Free Republic

As the war in Iraq grows more unpopular with increasing number of Americans, Democrats in collusion with the liberal mainstream media, continue to politicize the war by distorting the facts. Claim that President Bush lied about WMD in order to implement a grand strategy by neo-cons well before he took office supposedly aimed at using military force to install democratic regimes friendly to the U.S. throughout the Middle East. However, the left has never adequately answered the following question. If Bush knew there was no WMD, why would he send 150,000 troops into Iraq since his “lie” would be immediately...

PART 1In just one year. Remember the election in 2006? Thought you might like to read the following: A little over one year ago: 1) Consumer confidence stood at a 2 1/2 year high; 2) Regular gasoline sold for $2.19 a gallon; 3) The unemployment rate was 4.5%. Since voting in a Democratic Congress in 2006 we have seen: 1) Consumer confidence plummet; 2) The cost of regular gasoline soar to over $3.50 a gallon; 3) Unemployment is up to 5% (a 10% increase) 4) American households have seen $2.3 trillion in equity value evaporate (stock and mutual fund losses)...

BARACK OBAMA (D-IL) Top Contributors (for 2006) 1 University of Chicago $156,054 2 Kirkland & Ellis $143,138 3 Henry Crown & Co $79,500 4 Sonnenschein, Nath & Rosenthal $74,950 5 Northwestern University $72,930 6 Exelon Corp $71,850 7 Sidley, Austin et al $71,432 8 Mayer Brown $69,960 9 Jenner & Block $62,710 10 Soros Fund Management $61,605 11 Goldman Sachs $61,500 12 Clifford Law Offices $59,550 13 Simmons Cooper LLC $58,500 14 Tejas Securities $57,250 15 JP Morgan Chase & Co $56,600 16 Ariel Capital Management $55,650 17 Skadden, Arps et al $54,071 18 Winston & Strawn $52,450 19 Piper...

The retirement of Dennis Hastert, the former Speaker of the House, has led to the loss of his seat from the Republican ranks. In a low-turnout special election, political newcomer Bill Foster beat Jim Oberweis to win the seat for the Democrats. The loss leaves the GOP looking even more impotent in Illinois than ever before (via Memeorandum): In a stunning upset Saturday that could be a sign of trouble for Republicans this fall, a little-known Democratic physicist won the special election for a far west suburban congressional seat long held by former GOP House Speaker Dennis Hastert.Rookie candidate Bill...

Frist Will Not Seek Presidency In 2008 CBS News Interactive: The 109th Congress CBS News: 2008 Republican Hopefuls (AP) WASHINGTON Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist will not run for president in 2008, Republican officials said Wednesday, as the field of White House contenders continued to shrink more than a year before the first convention delegates are chosen. Frist's formal announcement was expected later in the day. His decision caps a 12-year stint in electoral politics in which he rose from an underdog in his 1994 Senate campaign to the position of majority leader a mere eight years later. The decision...

RUSH: I want to go back to the archives of this program. I want to illustrate for you my prescience. When I tell you that you are on the cutting edge of the societal evolution if you are a regular listener here, this will establish it. October 18th, 2006. This is prior to the November elections, the midterms, and I was getting phone call after phone call from conservatives saying they were not going to vote. They were mad as hell. They were sick and tired of the Foley thing and Macaca. They were sick and tired of Republicans not...

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) was close to leaving the Republican Party in 2001, weeks before then-Sen. Jim Jeffords (Vt.) famously announced his decision to become an Independent, according to former Democratic lawmakers who say they were involved in the discussions. In interviews with The Hill this month, former Sen. Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) and ex-Rep. Tom Downey (D-N.Y.) said there were nearly two months of talks with the maverick lawmaker following an approach by John Weaver, McCain’s chief political strategist. Democrats had contacted Jeffords and then-Sen. Lincoln Chafee (R-R.I.) in the early months of 2001 about switching parties, but in McCain’s...

