Free Republic

As democracy remains under siege, it has been frustrating to watch how the press covers politics these days. I am reminded by lessons that came to me during the Nixon years as a CBS News correspondent, which I’ll add here: 1. Enough with Both-sides-ism When one side lies intentionally and repeatedly, they are no longer entitled to the benefit of the doubt. They should be held to account, right away. Do not simply repeat the narratives they spew.

As soon as legendary journalist Sy Hersh's controversial story on the Osama bin Laden raid was published Sunday night, critics pounced and skeptics ripped his account because of its reliance on anonymous sourcing and its lack of documentary evidence. Now a respected New York Times foreign correspondent, who was based in Afghanistan and Pakistan, writes about a key detail "in Seymour Hersh's Bin Laden story that rings true." Carlotta Gall writes that she also learned from sources that Pakistan's intelligence service, ISI, had kept bin Laden prisoner since 2006 and that the CIA learned about his location from a Pakistani...

Hillary Clinton stopped by CBS’ ‘The Late Show’ on Sept. 21. She’s slamming the GOP and FBI for refusing to investigate sexual assault allegations against SCOTUS nominee Brett Kavanaugh. Hillary Clinton is going hard on the FBI and GOP Senators for refusing to investigate sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, 53. She stopped byThe Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Sept. 21 to promote the paperback copy of her 2016 presidential election memoir What Happened. The former Secretary of State said it would be “very easy” for the Feds to investigate sexual assault allegations made by Professor...

As the interest in counter-terrorism soars, the Walt Disney Company is attempting to trademark the name Navy “Seal Team 6,” the unit responsible for taking down Osama Bin Laden. Counter-terrorism is becoming a big market since the death of Osama Bin Laden and it appears the Walt Disney Company is ready to cash in. Disney is currently trying to trademark the name Navy “Seal Team 6,” the unit responsible for killing Bin Laden. On May 3, just one day after the news was out about the death of Bin Laden, Disney applied to trademark the name “Seal Team 6.” The...

Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt, who spent six years as a rebel hostage before being rescued, has sued the Andean nation over her kidnapping, sparking outrage from the government that freed her. The suit seeks $6.8 million (4.5 million pounds) in damages from the state for emotional stress and loss of earnings while she was being held in secret jungle camps by Marxist guerrillas.

Treasury Secretary Geithner Tells CNBC: "We Need to Be Exceptionally Careful That We Protect Taxpayers." Banner only

A weekend in Nebraska isn't everyone's idea of fun, but hundreds of college students are disappointed they won't be able to campaign for Barack Obama there or in other swing states after a mysterious donor backed out. Students from around the country, including a large contingent from UC Berkeley, had planned to spend the weekend before Election Day fanning out to places such as North Carolina, Georgia and other battleground states. And much of the financial burden was to be borne by an American in Italy known as David Gall. But, as of last weekend, Gall is gone, too badly...

RENO, Nev. (AP) - A group of Hispanic people in Reno have called for a three-day boycott of all businesses in northern Nevada after a federal raid in which 54 suspected illegal workers were arrested. The group of about 60 people also called for a strike by all Hispanic workers on Wednesday, the final day of the boycott, and for a rally and a march for Reno's federal courthouse in support of those arrested. "Huelga! Huelga! Huelga!" the group chanted as it stood and applauded near the end of a meeting Saturday at El Cordero de Dios Assemblies of God...

The United States has lost its moral compass and fallen out of step with the rest of the world in the wake of September 11, the former United Nations human rights commissioner warned tonight. Mary Robinson expressed sadness and regret at America’s erosion of human rights as part of its "War on Terror". In a speech in central London, Mrs Robinson praised the British courts for taking a global lead on interpreting international human rights laws. Highlighting the US’s opposition last week to the creation of a new UN Human Rights Council, Mrs Robinson said: "It illustrates the seismic shift...

All countries must work for world peace: Ahmadinejad Tehran Times Political Desk TEHRAN -- President Mahmud Ahmadinejad said on Monday that all countries are obligated to work for world peace and security based on the observance of justice. The history of Bosnia and Herzegovina in modern times has shown that nations truly desire peace and friendship, he noted at a meeting with the visiting speaker of the Bosnian House of Representatives, Nikola Spiric. He said the interference of major powers in the affairs of nations has aggravated the scope of war and animosity, a clear reference to the tragic events...

