Free Republic

LAKEWOOD, Ohio – National Detroit-Style Pizza Day is recognized every year on June 23. To celebrate, we chatted with Joe Schlott, the owner of Gray House Pizza, to find out what first attracted him to Detroit-style pizza, and why he is one of the very few shops in Northeast Ohio that serves it, let alone specializes in it. Schlott fancies himself as a “student of pizza” and is quick to admit that when he travels – especially to New York City, where pizza is king – his “first stop is pizza.”

According to police, an individual scammed a Richmond Heights man out of a small amount of money using a photograph that was made to look like the victim was naked. Officers began investigating the telecommunication harassment incident on July 28 when the 19-year-old Richmond Heights man called police to report that he was being intimidated through text messages. The victim told investigators that he sent an individual named “Sophie” a shirtless picture of himself with pants on through Instagram. “Sophie” then said a digitally-altered picture that made it look like the man’s pants were around his ankles and he was...

In recent years, Cleveland police officers have punched a 13-year-old boy who was in handcuffs for shoplifting and shot at an unarmed kidnapping victim who was wearing only his underwear, according to disturbing allegations released Thursday by the Justice Department. The agency's investigation found that officers in Cleveland routinely use unjustifiable force against not only criminals and suspects, but also innocent victims of crimes. The so-called “pattern or practice” report from the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division was released Thursday afternoon as DOJ and the city announced plans to develop a court-enforceable agreement that would impose an independent monitor on...

One freshman House Republican is unhappy with Rep. Michele Bachmann's (R-Minn.) decision to give her own response to President Obama's State of the Union address. Rep. Joe Walsh (Ill.) — who rode a wave of Tea Party support into Congress — said that Bachmann's speech was a "distraction" that gave the media fodder to speculate about division within the Republican Party. "I mean, there is no more Tea Party freshman on the planet than myself, but I'll be the first to say, respectfully, Michele had no business making that speech last night," Walsh said Wednesday, according to Chicago radio station...

Rep.-elect Joe Walsh, a Republican from Illinois, will make good on a campaign promise and forgo government provided health care for himself and his wife in protest of the Obama’s health care plan — in spite of his wife’s a preexisting condition. “I don’t want to burden the American tax payer about my health care bill,” he said on CNN Tuesday. “Right now,” he continued, “the health care system has a real bias against folks who need to shop out there in the individual market. My wife and I now are going to have to go through the struggles that...

Rep.-elect Walsh will turn down government health insuranceBy Jordan Fabian - 12/26/10 04:10 PM ET Another newly elected Republican member of Congress says he will not accept the government-sponsored health insurance plan available to lawmakers. Rep.-elect Joe Walsh (Ill.), who rode a wave of Tea Party support to surprisingly defeat three-term Rep. Melissa Bean (D) in November, said that he does not believe lawmakers should receive the benefits. "I don’t think congressmen should get pensions or cushy healthcare plans," he told the Chicago News Cooperative. Republicans who staunchly opposed President Obama's healthcare reform plan have come under pressure from Democrats...

"The crowd breaks into an impromptu Pledge of Allegiance at the beginning of the candidates forum between 8th Congressional District (Illinois) candidates Joe Walsh, Melissa Bean and Bill Scheurer at Grayslake Central High School."

(Bean) Wants all absentee and provisional ballots counted "While some absentee and provisional ballots remain to be counted, Walsh — a self-described Tea Party activist — believes those votes won’t change the ultimate outcome of the election."

"Republican Joe Walsh has defeated incumbent Democrat Melissa Bean for Congress in the 8th District with all absentee and provisional ballots now counted."

Illinois: Democrats' lone redistricting prize is a big one When it comes to redistricting, Illinois is Democrats' prize pig. And it might be the biggest prize on the map for either party. The Democrats control the drawing of the map in only seven states this year. But none of them compare in size or influence to the Land of Lincoln. In fact, in the other six -- Massachusetts, Maryland, Connecticut, Arkansas, West Virginia and Rhode Island -- the Democrats already control 25 of 32 congressional seats. That doesn't leave much room for map expansion. Illinois is another story. Republicans just...

