Free Republic

In the next few days I’ll rate the 8 leading GOP candidates for the 2016 Nomination as reported by RealClearPolitics on 6 August 2015. I will rate four criteria; potential to change our nation, electability, personal integrity, and past performance. I will score them from 0 to 3. The ratings will be color-coded as follows. Blue = Excellent (3 pts) – Implies candidate is solidly better than most of the GOP and all of the Dems. Green = Good (2 pts) – Implies candidate is better than GOP average and probably all Dems. Yellow = Low Pass (1 pt) –...

This is a great week for moving-van operators in D.C. Hundreds of Democrat solons and their considerable staffs are going to find out if you really can go home again as they desperately, and probably futilely, scramble to find slots in lobbying firms and in what is ridiculously dubbed “public interest” outfits to stay here. The AFL-CIO and Dem moneybags Tom Steyer collectively blew almost 100 million dollars trying to retain power for their pals .One wonders how much more they will feed into the maw of these losers. The tills of the countless Democratic tax-exempt front groups must be...

The fate of the Affordable Care Act, notwithstanding obstructionism by the Republicans and the nine House Democrats, depends strongly on the success of efforts to get uninsured people to enroll for health insurance. First and foremost in making this happen are the navigators. There’s no reason to let the Obama administration off the hook for its own responsibility in making the work of the navigators tough, what with navigator grants that were announced only in August with training materials issued in September for the October 1st start-up of the exchanges, not to mention embarrassing computer glitches. Since the nonprofit sector...

The legislative scorecard has now been completed, with all of the anti-Constitution measures failing and most of the pro-freedom measure joining them. Pretty much as expected. Now that it’s all over but the shouting, it’s time to tally up the results in Washington’s game. So let’s check our tote board and reveal gun control’s Top Ten Winners and Losers . . . Losers 7. Michael Bloomberg: The political process is fickle. After a stunning triumph of cash over common sense in Colorado, New York’s billionaire Mayor drew a blank in D.C., getting nothing for his $12 million dollars and losing...

Jimmie Johnson held off Dale Earnhardt Jr. at the wire on Sunday, taking the checkered flag in the 2013 Daytona 500. Earnhardt Jr. finished second, running out of room as he tried to chase down Johnson on the last lap. Danica Patrick, who ran in the top-10 all day, finished eighth after losing ground on the last lap. The Daytona 500 started slow enough, with drivers content to wait things out in the early going. A wreck on lap 32 was our first real action of the day as numerous cars got caught up in the mess, leading to the...

Urooj Khan had sworn off playing the lottery after he took an Islamic pilgrimage to the Middle East in 2010, but as he stood in a 7-Eleven near his home on Chicago's Far North Side this summer, he lost his will for a moment, handing over $60 to buy two instant-game tickets. After scratching off the second ticket, he leaped in the air, shouting over and over again, "I hit a million!" When Khan, 46, accepted an oversized check from Illinois Lottery representatives days later at the same store with his wife and teenage daughter at his side, he spoke...

Christian athletes were a major part of the 2012 Olympic Games in London, and Team USA's athletes managed to bring home multiple gold, silver and bronze medals across a wide range of sports. Although many athletes utilized their faith while training and competing, here are 10 Christians who managed to bring home a coveted medal from the Olympic Summer Games. 1. Gabby Douglas, Gymnastics, 2 gold Twitter: @gabrielledoug Gabby Douglas may only be 16, but she took the world by storm when she became the first African-American gymnast and first woman of color to become the individual all-around champion in...

BEGIN TRANSCRIPT RUSH: James Carville. You remember Brian Ross and George Stephanopoulos tried to tie the Tea Party to the mass murderer in Aurora, Colorado. Brian Ross, first thing out of his mouth, (doing impression) "George, we got big news here. There's a Tea Party member with the same name." "Really? That could be big, Brian." "Yeah, George, it could be really big. We're not sure, we don't know for sure, but it could be, George, that the mass murderer at The Dark Knight Rises is a member of the Tea Party." The Daily Beast had a headline back in...

WASHINGTON, D.C. — While 529 hardworking athletes proudly represent the United States in the 2012 Olympics, any medals and money they earn wearing red, white and blue will be taxed by the IRS. According to research done by the Americans for Tax Reform Foundation, U.S. Olympic athletes are liable to pay income tax on medals earned and prizes received at the London games. American medalists face a top income tax rate of 35 percent. Under U.S. tax law, they must add the value of their Olympic medals and prizes to their taxable income. It is therefore easy to calculate...

