Free Republic

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will face real questions from real voters tonight as he defends his special election efforts in a televised town hall meeting in Walnut Creek. State Sen. Don Perata, D-Oakland, and Rose Ann DeMoro, executive director of the California Nurses Association, will provide the opposition in the 90-minute event, which will be shown live on KTVU beginning at 6 p.m. --snip-- While Schwarzenegger has been stumping the state for his initiatives, most of his appearances have been limited to handpicked crowds of friendly supporters or calls to conservative radio talk show hosts. But in a state where Democrats...

The questions that won't go away for Condi Rice By Alec Russell in Birmingham, Alabama (Filed: 24/10/2005) Condoleezza Rice, the ultra-poised American secretary of state, has persistently said that she has no intention of running for the White House and that she expects people to believe her. All weekend, as she roamed her home state of Alabama with her guest Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, she fended off questions about her future. When a girl asked the question on a visit to her old school she looked weary before flashing her famous smile and saying: "I don't want to run...

Dear God...

Unique flagstones of Rabat Tepe Raise QuestionsThe discovery of 3000-year-old flagstones in Rabat Tepe has surprised archaeologists. Tehran, 20 October 2005 (CHN) -- The first season of archaeological excavations in Rabat Tepe led to the discovery of 3000-year-old 180x180 cm flagstone, which have never been seen before in any Urartu historical sites. Similar flagstones have been found in Ancient Rome and Ancient Iran historical sites. Rabat Tepe is located near the town of Sardasht in West Azarbaijan province of Iran. It is believed that hill used to be the capital of Musasir government about 3000 years ago. Before setting on...

A few years ago, I was listening to one of our high-quality top-notch administrators at UNC-Wilmington as he addressed a group of freshman students. After nearly putting me to sleep for 30 minutes, I finally heard him make an observation I considered to be somewhat interesting. He said that “There are no stupid questions, except for the ones that don’t get asked.” I’ve heard that old saying dozens of times since then but, lately, I’ve been having my doubts about its validity. Some reasons for those doubts follow: Nearly three years ago, a feminist student asked me why she should...

WASHINGTON - Chief Justice-nominee John Roberts repeatedly refused to answer questions about abortion and other contentious issues at his confirmation hearing Tuesday, telling frustrated Democrats he would not discuss matters that could come before the Supreme Court. "I think nominees have to draw the line where they are most comfortable," said Roberts, who also sidestepped questions about civil rights, voting rights and the limits of presidential power in a long, occasionally antagonistic day in the witness chair. Appearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, he said past Supreme Court rulings carry weight, including the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion...

Questions of the day The National Pro-Life Action Center has five questions for Judge John G. Roberts Jr. that could provide the nation with a "foundational understanding of Judge Roberts' judicial temperament without asking him to 'forecast' or 'prejudge' any cases that may come before the high court," says director Paul Chaim Schenck. The group wants to know: • Do basic human rights come only from government or are they rooted in something that transcends government? • Is man's inherent human nature fixed, or does raw political power determine who is and is not a member of the human family?...

In a Hollywood blockbuster, the Russian orbital station "Mir," having fallen into the Pacific Ocean, threatens mankind with a terrible virus that it has brought in from the space. It is interesting that in 2001 a similar chilling plot moved from science fiction to the news. Shortly before the Russian space pride found its last resort in the Pacific waters, both Russian and western media started to scare their readers with the frightening reports about "the Mir danger." The alarm was caused by nothing else but. . . a virus! To be more precise--viruses. And some other tiny organisms that...

Why Did They Look Into It?Friday, August 05, 2005 By Brit Hume Now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine: The New York Times has been asking lawyers who specialize in adoption cases for advice on how to get into the sealed court records on Supreme Court nominee John Roberts' two adopted children. There is no indication The Times had any evidence there was anything improper in the family's adoption of five-year-old Josie and four-year-old Jack, both born in Latin America. Sources familiar with the matter told FOX News that at least one lawyer turned the Times down flat, saying...

Wednesday opens a new chapter in the 16-year Bay Bridge saga, when regional politicians take the reins to oversee the project amid unanswered questions about why the public will pay twice — at unknown cost — for the same work. Specifically, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission will be asked to approve freshly repackaged bids to build the bridge's tower. Caltrans is expected to advertise the project the next day but has not released an official cost estimate. MTC's new role results from lengthy negotiations in the Capitol this year and the new law they produced. It means the Bay Area will...

I may be going against the conservative grain here, but I am not as bothered by the prospect of questions from Senate Judiciary Committee members seeking to determine how John Roberts' judicial philosophy might guide him in considering certain specific questions of constitutional law, including abortion. I certainly agree that judicial nominees should not telegraph how they intend to vote on a particular case that is either before or on its way to the Court, but I think both sides have used this more as an excuse to shield their respective nominees. There are limited other ways to determine a...

