Free Republic

Like thousands of other Washingtonians worried about family and friends in New Orleans after Katrina struck the Crescent City, former Rep. Bob Livingston (R-La.) and his wife, Bonnie, had some uneasy moments last week. Livingston, the former Appropriations Committee chairman turned successful lobbyist, said his 83-year-old mother escaped to Shreveport with his sister and brother-in-law. His wife’s mother, also 83, fled the city just in time. Livingston had to wait for word of the fate of his oldest son’s in-laws. On Friday, he received word that they were safe. Livingston represented the New Orleans metro area for more than 20...

"Red Ken" Livingstone was playing Winston Churchill the day of the bloody London bombings. He sounded just the right mix of sadness and defiance to the terrorists "... even after your cowardly attack, you will see that…people from around the world will arrive in London…to be free, they come to live the life they choose, they come to be able to be themselves." Ken Livingstone is fast enough on his feet to denounce terrorists today and enable them tomorrow. It was Red Ken who scapegoated the half-Jewish leader of the Conservative Party in the recent election, in order to appeal...

All of us who make our living inside the Beltway tend to develop pretty thick hides. I know Tom DeLay has one of the thickest. I am also fully aware of the time-honored tradition in a minority party--a "bombs away" attack agenda. The problem I have is the seemingly complete abdication of any independent thought by major media like the New York Times and the Washington Post. These two venerable newspapers are confirming every Republican suspicion about East Coast media institutions. Coming on the heels of the Dan Rather and CBS News debacle during the presidential campaign, even the most...

On March 24, former Congressman Bob Livingston was sent an e-mail by a New York Times editorial page staffer suggesting he write an op-ed essay. Would Livingston, who in 1998 gave up certain elevation to be House speaker because of a sexual affair, write about how Majority Leader Tom DeLay should now act under fire? In a subsequent conversation, it was made clear the Times wanted the prominent Republican to say DeLay should step aside for the good of the party. Livingston in effect declined by responding that if he wrote anything for the Times, it would be pro-DeLay. But...

<p>We hope Secretary of State Colin Powell was privately embarrassed when, two days into a catastrophic disaster that hit 12 of the world's poorer countries and will cost billions of dollars to meliorate, he held a press conference to say that America, the world's richest nation, would contribute $15 million. That's less than half of what Republicans plan to spend on the Bush inaugural festivities.</p>

The purpose of FreeRepublic.com's multiple message boards is to limit the topics for each board to particular topics. Posting the same message on all the boards defeats the purpose of multiple-boards for special topics. It is very annoying to see the same message on every bulletin board. PLEASE! DO THE READERS A FAVOR. STOP CROSS-POSTING YOUR MESSAGES!

Hopefuls say it's hard to stand out in 1st District race By JOE GYAN JR. jgyan@theadvocate.com New Orleans bureau METAIRIE -- Louisiana's 1st Congressional District election is a little more than two weeks away, but the six-man contest has generated about as much excitement as a clerk of court race. Five first-time political office-seekers are chasing clear front-runner and 2003 gubernatorial bridesmaid Bobby Jindal for the right to represent constituents on both sides of Lake Pontchartrain in Washington, D.C. "It's the hardest thing I've ever had to do," health-care consultant Mike Rogers said of trying to get his name before...

I'm on the road often, and in the last month, wanted to see how many Bush stickers(And Anti-Kerry stickers like Stop Hanoi John and Not Fonda Kerry), John Kerry stickers, and Kerry/Edwards stickers I've seen. I did not count non candidate mentioning related stickers like Union stickers, NRA stickers, or Choose Life stickes. Most of my travels are in two counties, one of which is staunch republican and one which is staunch democrat. I divided most of this up in three sections. Bush stickers, the John Kerry stickers without Edwards(and anti-Bush), and Kerry/Edwards. I seperated the stickers, since the non...

LIVINGSTON - With a brisk walk, actress Susan Sarandon made an unannounced trip Wednesday to Texas to visit her pen pal — a convicted murderer on death row. She had corresponded with the inmate, James Vernon Allridge III, for several years after buying some of the detailed drawings of flowers and animals he creates with colored pencils. Prison officials said she had only recently been put on his visitation list, and she would not tip her hand as to why she had come to see Allridge, who is scheduled for execution Aug. 26. "I'm trying to be as low-profile as...

