Free Republic

SACRAMENTO — Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner would just as well bury his past support for taxes as he seeks the Republican gubernatorial nomination amid fears that levies could be on the table as the state remains mired in an economic funk. The problem for him is that his previous life as a moderate who considered taxes as a way to improve education is making it hard for conservative talk radio hosts and red-state bloggers — and presumably grass-roots followers — to swallow Poizner's newfound conservative pitch. "I absolutely do not buy his sudden fiscal conservatism," conservative blogger Warner Todd Huston...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 24, 2009 – The Santa Ana, Calif., police department will receive the Defense Department's top employer-support award for providing exceptional financial and emotional support to its employees who deploy as National Guard or Reserve members. The police department provides its deployed members with differential pay and continued family health benefits, among other accommodations that go beyond what the law requires. For example, military liaisons stay in touch with deployed employees to let them know what’s happening back at the department and to see if they need anything, Cmdr. Bill Nimmo said. The department recognizes its employees’ military service...

(IsraelNN.com) Many American Jewish organizations have publicly offered words of support for U.S. President Barack Obama's He told the religious leaders, "I need you to spread the facts and speak the truth." healthcare nationalization plans. However, some expressed serious reservations over certain aspects of the likely reforms. On Wednesday, Obama devoted a single conference call to non-Orthodox Jewish religious leaders before addressing over 140,000 other American religious leaders to promote his ideas on healthcare. In his first conference call of the day, President Obama spoke with over 1,000 rabbis and lay leaders from the Conservative, Reform and Reconstructionist movements

WASHINGTON, Aug. 17, 2009 – The Yellow Ribbon Program is “off and running,” said the program’s deputy executive director, James “Scotty” Scott. The program’s goal is to prepare servicemembers and their families for mobilization, sustain families during mobilization, and reintegrate soldiers with their families, communities and employers upon redeployment. During the first nine months of fiscal 2009, reserve components have hosted more than 1,367 Yellow Ribbon events across the 54 U.S. states and territories. Through these events, more than 133,000 reservists and their family members have received valuable training and information about support services available to them before, during and...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 12, 2009 – While building its capabilities from the ground up, Afghanistan’s National Army Air Corps is deeply involved in an operational mission in direct support of the upcoming elections: ferrying candidates and election materials around the country and helping to provide security. “The air corps has been very heavily involved in the run-up to the elections in several ways,” U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Walter D. Givhan, commander of the Combined Air Power Transition Force in Afghanistan, told Pentagon reporters today via satellite feed from his Kabul headquarters. The Afghan national government tasked its fledging air corps...

It is often said that ridiculing Christians and their beliefs is the last acceptable form of bigotry. Ultra-secular critics on the left, of course, usually scoff at this notion. But sometimes an example of anti-Christian bile comes along that is so blatant, misleading and littered with judgmental smugness, that I find it difficult to remain silent. Consider the left-wing organization J Street, which claims to be a pro-Israel advocacy group, but which, oddly enough, never misses a chance to slam Israeli policies, particularly when the Jewish State dares defend itself against Islamic terrorism.

7/30/2009 - CAMP TAJI, Iraq (AFNS) -- American Airmen don't run dining facilities for the Iraqi military here. They don't pump fuel and they don't make runs to ammunition storage points. At least not any more. All of these daily tasks that require the utmost attention to detail to supporting mission readiness are handled directly by Iraqi soldiers. "We're just here to advise them now," said Tech. Sgt. Willie Moorer, who provides "a safety net" for the Iraqi soldiers who run a dining facility that feeds more than 400 troops per meal. "My goal is to work myself out of...

CAMP BASTION, Afghanistan, July 29, 2009 – Marine Corps Maj. Richard “Bart” Bartolomea says he feels at home serving with his brother, Bill, in an operational environment. Marine Corps Majs. William and Richard Bartolomea pose in front of an AH-1W Super Cobra, June 12, 2009. The brothers are deployed to Afghanistan. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Samuel Nasso   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. "It's awesome," he said. "I brought the board games, but haven't had the chance to break them out yet." The officer in charge of the Scan Eagle detachment from Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle...

NEW YORK – Could it be that President Barack Obama's Midas touch is starting to dull a bit, even among members of his own party?

Support For Health Overhaul SlippingMain Category: Public Health Article Date: 15 Jul 2009 - 4:00 PDT A USA Today/Gallup Poll found that "most Americans say it's important to overhaul health care this year," but "they are less enthusiastic about some of the proposals to pay for it," USA Today reports. "And while a majority say controlling costs should be the legislation's top goal, more than nine in 10 oppose limits on getting whatever tests or treatments they and their doctors think are necessary." But some good news for President Obama: "A third of those surveyed say they trust him and...

