Free Republic

Marathon Pundit Illinois, America, and the world Sunday, July 01, 2012 (Video) Joe Walsh at town hall: "Your country that you love is going through a revolution to save its very soul" Rep. Joe Walsh of Illlinois, who boasts that he is a "Tea Party conservative first...and a Republican second," was emotional and animated in front a packed house of 350 at a town hall meeting this afternoon in northwest suburban Elk Grove Village. I've attended enough of these meetings to know that it's best to start with the speaker's conclusion--the ideas of the meeting our usually summarized nicely at...

Here’s a Comprehensive List of Tax Hikes in Obamacare...[SNIP]...Exemptions for religious objectors, UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS [poster's emphasis], prisoners, those earning less than the poverty line, members of Indian tribes, and hardship cases (determined by HHS)

<p>Stocks quickly turned lower after a mixed open Monday following news that the ISM manufacturing index dropped to its lowest level in almost two years and amid worries over weakness in China limited gains.</p> <p>The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq also lost footing. The CBOE Volatility Index, widely considered the best gauge of fear in the market, traded above 17.</p>

Take Your Medicine, America… Stephen Moore, Senior Economics Writer with the Wall Street Journal, told FOX and Friends this morning that nearly 75% of Obamacare costs will fall on the backs of those Americans making less than $120,000 a year.

IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776 The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America hen in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

The recent terrifying spate of 'cannibal attacks' seems to have spread to China, as a drunk bus driver was caught on camera gnawing at a woman's face in a horrific random attack. The unfortunate woman will apparently require plastic surgery to repair the damage done by her crazed attacker. According to local news reports, the driver, named Dong, had been drinking heavily during lunch with his friends before the outburst on Tuesday. He then ran on to the road in the city of Wenzhou, in south-east China, and stood in front of the car being driven by a woman named...

Greek shipping heir Peter Nomikos has a plan wipe out Greek debt. His idea is to buy all the Greek bonds then forgive the debt. Given that Greek bonds sell for 12 cents on the dollar, on the surface his plan may seem like a reasonable idea. First let's consider the idea, then potential problems. Der Spiegel interviews Peter Nomikos who says 'For a Donation of 3,000 Euros, Every Greek Can Buy Freedom' Greek shipping heir Peter Nomikos has taken matters into his own hands. While EU leaders wrangle for a solution to Greece's problems, Nomikos started a non-profit to...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- U.S. manufacturing shrank in June for the first time in nearly two years, a troubling sign that the economy is faltering. The Institute for Supply Management, a trade group of purchasing managers, says its index of manufacturing activity fell to 49.7. That's down from 53.5 in May and the lowest reading since July 2009. Readings below 50 indicate contraction. Stocks fell immediately after the report was released.

Prominent Dems including White House chief of staff Jack Lew and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi have repeatedly argued in recent days that the fee for not buying insurance under the health care law is in fact a penalty and not a tax. They got support from an unexpected quarter on Monday: the Romney campaign. Mitt Romney's senior adviser Eric Fehrnstrom told Chuck Todd on MSNBC's Daily Rundown that he agrees - the fee is a penalty and not a tax, as the Supreme Court ruled last week. "The governor disagreed with the ruling of the court," Fehrnstrom said. "He...

The seven metre reptile was captured by villagers in the Philippines last year after a series of deadly attacks. Lolong weighs more than a ton, and has taken the top spot from an Australian crocodile which measured more than five metres, a Guinness World Records spokesman said. The giant reptile has been blamed for a number of deadly attacks in a remote area in the southern Philippines and was eventually caught in the remote town of Bunawan.

We've been anxiously waiting for the wraps to officially come off the 2013 Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Brake, and by golly, the wait is finally over. Our excitement, though, is tempered by Mercedes-Benz Manager of Product & Technology Public Relations Christian Bokich, who tells us, "Currently, there are no plans to bring the CLS Shooting Brake to the United States." To which we reply, "Boo!" While we may take a bit of issue with Mercedes-Benz's assertion that "The proportions of the CLS Shooting Brake are surprising but clearly those of a coupé... but with five doors and a roof which continues...

