Free Republic

… Take a look at how Republican National Committee Rule No. 40(b) read before the 2012 convention changes:Each candidate for nomination for President of the United States and Vice President of the United States shall demonstrate the support of a plurality of the delegates from each of five (5) or more states, severally, prior to the presentation of the name of that candidate for nomination.Simply put, the rule meant that any candidate for the GOP presidential nomination who showed up at the convention with the largest number of delegates in five states—or was able to twist enough arms at the...

This is the pension squeeze companies aren't talking about: Even as many reduce, freeze or eliminate pensions for workers -- complaining of the costs -- their executives are building up ever-bigger pensions, causing the companies' financial obligations for them to balloon. Companies disclose little about any of this. But a Wall Street Journal analysis of corporate filings reveals that executive benefits are playing a large and hidden role in the declining health of America's pensions. Among the findings: • Boosted by surging pay and rich formulas, executive pension obligations exceed $1 billion at some companies. Besides GM, they include General...

MANCHESTER, N.H. - Republican Sen. John McCain (news, bio, voting record), a White House hopeful in 2008, said Monday that the party has plenty of work to do to regain the backing of GOP voters frustrated by deficit spending, the Iraq war and illegal immigration. Five months before the midterm elections, McCain spoke about the outlook for the Republican Party amid concern within the Bush administration and the GOP leadership about losing majority control of Congress. "Spending is out of control and a significant part of our Republican base is angry because we have allowed this to happen," he said....

Gloom, despair, and agony on me Deep dark depression, excessive misery If it weren't for bad luck I'd have not luck at all Gloom, despair, and agony on me" - Hee Haw As you listen to and read all the talk about "unity" at the upcoming state Republican Party convention this weekend, keep in mind that nothing unites people as quickly as a common enemy. But alas, we've no good enemies in plain sight right now other than ourselves. Oh sure, Cindy Sheehan makes a good foil every time she puts on her t-shirt de jour and parades herself in...

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's new budget unveiled Tuesday contains no pay raises for the 156,000 rank-and-file state employees whose contracts have expired or are scheduled to run their course this year. Finance Director Mike Genest said the administration didn't include money for raises because "we don't want to presage what we plan to do at the negotiating table" with the nine unions representing 18 bargaining units that are already at the table or are about to take their seats across from the state's representatives. Genest said "it's not uncommon" for the state to refrain from putting money in the budget for...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 14 /U.S Newswire/ -- The Law Enforcement Alliance of America (LEAA) proclaimed the expiration of the 1994 Clinton gun and magazine ban a victory for crime fighting. LEAA Executive Director, retired New York police officer James J. Fotis, spoke out in support of the gun ban expiration, "this marks the end of an era, the end of the Clinton gun ban days when real criminals were ignored in favor of failed gun control. From this point forward our nation's lawmakers can focus on laws that target real criminals, not cosmetic firearm features." LEAA's Fotis added that law enforcement...