Free Republic

Getting back to posting this weekly. There's an election a comin'!

Warren Buffett says he’s optimistic the nation’s debt problems will be solved, despite the political fighting that’s threatening to put the country over the “fiscal cliff.” … “The United States is richer than it’s ever been. We have $50,000 or so of GDP per person. But we’ve overpromised and we’ve also under taxed to some extent, so we find ourselves with this great fiscal imbalance. But it was man made. We’re a rich country. It can be solved. … We’ll be able to overcome this problem. America has faced a lot tougher problems than this one. We’ll get it solved.”...

During C-SPAN Newsmakers interview (8-8-10), AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka comments on the importance of the Employee Free Choice Act, saying "it's part of the solution to creating an economy that really does work for everybody." He also said he thinks EFCA will be back on the floor by the end of the year.

Democrats cheered the Mexican president for his criticism of the controversial Arizona immigration law, while Republicans afterward lectured Calderon on the imprudence of knocking the host. When Calderon took several minutes last Thursday to discuss the problem of assault weapons crossing the border into Mexico, Democrats visibly aligned themselves with Calderon's message. In another odd moment, rows of Democrats rose to applaud Calderon when he delivered a brief portion toward the end of his speech in Spanish. First in Spanish, then in English, Calderon voiced his respect for "migrants" who have left their families to work in the United States...

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin rolled out a list of Democratic members of Congress she intends to target for defeat this year, announcing that she'll go after lawmakers who voted for health care reform and hail from districts she and Arizona Sen. John McCain won in the 2008 presidential election. Forty-eight Democrats represent districts that voted for McCain. “With the president signing this unwanted and ‘transformative’ government takeover of our health care system today with promises impossible to keep, let’s not get discouraged,” Palin wrote in a post on her Facebook wall, urging supporters not to “get demoralized.” “We’re going...

"What better way to celebrate passing history-making legislation than kicking back at a dive bar famous for its cheap beer and taxidermy-heavy décor? A large group of House Democrats defied cigar-and-champagne stereotypes by partying down until the wee hours after the health care vote at the decidedly downscale Tune Inn on Pennsylvania Avenue..."

President Barack Obama on Wednesday asked Rep. Anh "Joseph" Cao, R-New Orleans, to take a fresh look at the language on abortion in the Senate health care bill to see whether he could, in good conscience, support landmark health care legislation now days from a final vote. Cao, the only Republican to vote for the health care bill in either the House or Senate, said he would take another look. "He's asked if I would restudy the Senate language and that I would approach it with an open mind. And I promised that I would go back and study the...

President Barack Obama, flanked by members of Troop A, First Squadron, 11th Armored Combat Regiment, speaks in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009, during a ceremony honoring their service with the Presidential Unit Citation for their actions during the Vietnam War. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari) From the NYTimes at the beginning of this month: SANTA CLARA, Calif. — On the day Ray R. Moreno came home from Vietnam, the day antiwar protestors called him a baby killer, he decided to pack away his Army uniform for good. Memories and nightmares still intruded,...

'After I read the story, we’ll have an even gooder conversation, the 44-year veteran Congressman said..........'

The words of a local congressman on the issue of healthcare are coming under scrutiny. Democrat Eric Massa told a group in Pennsylvania that he would vote against the interests of his constituents on healthcare reform if he believes what he's voting for would be helpful to them. Massa has held dozens of town hall meetings, many focused on healthcare, but this past weekend while in Pittsburgh, meeting with the grassroots progressive political action group Net Roots Nation, Massa answered questions about where he stands on healthcare reform versus where his constituents stand. "I will vote adamantly against the interests...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A key U.S. senator asked the Obama administration on Thursday to explain in detail its policy on the Honduran political crisis, warning that otherwise Senate confirmation may be delayed for a U.S. diplomatic nominee for Latin America. "The complexity of events that led up to the Honduran crisis has given rise to questions regarding U.S. policy," Senator Richard Lugar, one of the Senate's most respected voices on foreign policy, wrote to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The United States has refused to recognize the Honduran government led by Roberto Micheletti, which took over the Central American nation...

..(snip)…Does this not raise suspicion? While we hear of the “outrage” of the people who brought us the bonus scandal, the same people are rushing to pass the GIVE Act (you give, they take): national service. Senator Reid asked that the Senate proceed to act on this bill and then immediately asked for a cloture motion. Cloture The cloture rule–Rule 22–is the only formal procedure that Senate rules provide for breaking a filibuster. A filibuster is an attempt to block or delay Senate action on a bill or other matter. Under cloture, the Senate may limit consideration of a pending...

