http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/by:butthreeleftsdo/ en-us Thu, 18 Mar 2010 00:21:09 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2473407/posts Citing the 10th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, some Minnesota lawmakers say it's illegal to force Minnesota to participate in health care reform from Washington. Some Minnesota lawmakers say the state has the constitutional right to "opt out". "It's wrong having the federal government get involved with issues that have never been enumerated in the Constitution of the United States," said Sen. Warren Limmer, R-Maple Grove. "If it is not enumerated there, it is strictly a state responsibility." Limmer and Sen. Julianne Ortman, R-Chanhassen, are sponsoring a resolution asking Minnesota's Attorney General to sue the federal government under the 10th... WCCO.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2473407/posts#comment Thu, 18 Mar 2010 00:21:09 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2471390/posts Nearly 22,000 Minnesotans were given a permit to carry concealed handguns last year. Records show applications by 374 others were denied for a variety of reasons, including records of assault, domestic violence and theft. Fifty-five people who were denied permits appealed and were eventually granted the right to carry a concealed gun. State law requires sheriffs to give concealed weapons permits to every trained adult, unless there's a criminal conviction or a reason to believe there's a public safety risk. WCCO.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2471390/posts#comment Mon, 15 Mar 2010 16:41:47 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2471084/posts The Taliban have called their deadly bomb attacks on the southern city of Kandahar a warning to NATO's top general that the insurgents are ready for the war's next major offensive in their heartland. The series of bombings Saturday night demolished buildings and killed dozens — including 10 people at a wedding — and prompted the provincial governor to plead for more security in the area. Fearful residents said they had no confidence that either government or foreign troops can protect them. Taliban spokesman Qari Yousef Ahmadi said Sunday that the attacks proved the insurgents were still able to operate... StarTribune.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2471084/posts#comment Mon, 15 Mar 2010 02:50:47 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2471011/posts "The raids ... killed two leading al Qaeda elements who were planning terrorist operations against vital installations in Yemen," the official said in a statement. Residents earlier told Reuters that up to 20 people may have been killed in the raid in southern Abyan province. Yemen has boosted security at oil and gas facilities after it declared open war on al Qaeda following the failed bombing of a U.S.-bound plane on Christmas Day which was claimed by the group's regional wing in December. Reuters.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2471011/posts#comment Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:17:58 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2469220/posts Pledges to rid Washington of pork barrel spending turned into a game of political football Thursday, with Minnesota Rep. John Kline championing the charge for a Republican Hail Mary. House Republicans swore not to make any special requests for their districts in 2011 spending bills a day after House Democrats said they would reject any earmarks directed to for-profit corporations. A tool for sending federal funds home, lawmakers have come to rely more and more on earmarks, hitting nearly 14,000 earmarks in 2005. Requests dipped a bit after that, but by last year they had ratcheted up to just under... StarTribune http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2469220/posts#comment Fri, 12 Mar 2010 02:20:13 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2469207/posts After years of fighting in court, lawyers representing the city, construction companies and more than 10,000 ground zero rescue and recovery workers have agreed to a settlement that could pay up to $657.5 million to responders sickened by dust from the destroyed World Trade Center. The settlement was announced Thursday evening by the WTC Captive Insurance Co., a special entity established to indemnify the city and its contractors against potential legal action as they moved to clean up the site after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. The deal, which still must be approved by a judge and the workers... Chron.con http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2469207/posts#comment Fri, 12 Mar 2010 02:01:02 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2468456/posts A proposal to require background checks on all persons buying firearms at gun shows in Minnesota failed to clear its first hurdle Wednesday before a House committee. The House Crime Victims and Criminal Records panel defeated the proposal 5-3, leaving its future in doubt. But Rep. Michael Paymar, DFL-St. Paul, the bill's author, said he may at some point resurrect the proposal before this year's legislative session ends. "It's not over [at the Legislature] until, you know, the gavel comes down in May," he said. StarTribune.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2468456/posts#comment Thu, 11 Mar 2010 03:09:52 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2467551/posts The Senate Judiciary Committee has postponed the hearing for a controversial Court of Appeals nominee after the panel received a letter from a home-state prosecutor blasting the candidate as a judicial loose cannon and after Republicans raised concerns about bias in favor of sex offenders. U.S. District Court Judge Robert Chatigny gained notoriety in 2005 for his role in trying to fight the execution of convicted serial killer and rapist Michael Ross, also known as The Roadside Strangler, whom Chatigny had described as a victim of his own "sexual sadism." His conduct in that case, which included threatening to go... FoxNews.