Democrats say McCain nearly abandoned GOP By Bob Cusack Posted: 03/28/07 07:39 PM [ET] Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) was close to leaving the Republican Party in 2001, weeks before then-Sen. Jim Jeffords (Vt.) famously announced his decision to become an Independent, according to former Democratic lawmakers who say they were involved in the discussions. In interviews with The Hill this month, former Sen. Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) and ex-Rep. Tom Downey (D-N.Y.) said there were nearly two months of talks with the maverick lawmaker following an approach by John Weaver, McCain’s chief political strategist. Democrats had contacted Jeffords and then-Sen. Lincoln...

In the following list, 99 senators are ranked according to their overall composite liberal or conservative scores based on National Journal's 2006 vote ratings

When conservatives lay out their long list of apostasies committed by John McCain, one of them is always his role in the Gang of 14, the 7 Democrats and 7 Republicans in the Senate who agreed to a judicial compromise in 2005. The deal that was struck eliminated the use of the "nuclear option" by the then-GOP-controlled Senate, and also limited the Democratic minority's ability to use the filibuster to block certain judicial nominees (at the time the deal was stuck, there were no pending Supreme Court nominations, only Appellate Court nominations were being held up). To put it plainly,...

Burns, a Republican, narrowly lost reelection to a fourth term in 2006 after Democrats made his relationship with Abramoff a key issue. Abramoff is at the center of a corruption investigation that has led to convictions of a former congressman, legislative aides, lobbyists and Bush administration officials.

The Department of Justice confirms former Montana Senator Burns is no longer part of an ongoing investigation of disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff. In an exclusive phone call to the News Station's Aaron Flint from his Washington, DC office, Senator Burns is calling it good news and says he feels "so great that it's unbelievable." Burns then released a prepared statement, saying the Department of Justice Public Integrity Section has notified his attorney Ralph Caccia that it (DOJ) has ended its investigation. Burns lost a close race to now Democratic Senator Jon Tester after Democrats questioned Burns about his ties to...

Summary Romney's latest ad attacks McCain in New Hampshire with false and misleading claims: It claims McCain "voted to allow illegals to collect Social Security." That's untrue. Nobody who is in the country illegally could be paid any Social Security benefits under McCain's immigration bill. It implies McCain supported "amnesty" for illegal immigrants. That word isn't accurate. Illegal immigrants wouldn't have received a blanket pardon under McCain's bill. Instead, they would have had to pay thousands in penalties and fees to gain legal status. In fact, in 2005 Romney called McCain's proposal "reasonable" and said it wasn't amnesty. The ad...

Fox News just announced Henry Hyde has passed away.

Several House Republicans who endorsed Fred Thompson for president now say that they are frustrated with what they view as an apathetic campaign, and at least one regrets having committed to the former Tennessee senator. “I think he’s kind of done a belly flop,” said an estranged Thompson backer who indicated he will not pull his public support before the “Super Tuesday” primaries. “We’ll just wait till after Feb. 5 because I think he’s going to get beat.”The disaffected members of team Thompson say that he has failed to put to rest whispers that he is unwilling to campaign hard...

New federal legislation says universities must agree to provide not just deterrents but also "alternatives" to peer-to-peer piracy, such as paying monthly subscription fees to the music industry for their students, on penalty of losing all financial aid for their students. The U.S. House of Representatives bill (PDF), which was introduced late Friday by top Democratic politicians, could give the movie and music industries a new revenue stream by pressuring schools into signing up for monthly subscription services such as Ruckus and Napster. Ruckus is advertising-supported, and Napster charges a monthly fee per student. The Motion Picture Association of America...

SAN DIEGO --- A jury on Monday found a Poway defense contractor guilty of bribing former North County Congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham. The contractor, Brent Wilkes, was charged with bribing the Republican politician with more than $625,000 in cash on top of luxury vacations and jet boats in exchange for millions of taxpayer dollars in the form of contracts for his company. Wilkes faced 13 counts: one count of conspiracy, one count of bribery, one count of money laundering and 10 counts of wire fraud. He was found guilty on all counts Monday morning. The 53-year-old San Diego County native...

