Free Republic

Catherine Connolly’s lop-sided victory to be Ireland’s next head of state was accompanied by a surge in vandalized ballots from right-wing voters. DUBLIN — Independent socialist Catherine Connolly swept to a landslide victory Saturday to become Ireland’s next president, dealing a record-breaking rebuke to the two center-ground parties of government.Jubilant supporters of the 68-year-old Connolly, a lawmaker from the western city of Galway, embraced and kissed her as final results from Friday’s election were announced at the Dublin Castle count center.In her victory speech, Connolly struck an immediate note of unity. She stood side by side with Ireland’s government...

Syria on Monday accused Israel of being behind a car bomb that targeted a Palestinian member of Hamas in the Mazzah neighborhood of the Syrian capital. A passer-by was wounded in the explosion, but the Hamas member and his wife, who left the car minutes before the blast, were unhurt. Speaking to Syrian state-run television, Interior Minister Ghazi Kenaan said a bomb placed under the seat of the vehicle exploded minutes after the Palestinian man and his wife stepped out for a dentist's appointment. An Interior Ministry official said that the explosion was aimed at Palestinians living in Syria. "The...

By Rove's rationale, Kerry boxed in on Iraq Carla Marinucci Sunday, July 18, 2004 Presidential political adviser Karl Rove, racing up and down California last week ahead of the Democratic convention, said Sen. John Kerry is going to hear a lot more about his vote to approve military action in Iraq -- because the Republicans are ready to throw it right back at him. By the time the American people vote in November, expect the Bush campaign to try to box the Democratic presidential candidate in like this: Kerry had the same intelligence information as President Bush on Iraq, made...