of Ramadi today versus what it was when we were there, you can't even tell the difference, you'd think it...

SEOUL, South Korea - North Korea expressed rare gratitude Thursday for U.S. help in ending a high-seas standoff with Somali pirates, a sign of warming ties between the longtime foes fostered by progress on Pyongyang's nuclear disarmament. The U.S. Navy's aid to North Korean sailors last week was unprecedented in the half century of hostility between the Cold War enemies, according to the Naval Historical Center in Washington. The North's Korean Central News Agency hailed the maritime collaboration as a "symbol of cooperation" between the two countries "in the struggle against terrorism." "The pirates' recent armed attack on our trading...

In Honor of... All Veterans!  Veteran's Day is dedicated to honor all men and women, both living and deceased, who have served in the nation's armed forces. It is a legal federal holiday in the United States. Veteran's Day is always celebrated on November 11th, regardless of the day of the week on which it falls. In 1919, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed November 11th as Armistice Day to commemorate the end of World War I, which took place at the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month. Congress changed the name to Veteran's Day in 1954....

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18, 2007 – President Bush praised contributions made by military support groups and veterans organizations at a morning gathering on the White House’s South Lawn today. “I want to thank the service organizations and those who have come together to support our families and our troops,” said Bush, who was accompanied by first lady Laura Bush and a group of senior administration officials that included Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Veterans Affairs Secretary R. James Nicholson, Army Secretary Pete Geren, Navy Secretary Donald C. Winter, and Joint Chiefs Vice Chairman Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright. The Veterans...

President Bush and AngelwoodMr. TrooprallyMrs. TrooprallyFront: Angelwood, tgslTakoma; debm29palms. Middle: Kristinn, Flib, Mr. Trooprally, ponsdorf. Back: Laura Youngblood.President and Mrs. BushVice President Cheney and AngelwoodAngelwood, Karen Hughes, Mrs. TrooprallySEcretary of State RicePresident Bush with military families.Members of the D.C. Chapter of FreeRepublic.com were invited to the White House today for an event for troop support organizations with President Bush. Other groups included Vets for Freedom (in the beige polo shirts), Families United for Our Troops and Their Mission (in the red polos shirts), Move America Forward, Gathering of Eagles, the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars.It was a beautiful...

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. General, thank you very much. It's an honor to be with you. As you know, today is Labor Day back home -- (hooah) -- so I thought I'd come by to thank you for all your hard work. (Hooah.) Every day -- every day -- you show bravery under incredibly difficult circumstances. Every day you're doing work on the sands of Anbar that is making it safer in the streets of America. And every day the United States of America is grateful for what you're doing. I want you to tell your families the Commander-in-Chief...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 6, 2007 – Afghan President Hamid Karzai today thanked President Bush and the American people for helping liberate and secure his country. (Video) President George W. Bush, left, shakes hands with Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai following their address to the media at a joint press availability Aug. 6, 2007. White House photo by Eric Draper  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. “I'm here today to once again thank you and the American people for all that you have done for Afghanistan, for our liberation first, and then for our stability and prosperity,” Karzai said in a news...