Free Republic

President Obama: “I deserve a second term” By Erik Wasson - 02/05/12 04:57 PM ET President Obama in a pre-Super Bowl interview aired on Sunday said that despite being unable to completely turn the economy around in three years, he still deserves to be re-elected. “I deserve a second term but we're not done,” Obama told NBC's Matt Lauer in an interview broadcast from the White House. Lauer noted that in a pre-Super Bowl interview three years ago, Obama had said "If I don’t have this done in three years, then there’s going to be a one-term proposition.” Obama said...

...given the enormity of what he inherited, and given what he explicitly promised, it remains simply a fact that Obama has delivered in a way that the unhinged right and purist left have yet to understand or absorb. Their short-term outbursts have missed Obama’s long game—and why his reelection remains, in my view, as essential for this country’s future as his original election in 2008.

...given the enormity of what he inherited, and given what he explicitly promised, it remains simply a fact that Obama has delivered in a way that the unhinged right and purist left have yet to understand or absorb. Their short-term outbursts have missed Obama’s long game—and why his reelection remains, in my view, as essential for this country’s future as his original election in 2008.

Now is the time for midcourse corrections to ensure the success of the conservative movement, as well as the American experiment. With that mission in mind, I would like to make a few suggestions of my own. Intellectual conservatism was once defined by two clear goals - the defeat of communism and the reduction in the size, scope and sweep of government. There are three observations I’d like to make about this conservatism. First, it was conservatism with a purpose. The goal of consigning communism to the ash heap of history was to eliminate oppression, increase liberty, and spread democracy....

Just wondering, but are most people reluctant to type a title or keyword in Search before posting a topic? Oh, I try my best to see if a topic has been started before I post something. But multiple posting of a breaking news story? Nothing is so urgent that it needs to be posted so quickly. Sometimes scrolling down the first or next page will show a story has already been posted.

A fashion and beauty maven says women should look to the first lady for inspiration on how to stock their own closets with style. Mikki Taylor, the editor at large for Essence magazine, even bestows a new title on Michelle Obama in her new book, Commander in Chic: Every Woman’s Guide to Managing her Style Like a First Lady. Taylor, who first became attracted to Obama’s fashion sense while working with her on a 2006 magazine story, says that unlike other presidents’ wives, “Michelle Obama effectively dresses for Michelle Obama. She dresses to delight herself. She’s not so influenced by...

Obama's re-election campaign received a huge boost Monday night from CNN's Piers Morgan. The host groveled before Obama's campaign strategist David Axelrod, gushing that "A lot of things are just perfect about Barack Obama." The interview could have been served on a silver platter for the Obama campaign. Morgan's first question went thus: "I would imagine that you guys are feeling fairly chipper, aren't you? I mean you had an extraordinarily successful week in many ways." Morgan also fawned over the President himself, touting "I always feel he's got so many pluses, doesn't he? In a sense, he's personable, he's...

HANOVER, NH—Jon Huntsman walked out of the rear door of a Dartmouth auditorium. His head swiveled as he looked for the black SUV that will take him to his next stop. He had just given a speech emphasizing his claim that the future of America will not be decided on a battlefield in remotest Afghanistan but along the trade routes of the Pacific. The applause had barely died down in the hall as Huntsman exited into the quiet streets of Hanover. He took one second to sigh. He had just launched “Phase Two” of his campaign, and it was a...

Meghan McCain, daughter of Sen. John McCain, expresses her excitement over a potential Obama/Hillary ticket: "The problems that he [Obama] is having with women would automatically be solved. She's a statesman. I like Hillary Clinton, even though I am a Republican, just simply for the fact that she's a woman that kicks ass in politics."

Islamabad (CNN) -- A Pakistani woman is being held on suspicion of killing her husband, cutting him up and trying to cook the pieces, Karachi police said Friday. Zainab Bibi, 32, was arrested in connection with the murder Tuesday of her husband Ahmad Abbas, police said. Her 22-year-old nephew, Zaheer Ahmed, is accused of helping Bibi stab Abbas to death and carve his body into small pieces. Police said she wanted to cook her husband's body parts so she could dispose of them without being caught. Neighbors raised the alert when they detected a foul odor in the neighborhood, police...

Joseph P. Kennedy III, the grandson of the late Senator Robert F. Kennedy, is joining the Middlesex district attorney’s office as a prosecutor, the office announced today. Kennedy, the son of former congressman Joseph P. Kennedy II, had been serving as a prosecutor in the Cape and Islands district attorney’s office.

