Free Republic

The PBS broadcast of the Kennedy Center's Mark Twain Prize on Oct. 30 was a festival of tributes to Ellen DeGeneres — which is fine, since she is quite talented comically. But it wasn't so much a tribute for the comedy as it was for her pioneering work promoting homosexuality. For laughs, consult top producer Cappy McGarr, who insisted Ellen wasn't picked for political reasons: "The Kennedy Center is apolitical. We have had so many people who have their own brand and type of humor. We don't pick winners because of any advocacy they do. It is all about funny...

WASHINGTON (AP) - Testy lawmakers pointed fingers at one another and President Barack Obama on Thursday as negotiations over raising the national debt limited entered a perilous endgame. Wall Street eyed the standoff with growing anxiety, warning of catastrophe if the U.S. defaults on its obligations. Obama's blunt declaration that "enough is enough" as Wednesday's talks ended did nothing to quell the rancor as a new day of positioning and posturing began. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid took to the Senate floor early in the day to snipe that House Republican Leader Eric Cantor shouldn't even be part of the...