A heavily publicized U.S. Supreme Court reversal of an appeals court ruling by Judge Sonia Sotomayor has at least temporarily diminished public support for President Obama's first Supreme Court nominee.

Navy Lt. Lawrence Sproul (center), Petty Officer 1st Class Jennifer Nolen and Lt. Cmdr. John Brooks (right), all of the Multi-National Force - West Health Services Section, look through a care package sent by Sproul's son's kindergarten class, June 16. Photo by Cpl. Meg Murray, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Fwd). AL ASAD AIR BASE — Things have changed throughout Operation Iraqi Freedom, but one thing has not – the support U.S. citizens show their forward-deployed servicemembers. Troops with Multi National Force - West, stationed in Anbar province, continue to daily receive thank-you notes, care packages and well-wishes from places like...

The Obama Administration insistently reiterated its support for Israel this weekend after a Jerusalem Post poll found that only 6 percent of Jewish Israelis now consider Barack Obama's presidency to be pro-Israel. The poll, which has a margin of error of 4.5%, was conducted by Smith Research among a representative sample of 500 Israeli Jewish adults last week.

(IsraelNN.com) The U.S. State Department Tuesday refused to state whether the Obama administration will honor a promise by the previous government that Israel will retain sovereignty over large Jewish areas in Judea and Samaria, in the event that a new Palestinian Authority state is created.

Victims' Relatives Say Justice Dept. Bid To Shield Royal Family From Lawsuit Undermines Fight Against Terror. Relatives of Sept. 11 victims say they're angry that the Justice Department is supporting the Saudi royal family's bid to be removed from a 9/11 lawsuit. The families of some victims have accused the royal family of financially backing terror groups that carried out the 2001 attack. Their complaint alleges that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Saudi High Commission for Relief to Bosnia and Herzegovina (SHC), and four Saudi Princes (acting in both official and personal capacities) made donations to charitable organizations with...

NEW YORK (AP) — Relatives of Sept. 11 victims say they're angry that the Justice Department is supporting the Saudi royal family's bid to be removed from a 9/11 lawsuit. The families of some victims have accused the royal family of financially backing terrorist groups that carried out the 2001 attacks.

WASHINGTON, May 28, 2009 – Operation Gratitude will receive $232,948 from Target as part of the company's first online giving campaign. The California-based troop-support group was one of 10 charities selected by Target to receive a percentage of $3 million based on votes cast in its online "Bullseye Gives" contest, hosted by the social-networking Web site Facebook. "I would like to thank everyone who voted for Operation Gratitude,” Carolyn Blashek, Operation Gratitude founder, said. “Each vote paid to send an additional care package to our deployed troops. Target and our voters have truly made a difference to the men...

AUGUSTA, Maine — Maine election officials on Tuesday approved the question that would appear on the ballot if opponents of the recently enacted same-sex marriage law collect enough signatures. Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap announced that the question that will appear on petitions is “Do you want to reject the new law that lets same-sex couples marry and allows individuals and religious groups to refuse to perform these marriages?” Groups seeking to overturn the law, including the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland; the Maine Family Policy Council of Maine, formerly the Christian Civic League of Maine; and Maine Marriage Initiative...

After reading Newt's Newsletter this morning, and particularly his article about Nancy Pelosi, I think a protest is in order. She's "invalidated" herself as third in line to the Presidency, according to Newt. He's being generous and more polite than I would be. I will be placing a home-made sign on my car today. It will say, "I've got your 6." Almost every person who has served in any military capacity will recognize it and understand it. Far fewer Liberals will get it, which suits me fine. If a lot of these pop up across the country, perhaps a few...

NESHANIK STATION, N.J., May 18, 2009 – Mike Corrado, the Marine recording artist whose 2005 hit song “On My Watch Tonight” was featured on ABC’s “Extreme Makeover Home Edition” and has become an anthem for servicemembers worldwide, is one of the headliners in Rolling Thunder’s “Saluting the Troops” program in Washington, D.C., May 23. Vietnam Memorial Founder and veterans’ activist Jan Scruggs also will be a featured speaker at the event, which will be held from noon to 5 p.m. at the reflecting pool at the base of the Lincoln Memorial. In addition to Corrado, musical guests include national recording...