Free Republic

The McCain campaign, acting through the Republican National Committee, has been negotiating with Rep. Ron Paul to win his support and acquire the names of his sympathizers among the 4,607 delegates and alternates at the Republican National Convention, according to a senior aide to the Texas congressman. The aim is to try to win support for the John McCain-Sarah Palin ticket from Paul sympathizers, some of whom formally committed to Mr. Paul during his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination and others of whom are closet sympathizers of his libertarian brand of Republicanism. Sen. McCain and national party strategists worry...

(IsraelNN.com) Republican presidential candidate Senator John McCain has asked the Chabad-Lubavitch movement to support him in the November elections. In a conference call to 40 of Chabad's leading rabbis, the senator told them that he is the underdog in the race and that Chabad's support "would mean a great deal to me." He pledged "never again" to another Holocaust and he reminded the rabbis of his vow to keep Israel secure. However, Chabad is forbidden from officially endorsing a candidate because it is listed as a tax-exempt and non-profit organization.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 28, 2008 – The founder and president of a home-front support group in the Defense Department’s America Supports You program will be honored tomorrow for her continued support of the troops. Lynelle Chauncey Zelnar of Forgotten Soldiers Outreach will be recognized at the Glory Awards, an annual event hosted by Community Neighborhood Helping in Delray Beach, Fla., which recognizes individuals, businesses and organizations for outstanding volunteerism and community involvement. “I am so excited,” Zelnar said. “Although Forgotten Soldiers Outreach has received many honors, this is the first time I have personally received one for the work not...

Check him out for yourself. He's the whole package. This is not only the kind of man you would want with you in the foxhole, this is the kind of man you want representing you in Washington – a man of integrity, character, moral clarity. This is a candidate I am excited about. Maybe you ask, "Farah, what can I do to support Col. West? I don't live in his district." The answer is simple. Do what I am doing. Send him the most generous campaign contribution you can. Maybe you don't have a man like West running in your...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 21, 2008 – Military families, mental health professionals, educators, pastors and other interested parties are invited to attend an educational seminar addressing issues facing military families who don’t live near installations. “We are concerned with the needs of military families who are unable to access support and services because they live too far away from a military base,” said Susan Hamilton, director of operations for Armed Forces Support Coalition, a seminar sponsor. “It’s important to educate many segments of the community about the difficulties these families face, so we are all prepared to be supportive.” The Colorado...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 20, 2008 – When they found out one of their own was going to deploy overseas with the Tennessee National Guard, the leadership and employees of Lochinvar Corp. didn’t waste any time. They immediately found out what they could do to help, and they worked together to help him and his unit before, during and after the deployment. The deploying employee, Army Sgt. 1st Class Bill Jacobs, who was an Apache helicopter platoon sergeant with the National Guard and a manufacturing engineer manager with Lochinvar, was so impressed with the level of support he received that he...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 19, 2008 – Union Pacific is a company that is proud of its strong ties with the military. Hundreds of thousands of Civil War veterans helped build the first transcontinental railroad in the 1860s, which was considered vital to national defense. During World War I and II, the railroad canteen in North Platte, Neb., was a resting place for many troops on their way overseas. Union Pacific’s partnership with the military continues today and, in some respects, is stronger than ever, said Roy Schroer, assistant vice president of human resources. Of the company’s more than 50,000 employees, more...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 19, 2008 – One Florida neighborhood’s younger residents recently turned a simple lemonade stand, the ages-old financial bastion of kids looking to make some pocket change, into a fundraiser to help out an area troop-support group. Children from a Wellington, Fla., neighborhood recently operated a lemonade stand for a weekend in support of Forgotten Soldiers Outreach, a Florida-based care package group. Here they pose with cardboard cutouts of soldiers. From left, Madeline Beaubien, Sydney Campbell, Sophia Beaubien, Chelsea Campbell, Brendan Beaubien, Erin Berlingo, Bradley Boland, and Connor Boland earned $200 for the organization through their efforts. Photo...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 13, 2008 – Kim Robinson knows that when military members deploy, they face a lot of stress overseas on top of worrying about their families at home. To help alleviate that stress, Robinson has committed to do what he can to ease the burden on the families of his employees who serve in the National Guard and Reserve. Robinson’s company, Robinson Transport, of Salina, Utah, provides $1,000 a month to the families of employees who are deployed with the National Guard or Reserve. This money is meant to supplement the family’s income, and the company still pays all...

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has placed his support behind a costly high-speed rail system in California. Schwarzenegger told NBC11 he wants California to lead the way in transporting commuters across the state at near-record speeds while reducing global warming at the same time. Critics have said the state's proposed high-speed rail system is too costly and too good to be true, NBC11's Mike Luery reported. On the very spot where the Transcontinental Railroad was established nearly 140 years ago, Schwarzenegger told Luery that a less-than-three-hour trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles represents the type of progress that...

