Free Republic

By MICHAEL R. BLOOD and SANDY COHEN 2 hours ago LOS ANGELES (AP) — The health care overhaul might get a Hollywood rewrite. The California Endowment, a private foundation that is spending millions to promote President Barack Obama's signature law, recently provided a $500,000 grant to ensure TV writers and producers have information about the Affordable Care Act that can be stitched into plot lines watched by millions. he aim is to produce compelling prime-time narratives that encourage Americans to enroll, especially the young and healthy, Hispanics and other key demographic groups needed to make the overhaul a success. "We...

Until recently, Jimmy Carter was widely acknowledged as the most incompetent US president in living memory. So it must have pricked Obama’s overinflated ego like a needle when Carter said this of his presidency: “His major accomplishment was Obamacare, and the implementation of it now is questionable at best.” That is, Obama has been an unmitigated disaster, as predicted by patriots from the beginning. Peter Wehner thought that, especially coming from Carter, this may have been too cruel a blow. But then he reflected, What exactly are the impressive achievements of President Obama? The revival of the American economy? Surging...

“Today, we can sound like conservatives and act like conservatives—and still win elections. Those who say we can’t don’t see what I see in Wisconsin and what my fellow governors in states all across America see. We don’t need to change our principles. What we need is more courage.” In 2011, Wisconsin governor Scott Walker’s chances of staying in office looked bleak. Angry protesters—furious about his collective bargaining proposal—swarmed Madison, camped in the capitol, and attempted to block the passage of the governor’s reform legislation. Teachers unions accused him of sabotaging education. His approval numbers fell to the basement, and with the national media’s descent on Wisconsin, liberals denounced “Dead Man Walker.” He found himself fighting...

Rush insists the “problems” with Obamacare are, if not exactly planned, welcomed by Barack Obama as a way to collapse our entire medical health insurance system. His reasoning holds that Obama believes the details surrounding this disaster are unimportant as long as they lead to Americans getting on their knees to beg him to “fix” his problem. The theory holds that when we crawl to our King, tears in our eyes, frightened half out of our minds, we won’t care what he does so long as it “makes the pain go away.” In the general state of malaise we live...

What is essential to modern energy production and management including oil-and-gas development, wind and solar, and LED lights—just to name a few—and has rare bipartisan support in both houses of Congress? The answer is something “rare.” Something that is currently used in almost everything modern, but that is abundant and recoverable in very few places on the planet—hence the “rare” moniker. Something that China has in abundance and that they are using as an economic weapon against the rest of the world—much like OPEC uses oil. And, this something is also found in the U.S., which could give us a...

You’ve all heard of anomalies, right? anomaly (plural anomalies) A deviation from a rule or from what is regarded as normal. Something or someone that is strange or unusual. (sciences) Any event or measurement that is out of the ordinary (astronomy) Any of various angular distances. (biology) A defect or malformation. (quantum mechanics) A failure of a classical symmetry due to quantum corrections. Black holes are considered a classic anomaly: Today I would like to suggest a new Wiktionary entry that I made up. I think it will go a long way towards addressing the current unsettled, disconcerted sentiments of...

(Featured Term (selected at random):ACT OF GODAn accident that arises from a cause beyond the control of man, and therefore attributed to God. Cyclones, hurricanes, and lightning are typical acts of God. All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

Bill de Blasio’s Communist Pals Posted By Paul Kengor and Spyridon Mitsotakis On November 4, 2013 @ 12:33 am In Daily Mailer,FrontPage | 2 Comments Reprinted from Spectator.org. When the New York Times revealed that New York City Democratic mayoral candidate Bill de Blasio had been an enthusiastic supporter of Nicaragua’s communist Sandinista regime, old arguments from the 1980s were suddenly rekindled, with renewed debate over the nature of that regime. The left once again emerged from the woodwork to insist that the Sandinistas were never bad guys (or even communists) — quite the contrary. The Times quickly published letters-to-the-editor...

Americans who expect to take advantage of high-cost healthcare services may be in for a surprise as many hospitals are refusing to accept Obamacare insurance, according to a new report from WatchDog.org. Most hospitals, the report cites, will only accept Obamacare from one or two insurance providers. Worse, insurance bought privately outside of Obamacare would have been honored. ”For example, fourth-ranked Cleveland Clinic accepts dozens of insurance plans if you buy one on your own. But go through Obamacare and you have just one choice: Medical Mutual of Ohio.” The problem is Obamacare’s cap on premiums has prompted many insurance...

President Barack Obama is criticized every day for the problems and difficulties associated with the Affordable Care Act. But in the long term, it's likely history will scrutinize the CIA’s use of drone strikes during his administration with a far more critical eye.

