Free Republic

Just the other day I learned U.S. Representatives Peter Roskam (6th District) and John Shimkus (19th District) are assisting the political efforts of fellow Republican House member Mark Kirk (10th District). Kirk is seeking the GOP's nomination in the 2010 primary for the U.S. Senate seat that will be vacated by Roland Burris. Both Roskam and Shimkus have taken part in the placing of automated phone calls to their constituents on behalf of Kirk. I have been following politics for nearly 20 years and, the more I see, the more disillusioned I become regarding the political process. Perhaps disillusioned is...

..... So long as the mullahs continue to signal that the Jews are their first target, the world will be content to allow them to build their nuclear weapons and to use them. With each passing day, Iran moves closer to the bomb and closer to initiating war on its terms. The international community will do nothing to preempt this danger. Israel must act. Fighting a war on our terms is eminently preferable to fighting one on Iran's.

Hong Kong is pulling all its physical gold holdings from depositories in London, transferring them to a high-security depository newly built at the city's airport, in a move that won praise from local traders Thursday. The facility, industry professionals said, would support Hong Kong's emergence as a Swiss-style trading hub for bullion and would lessen London's status as a key settlement-and-storage center. "Having a central government-sponsored vault would create a situation where you could conceivably look at Hong Kong as being a hub, where metal could be traded for the region," The Hong Kong Monetary Authority, which functions as the...

By the time you read this, if the Obama administration is smart, Van Jones and the guys who vetted him will be leaving government to spend more time with their families. In another example of either poor administration vetting of appointees or atrocious judgment, the administration made Van Jones their “green czar” (special advisor for green jobs at the White House Council on Environmental Quality). In the past few days he’s been revealed on tape calling the president’s opponents by a vulgar term for which he apologized on Wednesday to Politico. But that’s small potatoes....

INDIANAPOLIS -- A popular, relatively new birth control pill is the subject of several television ads from attorneys that ask people to come forward if they have suffered side effects. The controversy involves Yaz, a contraceptive taken by mouth that has been on the market since 2006, 6News' Sarah Cornell reported. When it came out, the label listed very few side effects, and that's partially the reason law firms, including Ken Nunn, are pursuing legal action. Attorneys are actively gathering clients to sue Bayer, the manufacturer of Yaz, claiming that the company neglected to list side effects, such as blood...

Van Jones' has a law degree so naturally that makes him fully qualified to advise the President of the most prosperous nation on earth on how to green the blocks in question that somehow became un-green. No matter that Van Jones first began learning about environmental pollution somewhere around 2008. If we don't hire Presidents with the necessary knowledge and skills for the job, why should we expect them to do otherwise? No one should be aghast that Obama hired Van Jones. Obama hired like-minded people, the people he likes, and those who will run the offices and agencies they...

Top Republicans, inspired by President Barack Obama’s recent drop in popularity, are newly optimistic about their chances of challenging him in 2012 and are focusing on some surprising names. Some major donors and GOP strategists have approached Joe Scarborough, the host of MSNBC’s "Morning Joe,” about a national run, according to party sources. Former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole of Kansas, the Republican nominee in 1996, told POLITICO that he would like to see Army four-star Gen. David Petraeus — the head of the U.S. Central Command, which includes Iraq and Afghanistan — run for president as a latter-day Ike....

...Huge mistakes of political self-control occurred and the media that is most sympathetic to the political class joined in the condemnation of these “barbarians.” Frankly, my sympathies were with the “barbarians.” Reminded me of other tea parties and arguments over government in the past. Hope to have more of it...

New reseach challenges previous theories of continent population New questions of human origin could shed light on what makes groups of people more or less prone to certain diseases, an OU researcher has found. Cecil Lewis, assistant professor of anthropology and director of the OU Molecular Anthropology laboratory, studied genetic diversity among American populations. His research is not only groundbreaking for anthropology but it could also affect future health research. “I made a number of surprising discoveries, some of which actually applied to the Americas as a whole,” Lewis said. Lewis’ research, which was recently published in the American Journal...

