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Gov. Sarah Palin's personal attorney issued a statement Saturday denouncing rumors that Palin resigned because she is under criminal investigation and threatening legal action for publishing "defamatory" material about the governor. "I can say definitively I am aware of no criminal investigation whatsoever involving Sarah Palin. Zero," Palin's attorney, Thomas Van Flein, said in a phone interview as he attended the Fourth of July festivities on the Delaney Park Strip in Anchorage. Earlier in the day, Palin's personal spokeswoman, Meg Stapleton, sent out a statement from Van Flein attacking "false and defamatory allegations that the 'real' reasons for Governor Palin's...

American Tea Party, Two Trillion Tons (video)

The Obama administration is reacting to the anticipated launch of another North Korean long-range ballistic missile, expected to fly over the Pacific toward Hawaii sometime soon, by putting missile defense on alert. That's a big change from last time. Back in April, in advance of North Korea's last missile test, the administration pretty much pooh-poohed the threat posed by the Taepo Dong launch, characterizing Pyongyang's saber-rattling as bluster. Indeed, from all outward indications, Team Obama did just about nothing but bloviate to defend U.S. territory and interests from the missile that, by almost all accounts, has the potential to reach...

The bullying seemed inescapable. His family and friends say it followed Iain Steele from junior high to high school -- from hallways, where one tormentor shoved him into lockers, to cyberspace, where another posted a video on Facebook making fun of his taste for heavy metal music. "At one point, [a bully] had told [Iain] he wished he would kill himself," said Matt Sikora, Iain's close friend. Iain's parents know their son had other problems, but they believe the harassment contributed to a deepening depression that hospitalized the 15-year-old twice this year. On June 3, while his classmates were taking...

Here is video of Vice-President Joe Biden telling ABC's George Stephanopoulos with a straight face that he does not agree that Gov. Sarah Palin has been the victim of unfair political attacks. . . . . (Watch Video)

A second half recovery is suddenly not a sure thing An end to the green-shoot rally? By Greg Robb, MarketWatch WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- For months, policymakers from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on down told investors that a second-half recovery was a safe bet. Investors, optimists by nature, eventually bought in. But now, even though the second half has actually arrived, the curtain on the recovery has so far remained down and questions are being raised on whether it will go up at all. Suddenly notable economists say the whole thing might not happen. Others, including Harvard economist Martin Feldstein,...

The National Debt Road Trip

David Barton is the founder of Wallbuilders. He is a brilliant scholar on the true founding of the United States and how ingrained Christianity was in our founders. This is the best video I have EVER seen. He is so detailed and yet succinct, on how we were really founded and who's responsible. The level of black participation in our liberty is astounding and yet, you hear none of it. I speculate that the Al Sharpton's/Jesse Jackson's of this country do not want anyone to hear these truths because it could insite pride in the country from our black population....

As a result of decreasing literary skills, college textbooks are being rewritten at a lower grade level so that the students can understand them. Most newspapers and magazines are written at about a sixth grade level which is now the reading level of the average American (of which I'm one). If you aren't buying this - compare the literacy level of today with early America, read the Federalist Papers, which were written for farmers and other common citizens in New York. Today's college graduates find them difficult.

Here's a way for America to cut its spiraling healthcare costs: ice floes. This idea isn't mine. It's President Obama's. Or rather, it's where we're likely to end up if the president prevails on Congress to pass the adventurous healthcare reform proposal currently being discussed, which the Congressional Budget Office estimates will cost about $1 trillion over the next 10 years. That's on top of Medicare's annual $327-billion budget, whose massive deficits, if they continue at the same rate, are predicted to bankrupt the Medicare system by the end of the next decade. In looking for a way to fund...

Those who suspect the president is engaged in a bit of dangerous self-delusion and denial about certain unpleasant realities regarding the threats from rogue states won’t be heartened to read that his current non-proliferation fetish stems, at least according to the New York Times, from his college infatuation with the nuclear freeze movement. Apparently, youthful Obama did not focus on the results from Ronald Reagan’s refusal to buy into the fantasies of liberals –namely the fall of the Soviet Empire. That lesson has entirely eluded now-president Obama. Is it any wonder his critics find his posture fraught with peril and...

I had a discussion a while back with someone and it got me to thinking about just how long that leftists have been trying to change the american mindset. So was Cruella a capitalist? I don't know, but I'm sure we could all agree she was clearly a conservative. She wanted to kill puppies for their furr. And she was white. So there you have it. Heh. Well, based on the media caricature of conservatives anyways. All of us around here on FR could clearly pick on the easy modern examples of liberal propaganda in the media and in TV...

Unfortunately, Michael Jackson, or "Wacko Jacko" will be remembered by many as that super weird, talented guy rather than for his artistic work and charitability. He reportedly gave to more charities than (39) than any other performer. His repressive childhood was not due so much to his Jehovah Witness upbringing - which probably gave him more "grounding," than an Ozzy Osbourne, but to his super rigorous recording and concert schedule as a kid. Jackson reported, later in life, that he was not able to have a childhood, and this, perhaps, is the foremost reason why he never wanted to grow...

Despite almost 50 years of large and accelerating efforts to improve the school achievement of African-American students, the gap between their achievement and that of whites and Asians remains about as large as ever. Yet proposals for what to do about it seem basically unchanged: Spend more money and divert existing money to reduce class size and train teachers better, have more students take a rigorous college prep curriculum, work on improving self-esteem, eliminate ability-grouped classes, use cooperative-learning techniques, and reassign top teachers to schools with a high percentage of African-American students. I have become especially doubtful about whether those...

Russian and US media continue to discuss the forthcoming official visit of US President Barack Obama to Russia on July 6-8. Obama gave an exclusive interview to Itar-Tass news agency and Russia TV Channel. In his first-ever interview for the Russia media, the US president spoke about the relations between the two countries and shared his thoughts about the Russian leaders – President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. The interview will be broadcast on July 4 on Russia TV Channel. The US president said that the recent years of the US-Russian relations left much to be desired. Mr....

For years, Democrats clamored for the closing of the detention center in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, using the prison to pummel President George W. Bush for abusing his authority, violating domestic and international law, and tarnishing the reputation of the United States... Now lawmakers are making it nearly impossible for President Obama to close the notorious prison by year's end, as he promised to do. Ms. Feinstein, Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (Nev.) and 88 other senators -- including every Republican -- voted to attach to a must-pass, supplemental war spending bill several provisions that tie the president's hands. Ms....

Thanks to vacancies created by last fall’s election, then-president-elect Barack Obama faced the first dramas of his administration: Finding credible, re-electable bodies to fill those seats. Remember the good old days of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich and whether or not he could legally appoint someone to replace Sen. Obama? Then there was the near-anointment of Caroline Kennedy to replace New York’s Sen. Hillary Clinton. After much controversy, Roland Burris took Obama’s Senate seat, N.Y. Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand replaced Hillary, Vice President Joe Biden’s former chief of staff, Ted Kaufman, took his place in the U.S. Senate, and Michael Bennet of...

Just a few quick thoughts on the Palin announcement, from the hotel lobby computer while I am on vacation. It is amazing to see and to hear the commentary from all sides on her announcement. It appears that Sarah is a living, breathing litmus test. Peoples' responses run a continuum: "What's she doing still talking? I thought she was out of politics." "Good riddance. Even Alaska should have known better than to elect her." "I'm glad they finally saw through her with all those scandals." "I can't believe what they tried to do to her. Anyone would have quit with...

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...