Free Republic

Part One: The Opportunity The Political Cudgel--and the Embedded Nail The Supreme Court’s Obamacare-affirming decision--which can be summed up as “Read John Roberts’ lips, it’s a tax”--has put a political cudgel in the hands of Republicans. The cudgel, of course, is taxes. But a huge nail is also embedded in the cudgel: the fundamental deceit of Obamacare. Yet in the week since the Court’s decision, Republicans have yet to demonstrate that they truly grasp the significance of this weapon--or that they can effectively wield it. Why? Some Republicans are worried that the fight over Obamacare distracts from the issue of...

On Friday’s “Special Report,” Washington Post columnist Charles Krauthammer warned that Americans should expect Israel to attack Iran if President Barack Obama’s re-election appears likely. Krauthammer explained that there could be a punitive response from the Obama administration, which would be less likely before he is re-elected. “If they think Obama will win reelection I think it’s likely they will attack before, because afterwards there is no way to tell how Obama would punish Israel and they would be vulnerable to sanctions and other measure of the United States,” he said. Krauthammer reminded viewers of the time frame advanced by...

Brand new, he has $ for bond (10%)

Days after an unruly crowd attacked lifeguards at Brooklyn's newly renovated McCarren Park pool, a police officer was punched in the face and another hurt his wrist in a confrontation with swimmers, authorities said. Police said the officers, who were assigned to the pool, were injured Monday when trying to enforce the "No Dive" rule. A 20-year-old swimmer punched one of the officers in the side of the face. The second officer hurt his wrist while trying to handcuff the swimmer, police said. Both officers were taken to Bellevue Hospital. Charges are pending against the 20-year-old suspect. In a separate...

In the midst of a fiery floor debate over contempt proceedings for Attorney General Eric Holder, House Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) quietly dropped a bombshell letter into the Congressional Record. The May 24 letter to Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), ranking member on the panel, quotes from and describes in detail a secret wiretap application that has become a point of debate in the GOP’s “Fast and Furious” gun-walking probe. The wiretap applications are under court seal, and releasing such information to the public would ordinarily be illegal. But Issa appears to be protected by the Speech...

Yes, Obama and the Democrats are entitled to a bit of a victory lap today, after Chief Justice Roberts searched deeply within his political self and found a path to uphold ObamaCare. Today's ruling will probably go down in history as the most effective GOP voter turnout operation ever. There is only one way to repeal ObamaCare and that is through the ballot box. It will happen. Obama campaigned on a promise to never raise taxes on any families earning less than $250,000 a year. Today, the Court called the mandate for what it is...a tax. In doing so, it...

Take a deep breath, and think. In all reality, Obamacare is no more than 15% of the socialist filth and anti-American disasters that the Obama administration has fostered on us. Horribly weakened military A blame-America foreign policy Gays welcomed in the military A crushing national debt Open borders Everybody possible on Food Stamps Only Blacks are worthy of help by the DOJ Fast and Furious High $ giveaways for every radical group and cause. Eric Holder in general Hillary, et al. Solindra LightSquared Van Jones Cash for Clunkers Dollars for Dishwashers $49,000,000 to give high speed internet to 7 people...

Obama made a very serious mistake in invoking the issue of Executive Privilege in the F&F matter. First, he has now made Holder's problems his problem. Why would he do that unless there was some smoking gun memo that involved Obama personally? Is his ego so big that he thinks that simply his "presence" will remedy the situation. If so, I would remind him of how successful he was in bringing the Olympic Games to Chicago. But even if he prevails legally, which he probably will not, the public has already made up its mind. The concept is simple: Why...

Check out latest 5 Day forecast. Over Florida until Saturday. We'll be wet all week.

National Hurricane Center has TS Debby moving west with a landfall in TX. Many think that is wrong. Keep a watch at NEXRAD, but for what it's worth, my best WAG is 50 kt winds, moving onshore north of Cedar Key, across state then, out into to Atlantic at Amelia Island. This will be a slow moving storm, so flooding from water accumulation could be a problem. Some areas north of Tampa Bay have already had 4-6 inches of rain. No guarantee, but worth a watch. Be safe

POLITICO reporter Joe Williams has been suspended pending review of recent controversial comments he made on television and Twitter. On MSNBC today, Williams made a remark suggesting Mitt Romney was only comfortable around white people. Breitbart.com also flagged a series of tweets Williams had written that made fun of the Republican candidate, particularly in regard to his wealth. "Regrettably, an unacceptable number of Joe Williams's public statements on cable and Twitter have called into question his commitment to this responsibility," POLITICO's founding editors John Harris and Jim VandeHei wrote in a memo to the staff. "His comment about Governor Romney...

Today, the Obama Administration, in an obvious attempt to boost the President's flailing reelection campaign, announced that it would bypass Congress and rewrite the nation's immigration laws. The Obama administration will stop deporting and begin granting work permits to younger illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. as children and have since led law-abiding lives. The election-year initiative addresses a top priority of an influential Latino electorate that has been vocal in its opposition to administration deportation policies. The second sentence of the Associated Press story addresses the true impetus for the policy change; election-year politics. Obama, and today's Democrat...

The Department of Health and Human Services has inked a $20 million contract with a public-relations firm to sell aspects of Obamacare to the American public. The PR push is part of a sustained effort to sell the unpopular Obamacare law to the American public. Last year, HHS asked Congress to quadruple the budget for its public affairs office – to nearly $20 million – and nearly double the size of the office’s staff. The department insisted the changes were necessary to “help Americans understand and access their benefits and information under the law.” •The Obama HHS launched a campaign...

In Case You Don't Like Romney... Columnist Andrew McCarthy gives us what probably is the most important question regarding the upcoming presidential election … “If Romney wins the nomination, as seems very likely, I will enthusiastically support his candidacy. For my friends who may have hesitation on that score, I’d just ask you to keep four things in mind: 1.. Justice Scalia just turned 78 2.. Justice Kennedy will turn 78 later this year 3.. Justice Breyer will be 76 in August 4.. Justice Ginsburg turned 81 about a week ago and has had cancer twice. Whoever we elect as...

Need FR help. How to I post a JPEG on FR? (Please, keep it simple, I am not a computer wizard.) Thanks

The Pentagon’s annual report on China’s military for 2012 was cut to half the size of earlier reports and key weapons developments were omitted in an apparent bid to mitigate Beijing’s objections to the annual assessment of the communist government’s alarming military buildup. Instead of declassifying secrets of the Chinese military—which include an array of high-technology weapons and other advanced military capabilities—the report spends an entire chapter on military exchanges, which Beijing has repeatedly cut off in recent years to protest U.S. arms sales to Taiwan. The report also left out last year’s reference to China’s development of a new,...

On Hannity, Dem pollster Pat Caddell swears he absolutely knows from his sources who the WH secrets leaker is, and it is National Security Advisor Tom Donilon. Caddell, who is very well wired into all things Democratic in DC, said he thought there as no way Donilon would have done this without Obama's permission and perhaps instigation. He went on to describe Donilon as a "pure political hack" who has absolutely no experience or qualifications to be the NSA. Caddell" "Because of this hack, American friends are either dead, in prison or on the run. The Israelis are absolutely furious...

"Former Clinton aide takes Obama officials to task for saying Cory Booker is “dead to us.” “It may be meltdown unless they come to their senses. Why would they want to create enemies, or depict people as enemies; who are their friends?”

Great video of the problems blaming the cure. "Democracy Died Tonight"... because they couldn't get enogh crooked votes" Watch it and weep cheer

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