Free Republic

Sen. Majority Leader Bill Frist, frustrated by the sluggish debate over immigration reform at the committee level, plans to introduce a bill that deals solely with border security as early as today. Mr. Frist's bill, according to aides on both sides of the aisle, does not include a guest worker provision or a process for handling the 12 million illegal aliens already in the U.S., divisive topics that have stalled immigration legislation in the Senate Judiciary Committee. The bill would beef up security along the U.S.-Mexico border, provide funding for thousands more border patrol agents and build small sections of...

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist tore into his Senate colleague, Russ Feingold, on Sunday, saying the Wisconsin Democrat's plan to introduce a resolution of censure against President Bush in a time of war would give aid and comfort to America's enemies. "Russ is just wrong. He is flat wrong. He is dead wrong," Frist fumed on ABC's "This Week," minutes after Feingold announced his censure plan on the same show. The top Republican complained: "As I was listening to it, I was hoping deep inside that the leadership in Iran and other people who really have the U.S. not in...

Saturday ShowsCNBC'S TIM RUSSERT SHOW Meme: George Bush never really wanted to capture Osama and was really intent on going to war with Iraq all the time Topics: Former CIA agent Gary Berntsen, author of “Jawbreaker”  tells the riveting tale of how Osama bin Laden escaped at Tora Bora. Guests Former CIA agent Gary Berntsen, author of “Jawbreaker” The program airs on CNBC Saturday nights at 7 & 10 p.m. ET Journal Editorial Report (Paul Gigot) - FNC show page Meme: Is George W. Bush in control?Why is he doing inexplicable things? Topics: "Could scores of sealed documents reveal Saddam...

If the United Nations doesn't agree to major reforms of its Human Rights Commission, the U.S. should stick to its principles and withdraw from the body. Since it began operations in 1946, this international human rights monitor can point to few successes. It failed to speak out against communism, failed to act against Rwanda's genocide and failed to condemn nations that sponsor terrorism. Instead, it has singled out Israel--the Middle East's only democracy--for continued criticism while overlooking serious human rights abuses throughout the Arab world. Today, emissaries from Cuba's communist dictatorship, Sudan's genocidal military rulers and Zimbabwe's kleptocratic regime sit...

LEXINGTON, Ky. - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said Saturday night that after recent briefings, he is now comfortable with an Arab-owned company running port security for six American cities and backed off a pledge to pass legislation to stop the deal. But Frist, a Tennessee Republican who was in Lexington for a state GOP dinner, told reporters that the next few days will be crucial for other members of Congress to press intelligence officials about the details of such an arrangement. "My comfort level is good, but I have 99 other United States senators who need the opportunity...

LONG BEACH - Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said Tuesday he opposes a general amnesty program for illegal aliens, but declined to discuss whether he would support a guest worker program that would allow millions of immigrants to temporarily work in the United States. "I oppose amnesty. Immigrants are important to our history, our economy, and are greatly valued by our country, but at the same time, our focus will be on the rule of law," the Tennessee Republican said during a visit to the immigration detention center at the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. Frist also said...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Congressional Democrats on Wednesday introduced legislation that would repeal a law that gives vaccine, drug and medical device makers broad protection against lawsuits in a public health or bioterror emergency. Democrats generally agree there should be some legal protections for certain vaccines but say the Republican version defined health emergency too broadly and did not compensate people who were injured. The liability provision, strongly favored by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee, was added to a defense bill enacted in December. Democrats would have an uphill struggle trying to repeal it.

Sen. Majority Leader Bill Frist told CBS "Face the Nation" host Bob Schieffer on Sunday that Democrats were playing "partisan politics" with Dick Cheney's hunting accident last weekend - a charge that left Mr. Schieffer fuming. "What America does not want to see is what happened right afterwards, and that is that the Democratic leadership tried to inject partisan politics into what is a very, very tragic accident," First told Schieffer, who bristled at the remarks. "But Senator," the veteran newsman protested, "ah - I mean - didn't - didn't - shouldn't [the hunting accident] have been made public but...

Fox News Sunday (Chris Wallace) Memes: As usual it looks like Fox is reversing the main meme of the other shows: the usual suspects (Dems/MSM) are trying to blame the grown ups for a natural disasterThe MSM are out of their tiny minds, particularly CNN for lashing out at Brit Hume and Fox for the Cheney interviewThey are giving Evan Bayh a platform for trying to run right of George Bush on IRANThey are giving Lindsey Graham a platform to auditioning as John McCain's VP candidate, therefore he will take the Democrat talking points on NSA and repeat them, ad...

The president went to Nashville, Tennessee, today, to give a speech on his 2006 agenda. He signed a proclamation in honor of American Heart Month. There are pick up photos from last night of Associate Justice Alito's ceremonial swearing in, and from the president's State of the Union speech. Welcome to Sanity Island!!!!!

