Free Republic

Democratic Texas Supreme Court nominee Bill Moody said Monday that a construction firm may be using political contributions to win favor from the state’s highest civil court in a potential eminent domain lawsuit about the Trans-Texas Corridor. “My opponent and other members of the Supreme Court have taken sizable contributions from the Zachry group, well-knowing there is going to be an eminent domain case,” Moody said during a Waco campaign visit with the Tribune-Herald editorial board. Moody cited contributions from Zachry Construction Corporation’s political action committee and executives to his opponent, Republican Texas Supreme Court Justice Don Willett, and four...

WASHINGTON — When Mohamed Ghabour heard that a Muslim candidate, Keith Ellison, was running for Congress in Minneapolis, Ghabour turned to a sister-in-law who lives in Minnesota for a scouting report. "She said he's a good man," recalled Ghabour, a Muslim pediatrician from the Tampa, Fla., area. "That's all I needed to hear." Ghabour contributed $999 to Ellison's campaign, joining other Muslim-American donors who are pinning their hopes, and their dollars, on Ellison becoming the first Muslim elected to Congress. Ellison, a state lawmaker who converted to Islam as a college student, would also become the first black elected to...

Friedman leads field in individual donations; Perry holds cash lead AUSTIN (AP) - Comedic candidate Kinky Friedman has far and away the most individual donations in the governor's race this year, collecting campaign cash from thousands across Texas and across the country. Republican Gov. Rick Perry leads in total money, followed by independent Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn - both piling up millions of dollars and benefiting from some large contributions of $100,000 or more. With Perry and Strayhorn holding that strong financial advantage entering the Nov. 7 election, Friedman will be working to capitalize on what appears to be a...

John Edwards, widely derided as “the Breck Girl” for his well-coifed hair, has a secret admirer. Well, secret from the voting public, anyway. And quite a generous secret admirer, too. The New York Sun reports: A mysterious $250,000 donation used to bankroll a political committee controlled by a potential candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008, John Edwards, highlights a gap in federal laws requiring reporting of political contributions. In June, a closely held company gave a quarter of a million dollars to the One America Committee, a so-called 527 organization affiliated with Mr. Edwards, who became the Democrats’...

"Fairfax Native Says Allen's Words Stung" By Fredrick Kunkle Washington Post Staff Writer Friday, August 25, 2006; Page B01 S.R. Sidarth had built an impressive record of achievements for such a young man: straight-A student at one of Fairfax County's finest high schools, a tournament chess player, a quiz team captain, a sportswriter at his college newspaper, a Capitol Hill intern and an active member of the Hindu temple his parents helped establish in Maryland. But for all his achievements, the moment that thrust him into the national spotlight this month came when Sen. George Allen (R-Va.) called him "macaca."...

A plan to bring the proposed Trans-Texas Corridor project closer to the heart of North Texas is getting a boost from Gov. Rick Perry. Since April, North Texas leaders have prodded state officials to alter their study maps to include a highway route that circles Dallas and Fort Worth. Until now, the state's preferred study area has prominently featured a route that only clips southeast Dallas County. The local lobbying efforts may have paid off. Mr. Perry has asked the Texas Department of Transportation to take into consideration North Texas' wishes, department officials said late Tuesday. In a letter to...

WASHINGTON, July 20, 2006 – The reserve components have greatly contributed to the global war on terrorism, while also providing personnel for homeland security and disaster relief missions, senior officials told a congressionally chartered committee yesterday. Today's reservists must be prepared to rapidly deploy anywhere in the world and be ready to respond to both homeland defense and disaster relief contingencies, Army Reserve Chief Lt. Gen. Jack C. Stultz told the Commission on the National Guard and Reserves at a hearing in San Antonio. "Today's units must be prepared to and available to deploy with their full complement of trained...

WASHINGTON, July 18, 2006 – Vice President Richard B. Cheney yesterday told members of the Iowa National Guard that he appreciates and admires their service around the world as he highlighted Guard contributions to the war on terror. "From homeland security to swift and effective action after the Gulf Coast hurricanes last fall, to service in the Middle East and the Balkans, you've made a tremendous difference for the nation," he said during a speech at Camp Dodge, Iowa. Cheney used the contributions of Iowans in the war to spotlight the contributions of National Guardsmen around the world. "As...

by Mark Finkelstein July 11, 2006 - 06:52 Q. When are special interest contributions not special interest contributions? A. When they're made to a Democratic candidate. And the Associated Press is reporting on the matter. No political race in my little upstate New York neck of the woods has attracted national attention in a long time - until this year. The retirement of liberal Republican Sherwood Boehlert meant an open seat in New York's 24th Congressional District. The Republicans have held the seat for many years, and continue to hold a registration edge. But in the current political climate, the...