Brazil. The haughty touchy nation that lectures all other nations about the importance of not interfering in other nations' "internal affairs." Brazil sets the pace by ignoring and abetting the depredations of the Hugo Chavez regime of Venezuela right on their border and the savagery of The Monster At Their Door, none other than fidel castro a short yacht ride away. These two evil dictatorial scumbags have gotten a free pass from Brazil to violate as many human rights as they can manage, in castro's case, for more than 40 years. Not one peep out of Brazil. Total indifference. But...

WASHINGTON (AP) - Democratic Sen. John Kerry urged the White House on Friday to release "in their entirety" all documents and memos from Supreme Court nominee John Roberts' tenure in two Republican administrations. "We cannot do our duty if either Judge Roberts or the Bush administration hides elements of his professional record," said the Massachusetts senator who was his party's presidential candidate last year. Opening what is expected to be a broader attempt by Democrats to pry loose documents, Kerry issued his statement as Roberts made the latest in a series of courtesy calls on senators in advance of confirmation...

NASHVILLE - Former state Sen. John Ford has asked a state board to reverse the $10,000 fine assessed against him last month for using campaign funds to cover some expenses of his daughter's wedding. The "petition for waiver or withdrawal of penalty," dated June 16 and signed by attorney Edward M. Bearman of Memphis, was received by the Registry of Election Finance on Monday. Ford, D-Memphis, resigned from the Senate on May 28, two days after being arrested on bribery and extortion charges in connection with an FBI sting operation. The $10,000 fine was assessed by the Registry board on...

Heady times. The US election draws ever nearer, and while the rest of the world bangs its head against the floorboards screaming "Please God, not Bush!", the candidates clash head to head in a series of live televised debates. It's a bit like American Idol, but with terrifying global ramifications. You've got to laugh. Or have you? Have you seen the debates? I urge you to do so. The exemplary BBC News website (www.bbc.co.uk/news) hosts unexpurgated streaming footage of all the recent debates, plus clips from previous encounters, through Reagan and Carter, all the way back to Nixon versus JFK....

ELECTION 2004 Kerry unrepentant for pro-Hanoi activism Local paper described him as 'closest thing to a male Jane Fonda' Posted: March 6, 2004 1:00 a.m. Eastern Editor's note: WorldNetDaily is pleased to have a content-sharing agreement with Insight magazine, the bold Washington publication not afraid to ruffle establishment feathers. Subscribe to Insight at WorldNetDaily's online store and save 71 percent off the cover price. By J. Michael Waller © 2004 Insight/News World Communications Inc. Since quitting the Navy six months early at age 27 so he could run for Congress on an antiwar platform, John Kerry has built a political...

BAGHDAD, March 8 (Reuters) - President Saddam Hussein called on the U.N. Security Council on Saturday to lift 12 years of sanctions against Iraq, declaring Baghdad had met its disarmament commitments. In a statement after a meeting chaired by Saddam, the Iraqi leadership made a set of demands it said the Security Council should implement after the reports by chief weapons inspectors Hans Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei on Friday. "The embargo against Iraq should be lifted totally and comprehensively after America's motives were revealed to the world and after Iraq abided by Security Council resolutions," the statement said. It...

We've seen the Empire strike back in the last couple of weeks -- that is, the empire of what U.S. Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has called "old Europe." Stung by accusations that Franco-German obstruction of the Bush administration's efforts to bring about a regime change in Iraq is motivated by invidious feelings of rivalry with the sole superpower in the post-Cold War world -- phallU.S.-envy for short -- European commentators have made spirited efforts to defend German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's and French President Jacques Chirac's position. The latest salvo is a witty piece by Justin Vaisse, a visiting fellow at...

<p>The St.Louis Election Board has rebuffed a proposed out-of-court-settlement with the Justice Department designed to settle a dispute over irregularities during the 2000 presidential election, saying the federal government has not gone far enough to protect the rights of St.Louis voters.</p>