Free Republic

SNIP A working group led by Vice President Biden is seriously considering measures backed by key law enforcement leaders that would require universal background checks for firearm buyers, track the movement and sale of weapons through a national database, strengthen mental health checks, and stiffen penalties for carrying guns near schools or giving them to minors, the sources said. To sell such changes, the White House is developing strategies to work around the National Rifle Association that one source said could include rallying support from Wal-Mart and other gun retailers for measures that would benefit their businesses. White House aides...

St. Louis lawyer Ed Martin, who lost his GOP bid this fall for Missouri attorney general, came roaring back Saturday by getting elected as the new chairman of the Missouri Republican Party. Martin narrowly defeated current chairman David Cole, 34-32, on the second round of balloting by the 68-member state GOP committee, sources say. Two members apparently were absent during the voting, which took place at a hotel in Columbia, Mo. The third contender for the post, outgoing state Sen. Jane Cunningham of Chesterfield, was out of the running after garnering only seven votes on the first ballot, which saw...

LATE BREAKING ALERT – NEXT VOTE ON SEMI AUTO BAN WILL TAKE PLACE SUNDAY YOUR IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED After getting nowhere in the Senate, the gun controllers have taken their campaign to destroy your rights to the Illinois House. Earlier today, Amendment #1 to SB2899 was introduced in the Illinois House of Representatives. Sponsored by rabidly anti-gun Rep. Eddie Acevedo, the amendment would do two things to you: 1. It would pick your pocket to pay for the confiscation and destruction of your own guns. 2. It would ban more than 50% of the rifles and more than 80% of...

Washington D.C. - The nation’s largest Tea Party group announced today the creation of its new advocacy arm — the first of its kind. With over 600,000 members and over 1.3 million supporters on Facebook, TheTeaParty.Net has been a leading opponent of any legislation that increases taxes or raises the debt, including this week’s deal on the fiscal cliff.

What drama: Bachmann, Garrett, Blackburn wait till LAST MIN to cast vote for Boehner, bring the vote from 17 defections down at final second— Robert Costa (@robertcostaNRO) January 3, 2013

Hillary Clinton leaves New York hospital with family, aide NEW YORK | Wed Jan 2, 2013 4:15pm EST Jan 2 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was driven away from New York-Presbyterian hospital on Wednesday with her husband, Bill, and daughter, Chelsea, and an aide, a Reuters photographer witnessed. The four of them left the building and entered the same vehicle, which drove away. It was unclear where she was going or whether she was discharged from the hospital...

UPDATE: Click here for the latest details on the gun ban and ammunition magazine registration bill, which includes new regulations for gun ranges.Press release:“The ISRA has learned from a credible source that Illinois Senate President John Cullerton [above] will introduce a so called ‘assault weapons’ ban on Wednesday when the legislature returns for its ‘lame duck’ session. Cullerton hopes to ramrod the bill through and get it to Governor Quinn for signature by Friday. If he is successful at doing so, nearly every gun you currently own will be banned and will be subject to confiscation by the Illinois...

"Go f— yourself," Boehner repeated. Politico reports on the exchange: House Speaker John Boehner couldn’t hold back when he spotted Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in the White House lobby last Friday. It was only a few days before the nation would go over the fiscal cliff, no bipartisan agreement was in sight, and Reid had just publicly accused Boehner of running a “dictatorship” in the House and caring more about holding onto his gavel than striking a deal. “Go f— yourself,” Boehner sniped as he pointed his finger at Reid, according to multiple sources present. Reid, a bit startled,...

<p>The following letter, written by U.S. Marine Joshua Boston and headlined “No ma’am.,” was posted in the CNN iReport on Dec. 27 with the included note from the producer and photo. It has struck a nerve with many and is being circulated around social media venues like Twitter and Facebook.</p>

Howdy everyone!! Happy New Year!! Out with 2012 and we get to do it all over again in 2013 (I wish)!! It's unbelievable that the Marxist excuse of a president was re-elected. And now we're going over the fiscal cliff, the debt cliff, the unemployment cliff, and the govern by royal decree cliff all at once. Best be gearing up to vote in a majority of tea party conservatives in the House and retake the majority in the Senate in 2014 so we can impeach his royal majesty before the constitution becomes totally null and void!! Woo hoo!! And our...

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Democratic aide says the White House and congressional Republicans have reached an agreement to avert the so-called fiscal cliff.The measure would extend Bush-era tax cuts for family incomes below $450,000 and briefly avert across-the-board spending cuts set to strike the Pentagon and domestic agencies this week.

It's official: U.S. debt will reach its legal borrowing limit on Monday, giving Congress about two months before it must raise the debt ceiling or risk causing the government to default on its bills and financial obligations. "I can confirm we will reach the statutory debt limit today, Dec. 31," a Treasury Department official said.

Doctors treating Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton for a blood clot say the clot formed in her head but they stress that they are confident she will make a full recovery. In an update Monday on Clinton’s condition, her doctors say the blood clot did not result in a stroke, or neurological damage. The clot is located in the vein in the space between the brain and the skull behind the right ear.

URGENT: Illinois Anti-Gun Legislators That YOU Voted Out of Office to Use Their Last Remaining Days in Legislature Exploiting Lame Duck Session and Holiday Break To Impose a Draconian Gun Ban The NRA-ILA has just learned that anti-gun legislators backed by Governor Quinn are deceptively trying to sneak through a new draconian gun ban as early as Wednesday while the legislature convenes for the Lame Duck Session from January 2 to 9.

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Senate leaders appear to have reached a bipartisan agreement to avoid midnight tax increases, embracing a $450,000 earnings threshold for extending existing tax rates. But agreement remained out of reach Monday on how to avert $110 billion in automatic fiscal 2013 spending cuts scheduled to begin Jan. 2. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell suggested that Congress move ahead with tax legislation and “continue to work on the sequester part in the coming months.” “We have reached agreement on all of the tax issues,” McConnell, R-Ky., told the Senate. “Let’s take what has been agreed to and get moving. . ....

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress won't meet Monday midnight deadline on voting to avert 'fiscal cliff.' Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/12/31/5084967/ap-reports-congress-will-miss.html#storylink=cpy

Senior Senate Republican aides tell NRO that the tax side of the fiscal-cliff deal has been finalized. Here’s a sketch of the framework: — Current tax rates would be permanently extended for singles making $400,000 or below, and permanently extended for couples making $450,000 or below — For singles, capital gains and dividends of $400,000 or below would be permanently taxed at 15 percent; capital gains and dividends above $400,000 would be permanently taxed at 20 percent