Free Republic

The real life magic-mushroom, banana dictatorship envisioned by George Orwell just went full retard. From VT Senator Bernie Sanders: U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today asked the National Security Agency director whether the agency has monitored the phone calls, emails and Internet traffic of members of Congress and other elected officials.“Has the NSA spied, or is the NSA currently spying, on members of Congress or other American elected officials?” Sanders asked in a letter to Gen. Keith Alexander, the NSA director. “Spying” would include gathering metadata on calls made from official or personal phones, content from websites visited or emails...

Rick Santorum is stretching his criticism of President Obama's advocacy of universal college attendance into a broader attack on college itself. Santorum has three college degrees, which provides a good indication of how seriously one should take his assault on what he is labeling as Obama's elitism. As with so many of Santorum's statements, this criticism contains a grain of perception smothered in reactionary dogma. [BIG SNIP] In a nation in which almost everyone aspires to upward mobility, how is this a winning political argument? Sure, colleges are hothouses of liberalism. They have been for generations. And yet Americans of...

NEW YORK, July 14 (Reuters) - U.S. government officials are weighing a plan that would let borrowers who have fallen behind on their mortgage payments avoid eviction by renting their homes instead, sources familiar with the administration's thinking said on Tuesday. Under one idea being discussed, delinquent homeowners would surrender ownership of their homes but would continue to live in the property for several years, the sources told Reuters. Officials are also considering whether the government should make mortgage payments on behalf of borrowers who cannot keep up with their home loans, tapping an unused portion of a $50 billion...

SALUDA, S.C. (AP) - The motorcade of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney exceeded speed limits and went through stop lights today as local law officers escorted him to campaign events in two South Carolina counties. Traffic pulled over for the flashing blue lights. Saluda County Sheriff Jason Booth, a Romney supporter, led the candidate's motorcade to the Newberry city limits. The caravan traveled between 10 mph and 15 mph over posted speed limits of 45 mph and 55 mph. Booth says officers wanted to make sure Romney stays safe and gets where he's going. Booth declined further comment when asked...