Free Republic

Upcoming Elections New Bump lists With the control of both the US Senate and House of Representatives up for grabs it is time to start planning where we can make a difference and assure GOP control. With that in mind I have created Two new bump lists; one for US Senate and House of Representatives elections and one for some of the preliminary maneuvers by potential 2004 Presidential candidates. Election US Congress Articles dealing with upcoming US Senate and House of Representatives elections. Polls, re-districting, match-ups, candidates, debates, primaries, campaign rallies, raising money, election results, etc. Election President Article dealing ...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 9/25/2001 Press Office 202-646-5172 MORE ACTION NEEDED TO STOP TERRORIST FUNDING "COALITION BUILDING" SHOULD NOT TAKE PRECEDENCE OVER STOPPING TERRORIST FUNDING IRS ADMITS U.S. GROUPS MAY BE FUNNELING MONEY TO TERRORISTS (Washington, DC) Judicial Watch, the public interest law firm that investigates and prosecutes government corruption and abuse, today pointed out that the Bush Administration did not include any groups in the United States were on the list of terrorist-affiliated organizations whose assets were frozen yesterday by President George W. Bush. Federal grand jury investigations and published reports in The New York Times have linked a variety ...

Commentary: The best democracies money can buy Thursday, 4 January 2001 18:39 (ET) Commentary: The best democracies money can buy By MARTIN WALKER Washington, Jan 4 (UPI) -- Campaign finance reform is back on the agenda in the U.S. Senate, where Republican Sen. John McCain has vowed to re-introduce his bill "to clean up our democracy" in the new Senate later this month. But around the world, democracies are grappling with the problem of paying for political parties and campaigns, without opening their systems to the charge of becoming "the best democracy money can buy." British Prime Minister Tony ...

Social groups gird to fight cabinet picks Thursday, 4 January 2001 18:00 (ET) Social groups gird to fight cabinet picks By KATHY GAMBRELL WASHINGTON, Jan. 4, (UPI) -- Attorney-general nominee John Ashcroft is a Republican anti-abortion extremist with a poor record on civil rights, according to a report released Thursday by the People for the American Way, one of many groups vowing to derail his Senate confirmation and that of two other cabinet nominees. "The issue is John Ashcroft's lack of sensitivity and concern about the rights of women and minorities, as well as his ideological rigidity, all qualities ...

Pollster lauds finance reform Thursday, 4 January 2001 18:18 (ET) Pollster lauds finance reform By MARK PROTHERO WASHINGTON, Jan. 4 (UPI) -- A pollster told the GOP Senate caucus Thursday that the public wants a reform of the campaign finance system, an issue that even reformers admit most Republicans strongly oppose. In a closed meeting with the 50 Republican members of the Senate, pollster John Zogby told the lawmakers that while campaign finance reform does not poll particularly well with voters, that is because of the cynical view that reforming the current system is impossible, not because the American ...

Guess who's watching Thursday, 4 January 2001 22:37 (ET) Guess who's watching By LOU MARANO WASHINGTON, Jan. 4, (UPI) -- Driving eastbound on I-66 toward Washington one misty evening some months ago, this motorist saw a chunk of metal in his path too late for a safe lane change. The impact shredded a front tire, and the car was steered to the shoulder on a rim. In what seemed a matter of seconds, a friendly man in an official Virginia vehicle pulled up to render assistance. Happenstance? No. This is the modern world, where video cameras monitor many of ...

Report says Ted Turner to launch anti-nuclear group Friday, 5 January 2001 0:22 (ET) Report says Ted Turner to launch anti-nuclear group ATLANTA, Jan. 5 (UPI) -- Billionaire Ted Turner has decided to create a charitable group dedicated to reducing the threat posed by nuclear weapons and other means of mass destruction, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Friday. The newspaper said Turner will supply "significant resources" to finance the organization. Former U.S. Senator Sam Nunn of Georgia, former chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, will serve as the organization's chief executive officer and Turner will be a co-chairman, the ...

Commentary: Repeal mandatory minimums Thursday, 4 January 2001 15:26 (ET) Commentary: Repeal mandatory minimums By LOU MARANO First of two parts: Bush's political opportunity WASHINGTON, Jan. 4 (UPI) -- If President-elect Bush wants to do something for blacks while standing up for conservative principles, he could champion the repeal of federal mandatory minimum sentencing laws in the 107th Congress. The injustice of these laws is legendary. They force judges to impose unconscionably long prison sentences on low-level, nonviolent drug offenders while allowing drug kingpins to cop their pleas. They shift sentencing discretion from judges to prosecutors. They hurt minorities ...

Utah questions Census numbers Thursday, 4 January 2001 14:44 (ET) Utah questions Census numbers By PETER ROFF WASHINGTON, Jan. 4 (UPI) -- Officials in Utah are exploring ways to alter how the Census Bureau counts Americans residing overseas after the release of the figures from Census 2000, according to a report in Utah's Deseret News. The reason: Not counting Mormon missionaries overseas may have cost the state an additional seat in Congress. The Deseret News is owned by the Church of Latter-Day Saints, the Mormon church. According to the numbers released by the bureau, Utah missed having one congressional ...

The Emerging Agenda: The abortion battle Thursday, 4 January 2001 13:51 (ET) The Emerging Agenda: The abortion battle By PETER ROFF, UPI National Political Analyst WASHINGTON, Jan. 4 (UPI) -- This is the second in a series by United Press International reporters that will look at the policies, people and politics likely to define the next four years. Abortion policy is one area where a significant difference will be seen between the Clinton and Bush administrations, and will be a contentious issue in Cabinet confirmation hearings, judicial appointments and regulatory matters. UPI National Political Analyst Peter Roff looks at ...

