Free Republic

Remember the vicious behavior the left displayed whenever the topics of Iraq, Afghanistan and President George W. Bush came up? From Code Pink to Democrats like Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) came accusations that Bush lied about weapons of mass destruction. Anti-war protests were common. Legacy media picked up the meme. And one of the Democrats’ most influential benefactors devoted some of his wealth to elections in the U.S., with a key goal of limiting Bush to one term. George Soros is in the news again, not for politics or wealth, or for attacking a US president’s war policy, but for...

“I mean that there is no way to disarm any man,” said Dr. Ferris, “except through guilt. Through that which he himself has accepted as guilt…If there’s not enough guilt in the world, we must create it. If we teach a man that it’s evil to look at spring flowers and he believes us and then does it—we’ll be able to do whatever we please with him. He won’t defend himself.” –Atlas Shrugged, pg. 548What would a group of students attending a pricey private college in Florida do about the deficit? For one thing the editor said they would not...

Domestic SecurityBorder Department of Homeland Security is developing a new index to measure border security.Congress is probing the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives on their role in the 2010 death of a U.S. Border Patrol agent.Documents hold the answers that Attorney General Eric Holder won't provide on the Department of Justice's controversial gun operation.U.S. expands commercial inspection posts at a Laredo, Texas border crossing used by Mexican drug gangs. Laredo handles more commercial vehicle traffic than any other border crossing.Man indicted on eight charges including second degree murder after a shoot out with the U.S. Border Patrol on...

I knew it was only a matter of time before Herman Cain expanded his brand. Cain was already well-known to conservatives of all stripes, through his columns and radio show. He’s spoken at numerous grassroots and major political events across the nation, and I’ve written about him several times. Thus far I think he’s the most viable, capable candidate I’ve seen in either political party. Now Main Street is taking note because Cain definitely was a standout during the GOP presidential debate in Greenville on Thursday. Now legacy media both conservative and left of center are taking note of Herman...

Sharia Law Minnesota Muslim charged with killing stepdaughter who refused to wear headscarf.Detroit public transportation appeals decision granting ad space to groups who offer assistance to former Muslims who have death threats against them for leaving Islam.The University of Montana will teach a class on Islamic law next semester.White House Counterterrorism Adviser John Brennan stated that the body of Osama bin Laden was handled "in strict conformance with Islamic precepts and practices" and the White House had consulted "appropriate specialists and experts" prior to bin Laden's burial at sea.Border Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed a bill into law allowing for...

Who could forget leftwing furor over President George W. Bush’s prosecution of the War on Terror? From Code Pink to human rights wonks at the UN, Bush was assailed at every turn. There was a push to haul the US president before the International Court on issues like detainee interrogations, the prison at Guantanamo Bay and rendition. What a difference the Oval Office makes. Last time I looked, Gitmo was still intact. Furthermore, I'm betting if he'd been given a choice, as soon as he saw those Navy SEALs, Osama bin Laden would've screamed, "Rendition, please?" Now having rightfully dispatched...

Texas Congressman Ron Paul appeared on the Sean Hannity Show on Monday, and the Libertarian leaning Republican confirmed possibilities for a 2012 presidential run. “We are going to announce I’m going to form an exploratory committee,” Paul said. That announcement will presumably happen, according to Politico, on Tuesday afternoon in Iowa at the Holiday Inn near the Des Moines airport. Paul is making the talk show rounds, appearing on programs like 'Fox and Friends' and dropping by the chatty den 'The View'. Along the way, Paul is also promoting and signing his latest book, ‘Liberty Defined.’ On 'Fox and Friends'...

President Barack Obama held a meeting on immigration attended by those he called “stakeholders” at The White House on Tuesday. The president snubbed many experts who could contribute firsthand experience for addressing what he calls immigration. Greta van Susteren at Fox News said not a single border governor was invited. Wouldn’t you think those governors are the real ‘stakeholders’? Among those included, according to various media, were identity politics opportunist Al Sharpton and AFL-CIO strongman Richard Trumka. The official White House readout did not even include the names of those who attended. The 'stakeholders' release reads like a campaign statement—Obama...

Last year, the Dept. of Justice shut down numerous pending prosecutions against faith-based groups and individuals that were suspected of aiding foreign terrorist organizations. By doing so, did those responsible for the decision commit a felony? In 2007 the federal government brought charges against the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development (HLF), formerly the largest Muslim charity group in the U.S., and several of its leaders for allegedly engaging in a criminal conspiracy to support the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas. The organization allegedly sent over 12 million dollars to the terrorist group, and in 2008, a federal jury convicted...

Ayn Rand died 29 years ago, yet her legacy thrives. A film based on her most well-known novel ‘Atlas Shrugged’ premieres on April 15, traditionally known as Tax Day in the U.S. Perhaps because of the film premiere or perhaps because of the current political climate, Rand is being discussed, debated and in some instances, despised all over again. Gone missing from commentary on RandI noted comments on a left-leaning message board where someone had posted a link to an article at The US Report about a billboard many people see on I-95 as they drive south. The billboard asks...

