Free Republic

<p>Supposed to commemorate this?</p>

By the time they're done with him, GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich will look like a leading Democratic spokesman as the party moves quickly to harness his attacks on Republican plans to change Medicare. According to party sources, they plan to use Gingrich's assault on House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan's plan in a bid to knock down every Republican who voted for it. "By calling Paul Ryan's budget 'radical' and 'right-wing social engineering,' Newt merely echoed criticisms millions of Americans across the political spectrum have voiced at house Republicans' budget for weeks now," says Ryan Rudominer, a Democratic consultant...

This morning Republicans are just beginning to assess the damage that former House Speaker and current presidential candidate Newt Gingrich has done to the GOP budget plan currently before Congress. On "Meet the Press" Sunday, Gingrich denounced House Budget Committee chairman Paul Ryan's plan to restructure Medicare, saying, "I don't think right-wing social engineering is any more desirable than left-wing social engineering. I don't think imposing radical change from the right or the left is a very good way for a free society to operate."

<p>US President Barack Obama has awarded himself a B plus for his first 11 months in office, stressing in an interview with Oprah Winfrey that there was still much to be done.</p> <p>"A good solid B plus," Mr Obama said during an hour-long, intimate soft-focus ABC network Christmas at the White House special, when Winfrey asked what grade he would give himself.</p>

George Clooney is convinced he ruined John Kerry's chances in the race for US president in 2004 - by snubbing an invitation and hurting his feelings. The Ocean's Twelve actor was one of several screen stars invited to ride on Kerry's election train, but it all went downhill for the Democrat when Clooney stayed away. He recalls: "Kerry asked me to ride on his train - he had a train going cross-country after he was nominated and some actors went on board. I called him and explained that I couldn't do it. I'd hurt him. I'd actually caused him harm...

MIDI - DO YOU HEAR THE PEOPLE SING - scroll down the site for the MIDI Can you hear the FReepers sing We lift our voices to the sky And we are swearing to our God That we will all live free or die Many brave men gave their lives So that this nation could be free If we will stand and fight We honor their memory England ruled from afar until the brave among them said We won't accept the tyranny, we'll show them kings are dead So they grabbed their weapons and fought and America's born Can...

Give me one reason why "judicial extraordinaire" Harriet Miers is qualified to sit on the highest court in the land, the Supreme Court. One.

It's time for politicians to protect the film industry and implement stiff anti-piracy laws. According to the Motion Picture Association of America, "pirates are costing the film industry billions of dollars each year." Thank you, J. Scott Davis

Why not me? Congressman Chris Cox, who I have had the pleasure of voting for at least twice, has been promoted out of Congress into the SEC. I guess he has gotten bored with Tom DeLay's strong-arm tactics and the Senate Republican's whining/sniveling. ("We only have a majority in the Senate, 5 more Republicans and we can do what we want... I mean, 12 more.") This just in, the Green Party is courting McCain for 2008, I think he's got the nomination sewed up. It occurred to me that my name is almost certainly not on the ballot, and I...

DULUTH, Ga. — Local police are investigating the disappearance of a Georgia woman who is supposed to get married on Saturday. Jennifer Wilbanks has not been seen since she went jogging in Duluth, Ga., Tuesday night, Gwinnett County police said. Wilbanks, 32, described as 5-foot-8, 120 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes, was last seen in the downtown Duluth area at 8:30 p.m. She was wearing a gray sweatshirt, blue sweatpants and blue New Balance running shoes. Her fiancé, John Mason, said Wilbanks left the house around 8:30 p.m. for her jog "in good spirits" and said she would...