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs offered few signs of support at his daily briefing Friday for embattled White House adviser Van Jones, saying only, "He continues to work for the administration." Jones, author of "The Green Collar Economy" and, since March, the special adviser for green jobs at the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), has come under withering criticism from conservatives in recent weeks for his activist background. Fox News host Glenn Beck has been a leading voice in the criticism. (Notably, Beck's advertisers are facing boycott calls from a group Jones helped found.) The blog Gateway...

What happened to Rick Folbaum? ... was the question way back in September 10, 2005 when a "Freeper" ask the question. I do not know the answer of this question back then, but he is now back on Fox News ... with his Liberal slant as well. Just watch him (and Shep Smith), if you must ... but you will know for yourself that he is another Liberal creeping into Fox TV.

Here is a video report by Fox News' Major Garrett saying White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters today that embattled "Gree Jobs" Czar Van Jones "continues to work in this administration." Gibbs also said as to those who sign onto the 9/11 "Truther" nonsense, it's "not something the President agrees with." Garrett said they pressed Gibbs for more on Van Jones, but Gibbs would not say more. . . . (Watch Video)

A Road Map for the New Patriot Movement Over the past months, the inspiring national reaction and response to the quickening pace of assaults on liberty and the foundations of the American ideal has reached a fevered pitch. It is heartening to see the awakening of the People and the resistance to forces that do not subscribe to those values that built the United States into the most productive, equitable and powerful nation in history. With the simple voices speaking at town hall meetings raising protest to a nationalization of the health care industry, or the unified message in the...

ALBUQUERQUE - Attorney General Eric Holder avoided reporters seeking comment about his agency's decision not to bring charges against Gov. Bill Richardson and former top aides in an alleged pay-to-play scheme. Holder was in Albuquerque to give the keynote speech Thursday at the Hispanic National Bar Association's annual convention.

Needless to say, afte this video floats around a bit, Baron Hill will not be running "his" congressional office much longer. Nor will he be able to congratulate himself about what a benefocent leader he is for allowing his constituents to attend "his" townhall meetings. Seriously, guys it's just too good to be true.

I hear far too often from "moderates" and "independents" that politics is useless, or that our public discourse is too hardened by politics. They claim to hate partisanship and seem to believe that no matter what, they will never be heard. News flash: You're never heard because you never participate in our politics. Or, perhaps more correctly, you were never heard until now. Everyday more and more Americans are finally realizing that anything having to do with public policy, foreign relations and an entire slew of othe issues is politics, and in any discussion which requires the utterance of opinion...

UNIONTOWN, Pa. — A Pennsylvania history buff who recreates firearms from old wars accidentally fired a 2-pound cannonball through the wall of his neighbor’s home. Fifty-four-year-old William Maser fired a cannonball Wednesday evening outside his home in Georges Township that ricocheted and hit a house 400 yards away. The cannonball, about two inches in diameter, smashed through a window and a wall before landing in a closet. Authorities say nobody was hurt.

For the last couple of weeks we have been blasting Cass Sunstein on this blog. Many of you have also picked up the sword and begun fighting this Obama appointment as well. Now, we need to really stand up. The Senate will be coming back into session next week and Harry Reid has already mentioned that he wants to make confirming Sunstein one of his first priorities. We CANNOT let this happen. Check out this story today on Sunstein from Matt Cover at CNS News. If this doesn't make you pick up a phone and call your Senator, I don't...

President Obama's televised primetime addresses are becoming a tougher sell to the broadcast networks than his sweeping health care reform has been to Middle America. A day after news broke of the president's plan to address a joint session of Congress on health care issues in primetime Wednesday, none of the Big Four networks have said it would carry the address live. Among other things, the nets have been waiting to hear when the address will start, with sources indicating Thursday night that the White House was leaning toward 8 p.m. After a brief honeymoon after Obama's January inauguration, the...

SINGER Lady GaGa has blasted rumours that she's a hermaphrodite as "ridiculous". Quizzed on an Aussie radio show, she said: "It's too low brow for me to even discuss." The US pop star, real name Stefani Germanotta, was responding to internet speculation about a controversial concert video. She also said in a recent web blog: "I have both male and female genitalia, but I consider myself a female." But GaGa, 23, told Oz's Matt and Jo show: "I've made fun of it before but to talk about it is ridiculous."