Free Republic

KWAME HOLMAN: John Kerry has given his military record a principal role in his campaign for president. And at the Democratic Convention last month, Kerry featured prominently several veterans who attested to his bravery and leadership while commanding a swift boat in the Mekong Delta in Vietnam.But earlier this month, a group called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth launched a TV ad charging Kerry with lying about his tour in Vietnam that led to three Purple Heart combat medals. The group is funded in part by a wealthy Republican donor; the ad ran this month in three battleground states: Ohio,...

Packers VP Of Football Operation Dies Mark Hatley Was 54 POSTED: 3:32 pm EDT July 27, 2004 GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Green Bay Packers executive Mark Hatley has died.A team source said the vice president of football operations has passed away. Hatley was 54.Hatley joined the Packers as vice president of football operations in May of 2001. The Texas native was a respected personnel executive with depth of experience. With the Packers, Hatley was responsible for overseeing the team's scouting efforts.Prior to joining the Packers, Hatley spent four years with the Chicago Bears as vice president of player personnel....

Pardon me - I'm looking for an al Gore humor pic I saw posted on a thread today. It shows Al Gore sitting at a table in a white 'wife beater' t-shirt.Can anyone point me to this? Thanks in advance.

In doing some additional research on Nick Berg, I wanted to look into the naming of his business, Prometheus Methods Tower Service. Each business, especially startups by young folks, have a strong attachment to their business name and typically have some sort of secondary meaning behind it.So, doing a Google search on 'Prometheus' I discovered the Prometheus Radio Project at the URL noted.On the front page of this site, it states quite clearly the following: "Do you want to travel to far-away countries to build radio stations? Learn how you can build, even on a super-tight budget, by clicking here!"

Something is really odd about Nick Berg's situation in Iraq. First, he was thought to have been detained by US Forces. Now, it is the Iraqi police in Mosul. Today, it comes to light he has an Iraqi-in-law who lives in the Mosul area.Now, reports are that Nick had the opportunity to leave and did not take it.Finally, the pictures of his brutal killing...I found it odd he had a beard very similar to that of many Muslims.That's all. Something isn't complete in this story. His death is tragic and infuriating. But there are unanswered questions.Meanwhile, his dad, who is...

Excuse the interruption but I am trying to find a picture posted here in the last few days that shows a man holding a sign which reads: "I (heart) NY even more without the world trade center" which was taken at a lib/socialist rally.Can you point me to it?

MANKATO, MINN. -- Richard Clarke, who served as the national coordinator for counterterrorism in the White House, argues in his new book, "Against All Enemies," that the Bush administration ignored the threat from Al-Qaida and instead chose to fight "the wrong war" by attacking Iraq. The troops who could have been used in Afghanistan to capture Osama bin Laden and Al-Qaida were instead held back for the planned invasion of Iraq. In contrast to the 150,000 men sent to Iraq, only about 11,500 troops were sent to Afghanistan, a force smaller than the New York City police. The result is...

MN Freepers, heads up! For Immediate Release Contact: Eric Peterkofsky, (818) 207-2997rightstuffcomedy@yahoo.comwww.rightstuffcomedy.com MINNESOTA PREMIERE of "THE RIGHT STUFF"! Conservative stand-up comics to perform March 31st at: UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA -- TWIN CITIES CAMPUS (MINNEAPOLIS) Tired of God bashing? Bush bashing? Conservative bashing? Then this is the "Bash" for you! Come to University of Minnesota's Coffman Union and spend time with comedians who look at the world the “Right” way… Look out, Bill Maher! Step aside, Janeane Garofalo! Run for cover, Michael Moore! Politically conservative stand-up comics are finally coming out of the closet! They are sick and tired of having...

Even as Richard Clarke was offering a moving apology to the families of 9/11 victims for failing to protect their loved ones, the first Bush administration official to do so, he was being publicly savaged by Vice President Dick Cheney, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice and White House spokesman Scott McClellan. Rice's attacks were particularly galling. From the safety of the White House -- she refuses to testify under oath before the commission, something Clarke has done for more than 15 hours -- Rice used classified and confidential material to throw bombs at Clarke. The White House attacks have been...