Today is the 50th birthday of the President of the United States, Barack Obama. Here at NewsOne we decided to provide you with 50 things on his 50 birthday that you may not know about our president. This birthday couldn’t have come at a better time for the president with criticisms being launched at him on the economy and other issues in the country. Check out the list. 1. He and Bill Cosby are the only people to ever get free food from Ben’s Chili Bowl. 2. He ate dog meat, snake meat, and roasted grasshopper when he lived...

Today is the 50th birthday of the President of the United States, Barack Obama. Here at NewsOne we decided to provide you with 50 things on his 50 birthday that you may not know about our president. This birthday couldn’t have come at a better time for the president with criticisms being launched at him on the economy and other issues in the country. Check out the list. 1. He and Bill Cosby are the only people to ever get free food from Ben’s Chili Bowl. 2. He ate dog meat, snake meat, and roasted grasshopper when he lived...

WASHINGTON - Like many members of Congress, Rep. Michele Bachmann has been a fierce critic of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, blaming the government-backed loan programs for excesses that helped create the financial meltdown in 2008. And like millions of other home purchasers, Bachmann took out a home loan in 2008 that offered lower costs to the borrower through one of the federally subsidized programs, according to mortgage experts who reviewed her loan documents. Just a few weeks before Bachmann called for dismantling the programs during a House Financial Services Committee hearing, she and her husband signed for a $417,000...

Gov. Mark Dayton, a Democrat, campaigned for office last year promising to raise taxes on high earners, so it was no surprise when he proposed a tax increase on families making more than $150,000 a year to help close a $5 billion budget gap. In negotiations with the Republican majority in the Legislature, he compromised and reduced the increase to those making $1 million or more, but Republicans are refusing to consider any income tax increase.

Will this class warfare-fueled, fundamentally misguided, empty talking point attack on the wealthy never cease?! President Obama demonstrated a blatant lack of economic understanding during his press conference on Wednesday, when he villanized the corporate jet industry and made millionaires sounds like petulant children unwilling to share their ill-begotten cache of cash. The corporate jet industry employs at least a million people, and such a risky, time-and-knowledge intensive role as running a high-end business requires incentives for capable people to step up. But its all too easy for the Obama administration and the Democrats to pit society against these age-old...

An employee of Bed, Bath & Beyond in St. Davids Square shopping center reported to Radnor Township Police on June 5 a package containing human vomit was left in the parking lot there. He estimated that about 35 pounds of vomit was in the package discovered June 5 and stated that a similar package was left in the same spot the week before. According to the employee, the package was concealed in a white kitchen trash bag and placed about 10 parking rows from the store behind a tree. Radnor Police redacted information that describes what the hidden package was...

Update:A 30-year-old Pasadena woman charged with raping her son's 12-year-old friend was arrested Wednesday, according to the Galveston County Sheriff's Office.Brandi Fuller is being held at the Galveston County jail on a $35,000 bond for an out-of-county warrant from Harris County. Previous reporting:Police are searching for a 30-year-old Pasadena woman charged with raping her son's 12-year-old friend. Officials said the victim's mother arrived at the Pasadena Police Department on May 10, saying she believed her son, now 14, fathered a child with the suspect, Brandi Fuller. The boy's mother said she had been friends with Fuller for three years....

How do you explain to your kid that he can't have a summer vacation because of inflation? Instead, my family and I looked for meaningful ways to save on our summer activities. By doing some of the work ourselves, looking at money more rationally, and committing to stuff, not fluff, we plan to save $12,975 in summer 2011. Summer entertaining Garden parties, barbecues, and family reunions make summer special. To keep our menus rich while saving money, my sister and I agreed to serve ground beef instead of steak at all 10 of our family get-togethers. In this way, we...

Amnesty International today asked the US and Pakistani authorities to clarify aspects of the operation in Abbottabad in which Osama bin Laden was killed. The organization specifically requested information on the status and whereabouts of those who were with bin Laden and the circumstances of his killing. “We are seeking information from the US and Pakistani authorities about how many people were in the compound at the time of the operation, what happened to them and specifically what is the status and current whereabouts of the survivors,” said Claudio Cordone, Senior Director at Amnesty International. According to reports attributed to...

