Free Republic

A Catholic church in Lexington, Kentucky, hosted a “blessing” of a same-sex couple that had been civilly “married” for 22 years, citing the Vatican’s heterodox declaration Fiducia Supplicans. The Saint Paul Catholic Church parish posted a picture of the “blessing” on their official Facebook page, showing the parish priest Fr. Richard Watson wearing a rainbow stole and extending his hands for a “blessing” over the lesbian couple close to the altar inside the church. “History was made Sunday at Historic Saint Paul Catholic Church,” the text accompanying the photo read. “This same-sex couple, civilly married for 22 years, asked for...

"October 11th was a beautiful day 45 years ago. Still is. The bride was beautiful too. And still is. Happy Anniversary, Hillary. I love you." If you are on Twitter, join the thread to comment.

Actress Rosie O’Donnell might just be engaged to Worcester Police officer Elizabeth Rooney, according to reports. Rooney, 33, and O’Donnell, 56, have been reportedly dating for about a year, and went public with their relationship in November of 2017 after O'Donnell's second marriage ended in divorce. According to the Dailey Mail, O’Donnell proposed to Rooney over the summer, but kept it quiet due to Rooney’s job with the Worcester Police. This would be Rooney’s first marriage, after she updated her Instagram profile to show a ring next to the letter "R."

Progressives in the media have no respect for the traditions and structure of the branches of the government. As soon as one issues a decision based on anything but liberal ideology, the world is over. After the Supreme Court released their decision in the case of Masterpiece Cakeshop LTD. vs. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, in favor of the baker, Jack Phillips, the media went on a rampage. Liberal book publisher Haymarket Books tweeted out on its verified account almost immediately after the ruling was released, “Abolish the Supreme Court.”

hen, just weeks after taking office, Donald Trump nominated Neil Gorsuch to the supreme court, the newly minted US president made good on a central promise of his campaign: to replace the late justice Antonin Scalia with a bona fide conservative. That moment foreshadowed what is shaping up to be among the most indelible of Trump’s triumphs – the reshaping of the federal judiciary with the appointment of dozens of judges with an ideological bent toward the administration’s agenda. Republicans are working with Trump to make a record-breaking number of appointments to federal courts. These new, mostly young, white men...

The New York Times never discouraged U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy from retiring during the Obama administration, but the newspaper’s editorial board is now literally begging him to stick around. Headlined “Please Stay, Justice Kennedy,” the open letter in Saturday’s edition implored him to remain on the high court amid rumors of his retirement, saying “[y]our departure right now from the Supreme Court would have dire consequences for the country.” Why? If Mr. Kennedy leaves, his seat would be filled by President Trump, which would mean “the court will have a locked-in right-wing majority for the rest of most...

As the political world obsesses over the latest sexual-harassment scandals and policy wonks scrutinize the latest tax-reform proposal, the Trump administration is quietly restoring constitutional governance. Although Congress has been unable to pass legislation and President Trump faces record-low approval rates, his hiring of “the best people” in certain key areas has enabled the transformation of the judiciary — as well as reworking the bureaucracy (often called the Fourth Branch). A president has few powers more important than picking judges. Tax deals can sunset and regulations can be rescinded — Congress has used the Congressional Review Act to eliminate 14...

You need the First Amendment precisely when your ideas offend others or flout the majority’s orthodoxies. And then it protects more than your freedom to speak your mind; it guards your freedom not to speak the mind of another. Thus, in classic “compelled speech” rulings, the Supreme Court has protected the right not to be forced to say, do or create anything expressing a message one rejects. Most famously, in West Virginia v. Barnette (1943), it barred a state from denying Jehovah’s Witnesses the right to attend public schools if they refused to salute the flag. In Wooley v. Maynard...

This week, the Supreme Court hears Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission. Jack Phillips, proprietor of Masterpiece Cakeshop, refused to create a wedding cake ordered for a same-sex marriage on grounds that it would force him to create a cake expressing a value opposed to his Christian convictions. The gay men who ordered the cake filed a sexual orientation discrimination claim against him with the Colorado Civil Rights Commission, and the Commission ruled against Phillips. It was clear that this was not a matter of Phillips refusing to do business with these men because they are gay. He offered...