Going into this finale of 'Dancing with the Stars' (Tue., 9PM ET on ABC) there was one round of competitive dancing left. The votes were in, though, and it was guaranteed to be a close battle. Chelsea Kane and Hines Ward were leading the judges' scores coming into the final night, but Kirstie Alley was close behind. It was a star-studded finale, featuring guest appearances by Sara Evans, the Black-Eyed Peas and the first televised performance by The Go-Gos in five years. But it was the finalists that people were tuning in to see. !!SPOILER ALERT!! Kane and Mark Ballas...

Two pro-life groups that cater to young people have announced the winners of a contest they jointly sponsored to encourage young people to produce videos urging the revocation of taxpayer funding for the Planned Parenthood abortion business. The contest was designed to support the Pence Amendment, which the House of Representatives approved, but which the U.S. Senate defeated — although both chambers of Congress are still debating how to solve the federal budget issue and whether Planned Parenthood will receive federal funds. After receiving dozens of videos from youth across the country explaining why Congress should de-fund Planned Parenthood, Live...

It’s that time of year again when Freindly Fire heaps praise upon those most deserving. You probably aren’t going to find these winners on the lists of typical media outlets, most of which bow at the altar of political correctness. The Biggest Winner of 2010, as is the case every year, goes to none other than illegal invaders, all 20 million of them. Year after year, they continue to win everything. They are handed driver’s licenses, free education — in some cases all the way to college — and free first-rate health care. Most appallingly, their freedom exists because of...

Michelle Bachman, Kelly Ayotte, Nikki Haley, Susana Martinez, Mary Fallin and Kristi Noem

- California Republicans took an historic step Tuesday by nominating two wealthy businesswomen to challenge Democratic icons for governor and U.S. Senate. Meg Whitman, the billionaire former eBay chief executive, easily won the Republican primary for California governor while former Hewlett-Packard Co. CEO Carly Fiorina was nominated to challenge Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer in the fall. It is the first time the California Republican Party has put a woman - much less two - at the top of its ticket. Whitman congratulated Fiorina Tuesday night when she took the stage at the Universal City Hilton hotel ballroom. "Career politicians in...

While millions of fans focus on Crystal Bowersox’s high notes, Lee DeWyze’s guitar playing, and Simon Cowell’s last gasps of snark, MoneyWatch is, well, watching the money. By that measure, it hardly matters who wins next Wednesday — if they manage life after Idol correctly, the two finalists stand to earn millions of dollars each. Previous Idol winners such as Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood have gone on to become mega-selling, globe-touring, award-winning stars, while even contestants that haven’t won, such as Chris Daughtry and Jennifer Hudson, have gone on to become top-earning performers. “You can rest on having been...

(Reuters) - The healthcare reform measure passed by the House of Representatives on Sunday delivers some good news for drugmakers, device companies and even health insurers. Among the changes in the legislation was a provision delaying hefty taxes on those three industries by at least a year. Following are some of the winners and losers in the overall healthcare industry based on a Senate version of the bill and the reconciliation bill passed by the House on Sunday. The Senate must vote on the reconciliation bill, so changes could still emerge. WINNERS BRAND-NAME DRUGMAKERS * The pharmaceutical industry keeps its...

The Scottish Terrier won tonight.

VANCOUVER - Someday soon, Apolo Anton Ohno will take his cool name, his charisma, the bandanna, and the trademark soul patch and skate away from the short-track sport in which he has used all to maximum advantage. Some, in fact, thought that day would have come already. But the lure of an Olympics in Vancouver, so close to his Washington hometown, and the opportunity to become the most decorated American winter athlete pulled him back for more. Last night, Ohno tied that record, though it took some luck on the last lap of the 1,500. With three South Koreans leading,...

Tuesday, Bob McDonnell was elected to serve as the 71st Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, defeating state Sen. Creigh Deeds by a margin of 59 – 41 percent. By comparison, President Barack Obama received 53 percent of the vote for in 2008. Sen. Deeds had made clear during the campaign his willingness to raise taxes. On September 23, in a Washington Post Op-Ed entitled “My Transportation Plan”, Deeds said, “As a legislator, I have voted for a number of mechanisms to fund transportation, including a gas tax. And I’ll sign a bipartisan bill with a dedicated funding mechanism for...

Last night, the New York Yankees made history by defeating the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 6 of the World Series to capture their record 27th World Championship. It is the Yankees’ first championship in nine years. The significance of the Yankees’ victory cannot be overstated. With their 27th championship, the Yankees have reaffirmed their place as the most dominant franchise in professional sports. More importantly, the Yankees have destroyed the curse of Hillary Clinton. On October 26, 2000, the New York Yankees were on top of the world. They had just defeated a cute little team from the outer boroughs,...