Free Republic

Yesterday a federal judge suspended enforcement of a Florida law that the Institute for Justice calls "the broadest regulation of political speech in the nation." Under the law, any group that so much as mentions a candidate or ballot measure in a newsletter or online has to register with the state as an "electioneering communications organization," file regular spending reports, and disclose its donors. According to I.J., "There are almost 100 possible violations of the law, and failure to comply could lead to fines and jail time. The time and money required to navigate this bureaucratic red tape is too...

Current Communist Goals EXTENSION OF REMARKS OF HON. A. S. HERLONG, JR. OF FLORIDA IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Thursday, January 10, 1963 ==SNIP== 3. Develop the illusion that total disarmament [by] the United States would be a demonstration of moral strength. 4. Permit free trade between all nations regardless of Communist affiliation and regardless of whether or not items could be used for war. 5. Extension of long-term loans to Russia and Soviet satellites. 6. Provide American aid to all nations regardless of Communist domination. 7. Grant recognition of Red China. Admission of Red China to the U.N. 8....

Russia will offer to share its air defence expertise with Cuba when a military delegation visits the Caribbean island this week, Interfax news agency reported on Monday. "The Russian and Cuban military will exchange experience in organising tactical air defence and in training officers," Interfax quoted Russian Land Forces spokesman Igor Konashenkov as saying. The two sides will "discuss the prospect of training Cuban servicemen at the tactical air defence academies and training centres in Russia, using upgraded Russian-made military hardware," Interfax quoted him as saying. The delegation, led by the chief of Russia's tactical air defence headquarters, Lieutenant General...

Gay marriage a huge draw for Florida voters by: News-Press.com 10/24/08 TALLAHASSEE — The proposed gay-marriage ban Florida voters are deciding now could be the electoral chicken to the presidential race’s egg. Advertisement Which came to the polling booth first, opponents of Amendment 2 or supporters of Sen. John McCain? Proponents of the marriage amendment or backers of Sen. Barack Obama? Neither. Or both. Maybe. “I think that both Barack Obama and Sarah Palin’s appearance on the ballot helps the marriage amendment considerably,” said John Stemberger, state chairman of Yes2Marriage.org, the group that has led the Amendment 2 campaign. He...

HEADS UP JOE THE PLUMBER ON NEIL CAVUTO run for congress?

Green Energy Likely Winner, Big Oil Loser In US Senate Races By IAN TALLEY Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES WASHINGTON -- A strengthened Democratic majority in the U.S. Senate will likely boost the outlook for renewable-energy companies while large oil companies could be socked with a multi-billion dollar windfall profits tax next year. Many polls predict Democrats will win a half-dozen or so U.S. Senate seats from Republicans in the Nov. 4 general election. This could give Senate Democrats a voting edge needed to approve a Renewable Portfolio Standard, or RPS, a requirement for greater alternative energy production from wind, solar...

Estate Tax Takes Shape In Campaign Talk By ARDEN DALE A DOW JONES NEWSWIRES COLUMN NEW YORK -- Estate-tax talk on the campaign trail is helping resolve a very thorny tax problem for the rich. Making a plan to shield an estate from the federal death tax has been tricky for financial planners since the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 phased in a series of changes over the past few years. The future seems clearer now, though, as Senators Barack Obama and John McCain outline their plans for the tax. A new study by the Tax...

Air traffic, urban transport and public services have ground to a halt in Greece, where hundreds of thousands of people have walked out on strike. =snip= A small group of protesters threw stones and clashed with riotpolice, who fired tear gas. But there were no reports of injuries and for the most part rallies in the capital passed off peacefully. Country 'at a halt' Public offices across the country were forced to close, with hundreds of thousands of people thought to have joined the nationwide strike, called by two unions representing some 2.5 million people. Nearly 200 domestic and international...

U.S. Rep. Ron Klein, D- Boca Raton, who voted for the bailout package for the financial industry, is one of the top recipients of campaign contributions from finance, insurance and real estate interests. The Center for Responsive Politics found Klein, a member of the Financial Services Committee, has taken in $789,238 in financial services industry money. That puts Klein at No. 8 in the 435-member House for the 2007-08 election cycle. Klein, in his second year representing Broward and Palm Beach counties, has gotten almost as much from the financial services sector as others who supported the legislation have received...

