Actually, the source was Rush Limbaugh on February 11, 2004 -- 6 days prior to it hitting Free Republic -- although I agree that FR is the most effective site to get the word out through and I always come here if I want to find out if something has happened or to get info on a particular subject.
(I'm not sure if that link only works for subscribers to the 24/7 site, but I think it works for non-subscribers as well.)