Free Republic

VIDEO Did the performance of Kamala Harris at the last debate seem a bit...odd? Perhaps she had a bit too much liquid refreshment which led to her outbreaks of laughter.

Rep. Patrick Kennedy (news, bio, voting record) crashed his car near the Capitol early Thursday, and a police official said he appeared intoxicated. Kennedy said he had taken sleep medication and a prescription anti-nausea drug that can cause drowsiness. Kennedy, D-R.I., addressed the issue after a spate of news reports. His initial statement said: "I consumed no alcohol prior to the incident."'Later, however, he issued a longer statement saying the attending physician for Congress had prescribed Phenergan on Tuesday to treat Kennedy's gastroenteritis.Kennedy said he returned to his Capitol Hill home on Wednesday evening after a final series of votes...

The former director of the Kickapoo Indian health care program was sentenced Monday to 15 years in federal prison for scheming to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from the tribe. Maricela Mendoza, 50, was convicted last year of money laundering and theft after a six-day trial in federal court. Evidence showed that she forged and cashed numerous tribal checks. Testifying in her own defense, Mendoza admitted cashing the checks, but claimed the money was used for legitimate tribal purposes. However, evidence showed that Mendoza converted most of the checks to cash at a Mr. Payroll in Eagle Pass, where...