Free Republic

James Madison’s, Alexander Hamilton’s, and certainly Ben Franklin’s ghosts are laughing as their genius in founding the Electoral College is likely to be vindicated. We have a generation born to an age where civics is no longer taught, millions of Americans do not know the difference between a representative and a senator and too many think the Electoral College is a land grant school west of Omaha. They are about to get that civics lesson leftists baked out of curricula. Trump’s legacy is the opening of the political system to millions who never voted before, minorities who for the first...

A new report of "economic freedom" around the world finds the US ranked 12th among 152 countries, tied with the United Kingdom, and lower than neighbor Canada or Australia. The index, published by the Cato Institute and Canada's Fraser Institute, has been published since 1996. As recently as 2000, the US ranked 2nd in the world, in terms of boasting a free economy. The US's declining ranking will lower future economic growth.

The group collecting signatures to recall Wisconsin State Democrat Senator Jim Holperin (http://recalljim.com) has announced that they have more than enough signatures to force a recall election. They needed at least 16,000. They have 23,300.

Newly inaugurated Republican Sen. Marco Rubio announced his committee assignments in Washington Thursday, setting the stage for the issues he will focus on in his first years on the national stage. Rubio, the former House speaker who is now considered one of the rising stars of the Republican Party and already the subject of buzz on the 2012 presidential ticket, will serve on these committees: Commerce, Science and Transportation; Foreign Relations; Intelligence; Small Business and Entrepreneurship. “I’m honored to be a member of these important committees that address some of our nation’s and state’s most important issues,” said Rubio. “This...

NJDOE News For More Information Contact the Public Information Office: Allison Kobus Alan Guenther, Director 609-292-1126 For Immediate Release: November 18, 2010 NAEP Results Identify Need for Improvement among New Jersey High School Seniors, Underscore Urgency of Enacting Christie Education Reforms Acting Education Commissioner Rochelle R. Hendricks announced today that results released today from the statewide grade 12 NAEP (National Assessment of Education Progress) pilot test illustrate a clear need for improvement in the reading and math skills of New Jersey’s high school seniors. They provide further evidence of the need for enacting the education reforms put forward by Governor...

Mosley drops bid to be challenger to U.S. Rep. John Barrow Vidalia doctor was preparing quest to challenge Democrat John Barrow A Republican who said he'd spend $500,000 of his own money in an effort to oust U.S. Rep. John Barrow in 2010 has quit the race. Wayne Mosley, a Vidalia doctor and former Army lieutenant colonel, e-mailed the news to his supporters Thursday. Mosley widely had been considered the strongest of three GOP would-be challengers to Savannah Democrat Barrow. "I think so," said Savannah political consultant David Simons, "especially because of the money." During the past two years, Mosley...

Obama's Twelfth Week in Office Latest Additions to "The List" The List" for 4/18/2009 U.S.: Palestinians need not recognize Israel as Jewish state before talks Obama is "deeply disappointed" by Iran's sentencing of an American journalist Military Sources accuse Obama of delaying pirate rescue by days Obama for America, fundraiser for Obama's presidency, spent nearly $9.5 million in first three months of this year, paid $688K to attorney defending Birth certificate lawsuit After helping to ruin the Mortgage industry, Herbert Allison Jr., Fannie Mae's president and CEO, has been named to run the TARP program Dr. Frank Page, member of...

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. - While Staff Sgt. Randy Myers was dodging roadside bombs in Iraq, his congressman was calling the war a lost cause...Myers said he backs Murtha, an opinion echoed by a number of other troops and their families. Several share his frustration with the conflict. Said Sgt. 1st Class George Wozniak, 36, of Murtha: "He's definitely for a strong military and he definitely supports the troops." Patriotism runs deep in Murtha's district in the Allegheny Mountains, where joining the military is a family tradition and often an economic necessity. Many served in Vietnam and that war exacted a heavy...

After appearing on Fox News Live yesterday, Commissioner Irey is following that up with an appearance today with the morning crew. Please post details here for the TV-impaired. Thank you.

On MSNBC's Countdown show on Friday, substitute host Brian Unger featured a softball interview with Democratic Congressman John Murtha during which Unger queued up Murtha to attack the Bush administration's Iraq policy and Republican critics. The Countdown host bolstered Murtha's credibility by referring to his war record and labelling him a "traditional hawk" while he discredited White House advisor Karl Rove by negatively labelling him as a "partisan attacker trying to squash discussion about Iraq," and proclaimed "the Swift-Boating of the 2006 election has begun." ...Murtha: "Well, it's just, it's a slogan. That's all. Here's a guy [Rove] sitting on...