Senate Democrats are preparing to play to the cameras once more while raking Supreme Court nominee John Roberts over the coals, but the fight may not be as fierce as some Liberals want. There's bound to be some huffing and puffing during the confirmation hearings, as many of the radical groups controlling the Democrats demand they fight a battle that cannot be won. Though Democrats will probably use the "we need more documents" dodge to avoid an outright filibuster, Roberts will surely be confirmed in the end. One almost has to feel sorry for the Democrats, pushed into this fight...

Unusual things are happening in the feminist world. The Hungarian representative to UN’s Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) said that, in the future, abortion will be viewed by women in the same way that torture is now viewed by human rights advocates. Now, given how often the UN turns a blind eye to torture, Saddam Hussein’s regime being a fine example of the carefully shielded glance, we may justifiably wonder if this means torture will become acceptable or abortion unacceptable. But even so, the possibility that CEDAW members are beginning to question the practice is telling....

In the beginning of Wednesday’s Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing for Bush nominee John G. Roberts Jr., Chairman Orrin Hatch praised Democrat Sen. Charles Schumer of New York for asking "intelligent" questions, but then Hatch switched gears. "Some [of Schumer’s questions] I totally disagree with," Hatch of Utah said. "Some I think are dumbass questions, between you and me. I am not kidding you. I mean, as much as I love and respect you [Schumer], I just think that’s true." A stunned Schumer asked if he heard the chairman correctly, to which Hatch said yes. Again, Schumer asked Hatch if...

John G. Roberts pairs a youthful demeanor with a sharp, seasoned legal mind that has impressed Ivy League professors, government lawyers and U.S. presidents. Befitting his age of 50 and limited time on the appellate court, the book on his judicial decisions remains a work in progress. President Bush on Tuesday tapped Roberts to become the nation's 109th Supreme Court justice, introducing the Harvard honors graduate, former clerk to William Rehnquist and successful Washington attorney to the nation in prime time. "He has argued 39 cases before the Supreme Court and earned a reputation as one of the best legal...

Before President George W. Bush could grasp his next breath following his announcement of Justice John G. Roberts for the U.S. Supreme Court, Democrat Senators Chuck Schumer and Patrick Leahy stumbled to the minority party reaction podium for a quick precursor to the upcoming litmus test they have planned for the new nominee. They don’t even attempt to deny it anymore. “All questions are legitimate,” New York Democrat and Judiciary Committee member Charles E. Schumer said earlier this month. “What is your view on Roe vs. Wade? What is your view on gay marriage?” Schumer took great pains to be...

Sen. Chuck (I’m outraged again—get me a camera) Schumer (D.-N.Y.) is one busy little bee. Problem is, he’s not busy about the Senate’s business. On a recent day, he was seen whipping up a mob to have Karl Rove, Deputy White House Chief of Staff, hanged from the Senate’s yardarm for disclosing “classified” information that was available on a Google search at the time of the alleged disclosure. His next outrage was directed at Michael Chertoff, Director of Homeland Security. In a Senate floor diatribe, A.K.A., “speech,” Schumer told Chertoff he ought to consider resigning for having the unmitigated gall...

THE QUESTIONS The Top 25 Essays by our news staff on 25 big questions facing science over the next quarter-century. What Is the Universe Made Of? What is the Biological Basis of Consciousness? Why Do Humans Have So Few Genes? To What Extent Are Genetic Variation and Personal Health Linked? Can the Laws of Physics Be Unified? How Much Can Human Life Span Be Extended? What Controls Organ Regeneration? How Can a Skin Cell Become a Nerve Cell? How Does a Single Somatic Cell Become a Whole Plant? How Does Earth's Interior Work? Are We Alone in the Universe? How...

An Australian who was held hostage in Iraq has described the murders of two fellow detainees in the same room. In his first extensive interview, Douglas Wood, 63, also told Australian TV of his efforts to retain his sanity during his captivity. The engineer was held for 47 days by gunmen in Baghdad before being rescued by Iraqi forces earlier this month. He was reportedly paid A$400,000 dollars (US$307,000; £169,000) by Channel Ten for his story. Mr Wood was bound, gagged, beaten and fed only bread and water by his captors. 'Replay of my life' He said he heard two...

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - A newly disclosed memo appeared to cast doubt on U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan's insistence he was unaware of a bid by a Swiss firm that employed his son for a lucrative contract under the scandal-tainted U.N. oil-for-food program. U.N.-appointed investigators were "urgently reviewing" the memo, Michael Holtzman, a spokesman for the Independent Inquiry Committee led by former U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker, said on Tuesday. The memo described a late-November 1998 Paris meeting of Annan with officials of Cotecna Inspection Services, just weeks before the Geneva-based company won the contract. The contract has become a...