Free Republic

Brooke Shields considered former President George H.W. Bush such a close "confidant" that she would ask him just about anything. Shields, 59, admitted that she considered the late politician her substitute grandfather during an event to support the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy's New York Celebration of Reading event at the Lotos Club. The actress and author, who will soon publish her new book, "Brooke Shields is Not Allowed to Get Old," even had a nickname for the 41st president of the United States. "I call him Papa Bush. I was dating somebody [whose father] was an ambassador in...

On Saturday’s “CNN Newsroom,” House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA) stated that he believes the Biden administration will advise Israel that “they should look to de-escalate across the board where possible.” Smith also argued that the Iranian attack on Israel “underscores the need to get to a ceasefire in Gaza, to get humanitarian assistance into Gaza, and to have an endpoint to that conflict, completely admitting Israel’s right to defend itself there, without question. But things need to calm down or Israel is vulnerable in the region.” Smith said that the Iranian attack seems to be...

Last Thursday, an "Ask Amy" advice column published by the Chicago about "very politically progressive" overly sensitive and entitled liberals so absurd that people were asking if it was even real. There's no indication it's parody, though, and it just goes to show you how crazy the left can be. In this specific instance, it happens to be about a bride and her mother who disinvited the bride's uncle, and yet the mother wrote in because they still wanted the wedding gift from said uncle. Amy Dickinson, who does the advice column, put the mother in her place, though she...

I get that he doesn’t care what I think, or what anyone thinks for that matter, but watching former President Donald Trump’s speech announcing his 2024 bid for the White House some things stuck out to me that, should he address them, would make him a better candidate. Will he take this or any advice? Probably not. Still, it’s worth putting out there just in case he wins the Republican nomination. First, Trump has significantly improved in his delivery of a teleprompter speech. In the past, when reading prepared remarks, the former President sounded awful – stilted and unfamiliar with...

I've recently been contemplating selling my plasma at one of the various plasma centers in my large city. I need advise from FReepers who have either done this or are familiar with the industry. Good idea? What are the pros and/or cons? Any advice on plasma companies to avoid? What is a good compensation rate? I'm not doing so out of desperation, just would like some more ammo money in my pockets, and for some other savings goals.

In an editorial published Wednesday at National Review, the editors argue that an “unspoken consensus” has emerged among Republican senators that what President Trump did was wrong but it doesn’t warrant his removal from office. The editors think this a “reasonable” position and that Republicans should make the case for it publicly, but they can’t because of the president’s “obstinacy” in defending his actions vis-à-vis Ukraine.Instead of insisting that Trump “cannot be impeached for any abuse of power unless that abuse took the form of a criminal violation of a statute,” they write, “Republicans would be better off arguing...

Jonah Goldberg, writing at National Review, says that President Trump is guilty and should apologize. In l’affaire Ukraine, the president is guilty as charged. And the best strategy for him to avoid impeachment by the House and perhaps even removal by the Senate is to admit it, apologize, and let voters make their own judgment. It’s also the best way to fend off a disaster for Senate Republicans.   This is one pathetic piece of advice which could have been written by any of many NeverTrumpers like Boot, Noonan, Rubin, Brooks and Romney, who like to pretend they still are...

Watched the 1962 movie 'Advice and Consent' on TCM last night. It really is a great political movie. Director Otto Preminger did a great job. I am not sure how they could afford such a great cast. Many stars of Classic Hollywood: Franchot Tone as the (shady) President Lew Ayres as The (simple minded but honest) Vice President Charles Laughton as South Carolina Senator Seabright Cooley Don Murray as young Utah Senator Brigham Anderson Walter Pidgeon as Senate Majority Leader Bob Munson Henry Fonda as a Lefty Academic turned government bureaucrat, nominated for Secretary of State Peter Lawford(then married to...

I just got my dream job but terrible working conditions. I won't go into details, but the I'm not sure I can buck-up and tolerate it. What to do? If I complain I'll be labeled a troublemaker from day one, but if I don't I'll have to put up with it for years! Help! Thanks

I believe that my Trendnet TEW-432BRP Wireless Router is kaput. I get a signal from it on my laptop and Blue Ray player with WiFi. I do not get any internet service from it though. I believe that the unit is not receiving info from my Cisco cable modem. I eliminated the wireless and hard wired the computer directly to the cable modem and I have internet access. Since I believe my router has failed, does anyone have any ideas on replacing it? I tried to research it and it gave me a headache. I am hoping to spend under...

