Free Republic

Trayvon Martin became a household name for all the wrong reasons. Martin’s death created an international firestorm because George Zimmerman, the person at fault, was not immediately taken into custody by Sanford, Florida authorities. What made things worse is that Martin is black, Zimmerman is part-Hispanic/part-white and the Sanford police chief is white. It is a somber event that has unfortunately become an angry racial mess. The level of pain Martin’s parents must be feeling is unimaginable. Parents should never have to bury their children — especially under such tragic circumstances. And to be thrust into the national spotlight over...

President Obama tried to make the argument today that he’s the real small-government leader, not Reagan and other Republicans. “After there was a recession under Ronald Reagan, government employment went way up,” Obama said at a college in Albany, N.Y. “It went up after the recessions under the first George Bush and the second George Bush. So each time there was a recession with a Republican president, compensated — we compensated by making sure that government didn’t see a drastic reduction in employment.” “The only time government employment has gone down during a recession has been under me,” he...

You have got to be kidding me. This trashing of Newt by Erika Johnsen, who apparently just started blogging at HotAir, is so over the top: "Newt Gingrich’s decision to wait a week to officially drop out of the presidential race was kind of a non sequitur (but then, it fits with Newt’s normally quizzical attitude of 'you need to get on my level' pomposity, so… wash)…." "Here’s what you can do to help the Republican party, Newt: don’t. You overstayed your welcome in the presidential race by a long shot, frequently looked absurd, and constantly undercut the GOP’s credibility....

With his strongest conservative challenger for the Republican nomination, Rick Santorum, now out of the race, does Mitt Romney still need to appeal to the conservative Christian voters who were energized by Santorum? Or is he now free to begin courting the broader spectrum of voters he will face in November?

Far be it for me to offer unsolicited advice to Sarah Palin. She's built a very successful career out of going rogue and certainly doesn't need any tips from me. And, as an occasional pundit, a political influencer and a private citizen, she's free to throw her weight behind anyone she wants. But I just have to say it: Newt Gingrich? Really? Now, I'm not in the camp of conservative elites who think she's seen her best days and should politely retire to obscurity. If anything, the premiere of "Game Change" on HBO on Saturday is proof that she's still...

If Americans listen to Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid, and once thing is clear--he is a man who is extraordinarily ignorant of basic economics, how jobs are created, and he abhors the free market. Reid has just reminded Americans just how little he knows (and baneful Reid has become) when, on Monday, Reid announced on the floor of the Senate that “Millionaire job creators are like unicorns,”, “They’re impossible to find, and they don’t exist.” How silly! How delusional! How dunderheaded! How absolutely wrong! Thousands upon thousands of jobs have been created by business owners across the United States and,...

At a town hall meeting at the Institute of Politics at New Hampshire’s Saint Anselm’s College Tuesday, Rick Perry asked that all of the college students in the crowd who will be 21 by Nov. 12 support his bid for the presidency. Say what? The voting age in the United States is, of course, 18. And the 2012 election will be held on Nov. 6, 2012. (The New Hampshire Republican primary, which brought Perry to the state, will take place on Jan. 10). “Those who are going to be over 21 on November 12th, I ask for your support,” Perry...

You have to wonder which hole in the sand Harry Reid has his head buried in.  Yesterday, in comments on the floor of the Senate, the Democrat Leader said the following: "While it's proper to guard against and remove onerous regulations, and we need to do that, my Republican friends have yet to produce a single shred of evidence that the regulations they hate so much do the broad economic harms they claim.  That's because there aren't any."Reid's denial is in large part his poor explanation for denying the Senate even one vote on any of the "Forgotten Fifteen" regulation...

BEGIN TRANSCRIPT RUSH: Obama, meanwhile, doesn't know where he is. When he's in Hawaii he thinks he's in Asia. When he's in Australia he doesn't know what time zone he's in. And now he says he's going to send -- get this -- up to 2,500 troops, US troops are going to be sent to Australia to counterbalance the ChiComs' growing power there in the region. That's gonna show the ChiComs we mean business, folks, 2,500 US troops. I'm telling you, this is a show of force unlike the United States has ever demonstrated before. We're not gonna be pushed...

Washington is broken and must be completely overhauled to get America working again. The tinkering technocrats think Washington can be fixed with a pair of tweezers. I, on the other hand, think it will require a president with the courage to take a sledgehammer to the three pillars of big government: overspending, overtaxation and overregulation. Upon taking the oath of office, I will take immediate executive action to begin dismantling the Washington establishment so we can rebuild the American economy from the foundation up. First, I will issue an executive order prohibiting the Department of Health and Human Services from...

