Free Republic

It may quell the speculation for now. U.S. Senator Blanche Lincoln today announced that her campaign raised $1.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2009. The incumbent Democrat had more than $5 million cash on hand on December 31, 2009. It appears that Lincoln is digging in for the long haul, contrary to rumors that she’s being pushed out of the race. In a campaign statement released yesterday regarding Cong. Berry’s retirement, Lincoln said: “I have been proud to serve with Congressman Berry, and I send well wishes to him and his wife, Carolyn. As we are on the campaign...

DETROIT (Reuters) - There's a simple way to get Americans to drive fuel-efficient cars, according to auto executives, but they are not going to like it -- sharply hike the gas tax. [snip] Gradually raising gas taxes to the point where fuel costs $4 to $5 at the pump will do more to stimulate demand in next-generation vehicles like General Motors Co's forthcoming Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid than any other policy initiatives...

Amsterdam becoming the car tipping capital of the world?Ever seen one of those little Smart cars? They may be pretty rare in the US, but in Europe you'll have a hard time not being able to find the little buggers. Especially in the major cities of Europe, the small cars are extremely popular, as they are a breeze to park. In fact, they are so easy to park, that many owners can fit two of them in a single parking spot. Smart car owners in Amsterdam may be starting to have second thoughts about their little cars, because of an...

I was checking out the Drudge Report and saw a banner ad for producing offspring via cloning. Check out the link for yourself and see what you think: http://www.godsendinstitute.org/home.html

A death penalty abolitionist, Betsey Wright urged members of the Northwest Arkansas American Civil Liberties Union on Tuesday to educate fellow citizens about what she refers to as "legalized murder." "The way we give out the death penalty is arbitrary and I want the death penalty abolished," said Wright, who spoke during the group’s spring banquet in Fayetteville. Wright, a member of the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, said her fight against the death penalty is an "obsession that will follow me to my grave." The former Clinton campaign chairman also has forged relationships with those serving on...

<p>NEW YORK-- In The Lord of the Rings, Aragorn-- the man who would be king-- battles horde upon horde of the minions of evil while Gandalf the wizard gallops hither and yon, rallying the troops. Legolas the elf unleashes torrents of arrows on the invaders. Gimli the dwarf bloods his battle-ax, and Sam and Frodo, the hobbits, suffer and struggle and persevere.</p>

© 2002 Creators Syndicate, Inc. I know some of you out there actually harbor this fantasy that Christian conservatives want to subsume the government and convert it into a happy theocracy for Jesus, but you're wrong. Because of your illusion, you are growing ever bolder in your efforts to deny Christians their freedoms of religion and expression – both of which freedoms, you should note, also remain firmly in the First Amendment, along with the sacred Establishment Clause. Don't get me wrong – I'm all for the Establishment Clause, but I'm sickened by the courts', politicians' and our post-modern culture's...

nbsp; nbsp; Perhaps one good result of President George W. Bush's toying with the unpopular notion of granting amnesty to millions of illegal aliens is that Americans are starting to debate the constitutional, cultural, social, language, moral, and economic questions involved. When people all over the world are standing in line to come to America legally, how can we, in justice, put the illegals at the head of the line, in front of all those who respected our laws? If we grant amnesty to 3 million illegal aliens, doesn't that really mean 15 times that number because of the much-abused...

BLACK HAWK DOWN BOOK IS TRAINING MANUAL AMERICAN troops have been ordered to read the book Black Hawk Down to prepare for snatch raids on al-Qaeda targets in Somalia. US forces are on high alert to go into the war-torn country and capture senior leaders of the terror network. Military chiefs have told their men to read Mark Bowden's account of the bungled attempt to capture a Somali warlord in the capital Mogadishu in 1993. The mission was aborted after 18 American soldiers and hundreds of Somalis had died. A senior defence official said: "Everyone must be aware of ...

<p>O'Reilly toasted actor George Clooney during tonight's "Talking Points Memo" over a nasty-gram sent by Clooney. O'Reilly had been calling attention to the fact that no Hollywood celebrity involved in September 11th fundraising has stepped up to ensure that the money being handled by various charitable organizations, chiefly the United Way and the Red Cross, is actually being distributed to victim's families.</p>

Former AG Janet Reno plans visit to Waco &nbsp Former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno, who approved the use of tear gas that preceded the deadly 1993 fire at the Branch Davidian compound, is coming to Waco. &nbsp Reno will speak Sept. 13 at the Ferrell Center as part of Baylor University's President's Forum. The school will release ticket information for the event in August. &nbsp Reno's representatives initiated the visit, school spokesman Larry Brumley said. &nbsp "Although it won't be the focus of her presentation, she is going to make some comments about what she learned from the Branch ...

