Free Republic

**SNIP** Iowans treasure the national attention that shines on them every four years when presidential candidates descend on the state, whose caucuses mark the beginning of an election year. But as virtually every Democratic contender swings through Iowa this weekend to participate in the famed state fair, even some die-hard Democratic activists are getting restless. They're worried the historically massive field isn't shrinking fast enough and the debate stages - plural - are too crowded. The concern isn't limited to Iowa. Recent interviews with dozens of Democrats in other early-voting states registered a fresh anxiety among the most diligent deciders:...

God bless, President Trump. On this lazy, hazy, crazy summer Friday afternoon he somehow continues to make politics highly entertaining while also getting things done like signing historic immigration deals. Yet, he does so in a way that sounds just like if the average man off the street stepped into the White House. Look no further than his latest comments regarding the Democratic Party on Capitol Hill. In just a few words, he accurately summarized their entire existence -- just a bunch of clowns. Regarding the Russian investigation, Trump said, "They've interviewed 500 people. They've interviewed lawyers, they've interviewed everybody that...

Democratic presidential candidate Julian Castro claimed during the first primary debate on Wednesday night that men can have children and abortions. Debate moderator Lester Holt noted that everyone on the stage supports abortion, and asked Castro, the former secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), if his government health care plan would cover abortions.

Russia has dispatched several warships, including one of its newer missile frigates, to Cuba in a bid to bolster the floundering regime of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro, according to a senior administration official. "Anytime any Russian military platform arrives in the Western Hemisphere, we're taking a very close look at it," the official told the Washington Free Beacon. U.S. intelligence agencies first identified the small Russian naval task force headed by the guided missile frigate Admiral Gorshkov in the eastern Pacific around June 11 and followed the warships through the Panama Canal. The ships showed up in Havana harbor Monday...

Independent Vermont Senator and Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders lit into President Donald Trump in advance of Trump’s Florida campaign kickoff rally, calling him a “racist” who won’t tell his supporters how he “tried to throw 32 million people off of healthcare.” On Tuesday’s edition of MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell Reports, host Andrea Mitchell asked Sanders for his reaction to the possibility that Trump might live-tweet the Democratic debates. “Well, I’m surprised that he has the time to tweet, I thought he would be watching, you know, some Fox TV program,” Sanders quipped, before really going in on Trump. “Look, he...

"In Havana, some of the same architectural gems that draw tens of thousands of American tourists crash to the ground every year. Causes range from weather and neglect to faulty renovations and theft of structural beams."

Happy Birthday, and many more to our wonderful host and great patriot—creator of Free Republic—Jim Robinson! Post your good wishes here!

"Smoosh-up" of unrelated songs.

Security guard vs two dirtbirds. Security guard defends a man using pepper spray, shortsighted & dimwitted dirtbird makes for good entertainment.

The Environmental Protection Agency is barring The Associated Press, CNN and the environmental-focused news organization E&E from a national summit on harmful water contaminants. The EPA blocked the news organizations from attending Tuesday’s Washington meeting, convened by EPA chief Scott Pruitt.

Attorney Joe diGenova predicted that both Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and Attorney General Jeff Sessions' days are numbered at the Department of Justice during a telephone interview with Newsmax's Howie Carr Wednesday. DiGenova's claim came after the New York Times published a report titled "Code Name Crossfire Hurricane: The Secret Origins of the Trump Investigation". The report has been interpreted by many as an attempt by sources within the "Deep State" to cushion the blow of the imminent DOJ inspector general report, which is expected to be explosive. In March, President Trump considered adding diGenova and his wife Victoria...

This thread is a friendly collaborative place for FReepers to analyze information and share opinons. FReepers have a wide variety of reasons for investigating Q Anon content; this is not the appropriate place to criticize or badger those who choose to use some of their time in this manner. I plan to post one thread at a time and ping new drops posted to it. When I post each (new) thread, the prior thread is retired and all new posts occur on the newest thread. If you are new to Q Anon, the three links below provide overviews to...

BOSTON — A longtime television personality who played a beloved clown had died, according to family. WCVB-TV says 89-year-old Frank Avruch, who played Bozo the Clown from 1959 to 1970, has died. Avruch was a contributor to the station for over 40 years as a host of "Man About Town," and "The Great Entertainment." He died Tuesday at his Boston home from heart disease, and is survived by his wife Betty, two sons Matthew and Steven and several grandchildren. Avruch graduated from Boston University in 1949 with a bachelor's degree in Communication. He was an active philanthropist, and was a...

As Halloween nears, many are considering clown pranks for fright night fun. At least one sheriff’s office in the state says don’t even think of playing a creepy clown if your aim is mischief. Volusia County Sheriff’s Office issued a stern warning on its Facebook page Tuesday afternoon. "Warning to evil clowns and anyone considering creepy clown activity: We will not be there to save you if your intended target defends himself or herself, and you may face other penalties as well,” the post read.

Is this stalking killer clown for real, or is this a hoax? Or just another copy cat using the new Stephen King remake of “It” movie to craft a publicity stunt. Facebooker Draven Riffe swears this knife-wielding clown was quite real. Afterwards, Draven was so shaken by the encounter that he waited in his treestand for two hours for law enforcement to escort him out safely. Imagine this scene. You are up in your treestand with your bow ready for your big buck to come by. Instead of a buck, it is a madman dressed like a clown, armed with...

A professional clown claims his business in and around New York City has dropped because of the marketing around the horror clown movie "It."  John Nelson, who runs Clowns in Town with a partner, says his business has gotten several cancellations in the last couple of weeks, and he's blaming the supernatural horror movie for scaring the public. ...

Un named officials have just released a bombsmell. This previously encrypted 72 missive from the to be President of the United States, Congressmen Paul and Mitch.

Professional clowns have complained that the viral trailer for the new film version of Stephen King’s IT is stoking anti-clown prejudice comparable to racism. Outraged members of the clowning community lamented that the remake of the 1990 horror series – a trailer for which has recently taken the internet by storm – is entrenching negative perceptions about them. The two-and-a-half-minute teaser broke after racking up 197 million views in just 24 hours. It’s safe to say lots of people are excited about the return of Pennywise the killer clown – but not clowns themselves.Interviewed for Mel Magazine, several professional...

You know things are going downhill when even clowns can't take a joke. On the other hand, maybe only clowns know how serious a joke can be. A small sign put up as a joke in the City Lights Bookshop in London, Ont. sparked a three-ring circus of two angry clowns, two frustrated bookstore employees, and two bicycle-riding police officers Thursday afternoon. The sign: a clown face with a diagonal bar across it. In other words, No Clowns Allowed. The sign has been in the store for years. With all the fuss over creepy clowns lately, store co-owner Teresa Tarasewicz...

link only