Free Republic

Republican Rep. Charlie Dent (Pa.) said Saturday that the firing of Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe on Friday looked to be a "vindictive" move by the president. In an interview with CNN, Dent said that while he would wait for the inspector general's report to judge McCabe, his firing looked like retribution from the White House. "This firing looks a bit forced, a bit rushed. Candidly, it looks like retribution and a bit vindictive," Dent said. "And I think it's unfortunate. The man said he's resigning, you know, and on a Friday night before his 50th birthday he's fired to...

They call themselves Main Street Republicans, moderates consigned to the back alleys of politics by their own party. But despite a severe bruising in the fall election, this minority within a minority finds itself with new avenues to explore, including working more closely with Democrats. The Republican Main Street Partnership, a leading voice of GOP moderates in Congress, lost seven of its 48 House members to Democratic challengers in the November election. Two other senior members, Rep. Sherwood Boehlert, R-N.Y., and Jim Kolbe, R-Ariz., are retiring. The group also saw Sen. Lincoln Chafee, R-R.I., one of its eight Senate members...

Nissan has just announced a new version of its entry level Versa sedan today, along with an MSRP that will make that car the lowest priced in the country—$9990 before destination and handling ($10,685 after). The new base model Versa replaces the standard 1.8-liter four with a 1.6-liter unit, an engine that produces 107 horsepower and can deliver 34 miles per gallon on the highway (26 city) when paired with the standard five-speed manual transmission. The optional four-speed automatic delivers a slightly lower 26/33 mpg rating. As you might expect, Nissan has decontented the Versa somewhat to be able to...

Harley-Davidson motorcycle dealers who have charged premium prices for bikes are easing back on the throttle as sales slow and customers wait for Harley's 2008 product lineup that's being announced in July. American consumers are spending less in certain areas, including motorcycles, boats and all-terrain vehicles, Craig Kennison, a Robert W. Baird & Co. analyst, said Monday. To assess current trends, Kennison recently surveyed 40 Harley dealers in the U.S. and Canada. What he found was retail demand was weaker than expected. More bikes were selling below the manufacturer's suggested retail price, and dealers were discounting 2007 models to clear...