Free Republic

RON DESANTIS IS BACK TO RUNNING Florida’s government. But he hasn’t really stopped running for president. Next month, DeSantis hosts a two-day presidential-donor gathering at the Hard Rock Hotel in South Florida that’s billed as—don’t call it a “fundraiser”—an “Investor Appreciation Retreat.” It’s the latest phase of an image makeover DeSantis started after he officially dropped out of the 2024 race on January 21 and endorsed Donald Trump. For the past month, DeSantis has hosted one-on-one thank-you calls with donors, small meetings with more of these “investors” in Naples and in Miami, and conference calls with former volunteers. In a...

Rob Allyn ...A longtime Republican strategist, Mr. Allyn has found himself in the cross hairs of conservative critics in the last week after signing a contract with Mexico's foreign ministry to lead a campaign to strengthen the country's image in the United States. A CNN anchor asked Mr. Allyn whether Mexico was "dabbling in U.S. policy" by hiring him as a marketer. Bill O'Reilly of Fox News, describing Mexico as a "corrupt, chaotic country" with 40 percent unemployment (it is closer to 4 percent) told him in another interview that he had his work cut out for him... Mr. Allyn's...

Russian army beauties wow nation at Miss Army 2005 Wed Jun 22, 8:26 AM ET MOSCOW (AFP) - A Miss Army contest in which Russian female soldiers took to the catwalk cheered on by admiring male colleagues captured the nation's imagination, getting prime-time television coverage. Lieutenant Ksenia Agarkova smiles after winning the Miss Army beauty contest in Moscow. The contest captured the nation's imagination, getting prime-time television coverage.(AFP) The show on Tuesday night at Moscow's Russian Army Theatre pitched 19 finalists against each other for the chance to be crowned Miss Army and have their image on national television as...