Free Republic

This was the rumor last week. It sounds laughable. I don’t want to believe it. The Treasury Department denied it. But when it comes to the Magic Kingdom that is the Obama administration, the fantastical has a way of coming true. “From Washington to Wall Street,” Reuters columnist James Pethokoukis wrote on Thursday, “there are rumors that the Obama administration is about to order government-controlled lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to forgive a portion of the mortgage debt of millions of Americans who owe more than what their homes are worth.” That’s right. If you bet badly in the...

I recently wrote to Utah Senators Orrin Hatch and Robert Bennett, voicing my disapproval that they voted against the DeMint Amendment, which would put some constraints on earmarks. Bennett never bothered to answer, but Hatch did. He went on for two or three pages defending his decision. He said that earmarks are a very small part of the national budget and went on to say that the real budget-breakers are Social Security and Medicare. He then said they needed some kind of reform. I wrote the following in reply: "I [have] had several opportunities to hear you speak. I believe...

Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine does not want to create a statewide partnership with federal immigration officials that would allow state agencies to identify illegal aliens and begin deportation procedures, despite calls from the state's attorney general and anti-illegal-immigration groups. "The governor does not object to localities choosing to enter into localized agreements with [U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement]," said Kevin Hall, Mr. Kaine's spokesman. "He has concerns, however, about asking state troopers to assume primary enforcement of federal immigration responsibilities." The Virginia State Crime Commission's task force on illegal aliens last month discussed introducing legislation mandating all sheriffs and...

Where Does the Buck Stop? Not Here By MICHAEL ORESKES CCEPTING responsibility is an essential part of everyday life, something every parent and child, every boss and worker, every friend and colleague wrestle with, or know they should. But for a president it is quite rare, and at least in the view of some historians and government experts, getting rarer, as a national culture of shifting blame permeates American politics. So it was last week that some powerful words were spoken to the spouses and families of those who died two and a half years ago in the terror...

<p>Only three days after taking over as governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger was back on the campaign trail Thursday, hitting talk radio and a rally in Los Angeles to warn legislators that there would be "severe casualties" if they don't pass his budget plan. There's only one problem: He hasn't presented anything worthy of being called a plan.</p>