Free Republic

Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, a centrist Democrat seeking an early edge in an all-but-certain crowded presidential field, launched a long-shot bid for the White House Thursday. Fifteen months before his own state holds caucuses - the first step in the nominating process - Vilsack announced his candidacy, filed documents with the Federal Election Commission and heralded a multistate tour beginning Nov. 30. The governor is the first Democrat to file for the presidency although a number of better known candidates are presumed to be running. "Americans sent a clear message on Tuesday. They want leaders who will take this country...

Euphemisms abound for the, uh, delicacy that will be the focus of a festival Saturday in Mount Sterling, Ill., about 90 miles north of St. Louis. Kevin Huston, who owns the Sportsman's Club bar, which is hosting the festival, has heard 'em all: cowboy caviar, swinging beef, mountain oysters, lamb fries. But folks in Mount Sterling (population 2,077) don't mince words, so the festival is known simply as the Sportsman's Club Testicle Festival. "They're not really like chicken or a beef steak," Huston says. "They're in a class of their own." The festival, which will feature beef, pork, lamb and...