Free Republic

(CNSNews.com) - The 63-foot Sierra White Fir lighted at the U.S. Capitol Grounds on Dec. 6 as the official 2011 Capitol Christmas Tree includes a prominently displayed ornament paying homage to President Barack Obama, but includes no ornament readily visible to a person standing near the tree's base that uses the word “Christmas,” or includes an image of the Nativity, or bears the name or image of Jesus Christ. On the north side of the tree--at a height of about 4 feet and easily visible to people standing near it---there is an ornament that says: “I ♥ President Obama.”

A conservative group has set up a nativity scene at the Capitol building in Madison, and an atheists' group is seeking its own permit for an opposing display. A WISC-TV report says Wisconsin Family Action has been granted a permit to display its scene until the end of the month. The six statuettes that sit on a table depict the birth of Jesus Christ. Group spokeswoman Julaine Appling says the display is tasteful. She says there's room for a number of different voices. But the Madison-based Freedom From Religion Foundation says a nativity scene isn't appropriate for a state building....

Update, 5 p.m. Occupy Austin protestors left the Capitol peacefully after Texas Department of Public Safety troopers notified them that they could only stay for three hours in a 24 hour period without a permit. DPS officials weren’t immediately available to comment on the rules surrounding protests on Capitol grounds. Troopers at the Capitol declined to comment. Update, 3:50 p.m. About 30 protestors have now gathered at the Capitol. Ihor Gowda, who has participated with Occupy Austin since its inception in October, said that troopers with the Department of Public Safety have informed protestors that there is a 10 p.m.-6...

Gongwer News Service reported recently that the agency that oversees Capitol Square moved Monday to avoid a public hearing on gun regulations. On October 20, the unelected CSRAB voted to prohibit concealed guns on the property surrounding the Statehouse. From coverage at the time from The Columbus Dispatch: "The thought was that the board wants to be proactive as we continue to have more events outside," said Gregg Dodd, the board's deputy director. "The board's intent is to make the Statehouse the people's house, inclusive and acceptable to everybody, and we just want to assure that all families that are...

TALLAHASSEE — Until less than two weeks ago, someone with a concealed weapon's permit wishing to enter Florida's Capitol with a gun had to leave it in a lock box at the door. That policy, like hundreds of local ordinances limiting where gun owners could bring their weapons, may have been illegal, but that all ended Oct. 1, when a new state law went into effect affirming that only the Legislature can enact laws regulating guns. As cities and counties statewide scrambled to make sure they were in compliance or face a $100,000 fine, the Capitol Police instituted a new...

A 26-year-old Massachusetts man was arrested and charged today in connection with a plot to attack the Pentagon and the Capitol, the Justice Department announced.  Rezwan Ferdaus, a U.S. citizen, is accused of planning to use a remote-controlled aircraft filled with explosives to attack the buildings. He was also charged with attempting to provide support and resources to a foreign terrorist organization — specifically al-Qaida, the organization behind the 9/11 terrorist attacks. I know what you're thinking, PC police: "That's unfair, you Islamophobe!  Just because his name is Rezwan doesn't mean he's a Muslim, or that his planned attacks were...

ASHLAND (CBS) – Rezwan Ferdaus had run into some minor trouble in the past, but neighbors in his quiet Ashland neighborhood are terrified to hear the disturbing accusations he’s currently facing. The 26-year-old Ferdaus was arrested on Wednesday and charged with plotting to crash explosive-laden remote control planes into the Pentagon and U.S. Capitol. According to neighbors, the home that federal agents raided belongs to Ferdaus’ parents. They moved in 14 years ago and Rezwan still lived with them.

BOSTON (AP) — A Massachusetts man was arrested Wednesday and accused of plotting to destroy the Pentagon and U.S. Capitol by attacking the buildings with large, remote-controlled aircraft armed with lethal amounts of explosives.... According to a federal affidavit, Ferdaus said he wanted to deal a psychological blow to Americans, the "enemies of Allah," by hitting the Pentagon, which he called "head and heart of the snake."

The American flag flies in tatters above the U.S. Capitol after Hurricane Irene moved through the nation's capital.

