Free Republic

According to CNET, the RIAA has emerged victorious in their case against Usenet.com for wholesale copyright infringement. Filed back in 2007, the RIAA took particular issue with the outfit's ads promising "access to millions of MP3 files" for the monthly $19 payment. While the advertising was bad enough, the case was made substantially easier for the RIAA thanks to the fact that Usenet.com was destroying evidence on hard drives, often supplying incorrect information -- and even sent several employees to Europe to prevent them from testifying. In a statement, the RIAA lauds the courts for taking action against Usenet.com's "egregious...

Attend our Tea Party in Northwest suburbs of Chicago July 4 at 12:30PM. Speakers, music, rally. Bring a sign. Be patriotic! Stop this Tax and Spend Goverment! Tea Party Palatine www.teapartypalatine.com

Without the resolve of the soul of its people, July 4th, 2009 could be the last meaningful Independence Day for Americans. There can no longer be any doubt that the malcontent who sits in the Oval Office has malevolence at heart for all things America. President Barack Hussein Obama is, in essence singing from the same choir-book as Hugo Chavez, the Castro brothers, and even the evil and corrupt Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. In fact, it is Obama’s voice that can be heard singing the Swan Song of America the loudest. Today as main-street Americans muster the kind of spirit needed to...

Judge Vaughn R. Walker Sacramento, Calif., Jul 1, 2009 / 06:02 pm (CNA).- The U.S. District Court has agreed to allow ProtectMarriage.com to defend   Proposition 8 in a lawsuit, after the state's Attorney General, Jerry Brown, refused to do so. The ruling will allow the coalition to defend the successful California initiative from last November that restored marriage to being only between a man and a woman in the state constitution. Andrew Pugno, general counsel for ProtectMarriage.com, has said that he is “pleased that the court will allow us to defend marriage and the will of the people against challenges to...

The power of prayer at word. In El Paso Texas. 7 pro abortion planned parenthood facilities or shoulc we call them murder mills, close. Our prayers are being answered. Peace

Washington D.C., Jul 2, 2009 / 01:25 am (CNA).- Catholic commentator George Weigel has written an “open letter” to Dr. Miguel Diaz, President Obama’s nominated ambassador to the Holy See, advising him to focus on common agreement between the Vatican and the United States in his “difficult task.”Writing in his weekly column, Weigel suggested Diaz, a theology professor at St. John’s University and the College of St. Benedict in Minnesota, cultivate intellectual contacts during his diplomatic work. According to Weigel—who is biographer of the late Pope John Paul II—previous Ambassadors Jim Nicholson and Mary Ann Glendon were “particularly successful”...

WASHINGTON - The President's landmark 'Cap and Trade' bill faces an uncertain fate this week, as congressional backers of the carbon-limiting legislation face mounting opposition from a myriad of interest groups angered by its controversial ritual virgin sacrifice provision. Continued

WEST PALM BEACH, FL -- A homeless man was accidentally shot and wounded during a SWAT standoff on Wednesday. The shooting occurred at a home near 4th Street and Division Avenue around 6:30 p.m. A search warrant was being served at the residence when the owner ordered his pitbull to attack the officers, according to a police report. After non-violent attempts to subdue the animal failed, four SWAT members shot and killed the dog. A stray bullet ricocheted and hit John Poe. He taken to a hospital for treatment of non life-threatening injuries. Sources told WPTV that Poe was probably...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (CN) - A 23-year-old illegal alien faces charges and deportation after he allegedly threatened to blow up a police station and a federal courthouse. Pedro Quino-Teodoro is charged with two counts of making a terrorist threat and one count of attempted obstruction of a governmental function. Police say Quino-Teodoro threatened to kill an officer and his family if immigration authorities were contacted during an assault investigation. Immigration officials confirmed his illegal status. Upon arrest, Quino-Teodoro allegedly said he would destroy the federal courthouse in Cape Girardeau and police headquarters. He is being held on a $100,000 cash-only...

The American embassy held its annual party celebrating the birth of the United States. Israeli leaders from the military and political classes were in attendance along with the American staff of the embassy. From both the right and left the participants sat together and were entertained by American music, food and fireworks. Prime Minister of the Jewish state, Binyamin Netanyahu addressed the gathering.

Ben Lieberman, Senior Policy Analyst for the Thomas A. Roe Institution for Economic Policy Studies at The Heritage Foundation, made the following points during testimony before the Senate Republican Conference on June 22. Here are his views on the Waxman-Markey (cap-and-trade) Bill (H.R. 2454) before Congress. The bill passed the House on Friday by a 219-212 vote. Tulsa Congressman John Sullivan missed the vote because he is in the Betty Ford Clinic being treated for alcoholism The Senate rejected the Lieberman-Warner cap-and-trade bill in June of 2008. • Cap-and-trade is expensive and amounts to an energy tax. • It is...

