Free Republic

Well over three-quarters of Americans would support a nationwide mask mandate, a Hill-HarrisX survey revealed on Monday. The survey, taken July 26-27 among 948 registered voters, asked, “Would you support or oppose a national mandate to wear a face mask?” A hefty majority, 82 percent, said they would support such a mandate. Only 18 percent opposed. Of the 82 percent, 61 percent said they would “strongly” support the measure, and 21 percent said they would “somewhat” support it. Voters appear to be united on the issue across various age groups, races, and party lines. A majority of Republicans, 66 percent,...

Now that the Supreme Court has upheld President Barack Obama's health care initiative, will Congress have to rewrite it from scratch? It's not a paradoxical question. The court signed off on nearly all of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, but it struck down one provision, and in doing so — whether it knew it or not — it may have put the poorest Americans at the greatest risk of being left without any health insurance. Chief Justice John Roberts said as part of the 5-4 decision that states can't be penalized for refusing to join the law's expansion...

WASHINGTON — Far from chastened by off-year election setbacks, congressional Democrats vowed no let-up in the drive to pass controversial health care Wednesday, arguing that the way to regain voter trust was to complete what they started in more prosperous political times. Any suggestion that "we ought to run like scalded dogs from trying to fix health care for this country is wrong. I believe the judgment might be more punishing if we throw in the towel because it's difficult," said North Dakota Rep. Earl Pomeroy, a political moderate and supporter of the legislation. Speaker Nancy Pelosi hopes to have...

No year that saw a 778-point single-day stock market drop, the price of oil fluctuate by more than $100 a barrel and the death of Irvine Robbins -- the inventor of Jamoca Almond Fudge ice cream -- can be called good. But the election of Barack Obama as president made 2008 important. During a long political season, Obama was both charming and charmed -- favored by the gods of economic catastrophe, who turned a tight election into a Democratic mandate. A neophyte senator managed to combine inspiration with organization, progressive ideals with a conservative temperament, and a message of change...

Chief Justice William Rehnquist liked to take small groups of Supreme Court law clerks to lunch at the Monocle, an old Capitol Hill watering hole near the Senate. He ordered the same meal every time, a hamburger and a beer. Just as predictably, one of the young clerks would ask the chief justice of the United States for career advice. "Go home," he would say. It was only the mischievous twinkle in Rehnquist's eye that persuaded the listeners not to immediately clean out their desks right after lunch. As the chief justice would explain, the states, not Washington, presented the...

Canadians gave Conservative Stephen Harper a victory, but no mandate, in Monday's election. The voters gave his party 124 seats in Parliament, 31 short of a majority, meaning a coalition government with the inevitable compromises. The outcome seemed less voter enchantment with Harper and his agenda than weariness with the Liberal Party, grown stale and corruption-prone after 13 years in office. However, if not a sharp turn to the right for Canada, Harper's election does have it edging in that direction. He campaigned on cutting taxes, getting tough on crime, turning more power over to the provinces, replacing government-funded day...

W A S H I N G T O N, Sept. 26 — Democrat Al Gore, criticizing President Bush as he tests the waters for another possible presidential bid, accused the administration Thursday of an "attack on civil liberties" and ignoring signs that Osama bin Laden had been planning a terrorist attack on U.S. soil. It was the former vice president's second scathing attack on Bush in a week.Speaking at a Democratic fund-raising breakfast in Wilmington, Del., Gore took issue with the administration's handling of intelligence information prior to the Sept. 11 attacks and for its treatment of some terrorism...