The New York Times reported that six major movie studios sued RealNetworks, over its new $30 software program that allows people to make digital copies of their DVDs. As the opening warning on every DVD indicates, Hollywood has bitterly opposed such copying. The studios have argued that it threatens their emerging business of digital downloads and can motivate buyers to rent, copy and return DVDs instead of buying them. Paramount Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox, Universal Studios, Warner Brothers, Columbia Pictures, The Walt Disney Company and Sony Corporation are suing RealNetworks in United States District Court in Los Angeles, seeking an...

Hundreds of people whose beachfront homes were wrecked by Hurricane Ike may be barred from rebuilding under a little-noticed Texas law. And even those whose houses were spared could end up seeing them condemned by the state. Now here's the saltwater in the wound: It could be a year before the state tells these homeowners what they mayormay not do. Worse, if these homeowners do lose their beachfront property, they may get nothing in compensation from the state. The reason: A 1959 law known as the Texas Open Beaches Act. Under the law, the strip of beach between the average...

Eager to show that he feels people's pain, President Bush told the country Thursday his administration is working feverishly to calm turmoil in the financial markets. With reports swirling of possibly imminent new government action, the president met with his treasury secretary and the head of the Federal Reserve. Nothing was announced immediately after the 40-minute meeting at the White House, which included Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Christopher Cox, along with Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke. White House spokesman Tony Fratto would not comment on whether any decisions were made at the session, or whether...

Peggy Noonan and a bunch of liberals discussing everything. Gustov, Palin, and politics.

Sara Palin interview on CNBC is on now.

absentee ballots by email fax ballots live press conference for military voting and more

The ABA Rule of Law Initiative program is searching for a consultant to help conduct a comprehensive review of the Kosovo legal system to determine its capacity for instituting a regulatory bar. The consultant will spend up to 20 days over the next six months conducting research on developing a regulatory attorney bar in Kosovo. The research and assessment should evaluate the attorney regulatory needs of Kosovo and develop a realistic plan to satisfy the needs identified. The consultant’s final report “will thoroughly explore all issues related to the topic; will provide comparative country and regional examples; and will provide...

What's in a Name? A challenge for regonal stability *Why is the Maredonian question so delicate and complex? The term "Macedonia" is not exclusively related to a state Rather, it has always been used to delineate a wider geographical area, approxmdy 51% of which is part of Greece, 37% is in the Former Yugoslav Republic of what's Macedonia, 11% in Bulgana and 1% in Albania. The choice of one state alone to monopolize the name "Macedonia" - the largest part of which lies outside its borders - neither depicts geographical and political reality, nor contributes to stability in the Balkans....

Greece Blocks Macedonia's NATO Bid Greece successfully blocked Macedonia's NATO bid03 April 2008 Bucharest _ Macedonia will only receive an invitation to join NATO once the ‘name’ row with Greece is resolved. "We regret that we were not able to reach consensus to invite Macedonia to join alliance," United States President George Bush said. " The name issue needs to be resolved quickly so Macedonia can be invited to NATO as soon as possible. NATO looks forward to the day that Macedonia takes its place among members of alliance," he added. “We encourage negotiations to resume without delay and expect...

Greek fury over swastika poster Greece has warned Macedonia that its hopes of joining Nato could be damaged by a poster which has appeared in the Macedonian capital Skopje. The poster, advertising a private art exhibition, features the Greek flag with the cross replaced by a swastika. Greece has already threatened to veto Macedonia's Nato bid if a dispute about the name "Macedonia" is not resolved. The Macedonian government expressed regret over the poster, after Greece made an official diplomatic complaint. The Greek ambassador to Washington, Alexandros Mallias, complained about the poster in a letter to President George Bush, Secretary...

Mike Huckabee’s 3:1 win over John McCain in Kansas this weekend sends a loud warning to the Arizona senator – and allows the glib Arkansan to justify remaining in the presidential race. As the sole remaining credible competitor to McCain in the primaries, Huckabee is likely to continue to win delegates, as the vessel through which disgruntled Republicans can send a message about their discontent with the party’s likely nominee. Speaking as he does of “miracles,” Mike Huckabee must understand that it would require one for him to win the 2008 nomination – he would have to secure 93% of...