Free Republic

WASHINGTON (AP) - New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson on Sunday announced that he was withdrawing his nomination to be President-elect Barack Obama's commerce secretary amid a grand jury investigation into how some of his political donors won a lucrative state contract. Richardson's withdrawal was the first disruption of Obama's Cabinet process and the second "pay-to-play" investigation that has touched Obama's transition to the presidency. The president-elect has remained above the fray in both the case of arrested Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich and the New Mexico case. A federal grand jury is investigating how a California company that contributed to Richardson's...

Iran to Test-Fire Missiles in Military Exercises January 21, 2007 TEHRAN, Iran — Iran plans three days of military maneuvers, including short-range missile tests, beginning Sunday — its first since the U.N. Security Council imposed sanctions against it in late December, state-run television said. "The elite Revolutionary Guards plans to begin a three-day missile maneuver on Sunday near Garmsar city," said the broadcast. The city is located in northern Iran on the edge of Kavir desert, about 60 miles southeast of Tehran. "Zalzal and Fajr-5 missiles will be test fired in the war game," the television quoted an unnamed commander...

Humility Becomes HimOn Phil Donahue's MSNBC program last night, Jesse Jackson described himself as the most 'inspirational black Amercian of all time.''No one has inspired more blacks for hope in America than I have,' he modestly declared.Take that Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.!Here is the whole transcript (link)