Washington (CNN) -- On Saturday he was the comedian-in-chief, cracking jokes with reporters and celebrities at the annual White House Correspondents Dinner. On Sunday he oversaw one of the riskiest special forces operations since Desert One, Jimmy Carter's ill-fated attempt to rescue the American hostages from Iran more than three decades ago. Barack Obama isn't just the president. He's the nation's ultimate multi-tasker, juggling enough roles and responsibilities to make the average person's head spin.

TRUMP - The analysis begins in earnest as it should. Obama has announced his reelection campaign from the vantage and with the advantage of the bully pulpit. Contenders are lining up as America as America struggles through a long recession, yearning for strong decisive leadership. Donald Trump has teased the electorate in the past, pretending to seriously consider a run for the White House. This Presidential election finds Republican support for some politically green but very appealing potential candidates. These may well bide their time and wait until 2016 before displaying the audacity to become pretenders to the seat...

TRUMP - The analysis begins in earnest as it should. Obama has announced his reelection campaign from the vantage and advantage of the bully pulpit. Contenders are lining up as America as America struggles through a long recession, yearning for strong decisive leadership. Donald Trump has teased the electorate in the past, pretending to seriously consider a run for the White House. This Presidential election finds Republican support for some politically green but very appealing potential candidates. These may well bide their time and wait until 2016 before displaying the audacity to become pretenders to the seat in the Oval...

America's current armed conflict with Muammar Gaddafi raises a cluster of familiar questions about U.S. intervention, democracy promotion, and nation building, not only in relation to Libya but also in relation to ongoing cases such as Egypt and Afghanistan. Conservatives and Republicans are wrestling with these questions, like everyone else, but with their own distinct values and priorities in mind. Let us take a step back to consider what a conservative foreign policy might look like on issues of democracy promotion and intervention. When American conservatives reflect on concrete examples of undeniably successful, modern, conservative foreign policy presidents, they think...

[St. Patrick's Day is a great excuse to have fun and to be green!] St. Patrick's Day is March 17. If you're going to celebrate, here are some great tips to help make it a fun, safe and eco-friendly day.1. Skip the corned beef and cabbage Despite it being a staple of St. Patty's day celebrations, it turns out that corned beef isn't a common Irish meal after all. It was originally reserved for kings, and most Irish people did not get to eat beef until they moved to the United States. Besides beef can have a pretty large carbon...

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who was labeled a moderate during his presidential campaign, had one of the most conservative 2010 voting records in the Senate, according to the National Journal. After reviewing all 96 votes taken in the Senate in 2010, the magazine found that McCain was tied with seven of his colleagues for the largest number of conservative votes taken. He tied with well-known staunch conservatives like Republican Sens. Jim DeMint of South Carolina and John Barrasso of Wyoming. McCain even took more conservative votes than other senators known for their conservatism, like Sens. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma or...

Winning The Future is the title of a 2005 book by former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. In the book, he outlined his solutions for the problems plaguing our nation – excessive government spending, declining math/science education, terrorism, fading patriotism, and godlessness. Now fast forward to 2011: “Winning the future� was used by President Obama in his State of the Union speech no less than 10 times. It is his new theme to showcase his platform of infrastructure, education, and innovation as he gears up for re-election.Could opposing versions of “winning the future” also be a preview of the...

NEW YORK – With a unifying message and an audience integrated along party lines, Jeremy McCarter says Obama’s speech delivered on his campaign promise and showed, however briefly, that lawmakers are human. “It is political theater at bottom,” a presidential historian told Politico the other day. He was talking about the annual State of the Union address, and he wasn’t being kind. Political theater, in this context, means shallow spectacle, an event that doesn’t have much weight. But sometimes spectacle can mean a great deal, particularly when the speaker is as compelling as President Obama was Tuesday night—and the room...

While most Americans do not believe that the state of political discourse in the country contributed to the shootings in Arizona, a majority say that liberal and conservative commentators have crossed the line in attacking opponents and a plurality feel that the tea party movement and its supporters have also done so, according to a Washington Post/ABC News poll conducted Jan. 13-16. .....

Police work is often lionized by jurists and scholars who claim to employ "textualist" and "originalist" methods of constitutional interpretation. Yet professional police were unknown to the United States in 1789, and first appeared in America almost a half-century after the Constitution's ratification. The Framers contemplated law enforcement as the duty of mostly private citizens, along with a few constables and sheriffs who could be called upon when necessary. This article marshals extensive historical and legal evidence to show that modern policing is in many ways inconsistent with the original intent of America's founding documents. The author argues that the...

