Free Republic

Eighteen months ago I was asked about the upcoming presidential election. I responded by saying I could not foresee a scenario by which Hillary! wouldn’t win the election handily. I guess I could be forgiven for not predicting the messianic ascension of Saint Osama Obama, since he had been elected to national office only a few weeks earlier. My assessment of the electorate at Christmas 2006 was that they still revered the Clintons and would keep on voting for one of them until the cows came home. But I digress for a moment, as this piece is about the election,...

Dolly Parton is threatening to sue "The Howard Stern Show" for manipulating recordings from one of her audio books last week into seemingly racist and sexually graphic sound bites. The country performer released a statement Wednesday saying editing or trickery made it appear she was commenting on topics and celebrities including Kenny Rogers, Linda Ronstadt, Burt Reynolds and Johnny Carson in a segment that aired May 6.

-- John McCain Speaking in Columbus Ohio today, May 15th 2008.

A federal employee from Henry County, and his wife, will face federal charges in connection with an alleged immigration scheme. Hasmukh C. Patel, 52, of McDonough, was formally charged Tuesday, with conspiracy to encourage aliens to remain in the United States illegally. Authorities say over a period of more than two years, Patel and his wife, Nitigna, 46, facilitated unlawful acquisitions of visas. The alleged conspiracy began in March 2005, while Hasmukh Patel worked as a business interface representative for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The 10-page indictment states Hasmukh Patel received money from a foreign national, in exchange for...

Clinton navigates ‘perfect storm’ of naysayers Gene Lyons It’s long been my opinion that if Hillary Clinton could be appointed president, nobody could do the job better. In a parliamentary system, she’d stand an excellent chance of becoming prime minister, since political parties tend to select leaders more on the basis of competence than the dubious skills of a game show host. Like Al Gore, Clinton is seen by friends as warm, funny and empathetic. She does better in small groups and town hall-type events than in large arenas. Also like Gore, she’s motivated more by duty than most politicians....

Do you think the new law to allow guns in restaurants, parks and on public transportation is a good idea? Yes No Undecided

Yes, this is a vanity...but an important one. Calling all Freepers to support Buddy Witherspoon for US Senate. He's going up against Lindsey Grahamnesty on June 10th. We've got an opportunity to throw this guy out of office for good. Remember Graham spoke before La Raza and stated: "We're going to tell the bigots to shut up!" watch the video here: Witherspoon needs donations. I don't even live in South Carolina but have donated to his campaign. Let's give Grahamnesty the boot.

American psychologists have unearthed a “marital rating scale” used by marriage counsellors in 1939 to assess the performance of wives – and the categories make interesting reading for modern couples brought up to believe in the equality of the sexes. Women are awarded marks if they dress for breakfast, ask their husband’s opinions on important decisions and let their partners sleep late on Sundays and holidays.....

COLERAIN TOWNSHIP, Ohio — A southwest Ohio man who planned to be buried next to his mother found someone else already in his grave. David L. Bingham says someone who shares his name has taken over his final resting place in Colerain Township.

A solar powered bra that can charge a phone! May 14, 2008 Lingerie maker Triumph International, Japan, on Wednesday unveiled a 'solar powered bra' that can generate enough power to charge a cell phone or an iPod. The environmentally friendly, green-coloured bra sports a solar panel that can be worn around the stomach. The bra is equipped with a solar panel which generates electricity using sunlight and distributes it to various types of electrical devices when the power cable is connected. The bra was revealed prior to the 2008 G8 Hokkaido Toyoko Summit that will address environmental issues. The bra,...

SWAMPSCOTT - Officials decided to lock down the Clarke School Tuesday after a raccoon bit a school crossing guard minutes before school was released for the day. According to Detective Sgt. Tim Cassidy, Judith Hapgood was stationed at the Clarke School on Norfolk Avenue just after 2 p.m. when she felt something rub against her leg and was then bitten by a raccoon. School Resource Officer Rose Cheever was contacted and she immediately contacted officials at Clarke School and administrative offices. Cassidy said the school was placed in lockdown until the raccoon was disposed of. He said the animal was...

KNZR-AM Bakersfield Talk-host Jaz McKay finds himself involved in a controversy over some phony Barack Obama bumperstickers posted on the station website. The graphics feature the Obama '08 graphic with phrases such as “Kill Whitey” and “Yes We Can…kill white folks” beneath the logo. McKay tells KGET-TV “It’s a joke, please get over it.” KTEG also reports that station management stands by the controversial host. Also: http://www.kget.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=52e9ca64-c1aa-4c64-bf94-6c85ab06b9e9 (Has video. Logos are off the website.) Local radio talk show host Jaz McKay is taking some heat after some controversial Barack Obama bumper stickers found their way onto the station's website. McKay...

Talk about hair of the dog ... Now man's best friend could become his best drinking buddy, too, thanks to a beer designed especially for dogs. Sold in a glass bottle with a contented German Shepherd pictured on the label, beef-flavoured Dog Beer is being pioneered at a Derby pet shop. Non-alcoholic and said to have nutritional value by retailer Pets at Home, the drink is proving popular with customers at the Meteor Centre store, according to manager Mike Hall. "There's potassium, protein and fats in there. There's nothing in there to harm them, that's for sure. "People are going...

America's Recession-Proof Cities Nationally, home prices are falling, unemployment is on the rise and the economy is expected to grow slowly--or even contract--in the first half of the year. But some cities are doing just fine. Oklahoma City, OklahomaSan Antonio, TexasAustin, TexasHouston, texasCharlotte, N.C.Dallas, TexasSan Jose, CARaleigh, N.C.Salt Lake City, UtahSeattle, WA

Just wondering this guy is hysterical!!!!

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Research on SwiftFuel© Swift Enterprises Ltd. has unveiled a new general aviation fuel that is less expensive, fuel-efficient and environmentally friendlier than any on the market, said co-founder John Rusek. The general aviation industry includes all flights other than military and scheduled airline flights, both private and commercial. Data on Swift Enterprises' 100 percent renewable general aviation fuel was presented April 28 at an annual meeting of an international committee that oversees aviation fuel standards. Unlike current biomass fuels, SwiftFuel is comprised of synthetic hydrocarbons derived from biomass. Rusek said it can provide an effective range...

This thread is for the purpose of discussion regarding fundraising efforts. Free Republic is sustained by voluntary contributions. There is no paid advertising and, hence, no pop up or banner ads. We all know, and hopefully, appreciate this. We all also know of the quarterly fund raising campaign, a.k.a. the Freepathon. Love ‘em or hate ‘em - this is how a great deal of the money is obtained to pay expenses. Some of us know of the monthly donor option. We can elect to have an automatic deduction made from a credit card account. There have been some private discussions...

Today is a huge day for me - 9 years CANCER FREE. On May 13, 1999 I was laying in a hospital bed recovering from cancer surgery to remove my right kidney, uretor and about 1/3 of my bladder. On that day I was given a new lease on life, and I cherish every single day the good lord gives me now. No matter what you have gone through, no matter how many family members may fight this horrible disease, nothing will ever prepare you for the moment your doctor looks across that desk and utters those three chilling words,...

The Union Police May 12, 2008; Page A14 Unions keep losing membership as a share of the national workforce, which explains why organized labor's main political focus is changing the rules to force more workers into unions. Witness a bill that Senate Democrats are pushing this week to require that hundreds of thousands of local police and firemen submit to collective bargaining. Under current law, every state has the ability to set policies that govern its public workforce. In some states, police, firefighters and paramedics belong to unions that collectively bargain for their contracts. In others, unions representing public-security workers...