Free Republic

IT SEEMS UNLIKELY that many of the so-called peace marchers who trooped through Washington and London two weekends back listened on Thursday — at least not with an open mind or sympathy — to George Bush's cogent explanation of why coalition troops are fighting and dying in Iraq. You did not see in those demonstrations, after all, many banners reading, "Support Iraq's New Constitution," "No to Jihad" or "Stop Suicide Bombers." The crimes committed daily against the Iraqi people by other Arabs who wish to re-enslave them seem to be of little interest to Michael Moore, Jane Fonda and their...

Some 60 years ago Arnold Toynbee concluded, in his monumental "Study of History," that the ultimate cause of imperial collapse was "suicidal statecraft." Sadly for George W. Bush's place in history and — much more important — ominously for America's future, that adroit phrase increasingly seems applicable to the policies pursued by the United States since the cataclysm of 9/11. Though there have been some hints that the Bush administration may be beginning to reassess the goals, so far defined largely by slogans, of its unsuccessful military intervention in Iraq, President Bush's speech Thursday was a throwback to the demagogic...

A Muslim cleric in Denmark demands revenge for sketches of Mohammed published by daily newspaper Jyllands-Posten. "This infidel newspaper has deliberately provoked and insulted Muslims," said Imam Raed Hlayhel. "It is sacrilegious. Islam bans depictions of Mohammed." The newspaper asked for drawings of the prophet, after an author complained that nobody dared to illustrate his book on Mohammed. Twelve heeded the newspaper's call, and sent in drawings of the prophet, which were published in the newspaper. A spokesman for the paper described the drawings as an exercise of "freedom of expression." Hlayhel, however, said the newspaper had abused freedom with...

Pets get lesson on howl great thou art By NICOLE MORGAN , The Virginian-Pilot © October 10, 2005 Last updated: 1:31 AM VIRGINIA BEACH Before church, a dirty blonde with a pink ribbon in her hair shared a few wet kisses with a broad-bodied brute outside the sanctuary. No one paid them any mind. The others were too busy sniffing each others' bottoms and wolfing down snacks just a few seconds before worship. Visitors behave this way every second Sunday of the month at Old Donation Episcopal Church on North Witchduck Road. They're not sacrilegious. They're dogs. And one cat....

"Too Conservative" charge has been handled before If it weren't for polls, the case that Ken Blackwell's opponents would make against giving him the Republican nomination for governor would be that he couldn't win a general election. Too conservative, they'd say about the secretary of state. Ohio's a swing state, they'd say. You have to fight for the political center. Blackwell, so beloved of national right-wing organizations, so eager to make clear that he is not in the Voinovich, DeWine, Taft, Petro, Montgomery mold of Ohio Republicans, would scare independents and moderates. He might be able to win a Republican...

City Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. and his father, former Speaker Peter Vallone Sr., crossed party lines yesterday and endorsed GOP Mayor Mike Bloomberg over Democratic challenger Fernando Ferrer. Speaking at Mike's Diner in Astoria, the father-and-son Democrats said Bloomberg was doing a bang-up job. "We have a good mayor, why would we change him now?" the elder Vallone said. "It has nothing to do with party labels." The Vallones said Bloomberg had proven himself by leading the city after 9/11, and had delivered on issues such as education. They also said their decision was no slight to Ferrer. "I have...

Seism in Pakistan: from 30.000 to 40.000 died, according to the UNICEF and Islamabad ISLAMABAD - Out of 30.000 to 40.000 people were killed by the seism which struck Saturday Pakistan, indicated Monday to AFP the UNICEF and a Pakistani official person in charge. "the government indicated to us that between 30.000 and 40.000 people had been killed" by the seism, affirmed with AFP Julia Spry Leverton, spokesman of the UNICEF with Islamabad. "Between 30.000 and 40.000 people were killed in Pakistan and more than 60.000 wounded", with AFP a high person in charge for the Pakistani authorities under...

If it is, as I argued here critically important that New Yorkers reject Eliot Spitzer in next year’s gubernatorial election, then it is equally critical that Republicans find a credible and electable candidate. While some Republicans fantasize about a Giuliani candidacy – and about Colin Powell contesting Hillary Clinton’s Senate seat – these are both unlikely. Opinion polls suggest Giuliani would beat Spitzer while no other Republican would, but he is planning to run for the Presidency in 2008 and will not waste time on a shot at the governor’s mansion two years beforehand. Governor Pataki has ruled out seeking...

Neal Boortz was in Grand Junction, Colorado on Saturday, October 8th to sign copies of his book, "The FairTax Book" and talk to Western Slope residents about the initiative. The following pics will be posted on the WesternSlopeOnline.com website tomorrow afternoon. You guys get the preview;)

Ten members of two hindu families were killed by a group of militants in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir early today, police said. The militants first entered the residence of one Munshi Ram in Kandi village of Budhal tehsil, had food and then killed the inmates, including a woman, by slitting their throats, they said. Two of the dead have been identified as Munshi Ram and his son Kala Chand, they said. After escaping from the scene, the militants went to Mohra Gabbar village in the same tehsil, barged into the house of one Kartar Singh and killed five...

