Free Republic

You’ve made a huge political comeback. You’re deeply suspicious of the Washington bureaucracy. You’re contemptuous of liberal elites and the media they control, especially TV networks and The New York Times. You’re trying to get America out of a war you didn’t start and which you regard as a drain on US resources. You’ve just delivered a massive shock to your allies. You really want them to rely less on the US for their security. You also want to counter their competition with US manufacturing. You’re aiming to achieve piece in the Middle East between Israel and everyone else. And...

With little or no public input, California lawmakers are expected to vote late today on a closed-door weekend budget deal that depends largely on borrowing billions from taxpayers. A key element of the deal would increase by 10 percent the amount of income taxes withheld from working Californians, and from taxpayers who earn income from investments. The maneuver would generate about $3.8 billion to ease the budget crunch, but the plan calls for providing future refunds to affected taxpayers. Lawmakers were rushing to the Capitol this afternoon to vote on ending the state's 11-week budget standoff with a last-minute deal...