'Fahrenheit 9_11' film not so hot in county By Christopher Nagy DAILY PRESS & ARGUS "Fahrenheit 9_11" heated up theaters across the country, but in highly Republican Livingston County the clamor to see the film was tepid. "It was OK," said Dennis Redmer, director of operations for MJR Brighton Towne Square Cinema 20. "It played a lot better in New York, Los Angeles, Washington and Philadelphia than it did in the Midwest. It was good, but not great." Nationally, the latest film from Michael Moore took in $21.8 million in its first three days, becoming the first documentary to debut...

Ex-state employee, political organizer to challenge Rogers The Associated Press 5/6/2004, 3:57 p.m. ET LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Retired state employee, teacher and political organizer Bob Alexander announced Thursday that he is seeking the Democratic nomination for the U.S. House of Representatives' 8th District. Alexander announced his challenge to U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Brighton, in a gravel parking lot across the street from the former Wohlert Corp. in Lansing. Citing foreign competition, the automotive supplier went out of business in January, putting 245 employees out of work. "This spot demonstrates the failures of (President) Bush and Mike Rogers in Washington,"...

County GOP chair runs for supervisor By Kevin Shopshire DAILY PRESS & ARGUS Hamburg Township resident Cindy Pine has thrown down the gauntlet in announcing late Monday her intention to run for Hamburg Township supervisor. Pine, the chair of the Livingston County Republican Committee since November 2002, said incumbent Howard Dillman is not doing the job he was elected to do by making the position part time and hiring a deputy supervisor, and she is calling for new leadership in the township. "I'm running to be a full-time supervisor who will serve the township residents," she said. "That's in stark...

<p>BATON ROUGE - Bobby Jindal publicly congratulated Gov.-elect Kathleen Blanco on Sunday in a press conference where he offered to assist in her transition but not to work in her administration.</p> <p>Jindal, who lost the governor's race Saturday by 54,567 votes in unofficial returns, said he called Blanco twice Saturday night, the second time to congratulate her and her husband, Raymond "Coach" Blanco.</p>

<p>HOWELL -- Voters in Livingston County's two cities will go to the polls Tuesday to elect city council representatives.</p> <p>But little will change in either city.</p> <p>Howell has the only contested race: Kirk Nagley is challenging incumbent council members Sue Dolato, Steven L. Manor and Donald G. Miller. Howell Mayor Geraldine K. Moen is running unopposed for another two-year term.</p>

West Nile detected in Livingston County mosquitos The Associated Press 7/15/2003, 2:28 p.m. ET HOWELL, Mich. (AP) — Three mosquitos trapped in residential areas of Livingston County have tested positive for West Nile virus, according to results from Michigan State University. The results were announced Monday by the county Department of Public Health. The mosquitos were found in traps in Howell as well as Brighton and Marion townships. "These positive test results confirm the presence of West Nile virus in Livingston County," the department said. "However, this does not indicate that (the virus) is present in only these three areas....

Citizens for a Sound Economy June 19, 2003 By : Rob Jordan Going “Toe-to-Toe” with The Organized Left Michigan CSE protests Senator Levin’s blocking of judicial nominees Brighton, MI - The powerful Union forces of the organized left were in for shock when they encountered a highly organized and well-poised group of CSE activists at an annual event featuring U.S. Senator Carl Levin (D-MI). The Michigan Chapter of CSE turned out the troops to demonstrate opposition to Levin’s blocking of the federal judicial nominations made by President Bush. The rally was headed by Steve Williams, a Michigan CSE Volunteer Chapter...

Are People banned from this site? Are opposing views not welcomed? Why, YES.....Over the past 5-6 years I have had to change my log-in several times..Due to a "Banning". I have received over 132 e-mails from "Freepers" that were also banned. I enjoy reading most of the postings...I start my morning on this site. But I have learned not to reply or post any opposing views...until now. I'm sure this posting will vanish and once again I will be "banned". Until another screen name my friends.

Sorry if this was already posted. I did not find it on the NJ search list and my mother, sister and other family members live in this town in NJ. Please excuse this if it has already been posted. This is the first I am seeing it.

THE 225TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE "We Hold These Truths" by Stephen B. Presser Is the Declaration of Independence part of the federal Constitution? The short answer, of course, is "no." For the Declaration to be part of the Constitution, it would have to have been included in the original document ratified by at least nine of the conventions held in the original 13 states between 1787 and 1789, or added by amendment, which requires a two-thirds vote of both houses of Congress and the assent of three quarters of the state legislatures. The Declaration was never ratified...