For the second time in the past week, hundreds of laid off state workers rallied in the hot sun on the steps of Minnesota’s closed State Capitol to protest the state government shutdown. Wednesday’s rally again took aim at familiar theme: Taxing the state's wealthiest residents to help solve the state’s $5 billion budget deficit. One man held a sign that took his frustration a step further – he had changed it from “Tax the Rich” to “Eat the Rich.”

MADISON, Wis. - Protests at the Wisconsin Capitol over public workers' collective bargaining rights cost more than $7.8 million for police, and damage to the Capitol will cost about $270,000 to repair, a state official said. Department of Administration Secretary Mike Huebsch said during a news conference Friday that local law enforcement incurred $3.9 million in overtime costs from Feb. 14 to March 13. Another $3.5 million was spent on overtime for state agencies that helped cover security such as the Capitol Police, Wisconsin State Patrol, Department of Natural Resources and the Division of Criminal Investigation. Huebsch said that the...

Cindy Sheehan, the Northern California peace activist who rose to prominence for starting an encampment near President Bush‘s Texas ranch, will headline a week-long occupation of the State Capitol next week to protest proposed spending cuts and encourage lawmakers to extend tax hikes. Initially proposed by the California Teachers Association, the occupation has expanded to include protesters with the California Alliance for Retired Americans and the fringe Peace and Freedom political party as well as peace organizations Veterans for Peace and Peace of the Action, of which Sheehan is national director. Sheehan, speaking at a Thursday morning press conference at...

A bill that would allow guns in the Maine State House has been narrowly endorsed by a legislative committee, even as efforts continue to bolster security in the Capitol.

Wednesday, April 06, 2011 at 12:00 PM (ET) Washington, DC Wednesday, April 6th in Washington, DC to tell the Budget Committee to Cut Spending Now. They need to hear from you as they crunch numbers and grapple with this year’s budget. You’ve had to tighten your family budget in this struggling economy. They should have to tighten the national budget too. Michele Bachmann is a confirmed speaker. Bus arrangements being made for: New Jersey North Carolina Pennsylvania Maryland Virginia

<p>LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A few dozen protesters are staging a peaceful rally inside the Michigan Capitol and say they would like to stay when the building closes for the night.</p> <p>They are opposed to education funding cuts, taxes on pensions and legislation that would give emergency managers more power over financially distressed local governments and schools.</p>

Activists confirm plans to peacefully take CapitolBy Todd A. Heywood | 03.15.11 | 12:47 pm A group of Michigan activists has confirmed that it plans to stage a protest in the state Capitol building at 4 p.m. today. Lance Enderle, a former Democratic candidate for Michigan’s 8th Congressional district, confirmed moments ago that he is leading the protest. “We are planning to exercise our free speech rights in a non-violent way,” Enderle said. “We will take the Rotunda, and we are not leaving.” The Capitol building closes at 5:30 p.m. and officials have told Michigan Messenger that anyone remaining in...

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), a former businessman and now a freshman senator, held a conference call Thursday afternoon with a small group of bloggers. For a freshman, he's entirely fluid on the issues and easily navigates between specifics and larger themes. I asked him about Wisconsin. Why did Gov. Scott Walker take so long to pull out the "fiscal" elements and pass the legislation without a quorum? Johnson first made clear that he and the governor believe this "is not about individual workers . . . but about rebalancing the equation" so that the taxpayers' interests are being protected. As...

Breaking on Fox News from Mike Tobin at the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison. Protesters have trapped GOP lawmakers in their offices shutting down the vote at 11 AM and have threatened violence and are trying to enter their offices.

The capitol is being stormed, again.

Madison — Demonstrators crowded the Capitol in a wild scene after senators passed a budget-repair bill in a hastily called meeting Wednesday night that outraged protesters and Democratic legislators. Protesters yelled slogans and blew whistles as the Capitol took on the intensity and passion that marked the early days of the protests. Protesters demanded to be let inside, and in one scene at the southeastern entrance of the Capitol, scores of protesters pressed against the door as two-dozen police pushed them back. One protester got partly inside the door and was dragged in by the State Patrol. Outside, protesters chanted...

