Free Republic

The only Democrat running in the primary for the open Senate seat in Iowa made a spectacular gaffe before a roomfull of trial lawyers in Texas. Standing next to a table full of booze, Rep. Bruce Braley insulted farmers, praised lawyers, and belittled the second most popular political figure in Iowa. Iowa Rep. Bruce Braley, a Democrat running for Senate, was caught on videotape disparaging fellow Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley as “a farmer from Iowa who never went to law school” — comments that later drew an apology from the candidate. The video, posted online Tuesday afternoon by GOP opposition...

I once worked at a football stadium. I sold programs. I was 14. Before the game, I lined up with the other vendors, including the guys who sold beer. They had to be older, of course, but they still trudged through the stands, like me, hoping for customers. At the end of the day, like me, they pocketed, in cash, a small percentage of what they brought in. And they went home, many via bus or subway. They were nice guys, but not men — and I say this politely — whom I would necessarily entrust with life-and-death decisions. Apparently,...

In the past few years, there have been several attempts by overweight people to blame their health problems on McDonald's and other fast-food restaurants, and they have sought legal remedy in the courts. They've argued that fast-food restaurants served them food that has made their belts increase in size to a degree that now the only things that they're able to buckle are floor boards. Personal responsibility takes yet another holiday, and now, thanks to the 2nd U.S. Court of Appeals ruling, it's retired to Barbados for the foreseeable future. A lawsuit was brought against McDonald's on behalf of two...

The fat's back in the fire in the McDonald's obesity case. A federal appeals court yesterday gave two hefty teens the okay to jump-start their stalled suit against the fast food giant for allegedly making them fat and sickly. Jazlyn Bradley, 19, of Brooklyn, has 270 pounds on his 5-foot-6 frame and Ashley Pelman, 14, of the Bronx, stands 4-feet-10 and weighs 140. The tubby teens claim they ate at McDonald's three to five times a week for years. Besides obesity, they allege the McDonald's menu caused them to develop diabetes, coronary disease, high blood pressure and cholesterol, and other...