Free Republic

MADISON, Wis. – Authorities say an estimated 25,000 people are protesting anti-union legislation at the Wisconsin state Capitol, and nine demonstrators have been arrested. On the third day of protests, the Statehouse was completely jammed with protesters opposed to a bill that would strip public employees of their collective bargaining rights. The crowd filled the building's hallways, sat cross-legged across the floor and chanted slogans. For the moment, a group of Democratic senators have blocked the bill by refusing to attend a midday vote and leaving the Capitol. The sergeant at arms was looking for them. One member of the...

SACRAMENTO - One of the most extensive campaign finance studies in California history showed today that when voters restricted direct contributions to candidates in 2001, donations from special interests flowed around that curb and swelled into an $88 million torrent. The study compiled by the state Fair Political Practices Commission, shows indirect contributions to legislative candidates from special interests surged more than 6,000 percent - from $376,000 to $23.5 million. Indirect donations from wealthy groups to statewide candidates surged more than 5,000 percent to $29.5 million. "The astounding increase in independent expenditures benefiting candidates for state office is clearly thwarting...

WASHINGTON, Nov. 1, 2006 — Karl Rove, President Bush's top advisor, talked to ABC News' Ann Compton about the remarks Sen. John Kerry says were a botched joke about the president, and about Bush's future. Here is a transcript of the conversation: COMPTON: Senator John Kerry has made a statement about Iraq. Do you take him at his word that he was talking about the president and not the troops? ROVE: I take him at his word when he insulted America's fighting forces. This is a habit that he's had over the years. He did it when he came back...

Orange County has given birth to and/or nurtured its share of people and organizations that have powerfully impacted the Republican Party -- for good or ill. Richard Nixon was born here, and Ronald Reagan's political home base was here. The state's two leading GOP groups -- the Lincoln Club of Orange County and the New Majority -- also originated here. The Lincoln Club was formed in the wake of the bitter 1962 gubernatorial primary between Richard Nixon and Joe Schell. The purpose was to "build Republican strength by lowering the intensity of intra-party warfare and making party politics more orderly...

SACRAMENTO (AP) - The first in what is expected to be a series of drenching winter storms has prompted flood warnings and swelled Northern California rivers to their highest levels in seven years. Warnings went into effect across the northern half of the state after the first storm swept through Tuesday and Wednesday. Steady downpours and rising rivers led to an evacuation, scattered power outages, and flooded roads and parks. Water district officials in Sacramento closed a flood gate on the American River as a precaution. "It's been several years since we've had this widespread of flooding, and we're not...

JERUSALEM (AP) - Israel suddenly has two Arab heroes. In a country where Jewish-Arab alienation runs deep, a pair of critical goals in World Cup soccer have created an instant connection across the divide. For years, Abas Suan and Walid Badir endured racist taunts from the bleachers. Now they're the toast of the predominantly Jewish state.

Schröder rattled as protests swell By Kate Connolly in Berlin (Filed: 31/08/2004) Tens of thousands of Germans took to the streets last night in the biggest protests yet against the government's unpopular welfare reforms. Demonstrations were held in more than 200 towns and cities across the country. The protests, which have run for five weeks, have been dubbed "Monday demonstrations" after the 1989 gatherings in the old East Germany that helped to topple the Berlin Wall. They are being led by the reformed eastern communist party, the PDS, the anti-globalisation group Attac and far-Right groups, Oskar Lafontaine, a former leader...