West Virginia's two Democratic senators blamed House Speaker John Boehner on Thursday after their hopes of having the remains of World War I veteran Frank Buckles honored in the Capitol Rotunda were dashed, at least for now. Excerpt due to AP

State officials said Thursday that damage to the marble inside and out the State Capitol would cost an estimated $7.5 million. Cari Anne Renlund, chief legal counsel for the state Department of Administration, said in Dane County court that estimates of damage to marble includes $6 million to repair damaged marble inside the Capitol, $1 million for damage outside and $500,000 for costs to supervise the damage. Much of the damage apparently has come from tape used to put up signs and placards at the Capitol.

Madison -- Administration Secretary Michael Huebsch estimated Wednesday that law enforcement costs to provide security at the State Capitol through February would likely total $4 million to $5 million.

Fox Nation has learned exclusively from a highly placed source within Wisconsin state politics that the fourteen AWOL Democrats are experiencing "dissension in the ranks." State Sen. Julie Lassa (D) is pregnant and "extremely unhappy" about being on the run. State Sen. Jon Erpenbach (D) has been hit particularly hard by his paycheck being withheld.

Police keep protesters from entering CapitolBy Clay Barbour and Dee. J. Hall, Capital Newspapers Posted: Monday, February 28, 2011 11:33 pm Capitol Police kept more than 1,000 protestors at bay Monday, locking down the statehouse and allowing only a few dozen inside to meet with lawmakers. Officials with the Department of Administration said they closed the Capitol to help with the cleaning of the building and could not open the doors to the public because some protestors inside the rotunda refused to limit their activities to the ground floor. The decision seemed to run counter to Capitol tradition and the...

Some protesters plan peaceful resistance when Capitol is closed todayBy Ron Seely / Wisconsin State Journal Posted: Sunday, February 27, 2011 7:15 am MADISON - With police planning to clear the state Capitol of protesters Sunday, some demonstrators Saturday night were preparing to peacefully resist removal from the building. Capitol Police announced early Saturday that they intend to close down the Capitol at 4 p.m. Sunday. But little information was provided about exactly how the huge building will be cleared of thousands of protesters, some of whom have been sleeping on the marble floors since Feb. 15. And there were...

MADISON, Wisc. -- Sen. Scott Fitzgerald, the GOP's leader in the upper house, said today that access to parts of the Capitol will be closed off to the public starting 6 p.m. A little background. The occupation of the capitol is, in some ways, a fluke. Citizens are allowed to stay overnight in the Capitol if there is a hearing going on and people are giving testimony. Democrats have had a quasi-official hearing going since the start of this impasse, which has allowed hundreds of people to sleep in the Capitol every night. But since the start of this week,...

Pro-union website blocked in Wisconsin state CapitolBy the CNN Wire Staff February 22, 2011 2:08 p.m. EST Madison, Wisconsin (CNN) -- A left-leaning website that union supporters used to rally protesters in Wisconsin was partially blocked as demonstrators gathered in the state Capitol over a controversial budget bill. The website, defendwisconsin.org, could not be accessed on Monday and into Tuesday morning in the Capitol building, where crowds assembled over proposed legislation that would increase the costs of benefits to public employees and curb their collective-bargaining rights. Wisconsin Democratic Party press secretary Graeme Zielinski blamed Gov. Scott Walker and Republican lawmakers...

Use of Capitol building as homeless shelter raises concernsBy Stacy Forster of the Journal Sentinel May 29, 2009 Madison - State Capitol police respond to dozens of incidents each month involving homeless people who spend their days in the landmark building. Capitol police say the building is secure and the incidents involving the homeless aren't that different from those involving the thousands of people who work in and visit the building each day. But some lawmakers believe the state should do a better job of helping those who seek shelter in the Capitol, rather than just housing them during the...

Welcome to the State Capitol Tour Reservations Desk. We are pleased to make arrangements for your tour of our beautiful Capitol. Follow the steps below to reserve a date and time with us. If there are fewer than 10 people in your tour group, no reservation is necessary. On weekends and on holidays we are only able to accomodate up to 130 people per hour. For questions or comments regarding on-line Capitol tour reservations, please contact us by email at Capitol Tours or by telephone at (608)266-0382. Enjoy your tour! Guided tours of the Capitol building are first offered to...