&nbsp Let's be honest: you'll never win the lottery. On the other hand, the chances are pretty good that you'll slave away at some miserable job the rest of your life. That's because you were in all likelihood born into the wrong social class. Let's face it - you're a member of the working caste. Sorry! As a result, you don't have the education, upbringing, connections, manners, appearance, and good taste to ever become one of us. In fact, you'd probably need a book the size of the yellow pages to list all the unfair advantages we have over ...

On Aug. 22nd, one of the nation's most influential newspapers, USA Today, featured a front-page story on the federal judicial nomination process under the headline, "Politics snares court hopes of minorities and women." In a lengthy diatribe, the article pillories the current nomination process, depicting it as "a political meat grinder" in which women and minorities have been the hapless victims of an allegedly vindictive GOP-controlled Senate. Many salient facts, however, are misrepresented or even ignored as the national press once again mutilates the truth by squeezing it through a journalistic meat grinder. Consider the following facts, as of ...

Friday, March 31 4:24 AM SGT WASHINGTON, March 30 (AFP) - US Defense Secretary William Cohen on Thursday ordered the deployment of an elite army reconnaissance troops to Kosovo and tanks and artillery to Macedonia to beef up protection of its troops there, the Pentagon said. The deployments were ordered at the request of the US commander in Kosovo, Pentagon spokesman Kenneth Bacon said. They come amid rising tensions between the NATO-led forces and both Kosovo Albanians and Serb forces across a buffer zone in Serbia proper.

&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp ...does he have donations given in his name by the Chicoms? &nbsp These photos are from the infamous University of Arkansas campus (you'll recall that Bill Clinton went to school, lived (literally) in a neighboring tree, dodged the draft, and even taught at this same University of Arkansas.) There, erected in 1998, is a "Peace Fountain" which flows daily, monitored by a video camera high atop an adjacent building. Funds for this 12-thousand lb, 41ft-high eyesore were provided by private ...

Store where he gave out free sweets was a magnet to children &nbsp &nbsp A PAEDOPHILE shopkeeper was sentenced to life imprisonment yesterday for strangling a 12-year-old schoolboy he had been sexually abusing. &nbsp &nbsp Kevan Roberts, 52, a homosexual described by police as "cold and calculating", was found guilty of murdering Thomas Marshall in a unanimous verdict by a jury at Norwich Crown Court. The shopkeeper, of Eccles on Sea, Norfolk, killed Thomas, an only child who would have been 15 on Tuesday, because he feared that he was about to expose him. &nbsp &nbsp Speaking after the ...

IF YOU HAVE "REAL PLAYER" OR "WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER": ***Click here*** for insightful dialogue on the subject of partial birth abortion as it took place on the senate floor Friday, October 22 1999 when Sen. Rick Santorum's bill to ban partial birth abortion was to be voted on. (The actual senate floor dialogue begins at around 2:30 minutes into the broadcast.) IF YOU DON'T HAVE EITHER "REAL PLAYER" OR "WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER": Click here and proceed to the bottom of the page to download your choice of media player.

Regarding: `Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 1999'. Bill: S.1692 Voted on: Oct 21, 1999 This bill was passed (i.e.- partial-birth abortion would become illegal) but it is 4 votes shy of a veto-proof majority as president Clinton will most likely veto this bill.Roll Call: YEAS---63 Abraham, Allard, Ashcroft, Bayh, Bennett, Biden, Bond, Breaux, Brownback, Bunning, Burns, Byrd, Campbell, Cochran, Conrad, Coverdell, Craig, Crapo, Daschle, DeWine, Domenici, Dorgan, Enzi, Fitzgerald, Frist, Gorton, Gramm, Grams, Grassley, Hagel, Hatch, Helms, Hollings, Hutchinson, Hutchison, Inhofe, Johnson, Kyl, Landrieu, Leahy, Lincoln, Lott, Lugar, McCain, McConnell, Moynihan, Murkowski, Nickles, Reid, Roberts, Roth, Santorum, Sessions, Shelby, Smith ...

Captivated by Magic POCATELLO, ID---The pro-family activists arrived in Pocatello, ID, early Friday evening just as the streets were beginning to be closed off for the big "Hometown" parade. Disney had preceded them by weeks and their groundwork was clearly evident. Shops, restaurants and businesses were all decked out with mouse signs and welcome slogans. Members of the local media, politicians, and chamber of commerce were all unusually upbeat and friendly as this small town stepped into the spotlight.Everything seemed as American as apple pie. The artificial charm was convincing even by Disney's standards. Sadly, as this hometown opened ...