Free Republic

Because I posted the news diggs so late for yesterday, tonight's list is going to be relatively short. And we're going to take a holiday for the 4th of July weekend, so this will be your last digg list until Monday. Happy independence day, and God bless those who fight to keep this country safe and free! http://diggsandburies.blogspot.com/

Let's post music related to our Forefathers declaring Independence from the British crown. I'll start off with something by an American metal band called Iced Earth (the music is kinda boring though). Declaration Day: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_LDDnV735o

“I am deeply disappointed that the Governor has decided to abandon the State and her constituents before her term has concluded.” Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska — daughter of Frank Murkowski, who was defeated by Sarah Palin in the 2006 Republican gubernatorial primary

In Congress, July 4, 1776, the unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America.When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. We hold these truths to be self-evident: That all men are created equal; that they...

FRANKFURT, July 3 (Reuters) - German container shipper Hapag-Lloyd (TUIGn.DE) is considering asking for state aid to help it secure its future in the face of a global trade slump, a key shareholder told a German newspaper on Friday. Such a move could not be ruled out, and financial support from the German state would "certainly make sense", Klaus-Michael Kuehne told Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. He controls around 15 percent of the company.

Fourth of July weekend is a time for celebration and relaxation, but also reflection on the critical juncture our nation faces. The U.S. has been on an "unsustainable cycle of buying and spending" that cuts across all strata of society, says TJ Marta, chief strategist at MartaontheMarkets.com. The problem is that with everyone having a hand out -- from illegal immigrants to Wall Street to state and local governments -- the Federal government has now extended itself to the limits of its ability, and perhaps beyond. Marta sees only two entities with the ability to bail out Uncle Sam -...

The U.S. dollar as the global reserve currency of choice has been a stabilizing force during the current financial crisis, Canada said Friday, downplaying calls to debate the greenback's dominant status. Canadian Finance Minister Jim Flaherty added his weight, at least for now, to Japan's opposition to a Chinese push for a new super-sovereign reserve currency that would displace the U.S. dollar. Flaherty also told reporters he could see the Canadian currency appreciating as part of a worldwide shifting of foreign exchange rates to correct imbalances. He said he did not know whether the U.S. dollar's role as the global...

SAN DIEGO -- President Obama recently reignited the immigration debate when he told reporters that congressional leaders of both parties were ready to "actively get something done and not put it off until a year, two years, three years, five years from now, but to start working on this thing right now." In the months ahead, keep an eye on two things: the calendar and the issue of guest workers. The calendar: "Right now" might not be soon enough. The conventional wisdom is that the longer Obama waits, the harder it will be to pass any immigration reform legislation. One...

The Huffington Post issued an apology Friday evening for an article about the resignation of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin posted at their website entitled, Palin Will Run In '12 On More Retardation Platform, written by HuffPo writer Erik Sean Nelson.The Daily Dose published an e-mail apology from Mario Ruiz of HuffPo: Due to an editorial lapse, Erik Sean Nelson’s post on Sarah Palin bypassed the normal vetting process and appeared on HuffPost — but was never featured anywhere on the site. Even though satiric works are generally given greater latitude, Nelson’s post falls outside of HuffPost’s editorial guidelines. As such,...

Reporting from Baghdad -- Vice President Joe Biden's mission to promote national reconciliation in Iraq was rebuffed Friday by Prime Minister Nouri Maliki, who told him that the issue was a domestic Iraqi affair and that U.S involvement wouldn't be welcome. Biden was beginning a two-day visit to Iraq after President Obama appointed him this week as his special representative on dealings with the Persian Gulf nation. His assignment, the White House said, is to work with Iraqis "toward overcoming their political differences and achieving the type of reconciliation that we all understand has yet to fully take place." But...