...Murtha said his stature in defense, and especially his ongoing battle with President Bush and top Republicans over the war in Iraq, makes him a strong candidate for the House leadership role. “So much on the national level right now is related to defense that it is a logical step,” Murtha said. “And what we have to do now is show the public that there will be change.” Some Republicans see Murtha’s war activism and his push for the high House seat as being divisive in his own party. The GOP’s position: Keep it up, Jack. A divided Democratic Party...

With all the invective it has spewed at the antiwar Jack Murtha, why isn't the GOP helping Diana Irey, his opponent in November? Pennsylvania congressional candidate Diana Irey meets with reporters at the National Press Club in Washington, May 24, 2006. (Event thread here) Last winter, Karl Rove promised his fellow Republicans that their party would win the congressional midterm election on the issues of war and national security. Perhaps he will still be proved right. But six months later, the White House political strategist and his party have backed away from confronting the most outspoken and credible Democratic critic...

http://www.irey.com/about/ Washington County Commissioner Diana Irey is vying to become the next Congreswoman from Pennsylvania's 12th District. Ms. Irey's reasons for challenging her opponent in this race: "For decades, western Pennsylvania looked to John Murtha to stand up for our values. But as the years have drifted by, John Murtha has drifted further and further from the ideals that made this country great. He has become part of the problem in Washington. I don't believe we are receiving the representation in Congress we deserve and the time for change is now." Diana Irey has a proven track record during her...

...In the meantime, my column had been posted on a well-known right-wing American website, where it attracted 119 comments. Oddly, none of them displayed any hint of disquiet over the behaviour of the Marines under investigation. Rather, their outrage was reserved for John Murtha and yours truly. One poster's reaction was to "nuke the Middle East" adding "thank you very much Dishonourable Rep. Jack Murtha". He was later to write "if you can't stand behind our troops, stand in front of them". A few of his co-posters rushed to the website of Murtha's Republican challenger Diana Irey to donate campaign...

WASHINGTON - The Republican opponent of Rep. John Murtha said Wednesday the Democrat should apologize for saying last week that a Pentagon investigation will reveal that Marines killed Iraqi civilians. Diana Irey, a Washington County commissioner, said Murtha, D-Pa., a decorated Vietnam veteran, denied the Marines under investigation due process. She said even serial killers in America's justice system get a fair investigation. "Shame on you, U.S. Rep. Murtha," the 43-year-old Irey said at a news conference with eight veterans standing behind her. "You have clearly lost your way." A spokeswoman for Murtha said he had no comment. On Monday,...

...Diana Irey and a busload of supporters headed to D.C. to demand Murtha apologize to Marines for recently accusing some of them of being cold-blooded killers. ... "Mr. Murtha's comments, I believe, were irresponsible and they put our men and women serving overseas in greater danger," Irey said. Murtha recently said several Marines killed at least 15 Iraqi civilians in cold blood last November and said action should be taken. While the U.S. military doesn't dispute the congressman's claim, Irey said Murtha is in the wrong. "Being a former Marine himself, he should know they have a process in place...

<p>Monongahela, PA – Commissioner and Pennsylvania Congressional Candidate, Diana Irey, will be in Washington, D.C., tomorrow, May 24 for a press conference with veterans. She will travel by tour bus with veterans and supporters from Pennsylvania’s 12th district in order to respond to her opponent’s recent comments attacking U.S. Marines and harming troop morale in Iraq. Irey will stand with veterans and hold a press conference tomorrow, May 24, 2006 at 1:00 p.m., at the National Press Club. Diana will be available to the media for questions after the event.</p>

FORT BLISS, Texas (Army News Service, May 15, 2006) – It’s safer than rolling across the battlefield in a steel tank and allows Soldiers to fire a remote weapon system from inside the tank without the gunner hatch open. Members of Company D, 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment recently became the first U.S.-based unit to have the Common Remotely Operated Weapons Station, and the only unit in the world to have it mounted on Abrams tanks. “The CROWS mount on the tank gives an urban advantage so the tank commander doesn’t have to stick out of the hatch,” said 2nd...

Leaders fiddle as France burns By Colin Randall in Paris (Filed: 08/11/2005) France was struggling to overcome one of its gravest post-war crises last night as every major city faced the threat of fierce rioting that began 12 nights ago and now seems to have spun out of control. More than 1,400 vehicles were destroyed during a night of increasing violence Despite an assurance from Philippe Douste Blazy, the foreign minister, that France was "not a dangerous country", the spread of violence prompted the Foreign Office in London to warn travellers that trouble could break out "almost anywhere". Dominique de...

The 1962 Missal Epistle and Gospel for the 12th Sunday after Pentecost EPISTLE 2 Corinthians 3: 4-9Brethren: Such confidence we have through Christ towards God. Not that we are sufficient to think anything of ourselves, as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God. Who also hath made us fit ministers of the new testament, not in the letter, but in the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit quickeneth. Now if the ministration of death, engraven with letters upon stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses, for...