The Talk Shows Sunday, November 4th, 2007 Guests to be interviewed today on major television talk shows: FOX NEWS SUNDAY (Fox Network): Former President George H.W. Bush. MEET THE PRESS (NBC): Former Sen. Fred Thompson, R-Tenn. FACE THE NATION (CBS): Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., Mark Penn, chief strategist for Sen. Hillary Clinton campaign.THIS WEEK (ABC): Former Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C. LATE EDITION (CNN) : Mideast peace envoy and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair; Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., Chris Dodd, D-Conn., Arlen Specter, R-Pa., and Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.

Can the U.N.'s Law of the Sea Treaty not only be delayed but defeated outright in the Senate? That's the question that conservatives are delightfully pondering as a remarkable series of events has put the pact, supported by the Bush Administration and the liberal leadership in the Senate, in serious jeopardy. Perhaps the most significant development is the announcement by Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell that he will oppose the White House and vote against the treaty. As opponents of the treaty make their case in advertisements and on cable TV and talk radio, Republican senators are increasingly hearing from...

As Sen. Hillary Clinton grapples with the burgeoning scandal surrounding disgraced fund-raiser Norman Hsu, she can't quite shake a fund-raising controversy from her 2000 Senate campaign. Mrs. Clinton's entanglement with a thrice-convicted felon named Peter Paul is proof of how long campaign-finance problems can haunt a public official. Mr. Paul became a problem for Mrs. Clinton when his criminal past became public shortly after he helped organize and finance a gala Hollywood fund-raiser for her in August 2000. The Clintons have denied any wrongdoing. Their attorney, David Kendall, says there was never any business arrangement discussed or contemplated between Mr....

The War on Weldon Gets Scarier, Part II © Jack Cashill WorldNetDaily.com August 21, 2007 This the second in a four part series detailing how and why a collaboration of Democratic activists conspired to unseat Pennsylvania congressman, Curt Weldon, in the November 2006 elections. Read Part 1. I met Congressman Curt Weldon for the first (and only) time in July 2006. He graciously consented to assist me in some research I was doing. I, in turn, was able to help connect some of the dots in the chain of forces aligned against him. All dots led to former national security...

You are earnestly urged to believe that the attacks and dirty tricks used against Congressman Curt Weldon, a Pennsylvania Republican seeking re-election, have absolutely nothing to do with the following: 1 — Congressman Weldon took the lead in getting House approval of SDI — the missile defense that was bitterly opposed by the Clinton White House. (See this column "Go along to get along? Not this congressman," Oct. 16, 2006). 2 — The idea of a U.S. missile defense system is also opposed (for obvious reasons) by the enemies of the United States (first the Soviet Union, then the terrorists)...

When the history of the Bush era is written, no scandal will impress the reader as more telling of the time and place than the one that has engulfed Curt Weldon, the deposed Republican congressman from Pennsylvania. To be clear, Weldon is not the perpetrator of this scandal but its victim. To understand how he got embroiled, a quick look back at a nearly forgotten chapter in the annals of the Clinton administration is in order. In January 1997, the Clinton White House went public with a 332-page report that bore the "Austin Powers"-like title, "Communication Stream of Conspiracy Commerce."...

Karl Rove, President Bush's political lieutenant, told a closed-door meeting of 2008 Republican House candidates and their aides Tuesday that it was less the war in Iraq than corruption in Congress that caused their party's defeat in the 2006 elections.

Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Wash., violated ethics standards by giving reporters access to an illegally taped telephone call involving Republican leaders a decade ago, the House ethics committee said Monday. McDermott, who at the time was the panel's senior Democrat, failed to meet his obligations as a committee leader, said a report released two days after Congress adjourned for the year. The panel took no action other than the report. "Rep. McDermott's secretive disclosures to the news media . . . risked undermining the ethics process regarding" former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, the committee said. It said McDermott's actions "were not...

