Free Republic

The following piece was written by Fr. Joseph Fessio, S.J., founder and editor of Ignatius Press, in response to the breaking story about a 1985 letter written by then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger to Bishop John S. Cummins of Oakland. The so-called "stalled pedophile case", blame for which has been laid at the feet of then-Cardinal Ratzinger, had nothing to do with pedophilia and everything to do with strengthening marriage and the priesthood. Here's what was happening in 1981 when Bishop Cummins of Oakland first wrote the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith asking that one the priests from his diocese...

One-time CIA operative Valerie Plame Wilson is one of many notables publicly opposing nuclear weapons. She once tracked "HEU" - highly enriched uranium - from one rogue nation to the next in her clandestine role. These days, Ms. Plame Wilson has written an anti-nuke Op-Ed for CNN, and taped a dramatic message for the network titled "Nukes Not OK." The no-nuke notables have a nook, however. Many have flocked to Global Zero, a motley, noisy group that has partnered with MoveOn.org and other groups to promote a planet free of nuclear weapons.

PLEASE SIGN OUR PETITION AT http://www.KarlRoveatUCM.comUC-Merced student government leaders are denying the conservative viewpoint on campus. Conservative activist, Mike Fincher, and his club at UC-Merced were working hard to raise funds from their school to host Karl Rove next fall. They submitted the budget to the associated students to pay for Rove's fee. However, the students government president, Juan Carmen, removed their budget request. No other group had their funding removed from the proposed budget. This Tyrant-in-Training Carmen claims this is because he didn't like the fact that Karl Rove's honorarium would take up some of the budget. I wonder...

Help the College Republicans at UC Merced bring Karl Rove to speak on campus. The school has spent well over a million dollars bringing prominent liberals (Michelle Obama, Jimmy Carter, Presidential Candidate for Socialist Party, etc.) to campus, but has failed to invite any conservatives. Our club has submitted a budget proposal requesting funds to get Mr. Rove to speak at UC Merced, however, the proposal has NOT been included in the preliminary budget. Please show your support for the initiative and take a couple minutes to sign the petition. We need as many signatures as possible, so feel free...

Atrocities go national, but heroic news is buried. Why? For many years it has irritated me a great deal what the national media decides is worthy to become national news. On April 1, I sat reading of a drive-by shooting in my old stomping grounds, Washington D.C. In the shooting, four were killed and five were wounded. Sensational stories dealing with the misuse of firearms always seem to make the headlines, and if the body count is high enough they go national. However, we almost never hear of a positive use of a firearm in the defense of the innocent...

A fossil skeleton of a child discovered in a cave system known as the Cradle of Humankind may represent a previously unknown stage in the evolution of man, The (London) Sunday Times reported. The skeleton, which is almost complete despite being two million years old, is believed to belong to one of the hominid groups that includes humans. Hominid fossil finds are usually little more than small bone fragments. Scientists hope such a complete find will help them to work out what our ancestors looked like and to determine key dates in their evolution from ape-man to man-ape. Experts who...

1. It destroys the balance of power between the three branches of government. The real issue here is not about improving quality and lowering the cost of healthcare, it is about the Executive branch of government seizing unchecked power and limiting the right of self-determination specifically reserved by states and the people in the 10th Amendment. 2. It is unconstitutional. Nowhere in the US Constitution or the 27 Amendments has the Federal government been authorized to mandate or even regulate healthcare. To do so usurps power and violates well-established states rights that existed before the Federal government was formed. 3....

A "missing link" between humans and their apelike ancestors has been discovered. The new species of hominid, the evolutionary branch of primates that includes humans, is to be revealed when the two-million-year-old skeleton of a child is unveiled this week. Scientists believe the almost-complete fossilised skeleton belonged to a previously-unknown type of early human ancestor that may have been a intermediate stage as ape-men evolved into the first species of advanced humans, Homo habilis.

Mr. Sulu does a PSA for the Census. Your tax dollars at work http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFCo1OtNXfA&feature=player_embedded

Defending Pope Benedict Over the last two weeks, an assault on the good name and reputation of Pope Benedict XVI has been launched by various Western media outlets, above all by the New York Times. In brief, Pope Benedict has been accused of being insufficiently responsive to incidences of the sexual abuse of children in the past. CMA members should keep Pope Benedict in their prayers, and be ready to effectively respond to these attacks whenever possible. Here are some resources to help with the latter task. Fr. Raymond de Souza responds to the many inaccuracies in the New York...