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Some children in Canada are so well-off and so keen on current affairs that they donate thousands of dollars to politicians -- at least, that's what one contender for the leadership of the opposition Liberal Party seems to believe. Former Immigration Minister Joe Volpe hit the spotlight this week after it emerged that a pair of 11-year-old twins and their 14-year-old brother had each donated C$5,400 (2,600 pounds) to his leadership campaign. The parents of the children -- who also donated C$5,400 to Volpe's campaign -- are related to the chairman of generic drug maker Apotex Inc....

5/31/2006 - WASHINGTON (AFPN) -- Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. T. Michael Moseley was knighted during a ceremony at the British Embassy here May 30. The honorary knighthood, at the suggestion of Queen Elizabeth II, stems from the general's contributions to United States-United Kingdom relations while he served as commander of the air war over Afghanistan and Iraq at the onset of the war on terrorism. General Moseley learned he would receive the award in January. He said he was both honored and surprised that the United Kingdom has chosen him for the recognition. "It is, of...

WASHINGTON, May 25, 2006 – President Bush welcomed a new commandant to the Coast Guard here today, and officially recognized the service as a whole for its contributions during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Incoming Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Thad W. Allen told the audience at his change of command ceremony May 25 that his service's "challenge is to attack each day, each task, with a purpose grounded in who we are, what we have been, and what we must become." The ceremony took place at Fort McNair in Washington, D.C. Photo by Staff Sgt. D. Myles Cullen, USAF  (Click...

While perusing finance reports filed by Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's 2005 re-election committee, we noticed a repeated oddity. At least 10 people who contributed the individual maximum of $3,400 did so in a way that had us scratching our scalps in wonder. Each of the benefactors wrote out four separate checks — three for a $1,000 and one for $400 — to reach their limit. Why, we mused, wouldn't they just write out one $3,400 check?

WASHINGTON, May 17, 2006 – The top U.S. general urged Congress today to help convey the nobility of military service to America's youth and to encourage a full, interagency response to the global war on terror. Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a Senate defense subcommittee today that the "armed forces clearly are ready and fully resources to conduct all the missions that this nation expects of us." Photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Chad McNeeley, USN  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The U.S. military is not just an all-volunteer force, but...

I recently received yet another of those "I don't want to believe you've abandoned the Republican Party, but I have to ask...Have you given up?" letters from the Republican National Committee. You know, the one that says "our records show we have no yet received your [fill in the year] Republican National Committee membership contribution. I dare say the RNC records indeed show this in my case. I haven't sent the RNC a membership contribution (or any other kind, come to that) since the Old Cowpoke -- God bless his soul -- was dozing in the White House. But I...

MANAMA, Bahrain, April 27, 2006 – Civilian leaders got an introduction here today to one of the least-recognized success stories in the Middle East: how the U.S. Coast Guard is helping keep Iraq's offshore oil terminals operating and training Iraq's new marine force to maintain port and waterway security in the region. Lukin Gilliland Jr., managing director of Aquila Capital Parters in San Antonio, uses a battering ram to get access to a mock shipboard compartment during a training drill in Manama, Bahrain, for participants in the Joint Civilian Orientation Conference. Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Larry Chambers,...

A state ethics panel has decided public officials don't have to disclose the amount of money they receive. Texas law requires officials to file personal financial disclosure statements including a description of gifts they get in excess of $250. But the Texas Ethics Commission found Friday that describing such a gift simply as “check'' is enough. No amount is necessary.Open government advocates quickly criticized the decision. Craig McDonald, director of Texans for Public Justice, said the ruling could undercut campaign finance rules. But commissioners said any change to the law needs to come from lawmakers.

U.S. Air Force Maj. Andrea Jensen, 40th Expeditionary Group B-52 pilot, performs pre-flight checks in a B-52 Stratofortress. Jensen has accumulated 100 combat flying hours providing close air support for troops on the ground in Afghanistan in the B-52. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Master Sgt. John Rohrer U.S. Air Force Maj. Andrea Jensen B-52 Pilot Shares Experience, Contributions By Master Sgt. Scott King 40th Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM, March 20, 2006 — She follows Air Force history – through her family’s footsteps. Her dad, and his brother and sisters grew up in an...

I am requesting help in tracking down a charity organization that I have heard mentioned on Rush Limbaugh several times.I think it has the name "Marines" in its title. It does not appear on his website, (or I can't find it there), but he has often spoken of his fondness for this charity because they use 100% of contributions for the intended purposes, as opposed to the 40-60% that most charities have left after they deduct their marketing expenses and such. Does this ring a bell with anyone? Thanks in advance, and my apologies if this is off-topic and offends...

WASHINGTON, March 1, 2006 – U.S. military reserve forces are better trained and at a higher state of readiness than they've ever been as they continue to take on their new operational role in the war on terror, senior reserve-component leaders said here today. "We've all been to the battlefield; we've all been out to see our people, and I have to tell you, they are the best of the best. We have never had a fighting force like we have today," said Army Command Sgt. Maj. Lawrence W. Holland, senior enlisted advisor in the Office of the Assistant Secretary...