Free Republic

Federal Spending & Budget Issues August 30, 2007 THE BIG EASY'S BILLION DOLLAR BOONDOGGLE The idea of using federal money to rebuild cities is the quintessential liberal vision. And given the dreadful results in New Orleans, we can say that the government's billions spent so far represents the quintessential failure of that liberal vision, says Lawrence Kudlow, host of CNBC's Kudlow & Company. Consider: So far, the federal government has spent $127 billion (including tax relief) on post-Katrina New Orleans. The entire gross domestic product (GDP) of the state of Louisiana is only $141 billion, according to the U.S. Department...

I have long believed that the goal of bringing democracy to Iraq — a goal that is often confused with bringing freedom to Iraq — may in fact be inimical to the immeasurably more important goal of vanquishing the Jihad. This for the pulverizingly simple reason that the Jihad is popular in the Islamic world, including Iraq. I doubt that it commands majority support — but it certainly commands majority acquiescence, and enormous factional sympathy. That is to say, waging war to subjugate the infidel (however defined), being an ancient and enduring feature of the Islamic religion, perforce is an...

MoveOn Slams Democrat for 'Flip-Flop' on Iraq By Randy Hall CNSNews.com Staff Writer/Editor August 30, 2007 (CNSNews.com) - The anti-war group MoveOn.org announced on Wednesday that it is launching an ad campaign against a Democrat -- calling attention to Rep. Brian Baird's support of "President Bush's failed policy in Iraq." The Washington State Democrat is acting "against the views of his constituents" and against his previous voting record, the liberal group said. "Congressman Baird's new position, in favor of keeping our troops in an un-winnable civil war in Iraq, is out of line with the majority of his district and...

NASHVILLE - Attorney and former Sen. Ward Crutchfield, who pleaded guilty to a federal bribery charge last month, won't be practicing anytime soon in Tennessee after being formally disbarred by the state Supreme Court. In the order issued Monday, Justice Janice M. Holder wrote that the 78-year-old Chattanooga Democrat "has consented to disbarment because he cannot successfully defend himself against the charges under investigation and has discontinued the practice of law." Under court rules, Crutchfield can apply for reinstatement in five years, but Jones wrote he would have to "prove by clear and convincing evidence" that he has the moral...

Prayers needed!!M1-A2 in hospital with Crohn's. Went down(fainted dehydrated) 08/29/07. Doing better today but will be in hospital for 3-4 more days. He(age 17)was just diagnosed in July. We are just now leaning about this malady. Thanks!! Mom and Dad

TUCSON, Ariz. — A Mrs. America contestant from Tennessee spent about 15 hours in a hospital here after being bitten by a rattlesnake at a hotel. Christina Ryan of Franklin said she caught sight of a spider on an outside staircase at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort while walking to a rehearsal last Sunday morning for this weekend’s competition. She jumped away from it and a rattlesnake bit her right foot, just above her toe. As time went on, Ryan said the pain got worse. She spent about 15 hours in the hospital and received 10 vials of antivenin before being...

A woman who complained that some fellow passengers spoke Arabic and "had odd behavior" prevented a Chicago-bound American Airlines flight from departing San Diego, police said Wednesday. Flight 590, scheduled to depart at 11 p.m. Tuesday, left its gate about 11:15 but returned to the boarding area after the woman, who was traveling with at least one child, indicated she wanted to get off the airplane. The flight then was unable to make Lindbergh Field's 11:30 p.m. curfew for departures, said Irene McCormack, a spokeswoman for the San Diego Harbor Police. The flight, carrying 126 passengers, was rescheduled for midmorning...

Governor Corzine’s plan to hook more immigrants up to public benefits makes no sense. 29 August 2007 It’s hard to imagine a politician with lousier timing than New Jersey governor Jon Corzine. The day before the execution-style killing of three Newark students by several illegal immigrants—at least one sporting a long rap sheet—Corzine formed a commission to study ways of providing immigrants with greater access to public services. In announcing the panel, the governor said nothing about the state’s estimated 400,000 illegal immigrants, and the panel included no experts on law enforcement or national security who might recommend how the...

WASHINGTON -- The Teamsters Union said it has been told by officials in the Transportation Department's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration that the first Mexican trucks will be coming across the border on Saturday. The union said Wednesday it would ask a federal appeals courts to block the Bush administration's plan to begin allowing Mexican trucks to carry cargo anywhere in the United States. Teamsters leaders said they planned to seek an emergency injunction Wednesday from the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in San Francisco. "What a slap in the face to American workers, opening the highways to dangerous...