WASHINGTON - The 109th session of Congress, frustrated by partisanship and criticized for its meager record of accomplishment, ended with flurry of bill-passing and promises of change when Democrats take over the House and Senate in January. Before the predawn finish Saturday, departing House Speaker Dennis Hastert acknowledged that after eight years, the longest stretch for a Republican in the job, he will welcome a return to the rank and file. "On Jan. 4, I will be privileged to rejoin you on these benches where my heart is," he said, The Illinois Republican will be succeeded on that day by...

The House yesterday passed a resolution "condemning the decision of St. Denis, France, to name a street in honor of Mumia Abu-Jamal, the convicted murder [sic] of Philadelphia Police Office Danny Faulkner." The vote was 368-31, with 8 members voting "present." Here's a list of what one might call the Cop-Killer's Caucus, the congressmen who voted against the resolution, all Democrats: The "present" votes came from Sam Farr (Calif.), Al Green (Texas), Luis Gutierrez (Ill.), Sheila Jackson-Lee (Texas), John Lewis (Ga.), George Miller (Calif.), Janice Schakowsky (Ill.) and Melvin Watt (N.C.). Tellingly, every member of the Pennsylvania delegation who was...

Frist is throwing out "unanimous consents" out like water .. speaking 90 mph. I think the tax bill extension was passed.

Since "Free Republic is an online gathering place for independent, grass-roots conservatism on the web. We're working to roll back decades of governmental largesse, to root out political fraud and corruption, and to champion causes which further conservatism in America.", I and others think it's a good idea to centralize what the goes on in the Senate (or House). So if you see something happening on the Senate/House floor and you don't want to start a new thread to ask if anyone else just heard what you heard, you can leave a short note on who said what and about...

·11250 Waples Mill Road ·   Fairfax, Virginia 22030    ·800-392-8683 NRA-ILA SPECIAL ELECTION ALERT 10/11/06     PRO-GUN VICTORIES IN THE 109TH CONGRESS--Gun Owners’ Victories Since the 2004 Elections Elections matter.  Precisely because of our work and success in the 2002 and 2004 elections, we were able to lay the groundwork for the victories that you will read about below.  Now the question before us is, “What will the future hold?”  Two years from now, will we be reporting on more victories in our quest to protect and preserve the Second Amendment?  Or, will our update contain bad news for gun owners? ...

Congress started wrapping up its work Thursday ahead of a five-week stretch of campaigning before the midterm elections: _The Senate authorized the establishment of military commissions to prosecute terrorism suspects in legislation that also spells out violations of the Geneva Conventions, a treaty that sets international standards for the treatment of war prisoners. Congress expects to send the bill to President Bush by Friday. _The House moved toward passing a bill authorizing warrantless wiretaps of terror suspects. Differences between House and Senate versions of the bill probably cannot be bridged before the election. _The Senate scheduled a vote for Friday...

This morning, I read on the Drudge Report that Roger Waters (formerly of Pink Floyd) is sounding off about our upcoming elections as a part of his current tour... ...I was a Pink Floyd fan in my youth, and as such, I feel compelled to write an open letter to Mr. Waters. I will readily admit that the foregoing letter at times commits the logical fallacy of making ad hominem statements. So be it. Let's just say that, since I was a fan of Pink Floyd as a teenager, that I have temporarily regressed for the purposes of this letter,...

WASHINGTON - Senate GOP leaders facing rebellion in their own ranks against President Bush's plan to interrogate and prosecute terrorism suspects will call for a vote on the proposal as early as next week. Senate Majority Whip Mitch McConnell said no decision had been made on when to vote on the measure, which critics say does not go far enough to protect suspects' rights. He added that he hoped a floor vote would settle the issue. A Republican-led Senate committee defied Bush on Thursday and approved terror-detainee legislation the president has vowed to block. Republican Sen. John Warner (news, bio,...

