Free Republic

Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., was the most liberal senator in 2007, according to National Journal's 27th annual vote ratings. The insurgent presidential candidate shifted further to the left last year in the run-up to the primaries, after ranking as the 16th- and 10th-most-liberal during his first two years in the Senate.

General Motors Corp. reported one of the largest losses ever for an automotive company Tuesday as it struggled to turn around its North American business amid a weak economy. Also this morning, the company offered a new round of buyouts to 74,000 U.S. hourly workers. GM said it lost $38.7 billion in 2007. The loss largely was due to a third-quarter charge related to unused tax credits. The Detroit-based automaker also on Tuesday said it was offering a new round of buyouts to all 74,000 of its U.S. hourly workers who are represented by the United Auto Workers. The 2007...

The president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission says comments by best-selling author John Grisham at the recent "New Baptist Covenant" meeting are theologically off base. During a rare public speech, Grisham criticized Baptists who believe the Bible is the inerrant Word of God. The novelist spoke about a Baptist church he attended as a youth, which he described as intolerant because its leaders said the Bible should be read literally. The Southern Baptist Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission president, Dr. Richard Land, disagrees with Grisham and says it is not intolerant to defend God's Word....

Exxon Mobil Posts Record Profits Friday February 1, 8:20 am ET Exxon Mobil Posts Biggest Annual and Quarterly Profits Ever by a U.S. Company HOUSTON (AP) -- Exxon Mobil Corp. on Friday posted the largest annual profit by a U.S. company -- $40.6 billion -- as the world's largest publicly traded oil company benefited from historic crude prices at year's end. Exxon also set a U.S. record for the biggest quarterly profit, posting net income of $11.7 billion for the final three months of 2007, besting its own mark of $10.71 billion in the fourth quarter of 2005. The previous...

What do monks, kites, unwanted pregnancies, a 19th century abolitionist, and a young man with a life-sized inflatable doll have in common? They're all in movies that we've deemed the ten most redeeming films of 2007. posted 01/29/08 First off, what do we mean by "redeeming" films? They're all stories of redemption—sometimes blatantly, sometimes less so. Several of them literally have a character that represents a redeemer; all of them have characters who experience redemption to some degree—some quite clearly, some more subtly. Some are "feel-good" movies that leave a smile on your face; some are a bit more uncomfortable...

America's most influential blog is the Daily Kos. Democratic members of Congress post on the blog, Democratic presidential contenders cater to them, and Daily Kos founder Markos Moulitsas is considered to be a mainstream figure amongst Democrats. Keep all of that in mind as you read these excerpts and quotes, all of which come from the Daily Kos writers, not from commenters on the blog: 10) "I wrote a diary a short time ago about how the Bush administration helped ruin my marriage. It wasn't because my husband was a Bush supporter or anything...it was because of all the stresses...

Contact:  Jerry Horn, Priests for Life, 540-220-0095STATEN ISLAND, NY, Jan. 28 /Christian Newswire/ -- Dr. Alveda King, niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and full-time Pastoral Associate of Priests for Life, has been named one of the Top Ten People of 2007 by Inside the Vatican magazine. In naming Dr. King, the magazine called her "one of the leading pro-life voices in America and the world today." "I am humbled and honored by this recognition, but I give all glory to God who allows me to speak on behalf of His children who cannot speak for themselves," Dr. King...

But some natives don’t want to be lifted. Published 1/24/2008 Perceptions of The Immigrant vary, to say the least. Merchant and restaurateur Eduardo Martinez of Little Rock sees himself a few years ago — ambitious, hard-working, law-abiding, soon to become a pillar of the community. Mayor Stephen Womack of Rogers sees people who drive up the crime rate, strain government services as well as the patience of the natives, and generally bear watching. A curious coalition of hard-nosed businessmen and soft-hearted do-gooders sees someone who needs protection from ill-informed and ill-intentioned elected officials. A fair number of inhospitable Arkansans see...

For Immediate Release Contact: Leslie K. Paige 202-467-5334, Alexa Moutevelis 202-467-5318 January 22, 2008 CAGW Announces 2007 Porker of the Year Nominees Washington, D.C. - With presidential primary season in full swing Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) jumped into the fray today with the announcement of its nominees for 2007 Porker of the Year. Citizens may cast their ballots for the politician they think was the most reprehensible porker of 2007 in an online poll. The six finalists were chosen by CAGW staff from among 12 worthy Porkers of the Month for 2007. The candidates are: Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.)...

