Free Republic

Like those of all modern presidents, Barack Obama’s State of the Union speech was filled with agenda-list items, long-held hobby-horse issues of his party, and inflated claims of the success of his own policies. Most of the content could have been lifted from campaign speeches in 2012, probably 2008, and arguably every Democratic campaign for the last 40 years. Kirsten Powers, the liberal analyst on Fox News, wrote in a column for USA Today that the speech made it seem that “President Obama's chief speechwriter has been replaced by a cliché-generator circa 1960.” Among the blizzard of clichés was a...

One of the more perplexing developments in the end of 2012, when as we pointed out previously US investors scrambled to deposit some $220 billion into the "safety" of savings accounts, resulting in major cash outflows out of US equities - cash which has since been returned, explaining the spike now declining, in equity reallocations back into stocks -ahead of the confusion over the Fiscal Cliff dividend and capital gains tax rates, was how US stocks did not tumble far more on this accelerated withdrawals out of equities. We now have the answer. As the TIC data reported minutes ago,...

Airbus said it is dropping plans to use lithium-ion batteries on its new A350 airplane, under development, in the wake of problems with the batteries on Chicago-based Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner. The Boeing Co. rival said, while it believes the battery architecture it has been developing and qualifying for is robust and safe, it will instead use nickel cadmium main batteries, which have a proven track record. “Airbus considers this to be the most appropriate way forward in the interest of program execution and A350 reliability, Airbus said in a statement. The entire fleet of 50 Boeing 787s was grounded by...

Russia's controversial Liberal leader, Vladimir Zhirinovsky, has blamed Americans for today's meteorite scare, local media report. "Those were not meteorites, it was Americans testing their new weapons," Mr. Zhirinovsky confessed to journalists. "[US Secretary of State] John Kerry wanted to warn [Russia's Foreign Minister] Lavrov on Monday, he was looking for Lavrov, and Lavrov was on a trip. He meant to warn Lavrov about a provocation against Russia," he said.

The nation’s vexation over the morality and legality of President Obama’s drone war has produced a salutary but hopelessly confused debate. Three categories of questions are being asked. They must be separated to be clearly understood. 1. By what right does the president order the killing by drone of enemies abroad? What criteria justify assassination? Answer: (a) imminent threat, under the doctrine of self-defense, and (b) affiliation with al-Qaeda, under the laws of war. (snip) 2. But al-Awlaki was no ordinary enemy. He was a U.S. citizen. By what right does the president order the killing by drone of an...

For decades, the gun debate in Illinois and across the nation has been a zero-sum game. Gun rights vs. gun control. When one side wins, the other side loses. A recent court ruling and heightened concerns about violence in Chicago may finally persuade the two sides to work together here. Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez are pressing for tougher sanctions against people who illegally carry weapons in public. The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has told Illinois it must create a process to allow qualified residents to carry concealed weapons legally. Here's an opportunity....

This a darn good idea. I like that Rubio is hitting right back at the media.

Our Congressman, Rob Woodall sent out an online survey on the second amendment. I crafted a lengthy response and sent it to him. I thought I would share it here for your comments and discussion.

Howie Carr thread for the second half of Feb. starting with today's Boston Herald column, "Whitey Trial Made for TV"

On a National Assessment of Educational Progress test given to urban students a few years ago, Detroit Public Schools students scored the lowest ever measured in the nation. Or, in the words of one urban education expert: "They are barely above what one would expect simply by chance, as if the kids simply guessed at the answers." But thanks to school choice, there may finally be hope. Detroit school children are learning at a rate of an extra three months in school a year when in charter public schools compared to similar counterparts in conventional Detroit Public Schools, according to...

We need you to once again show the Minnesota Legislature that real Minnesotans oppose infringements on Second Amendment rights! Senate Judiciary Committee chair Ron Latz, a consistent voice against gun rights, has scheduled three hearings next week to discuss the numerous gun control bills introduced this session.  They hearing times are: · Thursday, Feb. 21, Noon to 2:30 p.m. · Thursday, Feb. 21, 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. · Friday, Feb. 22, Noon to 6:00 p.m. While Senator Latz delayed public announcement of these hearings until Wednesday night, he apparently tipped off anti-rights groups early Wednesday morning!   We don't know yet which bills will be heard when, but...

