Free Republic

Presidential candidate Barack Obama told a Wisconsin audience today that he will slash federal spending on contractors by 10 percent, the Associated Press reported. The cuts are part of his plan to revive an economy battered by turmoil on Wall Street and the housing market. Obama was speaking in Green Bay, Wis. He said the $700 billion bailout plan proposed by President Bush and Congress is forcing a new look at federal spending. "The only way we can do all this without leaving our children with an even larger debt is if Washington starts taking responsibility for every dime that...

On CNN last night, Campbell Brown unloaded on the McCain campaign's shielding of Sarah Palin from the press. Says the McCain camp is treating her like a "wilted flower." [video included]

US Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama talks to a local at a bar in Clearwater, Florida. White House foes Obama and John McCain unveiled proposals to improve a bailout for crippled Wall Street but stopped short of rejecting the 700-billion-dollar plan outright. (AFP/Emmanuel Dunand)

The Bush administration today recommended the most significant regulatory overhaul in the housing finance industry since the savings and loan crisis a decade ago. Under the plan, [...] a new agency would be created within the Treasury Department to assume supervision of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government-sponsored companies that are the two largest players in the mortgage lending industry. The new agency would have the authority, [...]to set one of the two capital-reserve requirements for the companies. It would exercise authority over any new lines of business. And it would determine whether the two are adequately managing the...

If a candidate for high office does a spectacularly poor job in managing his own family's finances, why on earth should we trust him in a national leadership position at a time of acute economic crisis? Senator Joe Biden's recently disclosed tax returns display a consistent pattern of poor judgment and shabby values that ought to disqualify him for the vice presidency or any other post of significant responsibility. Over the course of ten years (1998 through 2007) the Bidens averaged an adjusted gross income of $245,000 – placing them uncomfortably close to that threshold of $250,000 a year that...

A Grand Jury in Chattanooga on Tuesday morning heard testimony into the alleged hacking of the personal e-mail of Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin. Three young college-age people declined to comment as they entered the Federal Courthouse around 9 a.m. Security officers notified members of the media at 10:30 a.m. that the trio had exited the courthouse by another door. The three, including two males and a female, are apparently friends of a University of Tennessee student who is under investigation for the hacking. David Kernell is a UT student who is the son of a Democratic state legislator from...

John Adams:“ The general principles upon which the Fathers achieved independence were the general principals of Christianity… I will avow that I believed and now believe that those general principles of Christianity are as eternal and immutable as the existence and attributes of God.”• “[July 4th] ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty.” –John Adams in a letter written to Abigail on the day the Declaration was approved by Congress... Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any...

There is a powerful, natural force in the fall air, and I, for one, cannot turn my back on it. I know the origin of "conservatism" and the pragmatic, rugged individualism logic that drives it and us. As a conservationist, I believe in the wise use of our precious life-giving resources and clearly understand man's critical responsibility to the stewardship of our wild ground and our wildlife. I learned a long time ago that if I wanted to enjoy a fire at Christmas time, that I had to plant trees in the spring. Not to boast, but the Arbor Day...

Video at link

The economic turmoil on Wall Street and fear among voters about the nation's economy has boosted Democrat Barack Obama's presidential candidacy, giving him his first clear lead over Republican John McCain in the presidential race.

My son is taking a Hunter's Safety course through his AG Mechanics class in his Middle School. He has another week to go, then we get to eat venison! As part of the class they are required, by law, to show the kids two videos. The first is a graphic, no-holds-barred, instructional video of processing a deer, from whole dead Bambi to gutted, skinned, chopped up Bambi. He's processed smaller animals his entire life, so that wasn't a problem. ("Those backstraps look gooood!") The second video is supposed to give "The Other Side" an opportunity to give their argument. (Thank...

Federal Reserve Chairman Bernanke testifies on economic outlook at 10 AM Bernanke and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson testify on bailout at 2:30 PM

Robert Creamer, not to be confused with the famed baseball writer, is now also going by the name of Bob, which I'm sure greatly pleases the more famous Creamer. About Creamer the Lesser: For many years, he was the executive director of the Illinois Public Action Council. His wife, Jan Schakowsky, now a Democratic Illinois congresswoman who nominally represents me in Washington, was on the board of directors of the self-appointed consumer advocacy group. Creamer got caught kiting checks while running the group--he had done it before and was warned by federal authorities not to do it again. He didn't...

I dunno about a nine-point lead, Kathryn, but clearly the Obama campaign self-destruct effort managed to stall during Bailout Week. As a general rule, when economic matters are in the news, I would recommend Senator McCain go to Bermuda for a few days and play canasta on the veranda until everything quietens down. Obama and Biden are just as witless on the subject but at least their platitudes and class warfare don't actively depress their base - unlike McCain's nutty improvisations re Andrew Cuomo*. If only we could get back to the heady days when the Democrat-media axis was demanding...

Superb, lightning fast rebuttal by the McCain campaign to a vicious smear job masquerading as journalism in today's New York Times. A must read!

INCREASED OIL/GAS PRODUCTION ANWR Development · Increasing domestic oil production from the vast reserves of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) is a solid first step towards making American energy independent; the Department of the Interior estimates ANWR has between 10 to 18 billion barrels of oil. · ANWR is unique among potential energy solutions in that the cost for its development would be met by private industry. · The development of ANWR would foster immediate job growth around the country; estimates show that in Virginia alone between 3000 and almost 7000 jobs would be created. Offshore Drilling · We...

It just kills these guys to even think that Obama could lose this election. McCain is up, 47% - 44%, over Obama in the NBC/Wall Street Journal poll, and he retakes the lead in the RCP Average by 0.8%. Listen in the video where Chuck Todd says the lead is "somewhat good" for McCain. Actually Chuck, 3 points is a win in November, jackass. Why don't we hear that Obama's losing by 3 points is "somewhat bad" for him? Listen to the desperate cheerleading by Matt Lauer and Todd hoping that the vast number of new young black voters in...

No lipstick allowed for Garfield eighth-grader Boy says he was just expressing himself, but school officials say it was a distraction Garfield Middle School eighth-grader Matt Allsup displays his black makeup and fingernail polish Tuesday, Sept. 23, at his home in Hamilton. On Monday, school officials made him wash off the makeup. Allsup and his family are questioning district policies on the use of makeup by male students. HAMILTON (near Cincinnatti)— A Garfield Middle School student and his family are challenging the Hamilton City School District over his right to wear black eyeliner and lipstick to school. Matt Allsup, a...

A blogger wrote about me traveling with “Our Country Deserves Better” PAC on a national “Stop Obama” tour. The blogger said, 'They hate Obama”. Unable to speak for anyone else, I do NOT hate Obama. I'm a Christian and don't hate anyone. I simply believe Obama is horribly wrong for our country. My opposition in based in LOVE for my country, not hate. FYI: The grueling “Stop Obama” tour is 35 rallies in two weeks. Lord give me strength. (smile) Lloyd Marcus

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Wednesday shows Barack Obama attracting 49% of the vote while John McCain earns 47%. It’s the first time in more than two weeks that Obama has enjoyed a lead larger than a single percentage point (see trends). Both men are now viewed favorably by 55% and Rasmussen Markets data currently gives Obama a 52.1 % chance of victory (see market results for key states). Forty-one percent (41%) say they are certain to vote for Obama and will not change their mind. Forty percent (40%) say the same about McCain. The remaining 19%...