Palin 2012. Hypothetical narrative. If this is what she runs on — and does it well — then watch the hell out: I’m Sarah Palin, and I’m running to be Citizen-In-Chief. I entered politics to change something. I ran to serve my state, the great state of Alaska, and then for the vice-presidency because I care about this country. I saw first-hand the viciousness and pettiness that have made Americans fed up with politicians, politics as usual, and the destructive personal attacks that also go on far too often. Those sorts of things that public service should never be about....

Michael Jackson wanted to adopt 'Octomom' Nadya Suleman's eight children, according to reports. The star, who had three children of his own, is said to have approached Suleman's former publicist about the proposal in the weeks before his death. Jackson is reported to have told Victor Munoz that he wanted the eight babies to be siblings for his youngest child, seven-year-old Prince Michael II.

Online advertising's biggest players to government: Please stay out of our business. Google, AOL, Yahoo and Microsoft, along with a host of other advertising, agency and marketer associations, took another step in pressing their case that the government doesn't need to regulate the collecting of data for ad-targeting purposes by search engines, websites, advertisers and ad networks. They've crafted their own set of rules in the hope of heading off potential regulation in Congress. For months, a wide-ranging group of marketers, portals, publishers and ad networks represented by industry groups -- such as the Interactive Advertising Bureau, the American Association...

Sorry for the vanity, but....I have a doggie concern, and I need some advice for caring for the situation. My vet is out of town and I have a sick dog. This has been ongoing all day with no relief. My dog is unable to stand any longer. He was able to walk earlier, but with difficulty and with leaning to the right. His eyes are also darting from left to right. I was able to get through to the vet's assistant and they advised to keep watching my dog and that the earliest I could get in would be...

 THE REAL ID ACT 2005 AND THE WOLF DRESSED IN SHEEP’S CLOTHING A.K.A.: THE PASS ACT - S.1261 - - - News Video follows article - - - I have spent the last few days burning up the phone lines discussing the newly proposed “PASS Act”. I have had conversations with organizations around the country about the PASS Act. I have also spoke with staff committee people and others in Washington D.C. about the PASS Act. Both the ACLU and the ACLJ are opposing the Real ID Act and the PASS Act. (The ACLU and the ACLJ are the...

The Wall Street Journal’s editors weigh in on Al Franken’s Senate win: The ‘Absentee’ Senator. The Minnesota Supreme Court yesterday declared Democrat Al Franken the winner of last year’s disputed Senate race, and Republican incumbent Norm Coleman’s gracious concession at least spares the state any further legal combat. The unfortunate lesson is that you don’t need to win the vote on Election Day as long as your lawyers are creative enough to have enough new or disqualified ballots counted after the fact.

It's probably very hard to be governor of Alaska. Located an entire day's trip away from Washington, D.C., or New York, my guess is that Sarah Palin felt isolated and out of touch in Juneau and felt that it was important to get back in the game. With President Barack Obama destroying the free-enterprise system, bankrupting the nation, and digging us into a hole of debt it will take a decade to climb out of, Palin undoubtedly felt the need to play a role when health care, our nation's manufacturing base, and so many key areas were at stake. As...

Poll: Why did Sarah Palin resign her Office as Governor of Alaska? A Daily Poll.

The United States is opposed to enacting a new set of financial sanctions against Iran that are due to be discussed in the G8 summit next week, diplomatic officials in New York reported Friday. According to officials, sanctions against Iran are expected to top the G8's agenda. Sources are also predicting a pointed debate between the heads of the industrialized nations over an appropriate response to Iranian authorities' suppression of reformist demonstrations in Iran led by Mir Hossein Mousavi and other Iranian opposition leaders. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi hinted in a newspaper interview earlier in the week that the...

Ever notice? When she’s angry, she starts talking a little faster, her eyes lids narrow a tad, and she talks through lips that are a bit closer together – and that faint frown of hers becomes almost permanent, yet a smile remains. She displayed all of those signs today. She didn’t say it in so many words, but if I don’t miss my bet, Sarah Palin just declared all-out war on the left – and believe me, she can wage that war like no other – as has been well demonstrated. No, she’s not about to run off into seclusion...