Cuccinelli argues health-care suit on Capitol HillBy Jim Nolan Published: February 16, 2011 Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli this morning took his case against the new federal health care law straight to the folks who approved it less than a year ago -- Congress. But what a difference a year makes. When the landmark Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act passed in March 2010, the House of Representatives was controlled by Democrats, and no Republicans voted for the measure. Last November’s midterm elections changed that, so today Cuccinelli, a rising conservative star whose lawsuit made headlines across the nation, was at...

Calling it "Operation Freedom's No Loophole," the Virginia Citizens Defense League (VCDL) will rally at the Virginia Capitol on Monday, January 17, 2011, also a federal holiday known as Martin Luther King Day. In a press release issued today, VCDL declared its aim to "make Virginia both a 'shall accept' & 'constitutional carry' state this session." . . .

FRANKFORT, Ky. -- "It's just crazy." That's the comment made Tuesday by a state lawmaker from Louisville, pointing out Kentucky and Texas are the only two states to allow guns in their state Capitol. State Rep. Mary Lou Marzian, of Louisville, plans on introducing two measures to change the law. The first one would ban guns in the state Capitol and annex building. If that bill fails, the other one would make it mandatory for parents to sign permission slips for children visiting the Capitol. Those forms would point out guns are allowed in the Capitol. Marzian said she gave...

Pastors go on a tour of the United States Capitol with history expert David Barton

Everyone knows the one about glass houses — everyone except the feds, apparently. A recent report revealed the U.S. Capitol and surrounding buildings have an estimated 6,300 workplace hazards. While Obama’s OSHA continues to ramp up fines, criminal penalties and oversight for companies, the seat of the legislative branch wouldn’t even pass its own inspection, according to a recent report from the Office of Compliance. And many of the hazards pose major risks to employees — one-quarter of them could be deadly or cause serious injury. And some will cost a lot to fix. One example: A fire hazard in...

Supporters of Arizona's new law cracking down on illegal immigration are planning to rally at the state Capitol on Saturday. The rally follows dueling events last weekend that drew thousands of opponents and supporters of the law. This weekend's rally could be muted by soaring temperatures expected to hit 107 degrees. Rally organizer Daniel Smeriglio says the rally is a grass roots effort and participants are traveling from around the U.S. to attend. Smeriglio says they will be providing lots of water and are asking participants to bring umbrellas and wear sunscreen. Former Republican Congressman Tom Tancredo of Colorado, GOP...

Think the metal detectors and other ramped-up security plans for the Texas Capitol will keep out unlicensed guns? Think again, officials said Wednesday. Under current state law, so-called "long guns" — rifles, shotguns and the like — will remain legal in the domed landmark if they are carried openly, in a non-threatening way. And, under an exemption approved Tuesday as a part of a new security plan, Texans with a concealed-handgun license will be able to take their pistols into the statehouse as well.

Flag-waving harder at CapitolBY SARAH OVASKA - Staff writer Modified Wed, Apr 14, 2010 12:10 AM RALEIGH -- Organizers of a tea party event planned for Thursday at the state Capitol are unhappy they can't carry flags on poles because of state officials' fears that they could be used as weapons. The prohibition applies to the American flag, North Carolina's state flag or anything else carried on a pole more than a foot in length. Scott Hunter, chief of the State Capitol Police, said that the group will be allowed to carry tiny flags of the kind handed out at...

Decision has been made to not fly the Gadsden Flag over the Connecticut State Capitol.

WASHINGTON - DC Fire officials say one person is dead, five people are in critical condition, and two people are in serious condition. Fire officials say all of the victims are in their 20s and 30s except one person who is a teen. The shooting happened around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in the 4000 block South Capitol St. Police say an MPD cruiser crashed during the pursuit that followed. It happened in the 5600 block of Saint Barnabas Road. Prince George's County Fire officials say the officers will be transported to a DC Hospital. No word yet if suspects have been...

