Free Republic

Two realities have increasingly become clear as this year's midterm Senate campaigns have taken shape. One is that enough seats are in play to give Republicans, who didn't even have the numbers to mount a filibuster on their own a year ago, a Senate majority. The other is that the Tea Party movement -- which essentially represents the disgruntled base of the GOP -- has forced enough fringe candidates on the party in enough marginal races to jeopardize the GOP's chances of fully capitalizing on what is a very favorable political climate. And now, the Republican establishment's Tea Party-induced headaches...

NOTE The following text is a quote: September 8, 2010 2 men plead guilty to impersonating U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in advance fee fraud scheme MIAMI - Saleumsak Khammungkhune, 57, of San Diego, and David Johnson, aka Ukoha Eke, 39, a Nigerian national residing in Upper Marlboro, Md., pleaded guilty to conspiring to impersonate U. S. officers and to commit wire fraud following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR). David Johnson pleaded guilty earlier today before U.S. District Judge William Dimitrouleas to conspiracy to impersonate a federal officer and to...

TOKYO — Japan's foreign minister apologized Monday for the suffering of a group of former World War II prisoners of war visiting from the United States and said they were treated inhumanely. The six POWs, their relatives and the daughters of two men who died are the first group of U.S. POWs to visit Japan with government sponsorship, though groups from other countries have been invited previously. "I offer my deep, heartfelt apology for the inhuman treatment you suffered," Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada told the group.

Kentucky Senate hopeful Rand Paul chided fellow Republicans on Sunday evening for contributing to the massive federal budget deficit, candidly telling tea party supporters in his hometown that GOP lawmakers took "the easy way out" by failing to cut spending in the past. Paul said Democrats share greater blame for rising red ink, but the tea party favorite said Republicans squandered past congressional majorities by presiding amid times of growing federal deficits. "We as Republicans have taken the easy way out a lot of times," said Paul, a first-time candidate who portrays himself as a political outsider. "We vote to...

Inflicting deep cuts on the Armed Forces could threaten the Special Relationship between Britain and the US, President Barack Obama’s defence department has warned the Government. In private exchanges, the Pentagon told defence ministers and senior officials that the US was worried Britain’s cuts could widen the transatlantic divide in military power and spending. The warning could put new pressure on the Treasury to limit planned cuts in Britain’s defence capabilities. The National Security Council will soon meet to discuss the detailed impact of the cuts. The Daily Telegraph today begins a major series of articles examining the implications of...

25 Comments Nick Popaditch Nick Popaditch is running for Congress. Previous occupation? Gunnery Sergeant, USMC. That patch he wears? Not preparing for Talk like a Pirate day, but rather a wound at Fallujah. His district? California’s 51st. Oh yes, that district. Inland California tends to be right-leaning, but Imperial County is one big exception. It’s a poor expanse of desert along the Mexican border stretching from Arizona to San Diego County. Since redistricting shifted the seat’s number from 50 to 51, Democrat Bob Filner won by 19, 26, 27, and 48 points. This is not friendly territory, so it’s good...

I’m a Beck fan. I’m convinced that he is doing America an enormous service. Beyond that, this Beck video clip, linked here at NRB is a must see. Really. Go watch it before you even read this. Excellent stuff. That said — and I trust you’ve seen the video now … no cheating — during the course of that monologue, speaking of Israel and the Arabs, Beck repeated an error that one frequently hears about matters in the Middle East, and which just frosts my tail. SNIP It may be possible that the idea of religious war, of holy war...

A new serpent has appeared in the nest of vipers that is making its home in the crater of the toppled Twin Towers, among the remains of the 9/11 dead. This particular model citizen goes by the name of Imam (of course) Muhammad Musri.SnIp ... If this Imam Musri isn’t yet under investigation by the FBI he should be. To summarize, Musri is among other things, a fundraiser for Hamas. He operates primarily in Orlando Florida. (Where do your grandparents live?). Big Peace writer Patrick Poole informs us that Musri hosted a Hamas fundraising event at his own mosque, featuring...

North Carolina voters won't see "tea party" anywhere on their election ballots this November. But the movement promises to be a wild card in fiercely competitive races this year, one that could tip the balance of power in Raleigh and Washington. Across the country, the grassroots coalition that espouses tax cuts and smaller government is energizing voters. Its supporters in the Cape Fear region are meeting in churches, passing out copies of the U.S. Constitution and paying for billboards that say "Vote to Take Back America!" Although many tea partyers are conservative, their growing numbers don't guarantee Republicans more votes....

