Free Republic

The middle class is receiving less of America's total income, declining to its smallest share in decades as median wages stagnate in the economic doldrums and wealth concentrates at the top. A study released Wednesday by the Pew Research Center highlights diminished hopes, too, for the roughly 50 percent of adults defined as middle class, with household incomes ranging from $39,000 to $118,000. The report describes this mid-tier group as suffering its "worst decade in modern history," having fallen backward in income for the first time since the end of World War II. Three years after the recession technically ended,...

Barbra Streisand won't sing at Obama's L.A. fund-raiserBy Todd Cunningham | Reuters – 2 hrs 29 mins ago LOS ANGELES, April 8 (TheWrap.com) - Barbra Streisand is still backing President Obama's re-election campaign, but she won't be singing for the president on his next fund-raising stop in Southern California. Published reports had suggested that the singer -- who has lent her lungs to Democrats dating back to John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson -- would entertain at a May 10 event to be hosted by DreamWorks Animation's Jeffrey Katzenberg. Party officials have set a $2 million goal for the event.

HOUSTON - President Barack Obama is coming to Houston on Friday. Obama is headed to the Bayou City for two campaign fundraising events. The first is a reception at Union Station at Minute Maid Park Friday afternoon. Ticket prices started at $500 and increased to $10,000 for a photo reception. Quick Clicks Gun sales spike seen this election year Rice announces tuition hike for fall... Dallas first ladies conference features... Project Victory gives veterans healing,... Jewish school advances to state finals Friday evening, Obama will attend a fundraising dinner at the River Oaks home of Dina Alsowayel and Tony Chase....

Beyoncé and her baby have finally bounced from the hospital. Three days after giving birth to daughter Blue Ivy Carter, the singer and her husband Jay-Z left Lenox Hill Hospital. A hospital spokeswoman confirmed that the couple checked out early this morning. The couple is believed to have left the hospital in an SUV with tinted windows at 1:30 a.m. The SUV was part of an elaborate procession of cars that were spotted outside E. 76th Street. The departure could not come soon enough for other new parents. The pushy parents had installed bulletproof glass and burly bodyguards at the...

In their reports on tonight's two D.C. fundraising events by Barack Obama, the news media is burying the outrageous access-selling of the presidency for $45,000 by Obama to a select group of just 25 donors that brought in $1.125 million for his reelection campaign and Democratic party coffers.The exclusive "roundtable discussion" fundraiser was closed to the press. The only report on what was said at the event is based on what Obama himself related at a later man-of-the-people fundraiser of 700 donors that cost $100 per person which was open to the press.The AP report on Obama's fundraising buried the...

"The richest 1% now pays nearly 40% of all federal income taxes, up from 25% two decades ago, while the bottom 50% of Americans only play 2%, down from 6%."

Activist folk-rock group Crosby, Stills & Nash is currently entertaining the the Occupy Wall Streeters camping out the Zuccotti Park in Manhattan's Financial District, MarketPlace Radio's Heidi Moore Tweeted. We're not sure if Stephen Stills is there though. According to the Occupy Wall Street website, David Crosby and Graham Nash were the only ones scheduled to play a set of protest-themed songs to the anti-corporate demonstrators today at 3 to 4 p.m. Here are some pictures of what's going on.

Washington D.C. 8/27/2007 5:20 PM GMT (FINDITT - Top Story) USAElectionPolls.com has an audience of about 67,000 visitors per month according to the latest statistics by Quantcast -- making it the most visited polling website with the exception of RealClearPolitics. The web site has been having an online straw poll for three days on voters' preference for the 2008 election; both Democrats and Republicans are listed. Ron Paul is leading the group of almost 20 candidates with 51%. Even more impressive is that he currently has 1744 votes while the second place candidate Dennis Kucinich has 613 votes -- 18%....

For the past few days, movement "conservatives" and GOP cheerleaders have been ecstatic that Fred Thompson, former senator from Tennessee, may form an exploratory committee to seek the GOP nomination for president. "Now we'll have a conservative in there," said one person, who, I assume, has no idea what a real conservative is. There already are two fine conservative candidates seeking the nomination: Ron Paul and Tom Tancredo. And Fred Thompson does not even come close measuring up to them. Fred Thompson is a neocon globalist. First and foremost, let's look at immigration. A third-world invasion of the USA is...

Ten Reasons to Vote for Libertarians ....even if you don’t like them! 1..Libertarians understand that freedom requires responsibility. Freedom can be denied to those who harm others or the property of others. 2..Libertarians ALWAYS vote against tax increases and ALWAYS vote for freedom. 3..Libertarians understand that freedom and equality go hand in hand. Your freedom to live as you please is given to you by the same authority which gives freedom to the persons who may have different lifestyles. You have to give them their freedom to do that to obtain your freedom. 4..Your freedom is not given by the...