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2467551/posts#comment Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:56:53 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2467274/posts Ralph Remakel received a Citibank letter postmarked Feb. 16 that notified him of a recent Citibank error. It turns out he wasn't the only one. In late January, Citibank mailed year-end tax statements to 600,000 Citi customers via the U.S. Postal Service that included the customers' Social Security numbers ... on the outside of the envelope. Citi called the mistake a "processing error." Although the nine-digit numbers were not identified as Social Security numbers (they were printed at the lower edge of the envelope with other numbers and letters and resembled a mail routing number), Citi still reacted to the... ChicagoTribune.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2467274/posts#comment Tue, 9 Mar 2010 18:04:11 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2467160/posts A Dutch court has taken the unusual step of asking U.S. authorities for more information about the case of a Somali man wanted in Minneapolis for allegedly aiding an Islamist terror group, his lawyer said Tuesday. Mohamud Said Omar, 44, is fighting his extradition from the Netherlands to the United States for allegedly providing money to the Somali group al-Shabab that was used to buy guns. Omar's lawyer Bart Stapert said the ruling, issued in writing by Rotterdam District Court on Monday, threw into doubt whether Omar will ever be extradited. StarTribune.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2467160/posts#comment Tue, 9 Mar 2010 15:57:04 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2466899/posts A joint state and federal task force has been quietly targeting what investigators say is a sophisticated organized crime ring in the Twin Cities with about 200 members who have allegedly stolen identities, taken over bank and credit card accounts, distributed counterfeit checks and currency and defrauded businesses and banks nationwide. The ring recruits members on social networking sites like Facebook, buys stolen information from employees of check-cashing services and Internet data brokers, and has even sent trusted ring members to college and business schools to qualify them for jobs in financial institutions or other targeted businesses, investigators say. "This... StarTribune.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2466899/posts#comment Tue, 9 Mar 2010 04:14:50 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2466854/posts California Highway Patrol officers say their patrol car acted as a brake for a Toyota Prius with a stuck accelerator Monday. The car, headed eastbound on Interstate 8, was going at a high rate of speed because the accelerator was stuck, according to CHP spokesperson Brian Pennings. The patrol car moved in front of the Prius and engaged its brakes to bring the Prius to a stop, according to CHP. The car eventually stopped on the highway near the La Posta Bridge in the area of the Golden Acorn Casino. NBCSanDiego.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2466854/posts#comment Tue, 9 Mar 2010 02:42:10 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2466842/posts The man who stopped a bar shooting incident by hitting the suspected gunman with a chair was hailed as a hero on Monday by the mayor of the small northeastern Minnesota town of Chisholm. The Saturday night shootings at Jim's Sports Club Bar and Grill left one man dead, another critically wounded and a third with a less serious wound. Authorities said the suspect had gone to the bar to confront his ex-wife, who was sitting at the victims' table. Ryan Simonson, 27, of Chisholm, confirmed to The Associated Press on Monday that he was the patron who smashed a... StarTribune.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2466842/posts#comment Tue, 9 Mar 2010 02:16:48 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2466656/posts Denver airport officials say hundreds of bags were loaded onto airplanes in late December without being run through security scanners. Denver Airport Manager of Aviation Kim Day told KMGH-TV in Denver that the incident involved "a couple thousands of bags over a couple of days." The breach was first reported by the station. The Transportation Security Administration said it is investigating, but that it appeared the incident was an unintentional human error. StarTribune.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2466656/posts#comment Mon, 8 Mar 2010 21:44:37 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2466458/posts A bill sponsored by Democratic Sen. Tarryl Clark of St. Cloud could prohibit spending public dollars at in-state hotels or meeting facilities that provide their customers with pornographic materials that link sex with violence. Nonviolent adult movies would be OK. The bill gets a hearing in a Senate committee Wednesday. The Department of Administration would keep a directory of approved facilities to help employees plan travel. WCCO.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2466458/posts#comment Mon, 8 Mar 2010 16:32:06 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2466150/posts Ottawa has opened a new front in its global conflict with Islamic extremism by joining the attack on al-Shabab, an al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group in East Africa that draws young recruits and support from Canada and around the world. Leading an Islamist insurgency in Somalia, al-Shabab – literally “the youth” -- uses the Internet to draw young recruits from abroad even as it applies to medieval punishments to alleged infidels at home. The militants' frequent use of suicide bombers and their draconian application of Sharia law have led to frequent comparisons with the Taliban in Afghanistan. The federal government announced Sunday... TheGlobeAndMail.