As National Republicans head into this morning's bi-annual Chairmanship election, we can all agree on one thing: Michael Steele, our current Chairman, must be replaced today. His gaffes (abortion, Afghanistan, southern strategy) insulted core constituencies, and his horrible fiscal management skills (record low contributions; record high debt) has cost the RNC millions of dollars. But as to who we support? That has divided Republicans sharply. Maria Cino is a former Bush Administration official who worked in both the Commerce and Transportation departments. She is also a former Deputy RNC Chairman who has worked closely with pro-abortion Republican organizations in the...

ORLANDO, Fla. — He has zero faith in the incoming speaker of the House, John A. Boehner, whom he calls a “tool of special interest.” He derides the Tea Party’s successes as “bought and paid for by the enormously rich and the selfish.” And he can barely contain distaste for his Republican successor, whose views he sums up as “bizarre fundamentalist.” Representative Alan Grayson, a Democrat from Florida’s Eighth Congressional District, is leaving office on Wednesday much as he entered it two years ago — as the pugnaciously partisan, verbal-bomb-tossing, liberal folk hero of the 111th Congress.

As 2010 comes to a close, the media industry is taking its annual breather to reflect upon all the things it had to cover in the past year. Katie Couric, in her CBSNews.com review of 2010, highlighted the controversy surrounding the Park51 project. “The bigotry expressed against Muslims in this country has been one of the most disturbing stories to surface,” she told her panel. In that media narrative, she saw “a seething hatred many people feel for all Muslims,” which she theorized could be remedied by another, more lighthearted narrative: “Maybe we need a Muslim version of The Cosby...

Sir Elton John and husband David Furnish have welcomed a baby boy to their family, according to US Magazine. Zachary Jackson Levon Furnish-John was born on Christmas in California via a surrogate. He weighed 7 pounds, 15 ounces. "We are overwhelmed with happiness and joy at this very special moment," John, 62, and Furnish, 48, told the magazine. "Zachary is healthy and doing really well, and we are very proud and happy parents." This is the first child for the couple, who wed in 2005 after 12 years together.

Sarah Palin and Oprah Winfrey are closely matched behind Clinton by Lydia Saad PRINCETON, NJ -- President Barack Obama is Americans' Most Admired Man of 2010, substantially ahead of the former presidents, iconic religious leaders, and others who fill out the top 10 list. Obama first became Americans' Most Admired Man in 2008, shortly after his election as the nation's 44th president, and has held the title since then.

Nearly two decades ago, President Bill Clinton ignited the first of the firestorms that would define his presidency by announcing an end to the ban on gays and lesbians in the military. Today, 18 years later, the U.S. Senate took the vote that means gays and lesbians will be able to serve openly in all branches of the U.S. armed forces. As the House has passed an identical bill, a final vote in the Senate will send the legislation to President Obama, whose signature will make it law and make it a signal achievement of his presidency to date. Thus...

November 28, 2010 As Congress heads into its lame-duck session to face remaining business, now may be as good a time as any to note some of the legislation that it passed this year. Host Liane Hansen rattles off a few of the legislative items that have passed muster during the tenure of the 111th Congress. Transcript LIANE HANSEN, host: As the 111th Congress heads into its lame duck session to face remaining business, now may be as good a time as any to note some of the legislation that it passed: HR-1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, created...

I'd sooner be roofied by Barney Frank than be subject to the holiday abomination known as green bean casserole.

Just six months after President Obama signed health reform into law, Minnesotans are already beginning to reap its benefits. During the health care debate, I met with Minnesotans of all stripes -- doctors, nurses, seniors, small-business owners, middle-class families. One thing I heard over and over is that people felt like they were paying more and more for insurance without getting real health security in return. It seemed as if the insurance companies always found a way to get out of delivering the benefits they promised -- and that you paid for -- when you needed them.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — In an election year when anger and mistrust have upended races across the country, toppling moderates and elevating white-hot partisans, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg is trying to pull politics back to the middle, injecting himself into marquee contests and helping candidates fend off the Tea Party. ..

I am not sure when I first detected the noxious fumes that would envelop the conservative movement in the Obama era. It might have been early on, in April 2009, when I visited a series of gun shows in rural California and Nevada. Perusing tables piled high with high-caliber semi-automatic weapons and chatting with anyone in my vicinity, I heard urgent warnings of mass roundups, concentration camps, and a socialist government in Washington. “These people that are purchasing these guns are people that are worried about what’s going on in this country,” a gun dealer told me outside a show...