As CNN’s general ratings free fall continues, and with no big celebrity deaths (or similar “talky” events) to drive ratings, Larry King Live had its worst quarter overall for average viewership in the show’s history, falling to an average of just 767,000 viewers for shows during the quarter. That’s down 9% from the previous quarter’s 840,000 viewers for shows during the quarter which was, at the time, the lowest ever. Here’s a table of Larry King Live’s average viewers for shows during past quarters, in order of lowest to highest. Quarter Avg. Viewers (P2+) (000) 12/28/09-03/26/10 767 09/28/09-12/27/09 840...

Arthur Jibilian WTOL Toledo Aleksandra's Note: I had the great fortune, ironically due to unfortunate circumstances, of becoming acquainted with Debi Jibilian, Arthur's only daughter, in July of 2008. Early one morning, I received a voice mail message from her, where she identified who she was then proceeded to tell me that I needed to call her as soon as possible. It was one of those voice mails where you instinctively know it's not going to be "good news". I called as soon as I heard the message, and sure enough, it was bad news. Her Daddy had just been...

Hitler and Castro would be envious: http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=HcBaSP31Be8

Meghan McCain spoke to students at the George Washington University on Thursday as Young America’s Foundation protesters criticized her stance on gay marriage and counter-protesters showed their support for the daughter of Arizona Senator and former presidential candidate John McCain. Meghan McCain, who calls herself a “progressive Republican,” implored Republicans to “stop being so stubborn and closed-minded.” Throughout the night, McCain was critical of right-wing pundits, telling the audience, “I’m not Ann Coulter, I’m not Glenn Beck … I’m not trying to get my own show on Fox … I’m adamantly against hate-mongering.”There is “no place for the nasty Laura...

MARCH 25, 2010 U.S. Softens Sanction Plan Against Iran BY DAVID CRAWFORD, RICHARD BOUDREAUX, JOE LAURIA AND JAY SOLOMON VIENNA—The U.S. has backed away from pursuing a number of tough measures against Iran in order to win support from Russia and China for a new United Nations Security Council resolution on sanctions, according to people familiar with the matter. Among provisions removed from the original draft resolution the U.S. sent to key allies last month were sanctions aimed at choking off Tehran's access to international banking services and capital markets, and closing international airspace and waters to Iran's national air...

Sen. Graham just noted that students who get loans through the government-takeover of the student loan program (part of the health care bill) will pay $1700 more during the life of their loans. The student loan program, of course, is more vote-buying payback among many other vote-buying schemes from the "most ethical" congress, as Nancy Pelosi calls it. Students are encouraged to pay attention, learn, read, and realize they will be paying more student loan fees thanks to Obama and more taxes once they get a job.

As the vote for DeathCare commences, Fox Boston just ran a tease of a mob of Spanish-speaking criminal aliens holding a rally where their leaders are screaming into bullhorns, demanding blanket amnesty. Fox suggested that this will be Obama's next big success. Twenty million new Dem voters will make it impossible for the Repubs or any conservatives to ever again hold office.

Sarah is calling the Dems leftists, said that Cap and Tax and Amnesty for Illegals were up next

"DEERFIELD BEACH — A 15-year-old girl was viciously attacked by a boy outside Deerfield Beach Middle School on Wednesday afternoon and remains hospitalized with critical injuries, according to the Broward Sheriff's Office. Investigators have arrested a boy they say punched the girl, then smashed her head on the pavement and continued to kick her and stomp on her head with steel-toe boots as she lay unconscious, said Sheriff's Office spokesman Mike Jachles." http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/crime/girl-15-beaten-critically-hurt-at-deerfield-beach-385891.html

Zero is speeking to the village idiots. He is claiming no one is discussing the substance of the bill. The CABLE stations (FOX?) are just treating this like a ESPN game. Claims Families will keep their kids on their insurance until they are 26. So all you parents tht thought putting your kids through school. 21 was the magic number for them to begin taking care of themselves..NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, ZERO has just extended your largesse to 26. He is really upset by the Rasmussen Poll. Attacking polls.