Free Republic

PATCHOGUE, N.Y. — Snowflake parties have been multiplying, winter light festivals have been abounding, and holiday concerts have filled school halls with joyous tones.But Christians are saying, “Enough with the political correctness run amok. We want our Christmas back!” Consider: When Patchogue Village on Long Island, N.Y., renamed its Christmas boat parade a “holiday” event, Fireworks by Grucci dropped its $5,000 donation. Three thousand supportive calls, e-mails and letters poured into the company. Philip Butler, the company’s vice president, even received e-mail thanks from a U.S. Army colonel in Iraq.When the American Humanist Association, a Washington, D.C.-based atheist group, launched...

<p>An annual parade of boats on a Long Island river that dropped "Christmas" from its name has apparently lost lots of supporters.</p> <p>About 1,000 people showed up Sunday for the Patchogue (PACH'-awg) Boat Parade of Lights. That's 500 fewer than usually showed up when it was called the Patchogue Christmas Boat Parade.</p>

<p>"Looks like the Bill Clinton era is over," the New York Post's Deborah Orin writes.</p> <p>"Democrats led by Clinton's handpicked chairman, Terry McAuliffe, decided [Wednesday] to take their 2004 national convention to Boston instead of New York — where Bill and Hillary Clinton could relive their 1992 glory days and be the stars of the show," Miss Orin said.</p>

Grucci Now in Trouble Fireworks Family Heir May See Re-election Bid Go Up in Flames By Ben Pershing An otherwise quiet Congressional election cycle in the Empire State has grown livelier in recent weeks as Rep. Felix Grucci (R) suddenly finds himself with a serious fight on his hands in the 1st district. Redistricting essentially made every New York incumbent safer, and the dearth of vulnerable House Members there and in the nation as a whole has brought that much more attention on the tightening race between the freshman Grucci and former Southampton College Provost Tim Bishop (D). While Grucci...

<p>GARDEN CITY, N.Y. — One of the nation's hottest House races has landed in court over Rep. Felix Grucci's allegations in a radio advertisement that his Democratic opponent was lax in pursuing rape allegations as a college provost.</p> <p>Southampton College is seeking $6 million in damages and has received a preliminary court injunction to halt the Grucci ad, targeted at opponent Timothy Bishop.</p>