Illinois Treasurer and US Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias’s campaign posted a press release titled “Anti-Establishment Wave Should Have Washington Insider Kirk Afraid, Very Afraid” on wednesday. The release warns Republican Congressman Mark Kirk that he faces a “legitimate challenge from the right with Libertarian candidate Mike Labno officially on the Illinois ballot.” As with Republican Senator Bob Bennett of Utah, the anti-incumbent wave is on the brink of taking its next victim this morning as incumbent Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska faces the more than likely loss to a conservative challenger from the right. Congressman Mark Kirk, a 10-year...

The U.S. vetoed a controversial Palestinian Authority resolution at the United Nations Security Council as pressure on the administration mounted in the House. A letter urging Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to stand up against the resolution condemning Israel quickly racked up signatures in the House on Friday. Reps. Joe Walsh (R-Ill.) and Joseph Crowley (D-N.Y.) circulated the letter, which had been signed by at least 110 members, making the rounds beginning Thursday afternoon and again later on Friday. The members responded to reports that a presidential statement condemning Israeli settlements could be

A freshman House Republican on Wednesday singled out "most" liberal American Jews for not being sufficiently pro-Israel.  Rep. Joe Walsh (Ill.) questioned why U.S. Jews have not expressed more outrage over President Obama's demand that the Israeli-Palestinian peace process be based around the 1967 borders, with mutually agreeable land swaps. "The short answer is that most American Jews are liberal, and most American liberals side with the Palestinians and vague notions of 'peace' instead of with Israel’s well-being and security,"  Walsh wrote in an op-ed for the conservative Daily Caller. Walsh, who is Catholic, added that the American Jewish community...

Daily Caller, May 26 - It pains me to say this, but President Obama is not pro-Israel. After last Thursday’s speech, that should be clear. His call for an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement based on the 1967 borders should leave no doubt where he stands. The 1967 borders are entirely indefensible. He is not pro-Israel. Political realities being what they are, the president does his level best to say the right things politically and to give the appearance that he is an honest broker in the conflict. But much too often he slips and reveals whose side he’s really on. During...

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) -- All series long, the Detroit Pistons huffed and puffed. On Wednesday night, it was LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers who blew their house in. A stunning role reversal on the Cavs' fairy tale ride? Maybe not. "It's just basketball," James said. "They're not the Big, Bad Wolf. And we're not the Three Little Pigs." James scored 32 points and assisted on Drew Gooden's game-winning shot to lead the Cavs to an 86-84 victory over Detroit -- their third straight win en route to a 3-2 lead in the second-round series.

Greetings from Cleveland! This morning we took the National March Against Terror to the heart of the beast, Ohio's liberal Mecca: Lakewood. Our honor roll of FReepers/ProtestWarriors were Dollycali, Oliver, Dubyaismypresident, nomad, Warrior4victory04, oohla-la, and OneLoyalAmerican. Sadly, I failed to gather names of our other NMAT supporters at Lakewood. We began with FReepers cleaning-up the neglected park veteran's memorial, half-masting the memorial's flags, as we paid honor to the 9-11 victims, our US soldiers, and their grieving families. Let it be known Lakewood, Ohio sacrificed nearly three-hundred of her home town Sons in WWII alone. Feeling pretty good about honoring...

CLEVELAND, Ohio (AP) -- Walking the towpath of the 19th century Ohio & Erie Canal, deep in the Cuyahoga River valley amid chirping birds, croaking frogs and the smell of honeysuckle, you could easily forget you're in Cleveland. Just ignore the clanking freight trains overhead, the power transmission lines and the skyline in the distance. After all, this canal, nestled between steel and chemical plants, is part of Cleveland's history as an industrial powerhouse. But like many places connected to this Rust Belt city's past, it has been cleaned up and reborn.

I thought some of you might enjoy photos from today's rally in Cleveland. Numerous motorcycle groups met in downtown Cleveland, including members of Rolling Thunder. Motorcycles lined Public Square, sometimes parked three deep. Members of the VFW gather for a photo opportunity. Fellow Freepers from left to right: LasVegas Dave and his wife, Ann Marie, conspiratoristo and GOP_Lady. An Air Force and Army veterans who rode the rapid line with me from the west side. A Marine Corp family with a picture of their loved one. The caption reads: Sgt. Clements – USMC serving w/ IMHG in Fallujah, Iraq. The...

Hannity station went dead for about 20 seconds. Said he had never seen anything like it.