Free Republic

On this day in history, Randy Johnson won his 300th game.

td> WASHINGTON, June 4, 2009 – Before he was wounded in Iraq while serving in the Army as a special operations soldier, Matt Nyman’s life revolved around family and outdoor activities. Now, despite having lost his right leg below the knee, he’s planning on fulfilling a long-time dream as he tries to conquer North America’s highest peak. Army Lt. Col. Marc Hoffmeister, top left; Army Spc. Dave Shebib, top right; retired Marine Capt. Jon Kuniholm, bottom left; and retired Army Sgt. 1st Class Matthew Nyman -- all wounded veterans -- are attempting to summit North America's highest peak, June 1,...

Arguments that had been expected to be taking place before a federal appeals court right about now on whether U.S. citizens have a right to know that their president is eligible for the office he holds have been delayed. Philip Berg, the first lawyer to take the issue of Barack Obama’s compliance with the U.S. Constitution’s requirements for president to court, says he’s been told by officials with the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that the oral arguments in his Berg vs. Obama case, No. 088-4340, have been put off.

LOCKPORT — It is legally permissible for police to zap a suspect with a Taser to obtain a DNA sample, as long as it’s not done “maliciously, or to an excessive extent, or with resulting injury,” a county judge has ruled in the first case of its kind in New York State, and possibly the nation. Niagara County Judge Sara Sheldon Sperrazza decided that the DNA sample obtained Sept. 29 from Ryan S. Smith of Niagara Falls — which ties him to a shooting and a gas station robbery— is legally valid and can be used at his trial.

ACORN scandal is coming to a head and still Congressmen Barney Frank and Jerrold Nadler refuse to investigate this group known for its fraudulent voter registration. Back in October 2008 the NY Post reported that Darnell Nash, a person who has a criminal record both as a man and as a woman, was being investigated for registering to vote numerous times and cast at least one bogus vote with a fake address,all with the help of ACORN. This was part of a larger investigation of ACORN which revealed that nearly 4,000 registration applications supplied by the "community organizing" group were...

Darnell Nash, a voter in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, has been indicted by a grand jury for, among other things, illegal voting.Nash was registered to vote by ACORN.Ryan Miday, spokesman for Cuyahoga County, Ohio Prosecutor Bill Mason, a Democrat, just spoke with me.Miday said an "investigation is continuing into activities by ACORN. Darnell Nash is the first we've charged in this ongoing investigation.""ACORN workers approached him to fill out voter registration cards and he did so on nine different occasions using different names and addresses, then he actually registered and voted on Sept. 30 and voted with a different address and the address was...

BIRMINGHAM, Ala., June 4, 2009 – At first glance, Angelo Athas and Harry R. Johnson looked as though they’d known each other their entire lives. They looked more like teenagers than senior citizens, talking and laughing and joking as they waited for their turn at shuffleboard. Angleo Athas, right, an Army and World War II veteran from Texas, and Harry R. Johnson, a Navy and Korean War veteran from California, become quick friends as they wait for their turn at shuffleboard June 3, 2009, in Birmingham, Ala., at the 23rd Annual National Veterans Golden Age Games. DoD photo by...

Poll Date Sample Approve Disapprove Spread RCP Average 05/26 - 06/03 -- 60.0 34.2 +25.8

ASHEVILLE, NC—Bryan Noel, 39, of Hendersonville, NC, has been indicted and arrested on one count alleging conspiracy to commit mail fraud, 25 separate counts alleging mail fraud, and two separate counts alleging making a false oath in connection with a bankruptcy proceeding, all in connection with an investment scheme which resulted in losses of approximately $7 million. Noel made his initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge today and was detained pending a hearing. That hearing is scheduled for Friday, June 5, 2009, at 12:00 p.m. Today’s announcement is made by Edward R. Ryan, Acting United States Attorney for the...

House Republicans Move to Defund ACORN ACORN Contributed to Financial Collapse & Was Rewarded With Tens of Millions in Federal Funds Washington, Jun 4 - House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) and dozens of other House Republicans today became original cosponsors of the Taxpayer Protection and Anti-Fraud Act, a bill introduced by Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) to prohibit organizations indicted for violations of state or federal election laws from receiving federal funds through programs of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). A voter registration fraud trial currently being conducted in Pittsburgh reveals one of many examples of the...

