Free Republic

Former Senator and John Kerry running mate John Edwards hates Wal-Mart. He says they're unfair to their labor and generally a stain on America.But they also have lots of Playstation 3's at reasonable prices! What to do?What you do is try and get one at Wal-Mart and then blame a young staffer for the blunder, which is exactly what happened.The funniest part is that only the day before, Edwards spoke to an anti Wal-Mart group: [Edwards] spoke Wednesday to supporters of union-backed WakeUpWalMart.com on a conference call launching the group's holiday season campaign to pressure Wal-Mart for better labor standards.In...

If Patrick Henry were a member of the United Nations, history books would now contain the brave proclamation: "Give me a committee on liberty, or give me a commission to form a roundtable task force on death." The U.N. "Committee Against Torture" has recommended in a new report that the United States close the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, that houses captured terror suspects. Even though anybody who's ever served on a committee knows that a single sentence containing the words "committee" and "torture" is woefully redundant, the proposal is nonetheless worth further consideration. According to USA Today, the committee...

Celebrated author of children's books (and alleged quadruple murderer and co-founder of the Crips gang) Stanley "Tookie" Williams, was executed last week. Many Hollywood activists wept as the Shel Silverstein of San Quentin was denied clemency and given a lethal injection. There's no getting around it – the Hollywood Left is losing what's left of their whiffle-brained sanity. Virtually every single one of Hollywood's recent pet causes, from political candidates to environmental issues to unjust convictions, have had the same effect on public opinion that "The Adventures of Pluto Nash" had on theater popcorn sales. Couple this with falling box...

Ann Coulter was delivering a speech at the University of Connecticut when it was cut short by shouting demonstrators. Got that? Anti hate, anti intolerance groups cut off Ann Coulter's lecture because they hate her speech, and won't tolerate it Typical. The people who most vigorously dry-hump the First Amendment are always the first to complain when anybody else wants a turn. The demonstrators, students mostly by all appearances as evidenced by the attire and the clutching of daddy's credit card, were outraged. Nineteen-year-old sophomore Eric Knudsen, the leader of a group called the "Students Against Hate", didn't think Coulter...

Nancy Pelosi's "Republican terror alert facelift level" is at condition burnt orange, or "very tight". The debate on the "Iraqus Interruptus", immediate troop withdrawal proposal in the House of Representatives dangerously approached WWF territory at times, and there were some in dire need of a metal folding chair across the back. The Republican grapplers picked up some chairs, but by the time they turned around, Dems had scattered like vampires at sunup. Last night, the House of Representatives voted 403-3 against a non-binding proposal for immediate troop withdrawal from Iraq. It's hunting season here in Michigan, so to use that...

Iran has offered to lead a "fact finding commission" on the rioting in France. In other news, my dog has agreed to investigate why my steak is missing. Iran's Association of Muslim Journalists sees some "serious civil rights violations" happening due to the rioting in France, which is going on week two, and seems to be spreading rather than subsiding. Are the victims of these "civil rights violations" innocent people who are having gasoline thrown on them and being set on fire by rioters, or having their cars burned and property destroyed? Oh no. The violations are against the Muslims...

The charge: Bush chose a Supreme Court nominee based, not on credentials and background, but rather someone who was a friend and longtime loyalist, in spite of there being several other more qualified candidates. The Bush defense: Shut up. You'll see. She'll be great. It's been the big news lately: Conservatives are turning on Bush like Rottweilers to an overturned hot dog cart, including George Will, Charles Krauthammer, Trent Lott, Pat Buchanan, Rush Limbaugh, and many others. At the very least, this Miers flap has caused the mainstream media to offer an unprecedented amount of coverage to the opinions of...

"...this nation shall have a new birth of freedom; and that this government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall gather 'round for a hug and a good cry."--The Gettysburg Address as it would have been delivered had Lincoln been less emotionally cold More and more lately, I've heard people, from those on television to some friends, express their disappointment that President Bush doesn't publicly cry, or show grave emotion, when talking about even the saddest of situations. I don't believe that to be the case, but let's consider the accusation nonetheless. Lack of outward emotion is...

Much of the Los Angeles area was without power yesterday afternoon, delaying the production of several unwatchable television programs of the future. Officially, it's being reported that the blackout was caused by power company employees Larry, Darryl and Darryl hooking up the wrong lines, but we all know where the real fault lies: at the feet of President Bush. If FEMA wasn't already stretched too thin because of it's deployment in the south, there would have been more available to hook up generators at the mansions of limousine liberals in California. Shame on you, Mr. Bush! I got an email...

Cindy Sheehan has returned to Yasgur's Farm south, formerly Crawford, Texas, to continue the peace vigil and folk festival near Bush's ranch. Soon she, her supporters, and other media moths attracted by the TV lights will embark on a bus caravan to Washington, D.C., to continue to tell the world exactly how dumb U.S. soldiers are. That's right: Dumb. Brain dead. Morons. Dopes. The reason why they believe that the U.S. soldier is an empty-headed dupe isn't tough to figure out. Take Casey Sheehan for example. He joined the military on his own accord, willingly re-enlisted during this conflict, and...