SEAL who killed Bin Laden reportedly knew he’d lose benefits Published February 15, 2013 | FoxNews.com The former Navy SEAL who says he shot Usama bin Laden reportedly knew he was leaving the service well short of a retirement and without benefits, according to the commander of Naval Special Warfare. The “man who killed" bin Laden — featured in the March issue of Esquire — made headlines earlier this week when the former SEAL asserted was “screwed” and abandoned by the military after losing his military health insurance benefits upon leaving the service in September. But Rear Adm. Sean Pybus...

Commerce: In his State of the Union address, President Obama announced talks with Europe for the most ambitious trade partnership ever attempted. So how come it doesn't include the words "free trade"? bfgs'Tonight, I am announcing that we will launch talks on a comprehensive Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership with the European Union — because trade that is free and fair across the Atlantic supports millions of good-paying American jobs," President Obama said in his State of the Union address. It's hard to think of any greater tonic for two stricken economies than free trade with one other. The U.S....

Entitlement spending and immigration are two issues that threaten America’s financial future. The two controversies meet in the case of the newly arrived elderly, many of whom have discovered they can cash in on an overly generous welfare system. The scam is simple. Senior immigrants typically live with their foreign-born adult children who already have gained their U.S. citizenship. After five years of green-card status, the parents can apply for citizenship. From 2000 through 2011, about a million persons aged 60 or over were granted citizenship, accounting for about 13 percent of total naturalizations. Often, the immigrant children are highly...

Protest ‘flowers’ but misses the point Nothing says “Happy Valentine’s Day” like getting badgered by an illegal immigrant in downtown Boston. While forgetful husbands were rushing in a panic to the nearest Hallmark shop yesterday to dig through the near-empty shelves (remember trying to pass off the Passover card as a Valentine last year?) amnesty advocates were stopping commuters to make the case for opening America’s borders. A group calling itself the “New England Coalition for Keeping Families Together” was handing out flowers at Government Center as part of the “Where’s My Valentine” campaign, according to the Associated Press. “The...

The state Senate voted 32-8 Thursday to bar circuit court clerks from disclosing to the public the names of people who have concealed handgun permits. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Mark D. Obenshain, R-Harrisonburg, now goes to Gov. Bob McDonnell. Advertisement The governor will review the legislation when he receives it, said J. Tucker Martin, a spokesman for McDonnell. In its form that initially passed the Senate, the bill would have barred disclosure only in the case of a person who is protected by a protective order. A House subcommittee amended the bill to bar disclosure for anyone who has...

A short clip of air operation aboard the carrier (F-18 E/F). WARNING: might want to turn down the volume some, or have pet urine or whatever scattered far and wide. (loud music)

Pope Benedict’s decision to resign has re-ignited media debate about his degree of complicity in the cover-up of child abuse by Catholic priests. That debate echoes an earlier controversy over the complicity in evil on a much vaster scale of a predecessor of Benedict. Pius XII was pope during the Nazi period, and has been condemned for not using his office more vocally to denounce the persecution of Jews. Ironically, it was Pope Benedict who stoked the debate about Pius in 2009 after calling for him to be granted venerable status, first stage on the road to sainthood. What Benedict’s...

http://www.cchrint.org/school-shooters/ Fact: Despite 22 international drug regulatory warnings on psychiatric drugs citing effects of mania, hostility, violence and even homicidal ideation, and dozens of high profile school shootings/killings tied to psychiatric drug use, there has yet to be a federal investigation on the link between psychiatric drugs and acts of senseless violence.

Exclusive: North Korea tells China of preparations for fresh nuclear test By Benjamin Kang Lim BEIJING | Fri Feb 15, 2013 8:31am EST (Reuters) - North Korea has told its key ally, China, that it is prepared to stage one or even two more nuclear tests this year in an effort to force the United States into diplomatic talks with Pyongyang, said a source with direct knowledge of the message. Further tests could also be accompanied this year by another rocket launch, said the source who has direct access to the top levels of government in both Beijing and Pyongyang....