Free Republic

Cost of a bowl of soup at homeless shelter: $0 Having Michelle Obama serve you soup $0.00 Snapping a picture of a homeless person who is receiving a government funded meal while taking a picture of the First Lady using his $400 Blackberry cell phone $$$$ Priceless

Then-candidate Sen. Barack Obama: "Under my plan of a cap and trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket."

If the president doesn't want to meddle in Iran, and make himself the story, then, given his behavior over the last couple days, I'd hate to see what he'd do if he were trying to meddle. It started a couple days ago when he cancelled invitations by U.S. embassies to their counterparts in Iran for Fourth of July celebrations.

In a lousy week, Mark Sanford had one stroke of luck: Michael Jackson chose the day after the governor's news conference to moonwalk into eternity, and thus gave the media's pop therapists a more rewarding subject to feast on – or at any rate one of the few stories whose salient points are weirder than Sanford's. Not that the governor didn't do his best to keep his end up on the pop culture allusions: "I've spent the last five days crying in Argentina," he revealed, in presumably unconscious hommage to Evita.

No, not THAT Calvin — although maybe he has a birthday coming up, too. The rock star of the moment is John Calvin, the stereotypically dour theological chaperone of Geneva (his 500th birthday is July 10). A balanced, nicely-done story by Religion News Service writer Daniel Burke maps the lawyer’s influence on American evangelicals, particularly Southern Baptists. But why is Calvin becoming so, er, trendy? Well, it isn’t because of his clothes, his beard, or even the way he wanted to govern Geneva. It is, as Burke astutely notes in his lede, Calvin’s doctrine that is undergoing, excuse the expression,...

SANTA CRUZ, California — A man who works three jobs to support his family — including one as a limousine driver — has won a $39 million jackpot in California's SuperLotto Plus. Clyde Persley, who is married with a 4-year-old daughter, turned in his winning ticket on Tuesday night and should get his first check for about $16 million in four to six weeks, said a California lottery spokeswoman. The 49-year-old Santa Cruz man operates candy-making machines for Santa Cruz Nutritionals, drives a limousine and picks up extra hours at a restaurant. -snip-

Belgrade, 26 June (AKI) – Serbian leaders have reacted angrily to a Bulgarian court's decision to release former Kosovo prime minister and war crimes suspect Agim Ceku, whose extradition is being sought by Belgrade. Deputy prime minister Ivica Dacic said that the decision of Bulgaria’s court would not help “good neighbourly relations” between the two countries. Ceku was arrested on Tuesday at a border crossing between Macedonia and Bulgaria by police acting on a Serbian Interpol arrest warrant. But he was set free by a Bulgarian court on Thursday. “Obviously, the work of Interpol is burdened by political pressures on...

U.S. President Barack Obama is calling a climate change bill that passed the U.S. House of Representatives Friday "historic" and crucially important for job creation. In his weekly broadcast Saturday, the president says the legislation will finally make clean energy "profitable." The bill puts severe limits on harmful emissions and promotes alternative energy. The president says the bill encourages investments in clean energy that will create thousands of jobs. The legislation passed the House by a close margin Friday and now goes tothe U.S. Senate for consideration. The president Saturday called on every Senator to support the bill, saying they...

Page 1 of 2 UNITED NATIONS, June 27 (KUNA) -- Amid US and European reservation, a High-Level UN Conference on the World Financial and Economic Crisis and its Impact on Development late Friday adopted by consensus a final outcome document containing a sweeping action plan to help mitigate the effect of the economic crisis on the developing countries. General Assembly President Father Miguel d'Escoto, who convened the conference, hailed the consensus as the "first step in a long process of putting the world on a new path towards solidarity, stability and sustainability." He was also gratified that the UN or...

The Hate Crimes Prevention Act HR 1966 which has passed the Congress by overwhelming margins is now facing hearings in the Senate. There are already similar hate crime laws in place, however, this bill imposes much stronger federal enforcement, which is a clear violation of the Tenth Amendment. It grants greater power to federal prosecutors to prosecute hate crime laws by prosecuting those who have been found innocent by local or state courts. The current bill will extend special privileges to gays and transgender individuals that are currently only granted to ethnic and religious minorities. The most dangerous part of...

Robert and Ralph Brown are leaving the United States of America today, bound for Hamburg Germany. They are voyaging across the Atlantic Ocean in an open fisherman flats boat to raise money for wounded American soldiers and their families, Saturday June 27, 2009. "There is no such thing as coincidence ... God is always in Control. I am very comfortable with the seaworthiness of the DreamBoat Intruder. I know there is real danger, just like there is in everyday life, I know that in the event of disaster, I trust my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I know my soul...