Study shows 10-year jump in U.S. immigrantion Thursday, 4 January 2001 13:50 (ET) Study shows 10-year jump in U.S. immigrantion By KATHY GAMBRELL, Washington Reporter WASHINGTON, Jan. 4, (UPI) -- An analysis of population data by the Center for Immigration Studies showed a 43 percent increase in the number of foreign-born residents living in the United States since 1990, the highest number of immigrants living within its borders in the nation's history. The study, "Immigrants in the United States 2000: A Snapshot of America's Foreign Born Population" stated that 28.4 million immigrants reside in the United State, a 43 ...

December job cuts 6,685 a day Thursday, 4 January 2001 11:39 (ET) December job cuts 6,685 a day By AL SWANSON CHICAGO, Jan. 4 (UPI) - The dot.com meltdown and slower than anticipated Christmas sales prompted U.S. employers to hand out 133,713 pink slips last month -- an average of 836 lost jobs for each hour of the regular workweek. Challenger, Gray & Christmas, an international outplacement firm that tracks job losses on a daily basis, Thursday said 30 percent of December's layoffs were in the retail sector. Retailers cut 94,354 jobs last month compared to 64,190 a year ...

Diversity push bumped Thursday, 4 January 2001 10:25 (ET) Diversity push bumped TRAVERSE CITY, Mich., Jan. 4 (UPI) -- Officials in this mostly white northern Michigan town wanted to fight the rising number of hate crimes against blacks, Jews and gays with a rainbow bumper sticker declaring, "We are Traverse City." But then special interest groups and lawyers got involved, scuttling the project this week and leaving the community more divided. The plan was to paste the colorful bumper stickers on city vehicles but conservatives claimed the rainbow pattern actually promoted the gay lifestyle and city attorneys said the ...

Clintons collected $8 million for legal fund Thursday, 4 January 2001 1:24 (ET) Clintons collected $8 million for legal fund NEW YORK, Jan. 4 (UPI) -- In addition to an array of celebrities who have given money and added star-power, retirees, teachers, nurses, librarians, social workers and the disabled contributed to the legal defense fund of President Clinton and first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton. Although the Clintons have spent more than $4 million on two homes in Westchester County and in Washington, D.C. many of the have-nots contacted by the New York Daily News did not seem to mind. ...

Ice sheet little threat to sea level Wednesday, 3 January 2001 23:09 (ET) Ice sheet little threat to sea level GREENBELT, Md. Jan. 3 (UPI) -- Environmentalists are worried that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is melting but Robert Binschaldler, a glaciologist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., believes that that is not the case. "Our previous best estimates that the ice sheet was adding 1 millimeter per year to global sea level are almost certainly too high," Binschaldler said adding that the ice sheet "appears to be in a stage of near-zero retreat now." The ...

Profile of the week: Osama bin Laden Wednesday, 3 January 2001 19:59 (ET) Profile of the week: Osama bin Laden By ANWAR IQBAL SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 3 (UPI) -- On the first encounter, Osama bin Laden appears quiet, emaciated and even a little shy. During interviews, he takes time to warm up and needs some probing to speak his mind. Those unaware of his background, may find it difficult to believe that this tall, shy man is accused of killing hundreds in terrorist attacks planned and orchestrated by him and his Al-Quaida group of Arab and Muslim militants. But ...

Clinton names nine in recess appointments Wednesday, 3 January 2001 18:52 (ET) Clinton names nine in recess appointments By KATHY GAMBRELL WASHINGTON, Jan. 3, (UPI) -- President Bill Clinton named a Michigan attorney to serve as a commissioner on the United States International Trade Commission in one of nine recess appointments announced late Wednesday. Dennis Martin Devaney, who formerly served as attorney for the Federal Labor Relations Authority and as a member of the National Labor Relations Board, was appointed to the panel which analyzes international trade issues and determines whether American companies are entitled to relief in disputes ...

Analysis: U.S. cyber-security lacks core organization Wednesday, 3 January 2001 13:50 (ET) Analysis: U.S. cyber-security lacks core organization By MICHAEL KIRKLAND WASHINGTON, Jan. 3 (UPI) -- Despite repeated warnings from both inside and outside the federal government, the United States still does not have any organization with both the mission and the ability to coordinate the overall defense of the country's vital electronic infrastructure. Despite the increasing reliance of commerce and such essential services as power, communications, transportation and government on networked computers, U.S. cyber-security lacks a central structure that could bring together the private and public sectors in ...

Democrats ask Bush to collaborate on issues Wednesday, 3 January 2001 17:13 (ET) Democrats ask Bush to collaborate on issues By MARK BENJAMIN WASHINGTON, Jan. 3 (UPI) -- A powerful group of moderate House and Senate Democrats said Wednesday that they would appeal to President-elect George Bush for cooperation on a series of education, tax and trade priorities similar to his own. These "New Democrats," lead in part by former vice presidential candidate and Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.) met on Wednesday and have drafted a letter to Bush emphasizing their shared priorities. "There are areas of significant overlap from ...

Commentary: For Electoral College reform Wednesday, 3 January 2001 17:15 (ET) Commentary: For Electoral College reform By PATRICK REDDY, United Press International "The Electoral College is a highly imperfect method of electing the president of the United States. At best it distorts campaign strategy and poorly represents the popular will. At worst it can create political and constitutional crisis in determining who should be president.... It is all too likely that the election of 2000, or one in the future, will finally provide the American public with indisputable evidence of the failings of the electoral college as a means ...