Free Republic

<p>The largest of Friday's three closures announced by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. was Affinity Bank, based in Ventura, Calif.</p> <p>Affinity, which had total assets of $1 billion, deposits of $922 million and 10 branches in Northern and Southern California as of July 10, will be taken over by San Diego-based Pacific Western Bank, the FDIC announced.</p>

ENERGY California renewable energy goals: The devil is in the implementation Environmentalists, unions and utilities seem to accept the governor's goal of getting a third of electricity from renewable sources. They just differ on how to get there.

Here is video from last night of Caroline Kennedy - daughter of President John F. Kennedy - eulogizing her Uncle, Sen. Ted Kennedy. She remembered childhood trips with her uncle, and said that now "Teddy has become a part of history." . . . . . . (Watch Video)

Last week I wrote about former President George W. Bush’s unprecedented work on behalf of the African AIDS epidemic. That $15 billion package, first proposed in January 2003, was entirely Bush’s doing, and has been ignored by the mainstream media and liberals who should hail the initiative. Similarly, it has been dismissed by many conservatives who did not like the massive spending at a time of record deficits. I focused on the latest ignored news on the Bush initiative: the remarkable conclusion that it has saved over one million African lives. According to an April 2009 study by researchers at...

Kennedy’s fingerprints are all over the modern welfare state, and beyond that, he has made his mark on the quiet, sometimes desperate lives of the working poor who are better off today because of his advocacy. But there are many more motivations at play in Kennedy’s achievements besides pure altruism — something that would be truly commendable — and only Kennedy and his God can answer to what they were. Because of that, while it can be said that Kennedy’s legislative record is startling in its breadth and depth, you cannot separate a man’s good works from what drove him...

FIRST ANNUAL SARAH PALIN DAY (and Happy Twenty-First Anniversary, Todd and Sarah!) Dear Friends of Sarah, At the stroke of midnight, I made a $29 contribution to SarahPac, in honor of the day, 29 August, 2008, that REAL hope was born for America. I know that many of us have contributed greater sums to Sarah in the past; still, I invite all my friends at C4P to make a $29 contribution to her PAC on this glorious 29th. Here follows a brief attempt to capture, in the supple nets of our English tongue, some of what I feel about Sarah...

The 20/20 co-anchor summed up the importance of a profit motive for the health care industry to function adequately as he recounted that in Canada, private veterinary clinics provide health care for animals much more rapidly than the government-run system provides similar services for human patients: JOHN STOSSEL: You want innovation and fast treatment? That often comes from people pursuing profit. And you see that in Canada because, even here, there is one area where they do offer easy access to cutting edge technology- UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE VETERINARIAN: -CT Scan, endoscopy, thoracoscopy, laporoscopy- STOSSEL: -available all the time. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE VETERINARIAN:...

He kidnapped her and kept her as his sex slave. When she was not sexually servicing him, she “lived” in a coffin-like box beneath his bed in sunny, sunny California. His wife knew all about it. No, I am not talking about the ordeal of Jaycee Lee Dugard, who was kidnapped in 1991 when she was 11-years-old and who has just been rescued after an eighteen year captivity in the northern California home of Phillip and Nancy Garrido. I am talking about 20-year-old Oregonian, Colleen Stan, who in 1977 was kidnapped by Cameron and Janice Hooker, buried alive in a...

<p>A leading GOP negotiator on health care struck a further blow to fading chances of a bipartisan compromise by saying Democratic proposals would restrict medical choices and make the country's "finances sicker without saving you money."</p> <p>The criticism from Sen. Michael Enzi, R-Wyo., echoed that of many opponents of the Democratic plans under consideration in Congress. But Enzi's judgment was especially noteworthy because he is one of only three Republicans who have been willing to consider a bipartisan bill in the Senate.</p>

Heads up Texas Freepers. Today, between 1-4 p.m., MoveOn.org will be busing in union thugs to hold a "protest" regarding the passage of Obamacare. This event will take place on the South side of the state Capitol in Austin. Anyone who can counter these "paid volunteers?" please show up at this meeting to demonstrate how Texans really feel about this government takeover of our health system. If you cannot attend, take a little time to contact a few friends who might be able to.

