Free Republic

Sarah Palin, the former Republican vice presidential candidate, has every right to submit an opinion piece on health care to the Wall Street Journal's op-ed page, and they've got every right to print it. But Palin's existence in this debate does not (a) lend her voice any credibility and, beyond that, even if you believe that her experience as a state governor does give her at least a modicum of credibility, it does not follow that, because her voice is credible, it ought to be influential. Newt Gingrich is influential by rights; he's done the work, come up with original...

Here is audio of Rush Limbaugh today saying that, for President Obama and the Democrats, "Health Care Reform" is not about Health Care, but rather "control of people's lives, the expansion of Government - it's about usurpation of individual liberty." . . . (AUDIO)

NDIANAPOLIS | The city of Gary is more than $4 million overdrawn and the effect of Indiana's property tax caps "raises substantial doubt about the city's ability to continue as a going concern," according to a new state audit. At the same time, auditors found Gary paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in questionable food, travel and personal expenses for city officials in 2008, even as those officials begged the state to allow the city to impose higher property taxes. Riverboat gambling revenue is keeping the city afloat, with more than $12 million in state gaming taxes going to pay...

An 8-year-old Cincinnati Zoo cheetah named Sarah ran 100 meters in 6.13 seconds today, setting the world speed record for land mammals, according to a newspaper report.

Democrats in the Senate may have a filibuster-proof 60-vote majority when healthcare reform comes up for a vote, but at least one Democrat is telling party leaders not to count on him to be the 60th vote. Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska told The Hill newspaper: "I'm not going to commit anything at this point in time on procedural votes, neither pro nor con, because it will depend on the circumstances. "I can't make those decisions in advance because it depends on what the bill is and what the circumstances are at the time. Otherwise you're just giving away your...

Is there any wonder why CNN has this guy as their Senior Political Analyst? David Gergen tells us what a great guy Van Jones was...Too bad those evil conservatives exposed him....

September 8, 2009 -- VeriChip Corporation (NASDAQ: CHIP) ("VeriChip"), a provider of radio frequency identification (RFID) systems for healthcare and patient-related needs, and Steel Vault Corporation (OTCBB: SVUL) ("Steel Vault"), a premier provider of identity security products and services, announced today that VeriChip has agreed to acquire Steel Vault and form PositiveID Corporation To offer identification tools and technologies for consumers and businesses. In conjunction with the merger, VeriChip plans to change its name to PositiveID and continue to trade on the NASDAQ. PositiveID intends to change its ticker symbol to "PSID" upon closing of the transaction. The formation of...

Here’s a thought to ponder. Let’s think of a community of families that each agree to put aside a minimum of $100 CASH a month. They agree that this cash will henceforth ONLY be spent within the community – and physical cash will be the only currency accepted. Any purchases not made in the community will be made with other resources. There would be no “central bank” within the community. There would be no central figure to “trust”. The only requirement is a verbal agreement to use that money within the community by buying and selling with other members, or...

Treasury: Millions More Foreclosures Coming Official says a strong housing market is crucial for the economy Sept. 9, 2009 WASHINGTON - Only 12 percent of U.S. homeowners eligible for loan modifications under the Obama administration's housing rescue plan have had their mortgages reworked, and millions more foreclosures are coming, the Treasury Department said on Wednesday. A Treasury report showed 360,165 people had their monthly payments reduced through August, up from 235,247 through July, but a senior Treasury official conceded much more must be done to soften the impact of a severe and prolonged housing crisis. Treasury has begun releasing monthly...

The ball is in President Obama's court to reach out to Republicans if he wants a bipartisan bill on healthcare reform, House GOP Leader John Boehner (Ohio) said Monday morning. Boehner told reporters that the president has not invited House GOP leaders to the White House for meetings on healthcare reform since the end of April.

The sorry state of journalism circa 2009 shouldn’t leave any writer, university-trained or otherwise, feeling inferior. I earned three arts degrees during my protracted college career, but even a recovering art major can share a little wisdom with today’s working reporters: 1. Hypocrisy works both ways. It’s hypocritical for a family values proponent to step out on his wife. That same standard applies to global warming advocates who leave carbon footprints that would dwarf Godzilla’s instep. Or, for a more recent example, it’s hypocritical for Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to label boisterous town hall protesters “un-American” even though...

ACORN is a bad seed. ACORN is a multi-million-dollar multinational conglomerate. ACORN claims to be a community assistance group, but its political agenda is driven by a relative handful of anti-corporate activists. ACORN spends millions of dollars to enact economic policies (such as raising the minimum wage), but has admitted that it doesn’t want to abide by them. ACORN advocates for workers rights and runs two unions, but busts unions of its own employees. ACORN fights for “good government,” but misuses government grants.

Area Hispanics are observing a milestone with the arrival of National Hispanic Heritage Week next week: Luzerne County tops the nation for Hispanic population growth over the past year. Among counties with Hispanic populations higher than 10,000, Luzerne County saw the greatest percentage increase in Hispanics between July 1, 2007 and July 1, 2008, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The Hispanic population here leapt 15 percent – from 12,083 to 13,912. As for actual growth in population size, the county ranks in the nation’s top 6 percent with an increase of 1,829 Hispanics. Los Angeles County saw the largest...

After a few days of trying to deny the increasingly obvious, the White House conceded–as quietly as it possibly could over the long Labor Day weekend–that Van Jones needed to go spend more time with his family. While Jones may be little remembered, the lessons that stem from the saga surrounding his foray into public life are worth contemplating.

WASHINGTON — Public disapproval of President Barack Obama's handling of health care has jumped to 52 percent, according to an Associated Press-GfK poll released hours before he makes his case for overhaul in a prime-time address to Congress. With his health revamp moving slowly and unemployment edging ever higher, Obama's overall approval rating has also suffered a blow. The survey showed that 49 percent now disapprove of how he is handling his job as president, up from 42 percent who disapproved in July.

So what word of words do we need to key off of for tonight's "speech" for a drinking game?

CRESTVIEW – An Alabama man was accused of retail theft after skipping out on a $188 bar bill at the Crestview Hooters. A Hooters employee told an officer from the Crestview Police Department that she had confronted the man with the rising bill, and he told her that he would pay for it. When the server went back to his table after presenting the ticket, he was gone. No money was left. The man, who is 23, had told the server he was staying at the Super 8 Motel. The officer contacted the motel and spoke with one of the...

A source sends on the talking points the White House is circulating to allies in advance of President Obama's speech, most of them reiterating familiar themes of momentum and security. But the White House has also chosen specifically to focus on former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, and evidently to make her the face of the opposition, or to respond to her ability to project herself into the debate. She is the only Republican named in the talking points. Here's that section: On Gov. Palin's Attacks Every non-partisan organization that has looked at her claims say they are false. And the...

Poll: Public Disapproval of 'Obamacare' Jumps to 52 Percent Foxnews ^ | 9/9/2009 | Staff Posted on Wednesday, September 09, 2009 1:28:43 PM by Red in Blue PA Public disapproval of President Obama's handling of health care has jumped to 52 percent, according to an Associated Press-GfK poll released hours before he makes his case for overhaul in a prime-time address to Congress. With his health revamp moving slowly and unemployment edging ever higher, Obama's overall approval rating has also suffered a blow. The survey showed that 49 percent now disapprove of how he is handling his job as president,...