Free Republic

On my bike while exercising in the morning, I stopped by the local cemetery and at the grave site of a American pilot, Captain Michael Scott Speicher, of the Golf war who was the first pilot shot down and his remains were found in the Iraq about 18 years later. I sing A-Capella the hymn, Down At The Cross.

"Rick Perry -- now coming out with, really embracing Steve Forbes' flat tax idea -- that's going to gain momentum. I look forward to hearing more of the details," she said. "In fact, when I heard that Rick Perry was embracing of Steve Forbes' idea, I went into my garage and dug out an old book from 1999 that Steve Forbes had written. ......Many aspects of it make so much sense - - about the freedom to choose - taxpayer how to file your taxes …..choose a simpler, fairer flat tax…..many of the aspects of it make so much sense."....

A group called State Tea Party Express paid for the ad below, which has been running on FOX, linking Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) and Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R), who's running for president. Walker was embroiled in a budget controversy over state-workers’ collective-bargaining rights -- and saw a standoff in which all of the state’s Democratic senators fled Wisconsin.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Gov. Rick Perry is calling the controversy over rival Mitt Romney's religious faith a campaign distraction, saying out of work Americans aren't interested in "side issues and sideshows." Appearing on morning television, Perry again defended himself against criticism in the wake of statements by a supportive minister from Dallas who asserted that Romney is not a Christian, and that Mormonism is a cult. That statement by Robert Jeffress, senior pastor at First Baptist Church in Dallas, came as he introduced Perry at a recent speech. Perry said Friday, "We clearly said we didn't agree with that statement."

I had the privilege of meeting Perry today! He gave a fantastic speech hitting Obama hard on jobs and energy. He was in a hurry to get to the next event but gave a few people some brief time and I was blessed to be one of them. This man is genuine, there is nothing phony about this guy, that was the first thing that really came to me. He showed more presidential action in the 45 minutes I was in the same room with him then Obama has shown in 3 years. We have ourselves a candidate we can...

CANTON -- Julie Barkey waited for a sign from her late son, Michael Barkey, a soldier who died in Iraq last month. Last week, she had a conversation with Michael as if he were still alive. “I said, ‘Mikey, I need a sign from you. I just want a sign that you’re OK in heaven.’ ” “If I could just shake the president’s hand,” Barkey recalled saying, “I would take that as a sign.” Barkey got that sign. After his address at the Memorial Civic Center on Saturday, President George W. Bush met privately with Barkey and two other local...