THE FEDERAL RESERVE MUST DIE “Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value ---- zero.” – Voltaire “The Federal Reserve in collaboration with the giant banks has created the greatest financial crisis the world has ever seen. The foolish notion that unlimited amounts of money and credit created out of thin air can provide sustainable economic growth has delivered this crisis to us. Instead of economic growth and stable prices, (The Fed) has given us a system of government and finance that now threatens the world financial and political institutions. Pursuing the same policy of excessive spending, debt expansion and...

As our society abandons the conservative values that make women into ladies, women with grace and dignity have become an endangered species—especially on today’s college campuses. The kind of woman who inspired Tom Jones’ song “She’s a Lady” has become an antiquated figure from America’s past. Most popular songs about women today are more like “Youse a Ho” by Ludacris. I am often surprised by the social behavior of certain young women who call themselves conservative. Conservatism is not just an ideology; it is a lifestyle. On college campuses telling the difference between liberal and conservative women is nearly...

All in all, no matter how this legislation ends up in terms of content or fate, it’s a towering pile of doo-doo and it will be decided in the Senate. Why not name it for Senator Kennedy? Either way, pass or fail, the bill symbolizes everything that Senator Kennedy represented. It should also be noted that Senator Kennedy, like all fabulously wealthy people, had nothing to gain or lose with this legislation. This law, should it pass, will be for the great unwashed masses subjected to government-run health care because their businesses will save money with the public option. Senators,...

While Americans are under the illusion that the government cannot take away their right to use the Internet, an effort by Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-VA) is underway that appears to permit President Obama to seize control of the private-sector during whatever he deems to be a cybersecurity emergency

For too long conservatives (those who respect religion, patriotism, and freedom) have had to satisfy themselves with meager success. Conservatives may win an election or pass a bill, but we are starving for real victory. To win real victory we must colonize the left. We must create a conservative socialist party. The only selling point for the left is socialism, so we must detach socialism from the main body of leftist dogma. When a conservative right battles a conservative left we can achieve real, lasting victory. Both sides would espouse our core principles. I support a conservative socialist or populist...

A resident said she didn't know the late Senator, but they were "neighborly." She remembers him as just another member of the community taking advantage of a favorite dog park, but his arrival was a little different than most. "He would drive up in a chauffeured car with his dogs and a tennis racket and a ball," she tells WTOP. "He bat the balls with the tennis racket, and the dogs would chase the ball."

There are some of you out there who don’t understand why we’ve detested Senator Edward Moore Kennedy since childhood — even though we grew up in Democratic households, where our families always voted the party line, and pictures of Jack and Jackie, Franklin and Eleanor, and Bill and Hillary hung proudly on our walls (Jimmy Carter was always a known anti-semite embarrassment to us, whose single term was best forgotten). But, whenever Ted Kennedy’s name was said by anyone on television, or Heaven forbid someone in the house, the room would grow quiet and more than one of the older...

A 52-year-old former police officer was arrested after police said he tried to pass himself off as a high school student. Police said Christopher Schildt, 52, a retired police officer, gained access to Waterford High School Thursday morning. They said Schildt tried to pass himself off as an 18-year-old student and sat in a class. School officials said they thought Schildt, who looks youthful for his age, was a transfer student from Florida. Schildt told school officials he was registering his 18-year-old nephew, who had the same name and the alleged teen had medical issues and would appear older.

China to turn on massive show for National Day www.chinaview.cn 2009-08-24 13:55:52 Print BEIJING, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- A massive celebration in Tian'anmen Square on Oct. 1, at which President Hu Jintao will give a keynote speech, will commemorate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the new China. A military parade and mass pageant would follow, said a spokesperson for the 60th National Day celebration preparation committee of the Beijing municipal government Monday. Timetabling for the celebrations is not yet available The military parade would highlight the achievements China has made in its defense sector during the past six...

The Unsurpassed Intimacy of Tested Faith "Jesus said to her, ’Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?’ " —John 11:40 Every time you venture out in your life of faith, you will find something in your circumstances that, from a commonsense standpoint, will flatly contradict your faith. But common sense is not faith, and faith is not common sense. In fact, they are as different as the natural life and the spiritual. Can you trust Jesus Christ where your common sense cannot trust Him? Can you venture out...