Charlotte, NC --(Ammoland.com)- Firearm-related deaths among children have decreased since the mid-1990s, but new research heralded by gun control supporters claims the opposite. A research abstract entitled United States Childhood Gun-Violence – Disturbing Trends, presented during the American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference & Exhibitions by physicians Arin L. Madenci and Christopher B. Weldon, claims that from 1997 to 2009, in-hospital deaths of children resulting from gunshot wounds increased nearly 60 percent, and hospitalizations of children for gunshot wounds increased 80 percent. Predictably, gun control advocates and their allies in the media have taken the researchers’ claims as the gospel....

Complete title: US Navy commander 'diverted aircraft carriers and moved ships like chess pieces to Asian ports in return for prostitutes and Lady Gaga tickets' A U.S. Navy commander has been accused of moving ships 'like chess pieces' to ports in Asia to financially benefit a defense contractor, in return for prostitutes and Lady Gaga tickets, according to naval court documents... The accusations unfolding in a federal court case signal serious national security breaches and corruption, with the threat that more people, including those of higher ranks, could be swept up as the investigation continues.

Many Americans buying insurance coverage for 2014 may never get the chance to claim new federal tax credits to subsidize the cost of health insurance, due to an odd wrinkle in the signup process. The problem will impact individuals who currently receive insurance on the individual market, but only if they fail to take action in the coming months. Hundreds of thousands—if not millions—of people who purchase coverage independently are now receiving letters from insurers canceling policies that do not comply with new Affordable Care Act (ACA) regulations. In cancelling such plans, some insurers are telling customers they will be...

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany has been ordered by a federal judge to turn over nearly 40 years worth of clergy abuse files to a Warren County man who is suing the diocese and a priest who raped him as a young boy. It's the first time the Albany diocese has been ordered by a court to fully disclose its confidential files on priests and other employees accused of sexual abuse.

Princeton University was founded in 1746 by devoutly Christian men with a devoutly Christian mission. It has “evolved” into a fortress of secular-“progressivism,” presently employing people like Bio- “Ethics” professor Peter Singer. Whereas Princeton’s crest and motto yet declare: “Dei sub numine viget,” Latin for “Under God she flourishes,” the university, even still, permits Singer to teach young minds full of mush that it’s perfectly ethical for parents to kill their babies within a one month period after birth. Please understand, I don’t mean to pick on Princeton. I only single-out this once-godly institution for purposes of illustration. Even today...

Vermont’s health insurance exchange cost $170 million in federal grants to develop (or nearly $4,000 per uninsured Vermonter). It also doesn’t work. So Gov. Peter Shumlin, D, (unhappy-looking guy at right) is pulling the fire alarm...

Beyond repugnant. As Twitchy reported, Edie Littlefield Sundby is a Stage IV cancer survivor. She is losing her current insurance plan due to Obamacare. She cannot keep her plan, nor the doctors, that have helped her beat all odds and live for almost seven years. Greta Van Susteren and Brit Hume brought her story to the attention of the boot-licking hacks at the New York Times who claimed that President Pants on Fire “clearly misspoke” when he said you could keep your plan. No biggie. Those with a soul (does not include the NYT editorial board) are repulsed by the...

Here are some links about the battle between LifeSiteNews.com and Canadian Priest Father Raymond Gravel: Update on Fr. Gravel Lawsuit against LifeSiteNewsJohn-Henry Westen letter to National Post re: Gravel lawsuit articleFr. Raymond Gravel diagnosed with terminal cancer: launched lawsuit against LifeSiteNewsLifeSiteNews is being sued for $500,000 - this could shut us down!A key argument in this lawsuit is the following: [From the link above, quote from LifeSiteNews] Even though LifeSiteNews reports have overwhelmingly reported on what Fr. Gravel himself has publicly said, he is suing us for libel. Among other things, he argues that he isn’t pro-abortion, but he has...

Mohammed Ahmed Mohamed was caught on CCTV arriving at the An-Noor Masjid and Community Centre in Acton, west London, at 10:00am on Friday wearing causual clothing. He was last seen inside the building at 3:15pm, before changing into a burka and making his escape. The 27-year-old, who is wanted for breaching his terrorism prevention and investigation measures notice, has not been seen since.

With all the talk about the failures of Obamacare and dismal economic numbers, something happened last week that you may have missed. On Friday afternoon, which means it was overlooked by most members of the media, Barack Obama issued an executive order which could bring sweeping new power to himself and could allow him to bypass Congress all in the name of combatting "climate change." Under the title Preparing the United States for the Impacts of Climate Change, Obama's executive order seeks to pour more federal funds into controlling... the weather. That's right. Apparently Obama feels that controlling America's healthcare...