House Republican appropriators remained unwilling yesterday to publicly endorse their leadership’s resolution requiring disclosure of earmark sponsors, setting up a possible rebellion by committee members that could bring down the resolution. Appropriations Chairman Jerry Lewis (R-Calif.) huddled with his panel yesterday afternoon but emerged with no firm panel-wide plan to oppose the earmark-reform resolution. Many GOP appropriators believe the resolution singles out their committee’s product while applying a narrow definition of tax and authorizing earmarks. “We are attempting to communicate with leadership that this committee feels very strongly that earmark reform is a priority, but it should apply to everybody,”...

On Tuesday, the GOP primary in Rhode Island pits Sen. Lincoln Chafee against Cranston Mayor Stephen Laffey. Whatever else may be said about Chafee, he has been a very reliable vote against obstructionist filibusters of judicial nominees. He's voted for cloture all 25 times (see details below the fold). According to Rasmussen, Chafee has pulled to within two points of Democratic challenger Sheldon Whitehouse in his bid for re-election (i.e. 44% for Whitehouse and 42% for Chafee). Whitehouse previously had a six point lead. But Chafee must first face off against Laffey, on Tuesday. Rasmussen has Whitehouse leading Laffey 58%...

Nigeria: How Jefferson Reported PTDF Deal to ObasanjoSeptember 10, 2006 Posted to the web September 11, 2006 Lagos United States Congressman, William Jefferson, who is now at the centre of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for alleged corrupt practices, was the one who gave the first hint to President Olusegun Obasanjo on the alleged illegal use of Petroleum Trust Development Fund (PTDF) by some Nigerian businessmen. The businessmen were believed to be associates of Vice President Atiku Abubakar. In a letter on his congressional office letterhead dated May 28, 22004 and addressed to Obasanjo, Jefferson who...

After garnering support levels in the high 50s for the last several months, Democratic Senator Robert Byrd has pierced the 60% threshold in our polling to now lead Republican John Raese 63% to 30%. That adds eight points to the spread. Our August survey showed the Senator over-flying his Republican opponent 56% to 31%, a mere twenty-five-point advantage. Byrd, the longest-serving member of the U.S. Senate, is known for his oratory, unabashed vigor in bringing pork projects to his state, and opposition to the war in Iraq. Should he win, he will be 89 as he begins his new term....

PENCE COMMENDS TROOPS ON ANNIVERSARY OF 9-11 Congressman tells soldiers "You do not go alone" Washington, Sep 11 - WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Congressman Mike Pence today made the following speech at Camp Atterbury in Edinburgh, Indiana. Thank you for that warm welcome. I am deeply honored and profoundly humbled to be with you. As I thought about what I might say today, what words of inspiration and hope I might share on this solemn anniversary, I couldn’t help but be struck by how incongruous it is that I should be speaking to you. Our roles today are backwards. It...

LAS VEGAS (AP) - Possible presidential candidate and former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards told some 3,400 union delegates and others Monday that the Democratic Party needs to show "a little backbone" by taking up the cause of universal health care again. "One of the ways we can show some backbone and courage is we can speak out and we can say we're not for access to health care ... and all those weasel words that politicians like to use," he said. "We're for universal health care for every single man, woman and child in America and we are going...

Arlingtonians Remember 9/11 in Their Own Ways by KRISTEN ARMSTRONG, Staff Writer (Created: Monday, September 11, 2006 2:03 PM EDT) The fifth annual Arlington Police/Sheriff/Fire 9-11 5K Race drew thousands to Crystal City on Sept. 9. It was one of many events taking place across the county to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. (Photo by Betty Morales) The fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks was commemorated Monday in a ceremony that not only honored those who died, but saluted those whose actions on 9/11 made a difference. “Arlington remembers all responders,”...

