Free Republic

A few days after Thanksgiving, I asked Mike Huckabee what had surprised him about voters over the past six months of campaigning. "The intensity of the immigration issue," he said immediately, and then added, "I honestly don't know why it's gotten so hot." Huckabee gets points for candor: most of the presidential candidates I've spoken with in recent months feel the same way but aren't about to say so. It is difficult to spend a day on the trail and not see the anger explode.This is especially true in the Republican Party. John McCain, the sponsor of immigration-reform legislation, has...

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- The honeymoon didn't last long. James Olwine, 33, is accused of trying to run over his new wife after a weekend wedding in Las Vegas. Police received an emergency call from someone reporting a couple fighting in a car Monday as they traveled on Highland Drive, about 10 miles southeast of Salt Lake City. Katie Martindale, 29, apparently got out of the car and started to walk away when Olwine drove off the road and hit her with the car, pushing her into a snowbank, said Lt. Paul Jaroscak, a spokesman for the Salt Lake...

Thank you dear friends for standing by me in this difficult race." "Your support has sustained my family and me and made this a much closer race than all the pundits were predicting." "I called Ned Lamont and congratulated him on his success today." "We've just finished the first half and the Lamont Team is ahead. In the second half, our team, Team Connecticut, is going to surge forward in November." "The old politics of polarization won today. For the sake of our state, my country and my party, I cannot and will not let those results stands today." "I...

LEBANESE Prime Minister Fouad Siniora thanked Hezbollah for its "sacrifices" in its war against Israel. "We are in a strong position and I thank the Sayyed for his efforts," Mr Siniora said when asked about a statement by Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah calling on the Government to take advantage of Hezbollah's steadfastness against Israeli military might. "I also thank all those who sacrifice their lives for the independence and sovereignty of Lebanon," he said. Mr Siniora, a member of Lebanon's anti-Syrian coalition, has often been at odds with the Syrian-backed Hezbollah, but the 19-day-old conflict appears to have brought...

The two Democrats seeking to unseat U.S. Sen. George Allen, R-Va., virtually ignored him yesterday and trained their sights on each other. In the first televised joint appearance of the campaign, James Webb referred to a union description of Harris Miller as "the anti-Christ of outsourcing." At one point, after being interrupted by Miller, an angry-appearing Webb exclaimed: "Harris, if you shut your mouth, I'll answer the question."

NEW YORK - A day after Katie Couric announced she was leaving for CBS, NBC has chosen Meredith Vieira as Matt Lauer’s new partner on the “Today” show. NBC scheduled a news conference for Thursday afternoon to announce its new “Today” host, and confirmed in a statement that Vieira had been selected. “Meredith's vast experience as an award-winning journalist, as well as talk show host, make her the ideal candidate for this job,” said network CEO Jeff Zucker.

This is interesting. The media is reporting that republicans are turning away from Bush yet we see this poll that states the opposite. NEW YORK, March 23, 2006 – Republican voters are split in their support of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Sen. John McCain for president in 2008, with Bush supporters preferring Giuliani and Republicans who disapprove of Bush preferring McCain. In a head-to-head presidential primary match-up among Republicans voters, McCain and Giuliani are statistically tied (42% Giuliani, 40% McCain), but Bush supporters back Giuliani 45%-38%, while Republicans who disapprove of Bush prefer McCain 51%-34%. Although...

"Susan Sarandon (R) introduces Cindy Sheehan at the 'Bring Em Home Now!' concert in New York, March 20, 2006. The peace concert marked the fourth anniversary of the beginning of the war. REUTERS/Erin Siegal "

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Most Americans have an easier time naming members of the cartoon Simpson family than listing the five freedoms granted by the nation's founders, a survey by a museum released on Wednesday said. Here's a hint: one of them is not the right to own and raise pets, an error committed by one in five respondents. Half of 1,000 Americans randomly surveyed by the McCormick Tribune Freedom Museum could name at least two of the five members of Fox Television's Simpson family, the stars of the network's long-running show. But just 28 percent of respondents could name more...