For five months of the year, Marj Rawls and Janice Pollack make New Hampshire their home. After selling their house in Harpersville, Ala., 12 years ago and using the money to buy an RV, the two have been traveling all across country – and stop at a little campground in Brookline each summer to enjoy the Granite State. But after making New Hampshire their home for so many summers, they may start rethinking their travel plans due to the state's newly revised rooms and meals tax. "We love this area and we love coming here," Rawls said. "But now we...

The Washington Post has long prided itself on its access to the capital's elite. Now, it appears, the paper is willing to sell that access. In a flier circulated to Beltway lobbyists, the Post touted a "salon" program which gives "exclusive access" to "Obama administration officials, Congress members, business leaders, advocacy leaders and other select minds" for between $25,000 and $250,000. (View an image of the flier.) White House officials said privately Thursday that the administration had no idea that the Post was peddling access to its officials. The first event, entitled "Health-Care Reform: Better or Worse for Americans" is...

The Washington Post is marketing to institutional executives and lobbyists dinners with congressmen, Obama officials and its own reporters, according to Politico.com. The "salons" will be held at the home of CEO and Publisher Katharine Weymouth. Price for access ranges from $25,000 to $250,000, according to the flier. So much for the role of watchdog. At least now, there is no excuse for doubting everything you read. The new service was made known to the general public by a health-care lobbyist offended by the policy. The flier baldly said the dinners would provide access to the paper's “health care reporting...

It was fast. Very fast. At 8.04am, Politico's Mike Allen publishes an article: "For $25,000 to $250,000, The Washington Post is offering lobbyists and association executives off-the-record, nonconfrontational access to "those powerful few" -- Obama administration officials, members of Congress, and the paper's own reporters and editors." At 10.33am, Washington Post editor Marcus Brauchli sends out an email:

Dear Ms. Tiz: Thank you for writing regarding the American Clean Energy and Security Act, H.R. 2454. This legislation passed the U.S. House of Representatives on June 26, 2009, and now awaits action in the U. S. Senate. I voted in support of this legislation to move the process forward and help our region realize the benefits of advancing clean energy technology, while at the same time recognizing that areas for improvement still exist. I appreciate your taking the time to express your specific views, as it will help guide our debate and facilitate important changes to H.R. 2454 as...

The stimulus bill was the legislative equivalent of the famous cantina scene from Star Wars, an eye-popping collection of the freakish and exotic, gathered for dubious purposes. The Waxman-Markey cap-and-trade bill, known as ACES (the American Clean Energy and Security Act), is more like the third panel in Hieronymus Bosch’s Garden of Earthly Delights — a hellscape that disturbs the sleep of anybody who contemplates it carefully. Two main things to understand about Waxman-Markey: First, it will not reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, at least not at any point in the near future. The inclusion of carbon offsets, which can be manufactured...

US layoffs still too high, too many families worried, Obama says in AP interview WASHINGTON (AP) -- With joblessness rising, President Barack Obama said Thursday he was "deeply concerned" about unemployment and conceded that too many families are worried about "whether they will be next" to suffer economically. In a White House interview with The Associated Press, Obama said that since he took office, "we have successfully stabilized the financial markets," and "started to see some stabilization on housing." "But what we are still seeing is too many jobs lost," said Obama, commenting after new government figures showed the unemployment...

Through an arraignment from the folks At Wikio Yidwithlid was able to obtain the July Rankings for Political Blogs a few days before they are released (7/5). See Below. Huffington kept the top position but NRO's the Corner was able to move up one spot to number 2. One of my favorite blogs, Hot AIR moved into the top ten (although personally I think it should be a bit higher). Others moving up are some other Sammy Favorites such as Gateway Pundit and Newsbusters For those of the Liberal Persuasion Fivethirtyeight moved up to the top ten possibly taking readership...

I have been venting a bit lately on the ACES and particularly in our 10th district congressman's support of which I completely disagree with. Hindsight proves that this was the one last thing that Congress could have done to stop the Obama agenda, while the senate was still up in the air. With the installation of the crackpot senator, Stuart Smalley, the demonRats now have a filibuster proof majority in the Senate and Congress is surely going to fall into a more lock-step attitude with the rest. Everything from hear on out should not have the faintest touch or smell...