Free Republic

The Arnold Schwarzenegger candidacy may become a classic contest for activists to decide whether they are Republicans or conservatives first. Republicans are urging everyone to jump on the bandwagon, to "wake up and smell the Arnie," to take the pragmatic step that will guarantee the ouster of incompetent Gov. Gray Davis. But what do conservatives gain for this leap of faith? This movie star’s campaign still is not presenting any concrete positions, conservative or liberal. He would like to be seen as a fiscal conservative, but Schwarzenegger has signed no anti-tax pledge nor offered any spending cuts or bureaucratic reforms....

The Ten Commandment exterminators are out in full force. All around America, public displays of the Ten Commandments are the object of lawsuits, ACLU threats, city council battles, and civil disobedience. As Slate magazine writes, “It’s starting to be the Summer of Decalogues....(snip .....the people who are offended by the Ten Commandments are the ones who are eager to make it easier to violate them. They may not be murderers, rapists, and robbers, but they probably want greater leeway in the sentencing of thugs. They probably don’t cheat on taxes, but they didn’t mind when a president lied in court....

Nation-building begins at home. Earlier this month, a reporter for The State newspaper in Columbia, S.C., asked students from two local elementary schools why we celebrate the Fourth of July. Kids from one school said what you would expect kids to say. Fireworks, food and lots of fun figured prominently in the answers. But kids from the other school – Nursery Road Elementary – had a very different take on the holiday. Fireworks were barely mentioned. Instead, every single response included the words “freedom” or “independence” – and sometimes both. My personal favorite (from fifth-grader Vante Lee): “We celebrate the...

What is a conservative? by Kyle Williams What is a conservative? This is a question that has recently become an issue in the conservative movement. Many pundits have separated conservatives into two groups: paleo-conservatives and neo-conservatives. The former being described as the "old right-wing," being more constitutionally conservative, and the latter being the more moderate side of the conservative movement. As a side note, some conservative pundits say that "neo-conservative" is really code word for pro-Israel, considering the trouble that the far right has gotten into with some bashing Jews. That, however, is not the original meaning of the "neo-conservative"...

<p>Conservative activists fear that they are not exercising as much influence on the Bush White House as they did in previous Republican presidencies.</p> <p>In a memo to hundreds of fellow conservatives, a former Reagan administration official says traditional views are being edged out by a neoconservative "national greatness" ideology that accepts big government and advocates interventionist foreign policy.</p>

"Be happy! Don’t worry! We have a true conservative in the White House!" At least that is the message that I keep hearing from many who have duct taped a "conservative" label on themselves these days. The proof, they contend, is in the $674 billion dollar "tax cut/economic stimulus" plan the president is proposing. For that, they think he should immediately be stamped with the "Good Conservative Seal of Approval" for exhibiting sound conservative credentials. But should we really have no concerns? Now don’t get me wrong, I think the tax cuts are great. But in this case, they don’t...

Canadians should listen very carefully to the voices of Iraqi citizens who have been celebrating on the streets of Baghdad, Basra, Kirkuk and Mosul, and then re-evaluate the "principles" Prime Minister Jean Chrétien is defending. Canada's "principled" position encompasses three core tenets: 1) no support for regime change; 2) support for interventions that are sanctioned exclusively by multilateral consensus in the United Nations Security Council; and 3) independent control over our own foreign policy. The Chrétien Doctrine fails on all three counts. A principled position against "regime change" in Iraq would continue to oppose that policy especially when it succeeds....

BASRA, Iraq, April 7 (UPI) -- The rule of Saddam Hussein is over. Iraq's capital of Baghdad awoke Monday to find American tanks in the grounds of the presidential palace and the second city of Basra thrilled to their first full day of freedom from Saddam's Ba'athist regime.This double triumph of American and British military machines could hardly have been better timed, as U.S. President George W. Bush and Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair prepared for their summit in Belfast, Northern Ireland.Their war plan vindicated, their critics at least briefly silenced, the two English-speaking leaders who had defied so much...

Britain’s prime minister is facing a large parliamentary rebellion from members of his own party because of his support for America’s tough line on Iraq. Other American allies are also struggling with a domestic backlash. If war goes ahead without the backing of the United Nations, they could pay a high political price The gamblers: Blair, Aznar, Berlusconi and Howard WHY are they doing it? Contemporary politics is supposed to be all about focus groups and responding to the voters. The caricature of a modern politician is someone who dares not utter a word, let alone formulate a policy, without...

I am aware of the news today about the French and Germans continuing to test the limits of American resolve where Iraqi disarmament is concerned. When we as Americans see our one time allies making a blatent, desperate almost vicious stand against what to us is a principled purpose it can be uncomfortable and a motivation to examine ourselves. It can be difficult for us to accept the notion that our European neighbors [and in many respects, lineage] could possibly be so completely incorrect. They must know something we dont know. They must see something we dont see. Point blank:...

There is an old saying, "Be careful what you wish for. You may get it." Conservatives wished and worked very hard for Republican control of the Senate and an increased Republican majority in the House. Last night, America gave us these things. However, I'm concerned about the departure of several conservative members who are being replaced by new Senators who are inclined to pull to the so-called "center." For example, we are losing conservative stalwart Jesse Helms. While the Republicans held his seat, he is being replaced by Elizabeth Dole, a Washington establishemnt pol na dwife of "the tax collector...

HELPFOR BIBLE STUDENTSbyDaniel J. Phillips, M.Div.  Part Two: The Science of Bible ReadingThe Bible is inspired, but it is not magic. Merely pointing our eyes at its pages is a good start. Many never get this far. But it is only a start! We must also use our God-given minds if we are to gain anything from the Bible. Scripture will not miraculously "zap" its meaning into our passive little brains, all by itself.Hear Paul’s counsel to Timothy: "Think about what I am saying; for the Lord will give you understanding in all things" (2 Timothy 2:7). Paul does not...

Paul Wellstone died pursuing his values. He was logical, consistent, passionate, and, above all, honest about what he believed and how he was trying to transform America to conform to his vision of an ideal society.(Insert usual disclaimers here)There is no Republican Paul Wellstone. If there were one, we would be better off. If there were fifty, we could get our country back.

True principled stands are so rare in Congress as to be news worthy. http://Indiana's John Hostettler/ecp/news/article/0,1626,ECP_734_1363000,00.html

Are we suffering a crisis of principles, or just closer scrutiny? Public grows increasingly cynical, but many observers say they see high moral toneBy STEVE GEISSINGER SACRAMENTO BUREAU SACRAMENTO -- From its gold-tipped dome to its ornate marble-columned legislative chambers, the state Capitol appears to be the bastion of those struggling mightily to lead California in the right direction. In the cavernous green Assembly chamber, big gold letters proclaim in Latin: Legislatorum Est Justas Leges Condere -- "It is the duty of legislators to make just laws." The golden motto in the red Senate chamber reads, Senatoris Est Civitatis Libertatem...

Public opinion surveys are part and parcel of our instant information age. We recognize that polls can be crafted to elicit the desired results, and undeniably sometimes are, yet we Americans remain fascinated by what the rest of us think. Sometimes, opinion surveys merely reveal how easily public opinion can be molded by what’s accepted as conventional wisdom. Last month’s ABC News poll on Watergate is an example. When asked if they knew enough about the scandal to tell the basic facts to someone else, 65 percent of participants said no. Yet almost an identical percentage, 63, simultaneously asserted that...