Gregg says Geithner, “You said you’re controlling spending but you’re not. ..You’re not addressing the Spending.”Gregg points out blow by blow the HYPOCRISY riddled through Obama’s Budget entitled ironically, “A New Era of Fiscal Responsibility.” Greg writes, “The argument that this budget doesn’t have tax increases is, I think, an Alice and Wonderland view of the budget.” -Raising the tax rate from 35% to 42%, eliminating deductions on mortgages and on charitable deductions. Small businesses will be feel the burden the most. -“Cutting the debt in half in four years is truly spurious, because you take the deficit and quadruple...

WASHINGTON - Companies that defrauded the United States and jeopardized American lives received new government work despite rulings designed to stop them from receiving federal contracts, government investigators report. Payments went to a company whose president tried to sell nuclear bomb parts to North Korea, a company that jeopardized lives on the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy, and a seller of body armor that the Air Force said was defective. The companies were on a government database of 70,000 individuals and businesses suspended or barred by various U.S. agencies from receiving government contract work. Snip

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich named former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris to a replacement to fill President-elect Barack Obama's vacant U.S. Senate seat today, even as Senate Democrats assured the governor they will block the appointment. Blagojevich is accused of trying to sell Obama’s seat which is why he is facing impeachment and federal charges. U.S. Senate Democrats released a statement earlier this afternoon asking Blagojevich not to follow through, saying they would not seat the candidate that he names. They are part of large chorus of Democrats and elected officials that have been urging Blagojevich to step down since...

Helicopter crash claims life of first 11th Signal Brigade soldier BY BILL HESSSpecialist Charlie Harris speaks Wednesday on Fort Huachuca about his friend Cpl. Victor M. Langarica, who was killed in a helicopter crash in Iraq. (Mark Levy-Herald/Review) Herald/Review FORT HUACHUCA — The 11th Signal Brigade lost its first soldier in Iraq when an Army helicopter crashed on Saturday. To the Army buddies of Cpl. Victor M. Langarica, a wheeled-vehicle mechanic with Bravo Company of the 86th Signal Battalion, the loss was akin to the death of a family member. Of those who knew the soldier, he was more...

FORT HUACHUCA — A deployed soldier from the 11th Signal Brigade was killed in a helicopter crash in Iraq on Saturday, according to the Department of Defense on Wednesday. Cpl. Victor M. Langarica, 29, of Decatur, Ga., was Identified as one of 12 soldiers killed when a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter went down in Iraq. The incident is still under investigation. He was assigned to the 86th Signal Battalion, where he was a wheeled vehicle mechanic. Members of the 86th deployed last August to provide communications support in Iraq. Langarica is the first brigade soldier to die in any of...

FORT HUACHUCA — The Thunderbirds were treated to more than a turkey dinner Wednesday as part of a Thanksgiving event. The Thunderbird Dining Facility was deck out with the sounds, smells and sights of the holiday. Solider cooks of the 11th Signal Brigade, the unit usually referred to as the Thunderbirds, went all out in preparing food for the feast. The rations noncommissioned-officer-in-charge of the military eatery listed the amount of meat, fowl and seafood the cooks prepared for the meal. The list from Sgt. Brisher McGrath included 330 pounds of prime rib, 150 pounds of turkey, 108 pounds of...

Ever since I announced my bid for the United States Presidency, I’ve been questioned about some of my more radical political opinions. Most of those questions have dealt with my proposed economic policies – for example, the abolition of the IRS and the implementation of the Fair Tax. Today, I offer an answer to questions about why I am opposed to the idea of gays adopting or teaching children. Several years ago, I began writing columns questioning the so-called gay rights movement. I prefer to call it the “gay privileges” movement because gays are not presently deprived of anything that...

WASHINGTON, May 10, 2006 – All four services exceeded their active-duty recruiting goals in April for the 11th consecutive month and remain ahead of their year-to-date goals, defense officials announced today. And although four of the six reserve components slipped below their April recruiting goals, their year-to-date progress, particularly for the Army National Guard and Army Reserve, shows promise, Air Force Lt. Col. Ellen Krenke, a Pentagon spokeswoman, told American Forces Press Service. During what has historically been a slow recruiting period, the active Army recruited almost 5,700 members, 105 percent of its goal, for April. The Air Force signed...