"Whatever the confluence of speech and free exercise principles might be in some cases, the Colorado Civil Rights Commission's consideration of this case was inconsistent with the State's obligation of religious neutrality. The reason and motive for the baker's refusal were based on his sincere religious beliefs and convictions." link to decision https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/17pdf/16-111_j4el.pdf

On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its ruling in Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission. While the decision ends an almost six-year legal battle, a new journey begins. This nation stands at the proverbial fork in the road. One path will lead us closer to a society controlled by hostility — one in which those who hold the dominant view in society will use government as a weapon to punish individuals who fail to adopt the prevailing orthodoxy. The other path will move us toward a truly tolerant society — one with room for individuals who believe,...

That case, Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, takes aim at a Colorado law that bars discrimination based on perceived sexual orientation in places serving the public. Jack Phillips, the owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop, says the law violates his free speech rights by forcing him to “create expression that violates his sincerely held beliefs about marriage.” The dispute has attracted a lot of attention from the business community, including an amicus brief signed by 35 companies including Amazon (AMZN), Pfizer (PFE), and Apple (AAPL), which asked the court to rule against Phillips. Another group with an interest in the...

(Full article title: EXCLUSIVE: Is Anthony back home babysitting? Huma Abedin joins group of men for a cozy meal at upscale NYC eatery hours after disgraced husband is seen for first time since sex rehab) Huma Abedin was spotted having dinner at a trendy Italian restaurant in Manhattan, just hours after her disgraced husband Anthony Weiner stepped out in public for the first time since his stint in rehab for sex addicts . Hillary Clinton's top aide dined out at Il Cantinori on 10th Street on Thursday night with two male friends and another guest. A diner told DailyMail.com Huma...

<p>George Soros is on board. So are a bunch of other billionaires, many of whom are also denizens of Wall Street.</p> <p>Why is it that so many of the 1% support so called “progressive” candidates? Why would they support those who seek to expand the footprint of government? Isn’t that against their interests?</p>

Among influential U.S. political tweeters, President Barack Obama is the undisputed king of the fake followers. A MailOnline analysis ranks his sizable Twitter following as the most deceptive total among the 21 most influential accounts run by American politicians: More than 19.5 million of his 36.9 million Twitter followers are accounts that don't correspond to real people. The four phoniest accounts in the sample, which included Democratic and Republican Party leaders in Washington, D.C., were those belonging to President Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, first lady Michelle Obama and the White House communications shop. Of the president's 36.9 million Twitter...

Nearly 2 million of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Twitter followers are not real. According to the Twitter analytics application Status People, 37 percent of Michelle Obama’s 5,290, 506 Twitter followers — or approximately 1,957,487 followers — are considered fake. Thirty-five percent of her followers are inactive, and 28 percent are considered “good,” or real. Michelle Obama’s account is run by Organizing for Action....

Sen. Hillary Clinton did it again! The former first-lady-turned-presidental-hopeful broke out in a singsong Southern twang before a black audience -- this time in NYC!. Clinton was addressing the National Action Network, a civil rights group founded by Rev. Al Sharpton, on Friday.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pu9TQq0C3Ac

When her father Bill ran for the presidency in 1992, Chelsea Clinton was a gawky 12-year-old with braces and a mop of crinkly hair, ill at ease in front of the cameras. Some 15 years later, her mother Hillary has assigned her daughter a crucial role in the family's latest White House campaign as the former First Lady hopes to firm up support among women voters with a "mum strategy". Standing together: Hillary and Chelsea Clinton Miss Clinton, 26, who now works for a Wall Street hedge fund, has not appeared alongside her mother since the New York senator launched...

Former president Bill Clinton praised wife Hillary's prospects to be elected the next US leader, but said her possible White House run is a taboo topic at home. "I'm superstitious about it," Clinton told NBC television in an interview, saying that, for the moment, his wife's sole focus is her bid for reelection to the US Senate in November. "One of our family rules is don't look past the next election," he said. Clinton, interviewed in New York, insisted that his wife still has not reached a final decision about running for the White House, but said if she does,...

WILLIAM Jefferson Blythe III was born on August 19, 1946, in Hope, Ark. After his mother remarried, he took the family surname, Clinton. Clinton was a good student. He enjoyed playing the saxophone and even considered a professional musical career. While in high school, a fortuitous meeting with President John Kennedy led him to choose a life of public service.