Occupy Wall Street - Police Struggle with Barricades Since September 2011, we have heard much in the news about the Occupy Wall Street movement. The One Percent ....The 99 Percent ...(reference: Occupy Wall Street: Who are the one percent? | Fight Back!) These phrases above have become the new buzz words of the day - labels that divide us ... again ... this time by class. Initially (in my humble opinion), the Occupy movement had expressed some legitimate concerns: the rich and powerful - "the One Percent" - rigging the game to enrich and advance themselves at the expense...

Wondering what the current races in the Senate look like nationwide. Are we close? RLTW

Unfortunately for supporters of President Obama’s health law, the Supreme Court ruling does nothing to validate or lend the law legitimacy. Half of the ruling was a clear defeat for “Obamacare.” And the portion that supporters are hailing as a victory will prove hollow. The court invalidated a key part of the Obama health law designed to expand health insurance coverage. Each state has a Medicaid program that provides health insurance to the poor (among others). Federal grants to states cover 56 percent of overall Medicaid spending. That comes to an average 12 percent of a state’s entire budget. The...

Last Friday (June 29) House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa pulled one off on AG Eric Holder. The lockup of Fast and Furious documents by the administration, many of which are under judicial seal, was shattered by his use of Congressional Immunity. Mr. Issa has received a number of leaked documents from unnamed sources. In particular he has copies of wiretap applications which put a lie to AG Eric Holder’s contention that no senior officials at DOJ had knowledge that guns were allowed to walk into uncontrolled hands. Issa has now opened a door that permits him get his leaked...

GENEVA (AP) — Scientists working at the world's biggest atom smasher plan to announce Wednesday that they have gathered enough evidence to show that the long-sought "God particle" answering fundamental questions about the universe almost certainly does exist. But after decades of work and billions of dollars spent, researchers at the European Organization for Nuclear Research, or CERN, say they aren't quite ready to say they've "discovered" the particle. Instead, experts familiar with the research at CERN's vast complex on the Swiss-French border say that the massive data they have obtained will essentially show the footprint of the key particle...

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Monday shows Mitt Romney attracting 46% of the vote, while President Obama earns 44%. Four percent (4%) prefer some other candidate, and five percent (5%) are undecided. Matchup results are updated daily at 9:30 a.m. Eastern (sign up for free daily e-mail update). See tracking history. While the Supreme Court declared that the president’s health care law is constitutional, they were unable to make it popular. Fifty-two percent (52%) still favor repeal of the law. That’s little changed from a week ago and little changed since the law was passed more than...

VATICAN CITY (AFP) - Pope Benedict XVI on Monday appointed German archbishop Ludwig Muller to head up the Vatican's orthodoxy watchdog, replacing American Cardinal William Levada who is retiring from the post. The Archbishop of Regensburg in southern Germany, Archbishop Muller has a reputation as a defender of Catholic Orthodoxy and has been criticised by German groups clamouring for change, such as Die Kirche Von Unten' (The Church from below). A personal friend of the German-born pope, who charged him with publishing his writings, Archbishop Muller is however also known for his long-standing support for Gustavo Guttierez, founder of the...

Once ubiquitous, the tie is now frequently being shunned. Whether you’re a presidential candidate, a successful entrepreneur, a cable pundit or a young rebel bucking the Establishment, the open neck look is in style these days. For those who say it is a sign of society’s downward spiral that so many are shunning “appropriate business attire,” the Supreme Court may have the answer: a tax. By now, we are all well aware that the federal government cannot use the Commerce Clause or Necessary and Proper Clause of our beloved constitution to compel us to wear ties, but they apparently have...

Greenport, N.Y., Jul 1, 2012 / 01:00 pm (CNA).- Making her first Holy Communion last weekend was truly a wish come true for Bethzy Bran-Lopez, a six-year-old girl from St. Agnes parish in Greenport, N.Y. with a tiny body and an enormous love for Jesus. Struggling all her life from a genetic disorder, Bethzy is only the size of a toddler, weighing about 18 pounds. Her condition affects her lungs and heart, preventing her body from getting enough oxygen, so she is tethered to an oxygen tank by a tube inserted in her throat. Yet, her family and friends refer...