In the South Carolina debate last night, Presidential hopeful and likely Democratic nominee for President had some interesting things to say about the War on Terror.Namely, Kerry believes the way to combat terror is primarily through a "law enforcement action" as opposed to military action.Taking a page out of the Clinton administration's view on terror, John Kerry, as President, would once again lead us toward another September 11, 2001.His comments from the debate: "That said, they are really misleading all of America, Tom, in a profound way. The war on terror is less -- it is occasionally military, and it...

Democratic Sen. John Kerry and President Bush are in a statistical dead heat in Minnesota, according to a new statewide poll. Forty-three percent of Minnesota voters favored Kerry compared to 41 percent for Bush. Sixteen percent were undecided, according to the poll commissioned by the St. Paul Pioneer Press and Minnesota Public Radio.

Protagonists on both sides of the war debate have been exposed, writes Tony Parkinson.Hands up those who overestimated the capacity of Saddam Hussein's Iraq to produce and deploy weapons of mass destruction.I, for one, plead guilty.It is only of limited comfort that I can cite as co-defendants the combined intelligence agencies of the Western world, along with the "strong presumptions" of former United Nations chief weapons inspector Hans Blix. For reasons still unknown, widely held expectations have not been borne out by the facts.Now, hands up those who accused the US, British and Australian governments of lying their way to...

After Brett Favre's dad, "Big Irv," died last month, even Eagles fans felt sorry for the Green Bay Packers' star quarterback.For about three minutes.Then we found out the Birds would be playing the Packers in the second round of the NFC playoffs.And now, Birds fans are bad-mouthing Favre, big time.On talk radio, they mocked his dad's ascension to heaven.On the Internet, they're laughing at the idea that, as one TV sportscaster proclaimed, "There's an angel on the shoulders of the Packers."The trash talk at the Eagles' official fan site only ceased when the Web site moderator threatened to ban anyone...

By John Whitesides, Political Correspondent WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Retired four-star Gen. Wesley Clark (news - web sites) made a splashy but late entrance into the 2004 White House race, riding a gold-plated resume to the top tier of the Democratic pack before a series of early missteps sent him tumbling.   But Clark, a quick study as a Rhodes scholar and the top cadet in his class at West Point, has since found his voice on the campaign trail and says he is tailor-made for a race against President Bush (news - web sites) in which national security and foreign...

By NAFI DIOUF and ELLEN KNICKMEYER, Associated Press Writers DAKAR, Senegal - American authorities are investigating whether a Boeing 727 shattered in a deadly Christmas Day crash off West Africa was the same jet that vanished in Angola last year, setting off a worldwide search, a U.S. State Department spokesman said Friday. AP Photo   Also, a Canadian humanitarian-flight pilot told The Associated Press he saw a 727 with the missing Angola jet's tail number at Guinea's airport in June — a month after the jet's disappearance. The plane's old tail number was not fully covered, and the plane was...

Original Caption:No goal : Roma's forward Antonio Cassano reacts after missing a goal against Modena at the Olympic stadium in Rome, during their Serie A soccer match. (AFP/Patrick Hertzog)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court (news - web sites) said on Monday it would hear Vice President Dick Cheney (news - web sites)'s case for keeping his energy task force papers secret.   The high court said Cheney's Justice Department (news - web sites) lawyers could present detailed arguments on why he should not have to comply with a judge's order to hand over details of White House contacts with the energy industry.

For anyone who wants some really bad dishes to serve on Thanksgiving, this website should provide you with a myriad of choices. Enjoy...and laugh a little bit!

American Indian activists and educators slammed Minnesota Education Commissioner Cheri Pierson Yecke on Monday for her take on one of American history's most controversial characters -- Christopher Columbus. It's the latest development in the hullabaloo over the state's proposed new social studies requirements. And it's added testimony to how sensitive people are about how their ancestors are portrayed in the history books and classrooms.

Original Caption...."Australian transsexual political candidate Pauline Pantsdown may have been a role model for Melbourne police academy applicant. Police in the state of Victoria have drawn conservatives' ire for accepting the application of an admitted transsexual to join the force.(AFP/File) "