In the past week, the criticisms swirling around the President's VFW speech have provided much less insight into the President or the speech than into the critics. Rather than address the speech's central issue -- the 1975 debate over the ramifications of abandoning Vietnam -- these individuals have tried to push their own views on Iraq by mentioning other aspects of Vietnam. Emblematic of the attackers was Senator John Kerry, who said that the President's comparison of Vietnam with Iraq was "irresponsible" and "ignorant of the realities of both of those wars." Kerry explained that in Iraq, as in Vietnam,...

BACKGROUND In 2000, Peter F. Paul, in the biggest business mistake he ever made, believed he was dealing with people who would do great things for his public company, the stockholders, and his friend, Spiderman creator Stan Lee. Those people were Bill and Hillary Clinton. It obviously wasn't about politics; it was strictly a business decision. Peter had been a vigorous anti-Castro advocate as a young international attorney in Miami. He became a Reagan Republican and friend of the conservatives that were still in Hollywood, such as Bob Hope and Jimmy Stewart. Peter was working long hours trying to build...

I'm looking for the cartoon that showed the difference between our troops who stand in front of and protect women and children and terrorists that hide behind women and children. My search has been unfruitful, but I know one of you fellow FReepers has it at the ready. Thanks. - OB1

Hovnanian Enterprises Chief Executive Ara Hovnanian said Thursday the risk of a recession is heightened and called for a rate cut by the Federal Reserve. "Clearly, the risk of the economy overall going into a recession is heightened right now," the head of the upscale homebuilder said in an interview on CNBC. "The credit market disarray is real." Hovnanian said that a group of home-builder CEOs were scheduled to meet with Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke next week. The cooling U.S. housing market has been hard hit by recent turmoil in the credit markets, which have soured as rising defaults...

I'm hearing that the White House presented three names in its consultation with Sen. Specter, the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committtee. They were Ted Olson, Larry Thompson (the number two man under John Ashcroft), and George Terwilliger. Specter preferred Olson, whom the White House also views very favorably, and he likely will be the nominee.

This is Jenny T. from the Refund Operations Department at Internal Revenue Service (United States Department of the Treasury). After the last annual calculation of your fiscal activity we have determined that you are eligible to receive a tax refund of $49.22. Please submit the tax refund request and allow us 1-2 days in order to process it. A refund can be delayed for a variety of reason. For exemple (invalid records or applying after the deadline). The good news is that Internal Revenue Service will make this refund directly to your visa and/or mastercard linked to your checking/savings account...

Global warming will make severe thunderstorms and tornadoes a more common feature of U.S. weather, NASA scientists said today. Climate models have previously shown that Earth will see more heavy rainstorms as the atmosphere warms, but a new climate model developed by NASA researchers is the first to show the difference in strength between storms that occur over land and those over the ocean and how storms strengths will change in general. The models don't directly simulate thunderstorms and lightning, but look for conditions that are ripe for severe storms to form. The model was tested against current climate conditions...

HP launches RedHat Linux desktop PC 30th August 2007Dan WarneLinux, Open source, PC Hardware HP Compaq DX2250: cheap, cheerful and Linux-basedHewlett-Packard, the world’s largest PC manufacturer, has announced it will start selling Linux-based PCs from $AU600 in Australia. Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 Desktop will come pre-loaded on the HP dx2250 desktop computer -- an AMD-based model.The PC itself comes with a range of AMD Athlon 64 X2 dual-core, Athlon 64 and Sempron processors.“With the cost of proprietary systems continuing to rise, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 Desktop minimises acquisition and ongoing deployment costs, leaving more money and resources for...

Iran, and its Lebanese proxy Hezbollah, have been actively involved in supporting Shia militias and encouraging sectarian violence in Iraq since the invasion of 2003—and Iranian planning and preparation for that effort began as early as 2002. The precise purposes of this support are unclear and may have changed over time. But one thing is very clear: Iran has consistently supplied weapons, its own advisors, and Lebanese Hezbollah advisors to multiple resistance groups in Iraq, both Sunni and Shia, and has supported these groups as they have targeted Sunni Arabs, Coalition forces, Iraqi Security Forces, and the Iraqi Government itself....

As time ticks down on any chance for legislators and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to agree this year on a bill to expand access to health insurance, Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez is trying to turn up the heat on the governor. With a mix of legislative maneuvering, press conferences and interviews, Núñez is sending Schwarzenegger a message that the perpetually optimistic chief executive seems determined to ignore: Republican lawmakers are never going to vote for his plan. Schwarzenegger is proposing a mix of taxes and fees on employers, doctors and hospitals to subsidize insurance for those who cannot afford it. He...