Right off the bat I will admit I’ve always been distrusting when former president Bill Clinton (D) and former speaker of the US House Newt Gingrich (R) praise their respective parties for balancing the federal budget. I have those problems because despite promises from current president Barack Obama, our government has yet to become a model of transparency when it comes to fiscal and other issues. Fact is that famously ‘balanced budget’ had loopholes that in my opinion and in the opinions of others impact us today. Even the left of center AARP admitted as much, although I don’t think...

Earth Day is approaching so it seems fitting Bolivia will put forth the draft of a treaty to the United Nations declaring Mother Earth has the same rights as humans. The move has been disclosed in Canadian media who often cover US and global events more honestly than domestic US media. The news site Canada.com said the treaty “is meant to mirror” a law enacted in Bolivia, the Law of the Rights of Mother Earth. The embodiment of Mother Earth, said the Canadian publication, is Pachamama, the Earth Deity worshiped in indigenous Andean culture. The concept is at odds with...

Ex CIA agent Wayne Simmons appeared on ‘Freedom Watch’ on Monday and he dropped a bombshell. Simmons told Judge Andrew Napolitano during the judge’s nightly show on Fox Business Network Libyan refugees will be flown to New Jersey. Napolitano, a Libertarian, believes the NATO no-fly zone President Barack Obama justified on a “humanitarian basis” is an unconstitutional action. The judge has also been critical of President George W. Bush. Simmons said the US Dept. of State has a massive asylum initiative. That initiative has not always gone well. Simmons said that’s how one of the most dangerous gangs, MS-13, came...

If you listen to Sen. Harry Reid (Nev.) and Chuck Schumer (N.Y.), you’d think they don’t sound like friends of any Tea Party group. In fact, they are. USA Today quoted Reid: "[N]ow the Tea Party among others, they are the biggest push, is trying to push its extreme social agenda, issues that have nothing to do with funding the bill." Schumer has called Tea Partiers “the extreme element of his [House Speaker John Boehner's] party.” Schumer was also caught with his political pants down when he explained Democrats should paint Tea Partiers as “extremists” and a phone mic was...

Many of us in the U.S., regardless of our faith, viewed with despair the Quran-burning pastor’s actions —we knew innocents would likely die. President Barack Obama and others have spoken about the pastor, in the fall when he first threatened the burning and recently after he carried through with it. There is however a lapse in US leadership regarding appropriate responses to the burning. The lapse creates a dangerous window that should concern all Americans. The Bill of Rights addresses the issue of faith and free expression in Amendment I: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion,...

War correspondent Michael Yon said Rolling Stone magazine committed a “literary crime” and he’s called for a boycott of advertisers in the publication long associated with the entertainment business. The magazine also does sporadic investigative journalism about issues like the foreclosure epidemic, a piece that was well-written and documented. On other occasions the magazine does political hit jobs. Yon’s criticism was sparked by a cover story ‘The Kill Team: How US Soldiers in Afghanistan Murdered Civilians for Sport.’ The story is lengthy and at times the editorializing overpowers fact. For instance, on the RS home page on the Web, the...

The United Auto Workers said labor unions were “central to the protests” in Tunisia, and “Egyptian Labor gave the decisive push” in driving Egypt’s president Hosni Mubarak from office. UAW made the claims in the union magazine Solidarity*. UAW is pushing for global organization of workers as part of an international social justice plan to address globalization. “Unions are essential for social justice,” said the magazine. UAW also claims unions spurred the creation of a middle class in the United States and world organization is now the goal. “The UAW must act in solidarity with all unions around the world...

At the moment, eggheads don’t only control the US Senate, they also control the Executive Branch of our government. Some of those eggheads employed by the US Dept. of Justice have pushed a controversial door wide open with a lawsuit on behalf of a Muslim teacher. By the way, this isn’t the first time DOJ has gone out of its way for a faith whose tenets of government run contrary to Western standards. The Washington Post said the Chicago teacher, 29 year old Safoorah Khan, wanted to make the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca known as Hajj. Muslims view making the...

How many times did you hear socialist-progressives (so-progs) call Republicans ‘obstructionists’ when Democrats held absolute power over all three branches of the US government? Correct answer: too many times to count. Voters wised up and restored some balance to Washington during the November midterm elections. Republicans gained control of the US House after including a major commitment in speeches across the land—to cut federal spending. There have been some small gains. But furor has arisen among the so-progs who react to talk of spending cuts in decibels a Highlands banshee would be proud of. That furor can take an ugly...

Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) wants answers from the US taxpayer supported Export-Import bank about a $2 billion loan to Brazil for offshore drilling. Vitter’s home state is suffering under a moratorium imposed by President Barack Obama. Vitter said Louisianians “are frustrated” and he wants to know “why permitting domestically is nearly stalled…” Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) had questions about ExIM—nine years ago when he asked Congress to reject the reauthorization of ExIm for “economic, constitutional and moral reasons.” Vitter sent a letter to Fred Hochberg, Ex-Im president, on March 17. Vitter asked Hochberg to identify all US companies that have...