Free Republic

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis toughened his stance on Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling Putin a “war criminal” who should be “held accountable” for the invasion of Ukraine, just days after he claimed the Ukraine war is not a “vital national interest.” DeSantis angered Republican hawks, Never Trumpers, and neocons less than two weeks ago when he characterized the Ukraine-Russia conflict as a “territorial dispute” that is not a “vital” U.S. interests. DeSantis told Fox News’s Tucker Carlson: While the U.S. has many vital national interests — securing our border, addressing the crisis of readiness within our military, achieving energy security...

Preparing for any potential war against Iran, the Biden administration has formally elevated Israel in military planning.... ...For the Pentagon, Israel is the most prized military and intelligence partner in the Middle East, with its vast combat experience and advanced technologies. With the end of combat in Afghanistan and Iraq, and with the brokering of the Abraham Accords by the Trump administration, Washington sees an opportunity to incorporate Israel into a new regional alliance. ... ..."CENTCOM will now work to implement the U.S. Government commitment to a holistic approach to regional security and cooperation with our partners," the Tampa-based command...

When the recession squeezed Miami's budget in recent years, officials reached into funds raised for road repairs and other projects to plug the shortfall. Now, the city is paying a price. The moves triggered lawsuits and a federal investigation, in a brouhaha that holds ramifications for how municipalities nationwide maneuver around unprecedented money problems. Cash Flow View Interactive ..Cities and states across the country are using money designated for specific purposes—such as fixing roads or sewers—in order to fill financial holes elsewhere, according to public officials and records. The moves are exposing municipalities to controversy, as federal regulators and local...

CLEARWATER, Fla., May 5 (UPI) -- A Florida man was sentenced to 179 days in jail for impersonating his identical twin brother at a criminal trial. Assistant State Attorney Evan Brodsky said Matthew Mauceri, 40, was due in a Pinellas County courtroom at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday and asked his twin, Marcus, to stand in for him when it appeared he was going to be late in flying to Florida from Indiana, the Tampa (Fla.) Tribune reported Wednesday.

Some interesting poll numbers in a swing town A poll conducted for the Democratic mayoral candidate in North Arlington shows Republican Thomas Kean, Jr. leading Democratic U.S. Senator Robert Menendez by a 47%-29% margin in this Democratic-leaning blue collar town of 15,181 people. The same survey, done by Neighborhood Research, gives Democrat Peter Massa a 31-point lead in the race for Mayor over Republican Peter Norcia, and Bergen County Executive Dennis McNerney a ten-point lead against his GOP challenger, Todd Caliguire. North Arlington's voter registration is 30% Democratic, 18% Republican and 52% Unaffiliated. In 2005, Jon Corzine won North Arlington...

Looks like the New Jersey Dems are getting desperate.

For pure entertainment value, not much can compete with the blood sport of New Jersey politics. Last week federal investigators launched a probe into whether U.S. Senator Robert Menendez illegally benefited to the tune of more than $300,000 from a rental-income deal he had with a nonprofit agency that received millions of dollars in federal contracts. Even liberal good government groups agree that the relationship may have violated congressional conflict-of-interest rules. The allegations have sparked a mini-panic among state Democratic operatives, who not so long ago thought Mr. Menendez -- who was appointed by Jon Corzine ... had the November...

New GOP attack on Menendez Wednesday, September 13, 2006 By DEBORAH HOWLETT NEWHOUSE NEWS SERVICE Republican state lawmakers yesterday filed a new ethics complaint against Democratic U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, accusing him of using his seat in Congress to protect the value of a stock he owned. Aides to Menendez called the complaint "baseless" and say it's part of a mud-slinging effort by "lackies" of his Republican challenger, state Sen. Tom Kean Jr. Advertisement State Sen. Diane Allen, R-Burlington, and Assemblywoman Alison Littell McHose, R-Sussex, claim Menendez violated House ethics rules by working to prevent a $3.5 billion merger of...

Jersey Turns, Dems Panic; Torricelli, Anyone? By Steve Kornacki A powerful clue that U.S. Senator Robert Menendez might ultimately be forced to withdraw from his bid for a full term in New Jersey emerged last Friday, when he addressed the question head-on just hours after the world learned that he is the subject of a federal criminal investigation. “The answer is no,” he said. That may sound a touch familiar to New Jerseyans. It was, after all, around this time four Septembers ago that Senator Robert Torricelli’s re-election campaign—besieged by similar speculation—spent a weekend attaching a simple, defiant message to...

    NEW JERSEY DEBATE2: Even More Lautenberg Incoherence, Prevarication and Nastiness     Mia T, 11-03-02   It was a total rout. The doddering old fool actually outdid his New Jersey Debate1 performance notwithstanding Gabe Pressman running interference after every Forrester Debate2 offensive. Hard to believe but Lautenberg was even more ubiquitously incoherent, stumbling, bumbling, nasty, prevaricating and totally out of touch with the needs of the post-9/11 world. All while Forrester performed flawlessly... I cannot imagine anyone bothering to vote for this retrograde, venomous, senile relic...which means that the clinton-McAuliffe-DNC voter fraud machine will be working overtime...

ON C-SPAN TONIGHT-- 7PM   NEW JERSEY DEBATE 2: Lautenberg Incoherence, Prevarication and Nastiness Continues     clinton-McAuliffe-DNC CORRUPTING ELECTORAL PROCESS/UNDERMINING HOMELAND SECURITY   Torricelli-Lautenberg-DNC Switcheroo Scheme Not 1st Foray into Virtual Reality   après-ski: Frank's a no-show   YOO-HOO Mrs. clinton: THE CLINTON RAPES ARE "UNBECOMING"   See Frank run.

Forrester debates an empty chair as Lautenberg skips radio debate     By STEVE KORNACKI PoliticsNJ.com TRENTON, October 23 - The candidates for U.S. Senate sounded familiar themes today, with Democrat Frank R. Lautenberg pumping his prescription drug plan and Republican Douglas R. Forrester pushing his national security agenda.Ý But the campaign took an interesting twist at night, when a debate was held with only one candidate. Trenton-based New Jersey 101.5 (WKXW) went ahead with a one-hour forum that had originally been scheduled when Senator Robert G. Torricelli was the Democratic nominee. Forrester appeared, but he was alone.Ý Lautenberg...

Snelling Considers Leaving GOP -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BY PETER FREYNE Email Peter! First it was U.S. Sen. Jim Jeffords rocking the political world a year ago with his departure from the increasingly far-right-wing Republican Party. Now Seven Days has learned another prominent Vermont Republican is considering doing likewise. When asked this week if she would stand for reelection as a Republican, Chittenden County State Sen. Diane Snelling told us she is “reviewing many options.” She said there were a lot of times this past session “when I wasn’t as comfortable as I wanted to be in the [Senate] Republican caucus.” Consider that...