As a hobby, I have spent many years collecting art and publications from various esoteric sources -- End Times tracts, religious pamphlets, Communist propaganda, survivalist manuals, nuclear war stuff -- which I collectively refer to as Nut Lit and Nut Art. (I guess the technical term is Ephemera, but let's face it -- the best stuff comes from people and groups who could be accurately described as "nuts".) Most of these I enjoy out of mere historical or artistic interest. Over the years, however, a select few of my Nut Lit finds have provided the Tingle -- that creepy and...

Muzaffarabad: Dazed and angry Aamer Ahmed Khan BBC News website, Muzaffarabad A group of people are gathered around a huge pile of rubble. Locals feel very strongly let down Some are digging frantically, others just standing there, looking dazed. "Yes, at least four," says one of them when I ask if the people buried underneath could still be alive. It has been more than 24 hours. One of them pulls me down to the ground and motions to the others. A hush descends on the crowd. "You can hear them," he whispers. "Only two of them are talking now, the...

Everyone seems to "know" that former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay's political action committee bought the Republicans majority control of the Texas House. On Sept. 29, the Austin American-Statesman editorialized that "DeLay sowed the seeds that led to a GOP majority in the Texas Legislature after the 2002 elections." On Oct. 5, another editorial said, "DeLay helped fashion a GOP effort to take over the Texas House." The Statesman reported that a documentary titled "The Big Buy" is being made, and that it stars Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle. And even DeLay's personal lawyer, Dick DeGuerin, said, "Tom...

Imagine if Bill Clinton had nominated his personal attorney and White House counsel to a post on the U.S. Supreme Court. Somehow, I can't imagine my conservative friends supporting the nominee – particularly if there were questions about controversial documents being destroyed that might actually shed light on scandals of the past. The stunning series of articles by WND columnist Jerome Corsi, raising serious and nagging questions about Harriet Miers' role as chairman of the Texas Lottery Commission and the cover-up of the way that story intersects with George W. Bush's National Guard service, points up why this kind of...

BERLIN (Reuters) - A Spanish amnesty for illegal immigrants has drawn more of them to Europe and unilateral policies should be abandoned in favour of joint international solutions, Germany's Interior Minister said on Sunday. Europe may be "overwhelmed" by migrants if the economic and social gap between it and impoverished Africa continued to widen rapidly, Interior Minister Otto Schily warned, in an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung. "The pressure on Europe from migrants will increase so dramatically that we will be totally overwhelmed," the paper quoted him as saying. "Not even three- or five-deep layers of fencing will prevent...

Nearly half of Senate Republicans say they remain unconvinced that Harriet Miers is worthy of being confirmed to the Supreme Court, according to a survey conducted by The Washington Times. As with the nomination of Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., the vast majority of senators say they will not announce their final decisions about the nomination until after Senate Judiciary Committee hearings, which are expected sometime next month. What's troubling for President Bush, however, is that 27 Republican senators -- almost half of his party's members in the chamber -- have publicly expressed specific doubts about Miss Miers or...

AUSTIN -- Ronnie Earle, to many Republicans and especially Tom DeLay and his friends, appears as the devil incarnate: A rotten, mean-spirited Democrat with an ax to grind. Evil, partisan, unfair -- and not too bright.Here in the Texas capital -- where they have elected him as their district attorney ever since 1976 -- it is a bit more complicated when talking of things Earle.Some, particularly those Democrats who consider him the only thing between them and threatened obsolescence for the Democratic Party statewide, admire him greatly.

10/9/2005 John Kerry’s Winning Strategy “Go long!” Our friends at Newsmax recently sent out an email alert that deals with, among other issues, a new behind-the-scenes documentary about the ‘04 Kerry campaign. This film looks hilarious, in large part because it was originally intended to reveal the winning strategy behind Kerry’s White House run. Here are some delightful details: It may surprise you, but both John Kerry and Ted Kennedy believe Kerry is the frontrunner for the Democratic nod in 2008. If the pair had any prayer of this, their hopes have been dashed with the release of a new...

WASHINGTON — Howard Dean is no longer screaming — he's scheming. The failed presidential candidate whose howling adieu to the Iowa caucuses helped seal his fate as a presidential candidate is plotting to overhaul the Democratic Party. Borrowing ideas from President Bush's re-election campaign, Madison Avenue and his own Internet-driven White House bid, the Democratic National Committee chairman hopes to drag the party into the 21st century. "What I'm trying to do is impose a system and run this place like a business," Dean said during an expansive interview in his office overlooking the Capitol. That vision would be welcome...

It appears that conservatives' long simmering distrust of moderate chief of staff Andrew Card has been confirmed with the nomination of Harriet Miers. Sources inside the White House say Card in several meetings literally shouted down opposition to Miers during the vetting process. "Harriet was his pick all the way up 'til the President jumped on board wholeheartedly," says a White House staffer. "This was not a Rove pick or Laura Bush pick. It was Card's pick." For several weeks prior to last Monday's announcement of Miers, conservatives involved inside the White House were telling outsiders that they felt "marginalized"...