AMARILLO, TX—Richard Goyette, a/k/a Michael Jurek, 47, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Mary Lou Robinson to serve a total of 46 months in federal prison and pay a $5000 fine and $87,734.40 in restitution to law enforcement for mailing 65 threatening letters from Amarillo to financial institutions in October 2008, announced Acting U.S. Attorney James T. Jacks of the Northern District of Texas. Goyette pled guilty in March 2009 to one count of threats and false information and one count of threats and hoaxes, related to his mailings. He has been in federal custody since his arrest on...

There continue to be many unanswered questions and conflicting new reports concerning Air France Flight 447. Don't expect the French investigation to release anything soon regardless of the press releases. The head of France's accident investigation agency, Paul-Louis Arslanian, when asked whether the chief pilot was in the cockpit when the plane went down, responded, "We don't have for the time being the answer." An Australian Blogger from Syndey has posted a link to a Norweigian newspaper with text messages from Norwegian passengers.... According to a Norwegian newspaper, several passengers on board Air France flight 447 sent text messages to...

Well, almost everyone blogging today for TNR on the president's Cairo speech seems to have been overwhelmed by its power. Forgive me: I was overwhelmed in a more-than-slightly different way. I am writing on the speech and its implications for next week's print edition (which will also be published online). But I wanted my readers to grapple with material other than that of the star-gazers. So here's David Frum who always calls it like he sees it. Yes, he is a conservative. But these are matters that cut across both liberalism and conservatism: The president’s Cairo speech: worse than feared....

Meghan McCain is not happy with NBC's Brian Williams. Why? According to McCain, the television anchor is so enamored with President Barack Obama that he committed the unforgivable sin of "bowing" before the man during his exclusive White House fluff piece that aired this week. Here's video of the offensive gesture in question. (Video at link) And here's McCain, firing off her disapproval via Twitter: McCainBloggette: Brian Williams just bowed to Obama? WTF, I mean seriously press corps we all know how you feel about him but now your [sic.] bowing to the President? McCainBloggette: interpret it as a bow...

http://www.usanetwork.com/series/burnnotice/ Burn Notice season 3 premier tonight

Records, Writings Reveal Sotomayor's Background, Shape Confirmation Debate The five boxes of files delivered to Capitol Hill gave senators a fuller picture of Sonia Sotomayor's background and record, as well as of how President Obama came to nominate his first Supreme Court choice ### Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor has sent a Senate panel a massive portfolio of personal details and writings that lawmakers will pore over with a fine-tooth comb to shape the debate on her confirmation. The five boxes of files delivered to Capitol Hill gave senators a fuller picture of Sotomayor's background and record, as well as...

You can’t swing a dead cat these days without hitting a media member or political pundit proudly declaring that the demise of the Republican Party is at hand. The most recent eulogy came from Democrat strategist James Carville who’s just written a new book called "40 More Years: How the Democrats Will Rule the Next Generation.” As evidenced by the title, the former Clinton advisor is channeling the current conventional wisdom that Republicans are the not-so-Grand-but-very-Old-angry-white- male Party that no longer represents the changing face of a younger, more multicultural America increasingly dominated by liberal, feminist views. Of course, this...

The South Carolina Supreme Court has ordered Gov. Mark Sanford to apply for the disputed $700 million in federal stimulus money. The court voted 5-0, with Justice Costa Pleicones concurring in a separate opinion, that the General Assembly had the authority in passing the state budget to order Sanford to apply for the money. Sanford contended that a federal law passed in February gave him the sole authority to apply for the money.

MOSUL — Maj. Gen. Hassan Karim, commander, Ninewa Operations Command, traveled to Al Kazer for the opening of a new Iraqi Army (IA) brigade headquarters, May 28. For the mostly Arab IA, the new brigade is unique; made up of more than two-thirds Kurdish Soldiers and located close to the Kurdish regional government. Upon arriving at the new headquarters, Hassan was greeted by Brig. Gen. Natheer Asim Amin, commander, 5th brigade, 2nd IA division, and his senior officers. Accompanying Hassan to Al Kazer was Brig. Gen. Robert Brown, deputy commanding general (support), Multi-National Division - North; Col. Brian Vines, commander,...

Members of the Marsh Arab tribe traverse the marshes of southern Iraq. Once twice the size of the Florida Everglades, the marshes are now a fraction of their former size after their drainage by Saddam Hussein. Photo courtesy of Multi-National Division – South. BASRAH — Traditionally, Soldiers are trained to ask where or when something happened, but not why something happened. However, on today's battlefield, the "why" is more important than ever. "If Soldiers want to know, 'Why are the children throwing rocks at us?' and 'Why are they rocketing us?' That's what we do," said Leslie Kayanan, team leader...