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2466150/posts#comment Mon, 8 Mar 2010 01:05:25 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2465739/posts A fight between apparent gang members at the end of a slain teenage girl's funeral eclipsed fervent pleas for peace Saturday from grieving and frustrated citizens of Minneapolis' embattled North Side. "This is a baby's funeral!" community activist Al Flowers pleaded into a bullhorn as throngs of sobbing young women and shoving men poured out of New Salem Missionary Baptist Church as the fight broke out. Nearby, Alisha Neeley's casket was hustled into the back of a waiting hearse. "Seventeen years old and she can't rest in peace?" Flowers asked. "We gotta have the police here so she can rest... StarTribune http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2465739/posts#comment Sun, 7 Mar 2010 01:20:49 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2465726/posts In a surprise move ahead of Iraq's parliamentary election, anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr made a rare public appearance Saturday in neighboring Iran, where he's believed to have been living for the past two years. Speaking from Tehran, al-Sadr — flanked by two Iraqi flags — urged Iraqis to turn out in large numbers in Iraq's parliamentary election Sunday and give their support to those who he said were "faithful" to the Iraqi people. FoxNews.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2465726/posts#comment Sun, 7 Mar 2010 00:45:05 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2465717/posts The president of a Houston energy company disappeared in New Orleans early Friday, according to police who are trying to get surveillance video from the Bourbon Street area where colleagues last saw him. Douglas Schantz, 54, is president of Houston-based Sequent Energy Management, one of the largest wholesale gas marketers in the country. Colleagues last saw Schantz wearing a blazer and tie between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. Friday in a Bourbon Street bar, Assistant Police Superintendent Marlon Defillo said on Saturday. His wife reported him missing after he failed to meet his daughter for a flight home later that... Houston Chronicle http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2465717/posts#comment Sun, 7 Mar 2010 00:14:28 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2463695/posts From Virginia to Arizona, federal and state gun laws are loosening everywhere from national parks to Amtrak trains. But in St. Paul, a proposal that would send Minnesota in the opposite direction is headed toward its first hearing Friday -- a bill requiring background checks on the purchaser of any firearm sold at a gun show. The proposal pits its DFL sponsor, St. Paul Rep. Michael Paymar, against the mighty arsenal of gun rights advocates and lobbyists who have managed to turn back nearly every effort to tighten Minnesota's gun laws in the past. In a session dominated by pressing... StarTribune.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2463695/posts#comment Thu, 4 Mar 2010 03:00:17 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2462942/posts A series of columns and in-depth press reports over the past few weeks have established a narrative that is bound to dog the White House -- that Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel knows best, the rest of the administration is not listening, and he is at his wit's end trying to convince President Obama and his Chicago buddies to dial back their ambitions for the sake of the president's agenda and political harmony. FoxNews.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2462942/posts#comment Wed, 3 Mar 2010 03:17:01 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2462793/posts Under increasing pressure from Democrats and members of his own party, Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) Tuesday night abandoned his one-man filibuster of a one-month extension to unemployment benefits and other programs. In the end Bunning agreed to a deal allowing him one vote on an amendment to pay for the bill’s $10 billion cost. That proposal was offered by Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) last Thursday at the start of his filibuster, but Bunning rejected it because he feared his amendment would not pass. Reid has also agreed to give Bunning two votes on... RollCall.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2462793/posts#comment Wed, 3 Mar 2010 00:05:42 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2462786/posts Political strategist Karl Rove says President George W. Bush made the right decision to launch the Iraq war in 2003, but the former White House adviser admits the failure to find weapons of mass destruction badly damaged the administration's credibility. In his new memoir, "Courage and Consequence," Rove blames himself for not pushing back against claims that Bush had taken the country to war under false pretenses, calling it one of the worst mistakes he made during the Bush presidency. YahooNews http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2462786/posts#comment Tue, 2 Mar 2010 23:54:57 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2462677/posts There's a showdown coming this year over the amount of ethanol that goes into gas tanks across the state; a fight over energy, money, and your safety. Opponents of increasing ethanol use warn of overheating motors and corrosion. Proponents call those claims lies. Minnesota is at the center of the battle because it wants to be the first state to increase the amount of ethanol in unleaded gasoline from 10 percent to 20 percent. A 2005 law led to current regulations that mandate that each gallon of gas in Minnesota is 90 percent unleaded gasoline and 10 percent ethanol--a mix... KSTP.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2462677/posts#comment Tue, 2 Mar 2010 21:23:18 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2460835/posts A Twin Cities family thought they were meeting a man to buy a car, but they ended up trapped in their own vehicle, held at gunpoint and robbed. The family, who asked to remain anonymous, answered an ad for a Toyota Camry posted on Craigslist. The couple took their two-year-old and went to meet their contact at 8:30 p.m .Thursday on the 200 block of Birmingham Street on St. Paul's east side. The victim walked up to the man to make the transaction. He said, "He put a gun to my head and said you see what I'm working with."... KSTP.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2460835/posts#comment Sun, 28 Feb 2010 01:32:06 GMT