Free Republic

Before heading home to face the anger at the now infamous health care "town halls," Congress rushed through an extension to what was then considered a popular program: Cash for Clunkers. Then, like much of the August break, Cash for Clunkers went sideways as critics picked apart the program's weaknesses, consumers stopped showing up with so many clunkers, and dealers started making noise about something as simple as when they might actually get the rebate money that the government promised. So, what do you do when you have a poorly-conceived and ill-managed project winding down (Clunkers expires at 8 p.m....

The political rhetoric, rumours and activities of lobbying groups all point to the next proposal to float out of the White House, a national Food Tax. In May, the Wall Street Journal reported Senate Finance Committee discussions over the possibility of a new federal tax on soft drinks and sugary drinks as another method of raising revenues in light of forthcoming health care reform proposals. At the time, Democratic Senators requested that the CBO prepare revenue estimates based upon the implementation of such a tax, leading many to believe that a tax proposal was on the way. Three months later,...

Bought a lotto ticket. It's lucky. I just know. No doubt I'm a winner Soon rolling in the dough. I'll spend, now, on credit And buy a fancy car, Take a nice vacation, Hang with the movie stars. They announce the winner. Expect my lucky break. Someone else's numbers -- There must be a mistake. I didn't win no lotto, man. I didn't win no lotto, man. Forget all retirement plans. No, I didn't win no lotto, man.

I am going to write my story on Governor Palin’s one year anniversary to stardom from a slightly different angle than the others. I am going to write about the effect that Governor Palin’s nomination meant to a struggling and uninspired GOP. As a lowly county party GOP chairwoman located in southeast Wisconsin, the struggles almost seemed insurmountable. In July and August of 2008, our county party was just trying to stay above water. We were being pushed by our state GOP to find hundreds of volunteers, open a local office, get people enthused about a candidate they did not...

1 2 3 4 5

Broadcast TV ad revenues were down 12.8% in the second quarter vs, the same qurter in 2008, according to TNS Media Intelligence/CMR data released by the Television Bureau of Advertising. Local broadcast TV revenues (spot TV) were down 26.3% to $2.7 billion, while network TV was down 6.9% $5.86 billion, and syndication was down 1.5% $1.09 billion. For the first half, spot TV was down 27%, network 5.8% and syndication only .7%. Leading the spot TV slump was automotive, which was down 54.5%, with dealership advertising down 43.6%. In fact 24 of the top 25 ad categories all showed reduced...

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Sunday shows that 32% of the nation's voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Forty-two percent (42%) Strongly Disapprove. That’s the highest level of Strong Disapproval yet recorded for this President and it gives Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -10

US Representative Paul Kanjorski (D-PA), recently graced us with his presence on the airwaves of Northeast PA by doing a “Radio Town Hall” on WILK. Over the August recess, he has done 1 “Telephone Town Hall” in which his staff chose who asked questions, and this “Radio Town Hall”, and refuses to meet face-to-face with his constituents, as he just doesn’t have the time to do so. In discussing the recent upward revision of the projected 10 year US budget deficit from $7 Trillion to $9 Trillion, he remarked that the $2 Trillion difference “really isn’t a lot of money…”.

Excerpts of the letter from Sen. Edward M. Kennedy that President Barack Obama delivered to Pope Benedict XVI earlier this year and an account of the pope's response, as read by Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, archbishop emeritus of Washington:"Most Holy Father I asked President Obama to personally hand deliver this letter to you. As a man of deep faith himself, he understands how important my Roman Catholic faith is to me, and I am so deeply grateful to him. I hope this letter finds you in good health. I pray that you have all of God's blessings as you lead...

"My fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country." – John F. Kennedy January 20th, 1961 The last Kennedy brother's death was announced on August 26, 2009, marking the end of an era in politics. Ted Kennedy, dead at the age of 77. Referred to as "The Lion of the Senate", his final battle wasn’t just in the Senate; it was also against a year-long struggle with brain cancer. In the days following, I observed history unfolding; the motorcade escort on August 27, from Hyannisport to the Boston...

Force India’s Giancarlo Fisichella took a surprise pole position for the Belgian Grand Prix. Force India’s first pole in Formula 1. Toyota’s Jarno Trulli will start second for Sunday’s race ahead of BMW Sauber’s Nick Heidfeld and Barrichello’s Brawn. Championship leader Jenson Button qualified 14th.