Tim Geithner Warns: The US Is At Risk Of A 1930s Repeat Joe Weisenthal Sep. 12, 2010, 9:11 PM If the government become paralyzed -- as is arguably the case already, and is clearly a serious risk should the GOP take over -- the US risks a 1930s-like scenario. At least according to Tim Geithner. That's the standout quote from an interview in the WSJ: [The] typical error most countries make coming out of a financial crisis is they shift too quickly to premature restraint. You saw that in the United States in the 30s, you saw that in Japan...

Here at two pictures of a smiple display I make for 9/11. Just two wooden frames painted white and attached to a base. I streched white banque table type paper across the inside of the frame and then instale lamp bases inside and placed a low wattage flood light inside. This was the result.

Pictures from the 912 Rally in Sacramento 912 Rally Sacramento Pics

Smirnoff in a 2-litre box draws criticism Friday September 03 2010 DIAGEO's first ever roll out of Smirnoff pre-mixed drinks in 2-litre boxes has, as the company would have expected, drawn criticism from quarters that believe it encourages binge drinking. Diageo launched the 'Signature Serves' range - Smirnoff Vodka & Ocean Spray Cranberry and Smirnoff Vodka & Blood Orange - last month in Australia. The boxes have an ABV of 6.4%, serve up to 10 'standard' drinks, and retail for AUD26.99 (USD24.75) per box.

The bag contained enough of the crystallized substance “to wipe out the neighborhood,“ O’Loughlin said A Northeastern University lab tech’s suspected suicide by cyanide - 30 miles away from campus - is raising public safety fears over easy access to deadly chemicals days after the ninth anniversary of 9/11. The 30-year-old NU lab tech - identified by the school as Emily Staupe - was found dead early yesterday morning in her Milford bedroom along with what initial tests show was a plastic bag filled with crystallized cyanide, according to Milford and state police. Neil Livingstone, a Washington, D.C., terrorism expert,...

Sensors based on single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNTs) could be 'reset' at the simple flick of a switch, say researchers in the US. The team found that organic molecules bound to the nanotube surface are shaken off when an electric current is passed through the material, resetting the sensor ready for further use.SWNTs can be used in very small, highly sensitive chemical sensors for a variety of gases and other chemicals. The SWNTs, attached to a silicon substrate, absorb chemicals onto their surface, however many chemicals are irreversibly absorbed resulting in lengthy processes before the sensor can be reused.Richard Masel and colleagues at...

US Futures Surging Joe Weisenthal Sep. 12, 2010, 9:43 PM Yes, it's a long way until the open in New York, but as of right now it's looking like it will be a good one. Here's a look at S&P futures: We noted earlier that the early Monday action had all the makings of a classic "risk on" kinda day, helped in part by seemingly benign Basel rules for banks.[snip]

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The line to get into the Glenn Beck-Sarah Palin road show's Alaska stop Saturday stretched around the corner and down a city block. One woman came with her hair tied back in an American flag; a bushy-haired man in a leather Jesus jacket warned of an impending 8.6 earthquake. Most, though, were ordinary-looking families, and with tickets at $73.75 to $225 each, a few even showed up with several children in tow. If ever there was a time, place and message that seemed fated to meet, it was this Sept. 11 anniversary, the two leading personalities of...

"In a notification to Congress, expected to be submitted this week or next, the administration will authorize the Saudis to buy as many as 84 new F-15 fighters, upgrade 70 more, and purchase three types of helicopters—70 Apaches, 72 Black Hawks and 36 Little Birds, officials said. The notification triggers a congressional review. Lawmakers could push for changes or seek to impose conditions, and potentially block the deal, though that is not expected. On top of the $60 billion package of fighter jets and helicopters, U.S. officials are discussing a potential $30 billion package to upgrade Saudi Arabia's naval forces....

http://news.discovery.com/space/hubble-spots-ghostly-space-spiral.html

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on Friday cautioned Republicans against appearing to take for granted that they will make significant electoral gains in November, saying Democrats still have cards to play and voters rarely reward overconfidence. In an interview Friday, the Kentucky Republican warned that the “American people have not finally spoken yet. And I don’t think they like any measuring of the drapes.” “I think the time to spike the ball in the end zone is when you’ve scored” and not before, McConnell said, although he readily acknowledged Republicans are well-positioned this year. “Having said that, we’ve got a...