Free Republic

Happy July 4th. Feels more like a memorial day to celebrate who and what the founders were and their bravery in creating the Declaration. Lets celebrate their memory, sacrificial contributions and their patriotic greatness in the birth of the nation. Currently, what is there to celebrate for modern America on July 4th? A nation that seems hellbent on turning its back on God, Bible, Constitution and plain old common sense. We celebrate our founders as a Memorial but now modern America deserves scorn and contempt--not celebration of the current tyrrany here on July 4th.

In the Obamacare decision on Thursday, the five conservative Supreme Court Justices rejected the unlimited scope of the Commerce Clause and the Necessary & Proper Clause envisioned by proponents of federal tort reform bills (especially caps on damages in medical malpractice lawsuits).

If the MANDATE in Obamacare only survives as a Tax, as ruled by the Supreme Court, how can anyone Waive Taxes with Obamacare Waivers ? This and other questions still need to be answered, because we have Videos of Obama saying "This is not a Tax". ...

Deuteronomy 32:31KJV For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges. Micah 7:3KJV ..the prince asketh, and the judge asketh for a reward; and the great man he uttereth his mischievous desire, so they wrap it up. YHWH IS OUR ROCK, SO ROCK ON!! Pastor John W. Hill

Pelosi’s district secured almost 20 percent of the latest issuance of waivers nationwide, and the companies that won them didn’t have much in common with companies throughout the rest of the country that have received Obamacare waivers.

Passage of the budget seemed to be almost a non-event in the Capitol compared to years past — in part because it was only a prelude to the battle at the polls in November, when Brown and his allies will try to persuade voters to approve billions in new taxes. The budget passed Friday leaves a hole of more than $8 billion, which Democrats hope will be filled by temporary increases in both the state sales tax and income tax on the wealthy. If Brown's tax proposals are rejected, California's public schools would bear the brunt of the pain,

California lawmakers have scheduled a Friday budget vote on their plan to balance a $15.7 billion deficit as they run up against a constitutional deadline or risk losing their pay. With Gov. Jerry Brown refusing to sign off on their plan, Democratic leaders said they would work to pass a budget and continue negotiations with him on several sticking points, particularly welfare cuts.

The Land of Lincoln is rusting away. Public sector pensions underfunded by $83 billion are a crisis Illinois has faced for years but still has not resolved. Credit-rating agencies have threatened to lower the state's bond rating, and it is already among the worst in the nation. Finding the necessary $83 billion to fulfill this promise to employees is not easy. For one thing, the Illinois Constitution forbids reducing pension benefits. That's out of the equation.

To help bridge a $15.7 billion deficit, the Democratic governor has asked his own party's lawmakers to overhaul welfare-to-work, slash in-home care and require low-income students to earn higher grades for scholarship aid. But Democrats plan to reject more than $1 billion of those cuts, saying the state has already balanced enough prior budgets on the backs of poor Californians. They lack a deal with Brown, but lawmakers face a Friday constitutional deadline to send him a budget or lose their pay.

When Jerry Brown was elected governor for a third time in 2010, there was widespread hope that he would repair the state’s crumbling and dysfunctional political edifice. But instead of becoming a Californian Mikhail Gorbachev, he has turned out to be something more resembling Konstantin Chernenko or Yuri Andropov, an aged hegemon desperately trying to save a dying system.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Moving swiftly to stem potential damage to same-sex marriage legislation in Maryland, first lady Katie O’Malley said Friday she regretted her choice of words at a national conference when she said gay marriage legislation in the state failed last year because “there were some cowards that prevented it from passing.”

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker wasted no time taking on critics who launched an effort to recall him on Tuesday, saying that protests outside his home were "crossing the line" and showed disregard for families in his suburban Milwaukee neighborhood.

Senior U.S. officials and foreign diplomats, whom the Times did not identify, said the administration wanted to avoid having to cast a veto as well as a General Assembly vote that would leave only the United States and a few other nations opposed to Palestinian nationhood.

Labor leaders may think they need to jealously guard the long-term, sweetheart contracts they got from the Daley administration. Emanuel says that's not the case — he's looking for specific changes, he's not looking to fling the contracts wide open. More likely, the labor leaders realize this is just the opening bid. The city is trying to close a $30 million shortfall for this year. The budget gap for next year looks some 20 times larger.

Saying it won't force California customers to pay sales tax on their Internet purchases, Amazon.com is severing ties with 10,000 small businesses and individuals here who funnel shoppers to the online bazaar through their websites. The defiant action came hours after Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation that would have required Amazon to start collecting a 7.25% base tax on online purchases

— Gov. Pat Quinn wants to cancel raises for thousands of state employees to help cope with the Illinois budget crisis, a move denounced Friday as "illegal and irresponsible" by a key union.

(Castroville, TX)—These days, it seems to happen every year—a student is prevented from planning a prayer to share at the podium during their graduation, because of the objection of even just one. Valedictorian Angela Hildenbrand was one student who was fighting to maintain that right of free speech and freedom of religion.

Defending his decision to attack rebel cities, Gaddafi told Obama, "Al Qaeda is an armed organisation, passing through Algeria, Mauritania and Mali. What would you do if you found them controlling American cities with the power of weapons? What would you do, so I can follow your example."

Chris Coons has more than a passing connection to a company called Gore-Tex, which started out manufacturing innovative textiles, but has moved into the green market with its filtration systems. As the son-in-law of the current CEO, and former lobbyist for Gore-Tex, Chris Coons is keenly aware of the millions of dollars this company (of which he owns stock) will make by passing cap and trade,

Bad news for witches and sorcerers everywhere: tomorrow's midterm elections in America probably won't deliver a PR coup for covens by sending a candidate who has dabbled in witchcraft to the US Senate. We are entering the final hours of the incredible electoral journey of Christine O'Donnell, and what a journey it's been. Though opinion polls have tightened in recent days, bringing her deficit down from a startling 21%, she is still 10% behind her Democratic rival, Chris Coons – and she will almost certainly be roundly beaten in tomorrow's election