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL * AUGUST 29, 2009, 5:04 A.M. ET Interrogating the CIA By REUEL MARC GERECHT A clever, streetwise classmate of mine at the Central Intelligence Agency's junior officer training program—a former Delta Force officer—quickly and rudely discovered that counterterrorism in the much-vaunted Reagan years wasn't a serious endeavor at Langley. He had original and provocative ideas on using physical force to scare the bejesus out of terrorist suspects who had American blood on their hands. Although the CIA was then filling up with operatives pretending to be engaged against a growing terrorist menace, Langley's counterterrorist data bank...

General Motors has signed up to a 2bn yuan ($293m; £180m) joint venture with the Chinese state-owned carmaker FAW to make light trucks and vans. The vehicles will initially be sold in China under the FAW brand, but could in future be exported under the GM brand. They will be produced at existing FAW facilities in the cities of Changchun and Harbin. GM sold 818,442 vehicles in China in the first six months of 2009, compared with 1,094,561 in the whole of 2008. Demand was particularly strong for its minivans and other small vehicles. "For us in China, this...

Excerpts of a letter sent by Sen. Edward M. Kennedy to Pope Benedict XVI in July: “Most Holy Father, I hope this letter finds you in good health, I pray that you have all of God’s blessings as you lead our church and inspire our world during these challenging times. “I am writing with deep humility to ask that you pray for me as my own health declines. I was diagnosed with brain cancer more than a year ago, and, although I continue treatment, the disease is taking its toll on me. I am 77 years old and preparing for...

The Talk Shows Sunday, August 30th, 2009 Guests to be interviewed today on major television talk shows: FOX NEWS SUNDAY (Fox Network): Former Vice President Dick Cheney.MEET THE PRESS (NBC): Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass.; Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn.; Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, niece of the late Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts; Doris Kearns Goodwin, presidential historian; former Kennedy adviser Bob Shrum. FACE THE NATION (CBS): Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and Orrin Hatch, R-Utah; Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass.; Michael Eric Dyson, sociology professor at Georgetown University. THIS WEEK (ABC): Sens. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and John Kerry, D-Mass. STATE OF...

What is Black Liberation Theology anyway? Barack Obama's former pastor, Jeremiah Wright catapulted black liberation theology onto a national stage, when America discovered Trinity United Church of Christ. Understanding the background of the movement might give better clarity into Wright's recent vitriolic preaching. A clear definition of black theology was first given formulation in 1969 by the National Committee of Black Church Men in the midst of the civil-rights movement: Black theology is a theology of black liberation. It seeks to plumb the black condition in the light of God's revelation in Jesus Christ, so that the black community can...

As a family physician caring for East Texans, I have encountered many patients and friends seeking my views on the health-care reform issues Americans face. This is my message for them and for our elected representatives who are attempting to make dramatic changes to the health-care system on which we all rely. The United States truly needs a more cost-effective health-care system. The efficiencies that are needed are not likely to come from government. I am unaware of any service in which government leads in efficiency. The HR 3200 approach to reforming health care will result in an increased administrative...

Follow link and click to watch video. It's good. Short and sweet. http://www.conservatives4palin.com/2009/08/obamas-300-am-call.html

Usefulness or Relationship? "Do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven" —Luke 10:20 Jesus Christ is saying here, "Don’t rejoice in your successful service for Me, but rejoice because of your right relationship with Me." The trap you may fall into in Christian work is to rejoice in successful service— rejoicing in the fact that God has used you. Yet you will never be able to measure fully what God will do through you if you have a right-standing relationship with Jesus Christ. If you...

Saying they were cheated out of money and an education, 13 former students of Everest College have sued the for-profit school, accusing it of misrepresenting job placement rates, the quality of education and the ability to transfer credits to four-year nonprofit universities. The Everest students were enrolled in the criminal justice or the medical billing and coding programs. Everest College officials said those programs offered at its campuses in Arlington, Fort Worth and Dallas are specialized career offerings whose credits may not transfer. That information is disclosed to students repeatedly before they enroll, Dom Montalvo, regional vice president of operations,...