PHOENIX — Saying the minority must be tolerant of the majority, Republicans who control on the Senate Appropriations Committee voted Tuesday to require a copy of the Ten Commandments to be erected in front of the old state Capitol. SB 1213 directs the Legislative Council, the main occupant of the building, to look for donations to put up a monument, plaque or some other permanent form of the commandments. The measure now goes to the full Senate. The 53 vote came over the objections of the Democrats on the panel who said it amounted to the state imposing what are...

A state assemblyman who represents Toyota's North American headquarters in Torrance is so peeved by the automaker's safety problems and its recent decision to close a California plant that he's asking his colleagues to stop buying the Japanese-made hybrid cars. Assembly Rules Committee Chairman Ted Lieu, who is running in June to be the Democratic Party's candidate for attorney general, said he plans to ask the committee on Thursday to reinstitute a "Buy-American" policy when purchasing pool vehicles that the house's 80 members use to get around Sacramento. ... "With the massive safety problems that Toyota is experiencing, I think...

January 24, 2010 Recommitment to Life, Illinois State Capitol Rotunda, 2 p.m. Enter by the North door and bring picture ID. The Speaker is Mark Harrington, Midwest Region Director, Center for Bio-Ethical Reform January 25 Publication of Signatures in the State Journal-Register newspaper.

Rep. Steve King calls for reinforcements at Capitol Fri. & Sat. to stop Obama/PelosiCare During the course of our House Calls at the Capitol yesterday afternoon, a group of us spotted Rep. Steve King at one of the entrances of the Cannon Building. He asked us to keep the pressure on by coming back to the Capitol today, Friday and tomorrow, Saturday until the vote occurs at 6:00 PM tomorrow evening. If you were not able to make it to the rally yesterday, or did so and can do more, PLEASE come back to give the representatives that are actually...

During the health care rally today cameras caught a senior citzen being arrested for unlawful entry. Instead of shouting curse words and attacking police these other senior citizens and patriots sing God Bless America. What do you think? Is this an unruly crowd of right wing extremists? (Click for video)*note. This in not my video and that is not my video intro calling the protesters 'unruly.' You tell me.. are these unruly, dangerous, right-wing extremist?

House Republicans and tea party protesters spent the summer and much of the fall in an awkward mating dance, with neither group too sure it wanted to embrace the other. But they consummated the relationship over the weekend in New York’s 23rd Congressional District, and they’ll come together Thursday in Washington for a coordinated assault on the Democrats’ plans for health care reform.

March at Capitol planned WednesdayFrom Staff Reports Published: Tuesday, November 3, 2009 1:11 PM CST If you have an opinion about big government and big spending that is going, you have an opportunity to voice that opinion at yet another Tea Party Express gathering at the State Capitol, 6 p.m., Wednesday. In September, Joyce Short and her sister, Lois Rowe, both of Sapulpa, drove to Washington, D.C. to attend the historical March on Washington by Americans who feel this country is being taken in the wrong direction. Joyce said she was offered $500 by a local businessman to help pay...

Committee chairman Max Baucus, D-Montana, said that while he liked the idea of a public option, he knew a bill that included the provision would be a death sentence for health care reform. But Democratic Sens. Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia and Charles Schumer of New York, who sponsored the public option amendments, both indicated that they don't think the debate about the public option is over. Despite his proposal being voted down, Schumer said Tuesday, "Today the odds went up that there'll be a public option in the bill." There's been a lot of focus on the plan in...

Visitors to Washington D.C. today got to hear what residents in Hamtramck and Dearborn, Michigan, as well as areas of London, Amsterdam and other Western cities already endure five times a day: The sound of amplified Muslim prayers lifted to Allah. This time, the prayers reverberated over America’s front lawn as some 2,000 Muslims gathered for the Jummah Prayer on Capitol Hill: A Day of Islamic Unity. Promoters had planned for 50,000 but came nowhere near that. Hadn’t you heard about this? If not, it’s probably because the media have been tight lipped, the better not to embarrass the One...

Here is a Fox News video report on an "Islamic National Day of Unity" to be held today at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. They will pray and recite the Koran together. The report quotes Tony Perkins as saying the fact many Muslim leaders have refused to condemn terror attacks around the world leads people to wonder, "Will they be praying for America or against America?" (VIDEO)