The 2007 US National Intelligence Estimate, as well as the skewed reporting around it, is a sign of the "illegitimate politicization" of the American intelligence establishment, according to former US ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton. The document reportedly said Iran stopped its nuclear weapons production program in 2003. While "Iran's nuclear program is continuing and expanding," Bolton told The Jerusalem Post at a book-signing in a Tel Aviv Steimatzky on Sunday, "the NIE has had a devastating impact on our global efforts to try and constrain Iran." "I know the people who wrote this intelligence estimate," Bolton continued....

"What do you consider to be your greatest achievement in 2007?.......... Iraq..... Health Care.... Infighting between Democrats and Republicans..... read the article for more.....

10 Best Films of 2007 1. Atonement 2. Amazing Grace 3. The Kite Runner 4. Ratatouille 5. The Assassination of Jesse James 6. Gone Baby Gone 7. 3.10 to Yuma 8. Breach 9. American Gangster 10. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix 10 Worst Films of 2007 1. Bug 2. Georgia Rule 3. The Number 23 4. Hannibal Rising 5. Epic Movie 6. El Cantante 7. Redacted 8. Hot Rod 9. License to Wed 10. The Heartbreak Kid

Shattering all its previous records, the U.S. wind energy industry installed 5,244 megawatts (MW) in 2007, expanding the nation’s total wind power generating capacity by 45% in a single calendar year and injecting an investment of over $9 billion into the economy, the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) announced today. The new wind projects account for about 30% of the entire new power-producing capacity added nationally in 2007 and will power the equivalent of 1.5 million American households annually while strengthening U.S. energy supply with clean, homegrown electric power. “This is the third consecutive year of record-setting growth, establishing wind...

What was your favorite book in 2007. It didn't have to be published in 2007, as long as that's when you read it. Was there anything that you were looking forward to that turned out to be disappointing? My apologies for not pinging the list in a long time. I've been waiting to get my computer back from being fixed and I've been waiting ... anyway ...

WASHINGTON, Jan. 17, 2008 – Operations in 2007 gave the Iraqi people hope, and operations this year must capitalize on that hope, a top commander in Iraq said today. In January 2007, al Qaeda in Iraq was entrenched in numerous safe havens around the country, including the entire western Euphrates River Valley, Army Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, commander of Multinational Corps Iraq, said during a video teleconference with Pentagon reporters. The terrorist group dominated many Baghdad neighborhoods and cities, and its venomous influence was spiraling sectarian violence out of control. “They claimed Ramadi as the (al Qaeda in Iraq)...

It's official, the combined global land/ocean surface temperature for 2007 was the fifth warmest on record, according to NOAA's National Climatic Data Center. Also, 2007 was the tenth warmest on record for the contiguous U.S.. --Global land surface temperature was the warmest on record.

Last year was terrible for the recorded-music majors. The next few years are likely to be even worse. IN 2006 EMI, the world's fourth-biggest recorded-music company, invited some teenagers into its headquarters in London to talk to its top managers about their listening habits. At the end of the session the EMI bosses thanked them for their comments and told them to help themselves to a big pile of CDs sitting on a table. But none of the teens took any of the CDs, even though they were free. “That was the moment we realised the game was completely up,”...

China's coal mines kill 3,786 in 2007 22 minutes ago Accidents in China's notoriously dangerous coal mines killed nearly 3,800 people last year, state media reported Saturday — a toll that is a marked improvement from previous years, but still leaves China's mines the world's deadliest. A total of 3,786 were killed in mining accidents in 2007 — 20 percent lower than the 2006 toll, indicating the effectiveness of a safety campaign to shut small, illegal mining operations and reduce gas explosions, the Xinhua News Agency quoted the head of China's government safety watchdog as saying. Coal is the lifeblood...

January 8 - Yvonne De Carlo, actress (Lily on the "Munsters"), age 84 January 10 - Carlo Ponti, producer ("Doctor Zhivago") and husband of Sophia Loren, age 94 January 14 - Darlene Conley, actress (Sally Spectra on "Bold and the Beautiful") age 72 January 16 - Ron Carey, actor (Ofc. Carl Levitt on "Barney Miller") age 71 January 17 - Art Buchwald, columnist for the Washington Post, age 81 January 19 - Denny Doherty, singer in the original Mamas and the Papas, age 66 January 20 - Sen. George Smathers, former U.S. Senator and confidant to several Presidents, age 93...

The U.S. is ending 2007 with a whine rather than a whimper. It is tough to keep track of what's collapsing faster, home prices or the dollar, and the financial market crisis caused by it has many seers talking recession as we enter 2008. As always, that delicious negativity receives the lion's share of media attention. But, in many ways, this past year was a pretty good one, and no, I am not just a talking about Boston's sports fans. Thus, to ring in the New Year, I present the Top 10 pieces of happy economic news in 2007.1) Equity...