I remember hearing on the radio Friday that the person who wrote the misleading Senate report that purports to show no connection between Saddam and Al Qaeda was an active Kerry supporter and contributor who somehow got onto the Republican staff. Does anyone else remember this? Who was the staffer that wrote this piece of propaganda?

September 11, 2006 House Judiciary Committee Passes Public Expression of Religion ActWashington D.C. - On Friday the United States House of Representatives Judiciary Committee passed the Public Expression of Religion Act (PERA), also known as HR 2679. This bill will go to the full House for a vote. The bill's intent is to eliminate the chilling effect on the constitutionally protected expression of religion by state and local officials that results from the threat that a plaintiff may seek damages and attorney's fees. If the bill passes, advocacy groups like the ACLU would no longer be able to use...

House Majority Leader John Boehner (Ohio) last week would not rule out passing a comprehensive immigration bill before Congress recesses for the mid-term elections. When a reporter asked him if it was realistic to assume Congress would not pass such a bill in the limited time left on the legislative calendar, he replied, “That is not fair.” Boehner said that “conversations about the overall bill, the larger bill, are going to continue,” but suggested alternative methods to secure the border were being planned. “You will see us, I think, again this month, move to include additional money for fencing on...

John Murtha is using the 5 year anniversary of 9/11 to brag about his abilities to throw pork at any problem that comes his way. Instead of offering a solemn note of remembrance, he has instead decided to generate a list of all the monies he has directed to the Flight 93 memorial(located in his district). This proves one thing, not only has John Murtha forgotten about exactly what happened on the fateful day 5 years ago, he has also neglected to realize how it has changed the world. I guess it wasn’t enough to use thousands of dead U.S....

This is one of the best books I've read this year, packed with ammo for the elctions. This is a MUST read before the elections. Send it to all your friends and Republican congressmen. Bankrupt: The Intellectual and Moral Bankruptcy of Today's Democratic Party by David Limbaugh

Vice President Dick Cheney said on Sunday he expects fellow Republicans to rally and keep control of Congress in the November 7 election -- and offered to bet on it. Although polls show unhappy voters may turn over the U.S. House of Representatives and possibly the Senate to Democrats, Cheney said: "I think we're doing very well out there." Appearing on NBC's "Meet the Press," Cheney told moderator Tim Russert, "I'll even bet you a dinner that we hold both houses." "I don't bet," replied Russert. Cheney was questioned about the election, which will determine whether President George W. Bush...

It is probably fair to say that when Sen. Barbara Boxer makes a racket about something, it does not necessarily follow that all her colleagues will listen. After all, California Democrat Boxer is prone to loud announcements and speeches that sometimes call for the politically impossible – goals that are too left of center, too removed from the congressional mainstream. So it is with some interest that observers watched the former Marin County activist lead a charge last week to oust Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. Democrats long have expressed frustration with the war in Iraq, saying the Bush administration...

Reid: The Vice President Just Doesn't Get It 9/10/2006 4:07:00 PM To: National Desk Contact: Jim Manley or Rebecca Kirszner, 202-224-2939, both of the Office of Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid WASHINGTON, Sept. 10 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid released the following statement on Vice President Cheney's appearance today on NBC's "Meet the Press." "Vice President Cheney's influence over our nation's foreign policy and defense has made America less safe. The Vice President was a chief architect of the effort to manipulate intelligence to build a case for invading Iraq, he ignored the threat of insurgencies, he...

From Bill Frist's blog: With all the information available about all the hateful efforts of the terrorists to strike America since the late 1980s -- easily available by one click on the Internet -- let's simmer down on the censorship calls and honor the memory of 9/11 by letting people see ABC's The Path to 9/11 and draw their own conclusions about the Islamofascist war against America. Exactly. Unfortunately, from what I know of liberals, they usually aren't too keen about Americans making up their own minds about things. Anyway, as Allah notes: ...the New York Times has seen it...

By now, everybody knows the CIA told the Denate Intelligence Committee Osama had nothing to do with 9/11. How did the CIA know ? They asked him, of course !