Free Republic

Just as candidate Rick Santorum was obviously building up to a compelling "grand finale" today in a speech at the Pavilion of the Battleship USS Alabama in Mobile this morning, there was a commotion in front of him and to his left. A middle-aged black woman had fainted dead-out, flat onto the concrete floor (it was a bit muggy; raining outside). A lot of candidates would have looked out, stopped talking, asked people to go see if she were okay, and then perhaps continued speaking once it was clear that responsible people were seeing to her well-being. Not Santorum. He...

Last month, a CNBC reporter named Rick Santelli had a Howard Beale moment on the floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. He played a different style populism that earned him cheers on floor of the exchange. “This is America,” Santelli shouted. “How many people want to pay for your neighbor’s mortgages — that has an extra bathroom and can’t pay their bills? Raise their hand! President Obama, are you listening?” Santelli said it was time for another tea party, and hence a netroots/nutroots tea party movement was born, taking place in various cities throughout the country. Some have drawn thousands....

12/16/2005 - ABOARD USS ALABAMA (AFPN) -- A U.S. fighter pilot has been shot down. He is injured and behind enemy lines. But he has established communications and is evading the enemy. Time is a critical factor. He needs to be rescued, and he needs to be rescued now. Submerged off the coast lies 19,000 tons of stealth in the form of a submarine. The Ohio-class Trident ballistic missile submarine is being converted to carry smaller Tomahawk missiles. It has storage and operational equipment to support up to 60 special operations forces. The sub is a joint platform that caters...

SILVERDALE, Wash. (NNS) -- Distinguished visitors and the crew of USS Alabama (SSBN 731) came together to witness the decommissioning of the C4 Trident I Weapons System at the Explosive Handling Wharf on Naval Base Kitsap in late October. The crew of Alabama had just completed offloading the final 24 rounds of Trident I C4 missiles to go to sea, the last ever. "Your outstanding work during the last two weeks of offload, and the four weeks of preparation preceding it, exemplifies your contribution to the deterrence of war," said Cmdr. Mel Lee, commanding officer, USS Alabama (Gold). "This is...