Alvin Greene has a diploma. And not from the Forrest Gump School of Wisdom-Spouting Rubes either. Heck, despite his action-figure-making aspirations, as far as we know, he never went to Mattel University to major in G.I. Joe. The surprise U.S. Senate candidate reportedly has a degree in political science from a fully accredited outfit, the University of South Carolina. Of course, this fact is likely to make Gamecocks wince, and yet another reason for Clemson alumni to believe theirs is the superior state-run school. Which it is. Seeing as how Alvin is a big-time politician, he's now a certified South...

WASHINGTON, March 5, 2010 – Two days before Iraq’s national parliamentary elections, the biggest impression for Army Col. Peter Newell is what his 4th Brigade, 1st Armored Division, soldiers aren’t doing. U.S. Army Col. Peter Newell, commander of the 1st Armored Division’s 4th Brigade, discusses election security with Brig. Gen. Ali Hameed of the 10th Iraqi Army Division during special-needs voting in Amarah, Iraq, March 4, 2010. The Iraqi general invited Newell to tour polling sites used by the Iraqi army. Newell's brigade is deployed from Fort Bliss, Texas, to advise and assist Iraqi security forces in Dhi Qar, Maysan...

FORT IRWIN, Calif., Nov. 3, 2009 – As the 3rd Infantry Division's 1st Brigade prepares for its fourth deployment to Iraq, its soldiers are getting lessons in the art of leading from behind as they help to set the stage for the eventual drawdown of U.S. forces in Iraq. Army Pfc. Adam Britt prepares to leave the mock Iraqi town of Medina Wasl during 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Divison's training rotation at the National Training Center. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Jared S. Eastman  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The "Raider Brigade" was part of the initial U.S. invasion...

Hi All, I just finished reading "The Last Full Measure". I am putting together my 2009 reading plan and I want to start on another Civil War work. What are you all reading these days. Those of you who are civil war buffs . . . what should I put on my list for this year.

HOOVER, Ala. - A new Homeland Security program aims to analyze existing, legally collected computer data, not gather new personal information on U.S. citizens, Secretary Michael Chertoff said Friday in defending the program from congressional critics. The project, still in pilot stage, will help investigators understand evidence gathered through subpoenas but won't troll computers for new, private information, Chertoff said in an interview with The Associated Press. "It's an experiment to see how you can better analyze data that you already have, that you've already legally collected, to see if you can understand it, sort it and make use of...

Advocates have launched a campaign to educate immigrants about their rights following a series of arrests in Southern California and across the nation. Legal aid and nonprofit groups have joined forces to hold town hall meetings, hand out information packets and produce a DVD to prepare illegal immigrants for future law enforcement sweeps. The outreach is part of a broader effort by the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, American Immigration Lawyers Assn. and other organizations seeking reforms. In recent months Immigration and Customs Enforcement has assigned four teams of agents to the Los Angeles area to search for criminals, fugitives and...

. . . the group . . . includes Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott; Raul Gonzalez . . . James Baker . . . and Eugene Cook . . . Former Chief Justice Tom . . . Phillips, Hill and Joe Greenhill, another former chief justice . . . sent a joint letter on Oct. 14 to the Senate Judiciary Committee in support of Miers. "We feel confident that we know what it takes to be a justice -- Harriet Miers exceeds that mark," the trio of justices wrote in the letter. [. . .] "I've known her as president...

In light of the current Supreme Court vacancy to be filled and those upcoming, and since the words "advice/advise and consent" are being bandied about with veiled and blatant threats by the Democrats, the Founder's actual deliberations and decisions on this subject need to be recalled and re-stated. The Senate is Supposed to Advise and Consent, Not Obstruct and Delay I. The Framers of the Constitution Assigned to the President the Pre-Eminent Role in Appointing Judges. A. The President Alone Has The Power to Nominate Article II of the Constitution provides that the President "shall nominate, and by and with...

I am looking for legal advise about a business start-up with a partner and am trying to figure out if a LLC, LLP, Gen. Partnership or S-Corp would be best.

SACRAMENTO (AP) - In stark contrast to the 2,500 pages of the California Performance Review, a commission's analysis and recommendation of the massive plan for reorganizing state government offered little help to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on which goals to pursue. The 12-page report from the governor's 21-member commission shied away from virtually all of the controversial aspects of the plan while making only general comments about the proposal. The California Performance Review, which the governor has hailed as a landmark analysis of state government, called for the consolidation of dozens of departments, reduction of the work force by 12,000 positions...