Replacing Bill Frist By Dustin HawkinsJan 27, 2006 With Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist not seeking re-election in 2006 due to a term-limit promise and a possible White House run, the Democratic Party is placing all hopes of snagging Tennessee’s open seat on the shoulders of U.S. Representative Harold Ford Jr. But Republicans, who have held both U.S. Senate seats since 1994, have other plans for this red-leaning state that has voted for George W. Bush twice. Ford hopes to be the first Democrat to win a Senate seat in the state since Al Gore, a drought that has lasted 16...

INVASION USA Tancredo wins round 1 to build Mexico fence House passes new border controls, with eye on deportations next year -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted: December 17, 2005 1:00 a.m. Eastern © 2005 WorldNetDaily.com Rep. Tom Tancredo WASHINGTON – It was a victory the once-obscure Colorado congressman savored yesterday. When the House of Representatives passed a tough new border control bill last night, Republican Rep. Tom Tancredo was all smiles. He led an often-lonely and sometimes seemingly hopeless fight not only against Democratic opponents but against his own party and his own president. "Today, the House of Representatives passed a bill which...

1. Overall, do you approve or disapprove of the job George W. Bush is doing as President? (IF APPROVE/DISAPPROVE, ASK:) Is that strongly (APPROVE/DISAPPROVE), or only somewhat? (IF NOT SURE/REFUSED/MIXED, ASK:) Well, do you lean more toward approve or disapprove when it comes to his performance as President? ADULTS Total Approve........................................... 42 Total Disapprove ...................................... 55 <SNIP> 3. Now, thinking about the election for U.S Congress in November 2006, regardless of how you might plan to vote in your own district, which party would you like to see in control of Congress after the congressional elections a year from...

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) threatened yesterday to strip Democrats of the power to filibuster if they block the vote on Supreme Court nominee Samuel A. Alito Jr. "It would be against the intent of the Founding Fathers and our Constitution to deny Sam Alito an up-or-down vote on the floor of the United States Senate," he said on "Fox News Sunday." His willingness to consider a procedural maneuver called the "nuclear option" seemed somewhat premature. Last week, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) said that although he anticipates intense questioning of Alito during next month's hearings, he...

Knight Ridder Newspapers WASHINGTON — A severe bird-flu outbreak would cost the U.S. economy $625 billion — about 5 percent of the gross domestic product — as employers struggled with absenteeism, lost production and a sharp decline in consumer spending, a new government report has found. The economic impact, driven in part by fear and confusion, would be equivalent to a recession, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report. The estimates are based on a pandemic that would sicken 90 million people in the United States and kill about 2 million. The findings are the government's first attempt at...

South Dakota Senator John Thune hints that there might be a tinge of regret among the Senate GOP over yesterday's Warner-Frist vote. HH: I am now joined by Senator John Thune of South Dakota...We've got to throw hammers at your colleagues today, John Thune. What happened yesterday? You were on the right side of that vote, as were a lot of the freshmen. Richard Burr joined us yesterday, Tom Coburn joined us yesterday. You guys got it right. What happened to your colleagues? JT: You know, I really think, Hugh, there is so much concern about public opinion polls, and...

WASHINGTON, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Showing mounting discontent among Republicans over the Iraq war, the U.S. Senate resolved on Tuesday that Iraqis should start taking the lead in their own security next year to allow a phased withdrawal of U.S. troops. But the Republican-led Senate rejected Democrats' demand for Republican President George W. Bush to submit a plan and an estimated timetable to withdraw U.S. forces, a step Bush has vehemently opposed. The Senate's 79 to 19 vote came days after Bush, facing waning support for the war and the lowest job approval ratings of his presidency, launched an aggressive...

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) (L) smiles with Louisiana Lt. Governor Mitchell J. Landrieu on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. November 1, 2005. Sen. Bill Frist (R-TN) [Left] and Lt.Gov. Mitch Landrieu (D-LA) [Right]

Accusing Republicans of ignoring questions about pre-war intelligence, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid forced the Republican-controlled Senate into an unusual closed session today, igniting anger from GOP leaders. Before calling for the rare motion, which was seconded by his assistant minority leader, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Reid said his colleagues across the aisle "have repeatedly chosen to protect the Republican administration rather than get to the bottom of what happened and why." Speaking to reporters in the hall outside the Senate chamber, Majority Leader Bill Frist shot back, charging the Senate "has been hijacked by the Democratic leadership." "They have...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Amid record-high earnings from oil companies, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist on Thursday ordered a Senate hearing with testimony from major oil company executives on why energy prices are high. The unexpected announcement by the chamber's top Republican showed the growing political pressure as American consumers brace for higher winter heating costs at the same time energy companies are reporting fat profits. "If there are those who abuse the free enterprise system to advantage themselves and their businesses at the expense of all Americans, they ought to be exposed, and they ought to be ashamed," Frist said...