Free Republic

CNN, together with Moody’s Investor Services, published a map of the U.S. showing per capita state debt. This debt map brought to mind another map, this one the Electoral College map from the 2008 election. President Obama won 28 states and the District of Columbia totaling 365 Electoral College votes, to McCain’s 22 states totaling 173 Electoral College votes. Now, compare the high-debt states to the states shown in blue that voted for Obama—the linkage between debt and voting behavior is visually clear. According to Moody’s, the average state per capita debt of the 28 Obama states is $1,728 while...

Over the last few days, a wholly preventable scandal has metastasized for the GOP in Illinois that could very well cost Republicans the Governor’s mansion and “president” Obama’s former Senate seat: both were winnable races, if Republicans had learned from mistakes of the past and gotten in front of a potential problem before it was allowed to yet again reveal the GOP in Illinois to be a myopic boys’ club that protects its own while covering-up anything that could potentially upset their cucumber-and-mayonnaise soggy sandwich cocktail parties. “Romney Republicans” have gotten conservatives into an untenable position yet again.

The House gave final approval to a statewide smoking ban today and sent the bill to Gov. Bill Owens, who is expected to sign it.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 (UPI) -- The Army has acknowledged giving Congress incorrect information about use of an anti-malaria drug in units in which suicides occurred in Iraq last year. The Army's top medical official testified in February that no more than four of the deceased soldiers could have taken the drug, called Lariam, which the Food and Drug Administration says can cause mental problems. But the Army now says that number may be as high as 11 -- nearly half the total number of suicides the Army said occurred in Iraq during 2003. The Army says it stopped using Lariam,...

By MARK BENJAMIN and DAN OLMSTED WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 (UPI) -- A startling pattern of violence and suicide by America's most elite soldiers has followed their use of a controversial anti-malaria drug, an investigation by United Press International and CNN has found. The government already warns that the drug, called Lariam, might cause long-term mental problems -- including aggression and suicide. Six Special Forces soldiers who took their lives are all believed to have taken the drug, according to the UPI-CNN investigation. The cable news network broadcast a segment on the joint investigation Tuesday. Sen. Dianne Feinstein voiced concern about...

<p>WASHINGTON, July 15 (UPI) -- The Army has dropped all legal action against a soldier who was charged with cowardice in Iraq, apparently because an Army malaria drug made him sick.</p> <p>The case of Staff Sgt. Georg-Andreas Pogany drew national attention last year because he was the first soldier charged with cowardice -- an offense punishable by death -- since the Vietnam era. Pogany countered that his only offense was asking for help after suffering a panic attack caused by mefloquine, an anti-malaria drug that lists "panic attacks" as a side effect.</p>

Fort Carson - Spec. Heather Stanbro finds herself standing in rooms with no idea how she got there. She shakes uncontrollably and has trouble walking without staggering. She recently bit and punched her husband in what she calls a psychotic episode. The 25-year-old soldier blames her medical problems on the anti-malaria drug Lariam that she was forced to take weekly last year while serving as a medic in Iraq. Stanbro said a military medical specialist recently told her that she is suffering from brain-stem damage, with Lariam being the probable cause for at least her balance problems. The medical expert,...

WASHINGTON, June 4 (UPI) -- The first U.S. soldier charged with cowardice since the Vietnam War is suffering from damage to his brainstem that likely was caused by the anti-malaria drug he was given in Iraq, a military doctor has concluded. Staff Sgt. Georg-Andreas Pogany was diagnosed this week with "likely Lariam toxicity," according to medical records from Naval Medical Center San Diego reviewed by United Press International. Pogany suffered a panic attack in Iraq last year after seeing a dead body and was charged by the Army with cowardice, an offense punishable by death and a charge not seen...