NEW YORK -- President Barack Obama and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi were voted the most stylish politicians, according to Weatherproof's Substance vs. Style poll. Close to 18,000 people voted on the Style vs. Substance poll which was published on Huffington Post's Style section from August 2nd through August 8th. "I am not totally surprised by the results of this survey," said Eliot Peyser, CEO of Weatherproof. "We knew that President Barack Obama would top the most stylish list, because he is fan of Weatherproof jackets, and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has undoubtedly become a style icon...

Boom. Boom. Boom. Can you hear it? It’s the drumbeat for war. And it’s beating louder by the day. Boom. Boom. Boom. Eleven United States and one Israeli warships pass through the Suez Canal. Boom. Boom. Boom. Former CIA Chief Michael Hayden says a United States military strike against Iran “seems inexorable” because diplomacy is failing. Boom. Boom. Boom. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mike Mullen says the U.S. military has a plan to attack Iran. Boom. Boom. Boom. Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives last week introduced Resolution 1553 which would give Israel the go-ahead to attack Iran....

Who could have imagined that the bailout of the auto industry, one of the single most unpopular moves by the Obama administration, would become one of its best talking points? But don't for an instant imagine that the comeback of the nation's rescued car companies, particularly General Motors, will change the way we debate government's role in the economy. When it comes to almost anything the government does, ideology trumps facts, slogans trump reality, and loaded words ("socialism") trump data. Let there be no mistake: Rescuing GM and Chrysler took political courage, and I want to put in a good...

BAGHDAD (AP) -- Vice President Joe Biden landed Saturday on what appeared to be a dual mission in Baghdad: to visit U.S. troops during the July Fourth weekend and coax Iraqi leaders into ending their government impasse. Top Obama administration officials have been reluctant to visit Iraq since its deadlocked March election failed to produce a clear winner. Biden's trip may signal the U.S. is stepping up its efforts to hammer out an agreement among Iraqi political rivals and get a new government in place as soon as possible.

After a long day’s work, the junk scientist needed some hot second chakra action.Byron York at The Washington Examiner reported, via Ace: The police report of the masseuse’s complaint is 73 pages long and extremely detailed. According to the document, she got a call from the front desk of the trendy Hotel Lucia on the night of Oct. 24, 2006. The hotel had a special guest. Could she come at 10:30 p.m.? She went to Gore’s room carrying a folding massage table and other equipment. Gore, whom she had never met, greeted her with a warm embrace. “The hug went...

Barack Obama is setting a record-setting number of records during his first year in office. Largest budget ever. Largest deficit ever. Largest number of broken promises ever. Most self-serving speeches ever. Largest number of agenda-setting failures ever. Fastest dive in popularity ever. Wow! Talk about change. Just one year ago. fresh from his inauguration celebrations. President Obama was flying high. After one of the nation's most inspiring political campaigns, the election of America's first black president had captured the hopes and dreams of millions. To his devout followers, it was inconceivable that a year later his administration would be gripped...

My magic wand is on the fritz, otherwise we'd have a big, new federal program to free America from its dependence on oil. Like other environmentalists, I'm sad that the calamity in the Gulf of Mexico hasn't spurred Washington to more vigorously promote America's exit from thiscurse. The fault may lie with President Obama's timidity, a public scared by major new government programs or fossil-fuel interests flashing their campaign dough. Probably it's all three, but the bottom line is this: An all-out effort to unchain America from hydrocarbons is essential to national security, a healthy environment and economic prosperity in...

Since the shooting, the 2-year-old Rogucki twins have awakened each morning crying out for their murdered mother. "They wake up ... saying, 'Mommy!'" their 19-year-old brother, Lorenzo Rogucki, reported. "I hear them screaming my mother's name." The twins were still sleeping at 10:30 a.m. Monday and not a sound came from the family's first-floor apartment in Coney Island as I spoke outside with the oldest of Victoria Rogucki's seven children. "They know, but they don't know know," Lorenzo said of the twins. "They know their mother is not there in the morning." To the right of the door stood a...

Family, marriage and the contribution of fathers come together as topics for reflection on Father's Day. So I'd like to know why Barack Obama, a husband and a father in a family structure that encompasses bonds deemed essential to our society, is constantly and savagely attacked by conservative leaders whose personal circumstances undermine the family values they espouse?.......