After seven nights of riots by youth in predominantly-Muslim sections of Paris, French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin (who is a man) announced today that police would pull out of areas where dozens of cars burn each night to “let the freedom-fighting insurgents govern themselves.” “Just like the United States should not force democracy upon Muslims in Iraq,” said Mr. de Villepin, “we should not impose our own provincial thinking about the so-called ‘rule of law’ on Muslim immigrants who have established a homeland in Paris. We’re withdrawing our occupation forces immediately.” The Prime Minister, who, when he was Foreign...

Rendell sticking with Knoll Governor waves off missteps, malaprops in saying she'll be his running mate in '06 Wednesday, July 27, 2005 By Tom Barnes, Post-Gazette Harrisburg Bureau HARRISBURG -- Even though Lt. Gov. Catherine Baker Knoll makes occasional malaprops and mistakes in judgment, Gov. Ed Rendell says he'll stick with her when he runs for re-election next year. Asked yesterday if she'll be his running mate on the Democratic ticket in 2006, Rendell said, "I have no reason to expect differently." Rendell told a state Capitol news conference that as lieutenant governor, Knoll takes her job seriously and "has...

I was told I cuold come hear to ask a question. I wanted to vot for George w Bush in the last election but I coulnt make it to the poles. When is the next time I can vote for Bush. I raelly want to.

ETROIT -- General Motors Vice Chairman Robert Lutz said the automaker missed an opportunity to market itself as a technologically savvy company capable of producing hybrid vehicles. Lutz said GM "missed the boat" on a marketing opportunity with hybrids -- an opportunity Toyota Motor Corp. has played to its advantage. "We business-cased it, took a hard, analytical look and thought the engineering and investment were irresponsible vis-a-vis our shareholders," he said. "We failed to appreciate what Toyota has basically treated as an advertising expense." Lutz said GM was doubtful the business case for hybrids would work. In hindsight, "we should...

AUSTIN - A state senator who wants to eliminate from the market drugs that contain mainly pseudoephedrine has introduced a series of four bills for returning lawmakers. Under the legislation by Sen. Craig Estes, no one would be able to buy drugs like Sudafed in Texas. But he said consumers could still buy other congestion remedies containing the decongestant, as long as it is mixed into capsules and cough syrups. "We hope the general public will realize that a little inconvenience will go a long way," Estes, R-Wichita Falls, told the Scripps Howard Austin bureau in Monday's editions of the...

CHICAGO (AP) A three-story porch collapsed Tuesday night on Chicago's southwest side when three people tried to steal a stove that was on it, authorities said. Two men who were wounded (my note: poor verb usage, AP, 'injured' a better choice) in the collapse and a woman were in police custody Tuesday night but no charges had been filed, Chicago Police spokesman Hector Alfaro said. The men remained at John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County where one was listed in critical condition and the other in serious, Chicago Fire Department spokeswoman Rosa Escareno said. The collapse happened around...

As a mother I am absolutely horrified at what happened to Nicholas Berg. I cannot even begin to imagine the pain that his parents are enduring. As a human being I am also horrified by the lack of tolerance that we demonstrate towards one another. Until we have leaders who are courageous enough to put aside stubborn ignorance and use diplomacy, we will never experience true peace. That means President Bush, Osama bin Laden, and British Prime Minister Tony Blair all need to cool it and franly, grow up. The world's problems aren't all that complicated - they're basically about...

I'm know you've seen them and you probably have interacted with them. They are coming out of the woodwork here on FR and on the radio talk shows and everywhere else as we move towards the next defeat of the Demonicrats in 2004. Who are they? Who knows! Rush calls them "Seminar Callers", Hannity seems to be able to screen them out and does not have a name for them that I know of. OReilly gets 'em and lately we've had SCADS of the little eight legged things crawling all through some of the more controversial posts here. They are...

WASHINGTON, April 19 — The United States is planning a long-term military relationship with the emerging government of Iraq, one that would grant the Pentagon access to military bases and project American influence into the heart of the unsettled region, senior Bush administration officials say.