WASHINGTON, June 26, 2008 – Support from their fellow citizens is vital to the success of servicemembers fighting the war on terror, a soldier who earned the Bronze Star Medal in Iraq said today. “Support means everything,” Army Staff Sgt. John Aughtman saidin an interview on the “ASY Live” program on BlogTalkRadio. “A letter, a care package, a telephone call, a visit, a blanket -- anything means everything.” “ASY Live” is part of the Defense Department’s America Supports You program, which connects citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad. As a squad leader,...

And they said that Obama had zero appeal outside the guilt-ridden white wine liberal and African-American demos. Au contraire. OneFreeKorea is reporting that Kim Jong Il has endorsed OMessiah... If this is true, it would allow OAppeaser to check off the foreign terrorist/dictator faction much earlier than expected.

WASHINGTON, June 18, 2008 – A congressman from Arizona has recognized a group from his state for its continued dedication to supporting the troops. U.S. Rep. Harry Mitchell honored Packages From Home on June 14 for its efforts and continued support for the nation’s servicemembers and for their dedication in providing care packages to U.S. troops. Packages From Home is a supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad. Mitchell recognized Kathleen Lewis and Lisa Benson -- president and executive director, respectively, of Packages...

Operation Worship is a new promotion just getting started at Family Christian Bookstores across our country. The program which is a joint effort with Zondervan Publishers allows patriotic customers to purchase small camouflage covered Bibles to send to our troops overseas. The Bibles are low cost ($4.99) and you are asked to write a personal message to a member of our armed forces. This personal message will be bound in the Bible by Zondervan and sent to a soldier. The promotion is starting this week and continuing for several months. Family Christian Bookstores hopes to send 200,000 Bibles to our...

Operation Worship is a new promotion just getting started at Family Christian Bookstores across our country. The program which is a joint effort with Zondervan Publishers allows patriotic customers to purchase small camouflage covered Bibles to send to our troops overseas. The Bibles are low cost ($4.99) and you are asked to write a personal message to a member of our armed forces. This personal message will be bound in the Bible by Zondervan and sent to a soldier. The promotion is starting this week and continuing for several months. Family Christian Bookstores hopes to send 200,000 Bibles to our...

WASHINGTON, June 6, 2008 – With symbolic glasses raised on high, Jim Beam distillery offered a toast to U.S. servicemembers and their families with a $175,000 donation to Operation Homefront. Operation Homefront provides emergency assistance and morale to the nation’s troops, to the families they leave behind, and to wounded warriors when they return home. In supporting the organization, Jim Beam honors it as part of the brand’s renewed top-down commitment to its own original values of true character, integrity and doing the right thing, Jim Beam officials said in a news release announcing the donation. "Jim Beam is...

WASHINGTON, June 5, 2008 – In Ohio, a new team is taking a community approach to supporting troops and military families. “Our mission is to empower communities to support military members and their families through the deployment cycles,” said PamelaJune Banks-Anderson, founder of the Ohio-based National Restoration to Military Families Team. The team, which operates as “National Restoration Team,” takes a three-pronged approach to helping servicemembers and their loved ones. First, the team works to encourage faith- and community-based leaders and organizations to build servicemember- and veteran-friendly communities. It also helps servicemembers with readjustment and reunion issues while remembering...

WASHINGTON, May 29, 2008 – After stringent review by one of the country’s premier charity watchdogs, a Massachusetts-based troop-support group has been added to a list of top-rated charities. The American Institute of Philanthropy has reviewed Homes for Our Troops’ finances and included the group in their “Top-Rated Veterans & Military Charities” listing. Homes for Our Troops is a supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad. “Homes for Our Troops is proud to be included in [American Institute of Philanthropy’s] list of top...

WASHINGTON, May 22, 2008 – Tens of thousands of care packages will be packed and ready for shipping to servicemembers deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan and on ships at sea in time for Independence Day. Operation Gratitude’s annual “Patriotic Drive” makes sure servicemembers have a little piece of home around the nation’s birthday. "This will be the fastest-paced care package drive we have ever undertaken," said Charlie Othold, director of operations. "We only have two weekends of prep work and two weekends of assembling, but we will get a package shipped to every servicemember whose name we receive." Seven days...

WASHINGTON, May 21, 2008 – Two of America’s favorite siblings bestowed a very special honor on the founder of a grassroots troop-support group recently. Donnie and Marie Osmond named Patti Patton-Bader as “America’s Favorite Mom” on the May 11 “America’s Favorite Mom” program presented by Teleflora and NBC. "I really am lucky to know so many heroes in my life," said Patton-Bader, who has two sons in the Army, one currently deployed to Iraq. "Whether they are the troops who serve our country or the amazing mothers here on this ‘America's Favorite Mom’ program, I am honored to be...