The following was sent to Sen Duck Durbin this morning via his webpage-email link: Dear Senator Durbin: You were kind enough to send me your views on global warming, climate change, and cap-and-trade. After the very close vote in the House yesterday on cap-and-trade, several documents were revealed that need to be considered prior to any action on your part in the Senate. It seems that when any of these things are discussed, the argument deteriorates to name-calling, especially the term "flat earther". Well, call me what you will, but the scientific facts simply do not support the Al Gore/Leonardo...

Anyone familiar with the views of Barack Obama's pastor of twenty years might wonder if Reverend Jeremiah Wright is the chief inspiration behind the president's foreign policy. -SNIP-Obama has apologized for Guantanamo Bay; for alleged mistakes committed by the CIA; for U.S. policy in the Americas; for America's history of slavery; for "sacrificing [American] values;" for "hasty decisions" in the war on terror; for "America's standing in the world;" for American errors in foreign policy; for U.S. relations with the Muslim world; and for American "arrogance," being "dismissive, [and] even derisive" toward U.S. allies. One gets the sense Obama is...

SOFIA (AFP) — Bulgaria on Thursday released former Kosovo premier Agim Ceku, arrested on a warrant from Serbia, where he is wanted on war crimes charges, an AFP photographer in the court reported. Ceku walked free after a prolonged hearing into whether or not Sofia should extend his detention. He was initially held in custody only for a period of 72 hours. The former Kosovo premier was, however, asked to remain in Bulgaria until July 2, in case the prosecution appealed his release, judge Sonya Kocheva was cited by national radio as saying. Prosecutors hinted they would not appeal. Serbia's...

In a previous post I discussed the fact that Obama has no interest in restricting himself or his family to any government controlled health care system. OBAMA OPTS OUT OF OBAMACARE While Obama thinks that your medical care may have to be discontinued and you may just have to take painkillers until you're dead; for himself he has other plans. Without question, the most damaging moment for Obama came when he acknowledged that in spite of the rationing implicit in his public health care plan, he would still pay out-of-pocket to obtain the best health care for his family. As...

Army Maj. John Detro was in the heat of the Gulf and Iraq wars as a medic and physician's assistant. He says the greatest advancement made between the two operations was in the quick treatment of soldiers wounded in combat. The military has a better grasp of treating seriously injured patients on the battlefield, keeping them alive until a doctor can operate. The result is fewer battlefield deaths. Detro demonstrated that fact during his decorated mission in northern Iraq on Sept. 5, 2005. Serving as a medic leader with the 3rd Ranger Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Detro and his fellow...

The US government is closing down Gitmo and sending the prisoners from there to island resorts. One of the reasons for doing this is that it will hopefully save our soldiers from being tortured. Apparently this well know jihadist is not willing to reciprocate.

There is now a Free Pro Second Amendment song download available online..."Don't Come For My Gun" is a message for politicians, penned by new county music duo "Wells Hollow" during the last election cycle. The author, Bee Thomas has been a Freeper since Aug of 1998, and he gets it. To receive your free download of this new song, go to www.wellshollow.com, and scroll down to the bottom of the page where you will see a link and instructions. I bought my last case of 1000 rounds .223 for $80. It is now up to $500-600. They are INFRINGING on...

While reading the following news story: http://uk.reuters.com/article/motoringAutoNews/idUKTRE5406CF20090501 ---------------- I was reminded two very important quotes from John Adams about the American Revolution: * As to the history of the revolution, my ideas may be peculiar, perhaps singular. What do we mean by the Revolution? The war? That was no part of the revolution; it was only an effect and consequence of it. The revolution was in the minds of the people, and this was effected from 1760 - 1775, in the course of fifteen years, before a drop of blood was shed at Lexington. o Letter to Thomas Jefferson (1815-08-24),...

HOUSE BILL 2439 AN ACT Amending title 13, chapter 4, Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 13‑421; amending sections 13‑3102, 13‑3105 and 13-3112, Arizona Revised Statutes; relating to weapons. (TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE) Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona: Section 1. Title 13, chapter 4, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 13-421, to read: START_STATUTE13-421. Justification; defensive display of a firearm; definition A. The defensive display of a firearm by a person against another is justified when and to the extent a reasonable person would believe that physical force is...