Free Republic

House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) dropped out of the Speaker’s race on Tuesday, just hours after the conference nominated the Minnesota Republican for the top job, according to a source familiar. Emmer withdrew his name from the running after a contingent of Republicans made clear they would not back him on the House floor, making it virtually impossible for him to secure enough votes to win the gavel.

PHILADELPHIA - A North Philadelphia shop owner said he had no words to describe his emotions upon returning from India, where he had attended his mother’s funeral, to discover his store had been looted and vandalized. Bhupinder Cheema had operated a small convenience store near Germantown Avenue and West Cumberland Street, and had invested thousands of dollars into the business. Over the course of trip to Indian, which lasted several weeks, word spread through the neighborhood that the store had been left unattended.

Former Sen. Lincoln Chafee said he has left the Republican Party because the national GOP has drifted too far from him on critical issues, including the war in Iraq, the economy and the environment. "It's not my party anymore," Chafee, who represented Rhode Island from 1999 until 2007, told The Providence Journal in an article published Saturday. Chafee said he is now an unaffiliated voter after leaving the GOP "in June or July." He said he made the move because "I want my affiliation to accurately reflect my status." Chafee was appointed in 1999 after his father, Sen. John Chafee,...

(AP Photo) Defense Lawyer to Attempt Hussein Meeting Saddam Hussein's Defense Team to Send One Lawyer to Iraq to Try to Meet With Deposed Leader The Associated Press AMMAN, Jordan July 3, 2004 — A team of lawyers that claims to represent Saddam Hussein is dispatching an envoy to Iraq to try to meet with the deposed Iraqi dictator, group members said Saturday. Iraqi authorities have not recognized the team of 20 Jordanian and foreign lawyers appointed by Saddam's wife, Sajida. The lawyers have said they fear their lives will be in danger if they come to Iraq. Ziad...

Rodriguez sentenced to death for slaying Escapee wanted life term, but jury said he posed a threat 05/10/2002 By HOLLY BECKA / The Dallas Morning News MOUNT VERNON, Texas - Prison escapee Michael Rodriguez met a jury's decision Thursday to sentence him to death with a near-smile, grinning slightly as the judge read the verdict and asked whether he understood. "Yes, sir, I do, your honor," Mr. Rodriguez replied. Officers immediately took him to death row after the proceeding. Mr. Rodriguez, 39, was serving a capital life sentence for hiring a hit man to kill his wife when he...