In 2005, when you say "Fat Man and Little Boy," you could be referring to Michael Moore and Robert Reich, but 60 years ago, devices sporting those seemingly innocuous monikers caused historically unmatched destruction, and ended a long war. Poll questions surrounding the 60th anniversary of the dropping of atomic bombs on Japan contained a universal question: "Was it necessary?" The polls that I've seen don't ask, "Was it the best option?" but rather focus on an absolute necessity for the bombings. Most things aren't absolutely "necessary." There are always other options – options that may seem especially viable while...

Former VP Al Gore's new television network, "Current," is about to launch. All the money has been raised, and Al has received a lucidity transplant and is almost back to normal. Al has dragged his chad covered self out of the basement of a Broward County Courthouse to give his new venture a shot. Hey, why not? The Internet thing worked out pretty good, didn't it? Gore has said that his new network won't be partisan, as you can tell by the programming list. Here's the schedule for opening day of Al Gore's network "Current": 5 a.m.: "Wake up with...

The war on terror and pending judicial nominations has Senate sphincters pulled almost as tight as Ruth Bader Ginsburg's hairline. All that pressure can bring out the worst in people, especially if you're a member of a body called the U.S. Senate. Here's a baker's dozen of this summer's most embarrassing senators: Harry Reid: Senate minority leader Reid has suggested that Bush's Supreme Court nominee should be someone who hasn't been a judge, is a moderate, and perhaps even a U.S. senator. Gee, Harry, why not just come right out and say it: "... and a Nevadan who resembles an...

University of Colorado alleged "professor" Ward Churchill, has gone too far, according to the Denver Post, and should be let go for his most recent comments. This time, Churchill, who is often inaccurately described as a "conscientious objector", has said that military officers should be "fragged", which basically means that their own troops should give them a hand grenade enema. These pro-peace types can get pretty violent, can't they? Not long ago, Churchill quit his department Chair job but kept his teaching position after calling people who died in the World Trade Centers "Little Eichmanns", and he's still making us...

The Supreme Court has ruled that your home is sacred, unless the city decides they need a hotel there instead. Now I know why the Supreme Court outlawed medically prescribed marijuana... so there would be more left for the Supreme Court to smoke. This from the New York Times: The Supreme Court ruled today, in one of its most closely watched property rights cases in years, that fostering economic development is an appropriate use of the government's power of eminent domain. The 5-to-4 decision cleared the way for the city of New London, Conn., to proceed with a large-scale plan...

Shall I compare thee to a summer's gulag?Thou art more cruel and less temperate:Rough interrogations, herded by cattle dog,And summer's leash, we'll remember it: Sometime too hot the eye of Stalin shines,And Pol Pot's legacy brightened not dimm'd;And every Hitler reincarnate forms death lines,By Bush decree or Halliburton's course untrimm'd; But thy eternal torture shall not fadeNor gain legal representation which thou owest;The light of truth shines on a price to be paid,For flushing a Quran, down the toilet it goest: So long as "unnamed sources" for Newsweek can crow,Will be exposed this, the torturous prison of Gitmo.– Dick Durbin's...

Madonna has purchased a home in central London to be used as a Kabbalah Center. Check out this sentence from the story in ThisIsLondon.com: The star, who became a Kabbalah devotee in the Nineties, has purchased the five-storey Georgian house to be used as a hotel cum drop-in centre for the sect. That last part, including the spelling, is an actual phrase in Europe. The Brits certainly do have a way of wording things so they're entirely accurate to the occasion, don't they? Other famous followers of Kabbalah are such intellectual luminaries as Britney Spears, Demi Moore and Barbra Streisand,...

Back in 1985, Bob Geldof organized the "Live Aid" concerts, which raised well over $100 million for the cause of African famine relief. The "Philanthropy of Celebrity" was in full bloom after a painful budding with George Harrison's 1971 "Concert for Bangladesh," which turned out to be a "Concert for the IRS" thanks to failing to set up a proper tax exemption. Now comes the Live Aid sequel, called "Live8" because the timing coincides with the G8 Summit in Scotland. Despite the billions that have poured in from outside sources, Africa continues to be a mess. Take Zimbabwe as a...

The owner of Agata e Romeo, a restaurant in Rome, may sue Bill Clinton after somebody in Bubba's entourage made reservations for 18 (19 if you count the place setting for the girl sitting under the table) and never showed up. The restaurant cleared the schedule and made preparations for Clinton. Hardly surprising. Both Clintons have showed a tremendous lack of respect, and beyond, for "regular" people throughout their careers. If Romeo Caraccio, the owner of the restaurant, knows what's good for him, he'll just let it go before he ends up sealed in Trajan's Column... becoming quite literally a...

Was the silk stovepipe hat a dead giveaway? Examining history has long been a fascination for many, but now the preoccupation of some on the sexual proclivities of historical figures is beginning to eclipse study of their accomplishments. Take Abraham Lincoln, for example. What's the discussion been about for the past few days? The Emancipation Proclamation? The Gettysburg Address? Nope. The focus has been on whether or not Abe and his friend Joshua Speed, and later a presidential bodyguard, had a "If this log cabin's a rockin', don't come a knockin'" sign on the door. C.A. Tripp, the author of...