Free Republic

The largest one-day stock market fall in all of U.S. history took place Thursday, but it did not come as a surprise to readers of Financial Intelligence Report (FIR). FIR has been warning for months that an “automatic” correction was in the works due to two factors: 1) the high number of stop orders placed on auto-trade with brokers and 2) the automatic expiration of the Bush tax cuts at the end of this year. Back in October 2009, our monthly advisory — published by Newsmax — warned that many investors were nervous about their equity investments and had been...

President Barack Obama launched a new initiative Friday to conserve cherished land and encourage more Americans to enjoy the outdoors. The president said the "America's Great Outdoors" program will involve a series of listening sessions throughout the nation to solicit an array of ideas. *snip* Obama is to receive a report by Nov. 15 outlining an action plan to both reconnect Americans to nature and enhance conservation efforts. Eight departments and the White House Office of Management and Budget are to work with the initiative to "identify existing resources," and to align policies to meet the initiative's goals.

[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 160 (Thursday, August 20, 2009)] [Notices] = [Pages 42077-42079] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: E9-20021] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request AGENCY: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, HHS. ACTION: Notice. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: This notice announces the intention of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to request that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approve the proposed information collection project: ``2010-2011 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Insurance Component.'' In...

As NewsBuster Matthew Vadum reported Wednesday, a race-baiting group named Color Of Change -- co-founded by President Obama's "Green Jobs Czar" Van Jones -- has launched a campaign to get companies to stop advertising on Glenn Beck's television program. Recent press releases from COC concerning Beck have listed as the contact "Brandon Hatler -- Sunshine, Sachs & Associates." As Variety reported in May 2007, SSA is a powerful New York-based public relations firm with quite an impressive list of clients: Current clients include Ben Affleck, Jon Bon Jovi, Kelly Clarkson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jimmy Fallon, the Farrelly brothers, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu,...

"When I watch the news people stand here and tell me that I am a member of a hired mob, that I've been called up by the Republican Party, they only wish they could have done something like this. I've never been contacted by any organized group." So fabulously stated a caller during Saturday's "Washington Journal" on C-SPAN in a monologue that is likely to go viral throughout the Internet and possibly make the speaker America's next Joe the Plumber.

I cannot remember where I read it, alas, but some news story, some months ago, pointed out that in anticipation of health care reform, the former Director of the Congressional Budget Office--and the current Director of the Office of Management and Budget--Peter Orszag, increased the hiring of staff economists well versed in the fiscal and economic consequences of any changes in the health care system. With these new hires, Orszag hoped that CBO would be well-prepared to turn out quick and accurate estimates of any health reform legislation. One imagines that while the current CBO Director, Doug Elmendorf, is happy...

If, like me, you haven't had time over the last few days to keep up with the story of Barack Obama's firing of Gerald Walpin, the Inspector General who has responsibility for the AmeriCorps program (Bruon York) will bring you up to speed. The story is an interesting one that sheds light on the lawless, bullying nature of the Obama administration. Walpin, who by statute is supposed to be independent of White House control, ran afoul of Obama because he investigated a charity operated by former pro basketball player Kevin Johnson, a prominent Obama supporter. The non-profit, St. Hope, received...

"My grandfather paid for Carlisle Chevrolet from his labors. My father paid my grandmother for Carlisle Chevrolet through his efforts. It took me nearly 20 years to pay my parents for Carlisle Chevrolet. It took GM and Chrysler a mere 24 hours to take Carlisle Chevrolet from me."

Video - Rep. Ted Poe

President Obama repeatedly insists that American foreign policy be conducted with modesty and humility. Above all, there will be no more "dictating" to other countries. *snip* In Middle East negotiations, he told al-Arabiya, America will henceforth "start by listening, because all too often the United States starts by dictating." *snip* In his much-heralded "Muslim world" address in Cairo yesterday, Obama declared that the Palestinian people's "situation" is "intolerable." Indeed it is, the result of 60 years of Palestinian leadership that gave its people corruption, tyranny, religious intolerance and forced militarization; leadership that for three generations rejected every offer of independence...

“I have to admire the residents of Iroquois territory for assuming that they have a right to determine where Jews lives in Jerusalem.” Thus did Israeli government press director Daniel Seamen caustically dismiss President Obama’s opposition to Israel’s right to “natural growth” of its settlements in Arab East Jerusalem and on the West Bank. Though Obama’s address in Cairo broke no new ground, it confirmed to the world that a new day has arrived and a sea change has taken place. The Israel-centric Middle East policy of George W. Bush is dead. And with the policy change has come rhetorical...

Mark Alexander From Patriot Post Vol. 09 No. 21; Published 28 May 2009 | Print Email PDF "The consciousness of having discharged that duty which we owe to our country is superior to all other considerations." --George Washington Every week, the greatest challenge I face as publisher of The Patriot Post is determining which subject among all the current news and policy issues concerning liberty and constitutional integrity should be the target of my weekly column. I mention this because deep into this week's treatise and just a few hours ahead of deadline, I received a message from one of...

Published on 5/28/2009 in the Riverside Press The above ad appeared in several national newspapers this week including the The Wilmington News Journal on page A18, Thursday, May 28, 2009, and The Riverside Press. The ad is in support of the Chrysler National Dealer Council. Exit82 reported: The ad is a full page and reads like a BS account of why the elimination of dealers was necessary, good for Chrysler, so sorry it had to happen to some of our friends, blah, blah, blah. I believe this ad was part of a nationwide ad buy in many papers because it...

When people talk about the problems that have driven Chrysler to bankruptcy and General Motors to the brink thereof, they usually have in mind the companies' excessive commitments to those who build their cars: the high wages, lavish benefits and irrational work rules written into union contracts. *snip* Closing down dealers thus requires a big outlay of cash that produces dividends only in the long run: It cost GM $583 million to compensate its 699 Oldsmobile dealers after it decided in 2000 to phase out the brand. That's $840,000 per. . . . *snip* "What dealers need to do is...