Free Republic

Not so many moons ago, President Obama urged us all to "make sure that we are talking with each other in a way that heals, not a way that wounds." He Who Heals advocated "a more civil and honest public discourse" in the wake of the January 2011 Tucson massacre. As usual, though, the White House has granted Big Labor bullies a permanent waiver from the lofty edicts it issues to everyone else. This week, menacing union goons unleashed threats, profanity and punches in Michigan, which is now poised to become a "right-to-work" state. Obama met the initial outbreak of...

ITALY'S Parliament failed to elect the country's new president in a second round of voting, further delaying centre-left leader Romano Prodi's bid to get a mandate to form a government. More than 700 of the nearly 1000 electors comprising members of Parliament and regional representatives submitted blank ballots, making it impossible for any one candidate to obtain the necessary two-thirds of votes. Mr Prodi's Union coalition has been pushing for Communist Giorgio Napolitano, a widely respected senator-for-life, to assume the presidency. But members of the conservative coalition of outgoing Premier Silvio Berlusconi said they were not ready to yield. Casting...