Free Republic

Attracting immediate fire from congressional Republicans, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission on Wednesday outlined a modified "net neutrality" plan that would expand the federal government's power to regulate traffic over the Internet. FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, President Obama's pick to head the agency, said he was pushing for an FCC board vote later this month on his proposal - before the next Congress is seated with a GOP majority in the House and an expanded Republican minority in the Senate. The chairman's modified proposal was seen as decidedly more friendly to business interests than a proposal he outlined...

WASHINGTON - The chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, breaking ranks with the president on domestic eavesdropping, says he wants a special court to oversee the program. But less than a day later, a top aide to Sen. Pat Roberts (news, bio, voting record), R-Kan., sought to clarify his position. Roberts told The New York Times that he is concerned that the secret court established by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act could not issue warrants as quickly as the monitoring program requires. But he is optimistic that the problem could be worked out. "You don't want to have a situation...

The BBC was quick to put a negative spin on Afghanistan’s first democratic election ever, held on Saturday. The Beeb’s website headlined, “Afghan vote ends in controversy.” The story pointed out a possible election boycott by opposition candidates due to “voting irregularities.” By Sunday, the BBC was already backpedaling, announcing, “Afghan vote boycott 'crumbling'” and “Observers approve Afghan election.” Today, the Washington Post announced, “Afghan Election Concerns Subside: Several Candidates Back Off Assertions Of Voter Fraud.” The so-called “controversy” dealt with indelible ink that election workers were applying to voters’ thumbs after they cast their ballots. Some voters were able...

<p>SACRAMENTO (AP) - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has quietly incorporated a private nonprofit group that can help advance his political goals without disclosing the source of its money.</p> <p>Organizers insist the new corporation, which can raise money, lobby lawmakers and conduct polls, won't be used to hide special-interest donations to Schwarzenegger. But they acknowledged it could legally avoid disclosure under a variety of circumstances.</p>