Texas Gov. Rick Perry says America should extend work visas to allow illegal immigrants to move freely between the U.S. and their home countries _ but opposes a path to citizenship.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is in Afghanistan to encourage President Hamid Karzai to continue efforts to reconcile with the Taliban. Mr Karzai has expressed frustration at the process after the assassinations of several key Afghan leaders. US officials say Mrs Clinton also wants to convince Afghans that Washington is committed to a long-term relationship with their country. The US is planning to withdraw troops and hand over security to the Afghans. "She wants to signal US support for a secure and stable Afghanistan," a US official told journalists travelling with Mrs Clinton. Her visit to Afghanistan was not...

When I get ready to write this column, I have a little ritual. The first thing I do is play UFC Champion Dan Severn's theme when he was a pro wrestler with the WWF. (I'll call it whatever I want, treehuggers.) Next, I spend about 20 seconds spinning my dreidel on one of Ron Paul's books. Then I'll pace the floor for about 20-30 seconds. Finally, after I convince my wife Jenny not to Baker Act me, I say these these magic words before I begin writing: DO NOT WRITE ABOUT THINGS YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT. See folks, I don't...

Author of Durbin amendment doesnt like a bank reacting to the negative effect of his amendment. “Bank of America customers, vote with your feet, get the heck out of that bank,” Durbin said on the Senate floor.

Advocates for the unemployed have cheered a push by the Obama administration to ban discrimination against the jobless. But business groups and their allies are calling the effort unnecessary and counterproductive. The job creation bill that President Obama sent to Congress earlier this month includes a provision that would allow unsuccessful job applicants to sue if they think a company of 15 more employees denied them a job because they were unemployed. The provision would ban employment ads that explicitly declare the unemployed ineligible, with phrases like "Jobless need not apply." As The Lookout has reported, such ads appear to...

OK I had to turn off the tv. Listened to as much of Obama as I could stand at one time. He's stuck on stupid. He's proposing more "shovel ready" nonsense.

(VIDEO AT LINK) While addressing college students in Richmond, VA, President Obama was surprised to learn that schools use trailers, also called 'modular buildings' or 'modular classrooms.' During his visit Obama said he was approached by an educator who mentioned she teaches in a trailer. Obama did not mention that the teacher had a problem with her situation, but he made it clear this was unacceptable. "I just -- in the back, I was taking some photos with folks who had helped out to organize this event, and there was a young lady who is a teacher. And she said,...

Recent polling has shown huge gaps between the Political Class and Mainstream Americans on issues ranging from immigration to health care to the virtues of free markets. The gap is just as big when it comes to the traditional right direction/wrong track polling question. A Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 67% of Political Class voters believe the United States is generally heading in the right direction. However, things look a lot different to Mainstream Americans. Among these voters, 84% say the country has gotten off on the wrong track. Twenty-four percent (24%) of Mainstream voters consider fiscal policy...

FULL TITLE: George Stephanopoulos Scolds Companies Who Relocate Overseas Because of High Taxes: 'Unpatriotic' According to Good Morning America's George Stephanopoulos, companies that go overseas as a result of high taxes in America are "unpatriotic." The ABC host, who has repeatedly lobbied for higher taxes throughout his journalistic career, endorsed Warren Buffett's call for the rich to pay a higher percentage in taxes. Talking to Donald Trump, Stephanopoulos cajoled, "Warren Buffett made another splash, saying it's not right, he a billionaire, pays 17 percent in taxes when his secretaries and receptionists pay more. Isn't he right about that?"

This Democratic Web ad accuses GOP presidential candidates for "putting the ideology of the Tea Party first."

Rockwell City, IA -- Michele Bachmann just killed here deep in the corn country of Calhoun County (two-plus hours northwest of Des Moines). Standing ovation from 80 people after about a 35-minute chat Monday. Nary a word about social issues. No questions from the audience -- BUT a hand-over-the-camera snubbing of our own Shaky Hand Productions when we tried to question her...but more on that in a minute. No, this was a take-down of President Obama. As in "This man has no clue what the problem is." Plus more of what she'd do -- dismantle the EPA (except for "conservation"...

Late Friday afternoon, an employee of the Whole Foods Market in Toronto sent this epic resignation letter to the entire company. It's an alternatingly amusing, enlightening, and occasionally infuriating read — but a good read, nonetheless. ------------------------------------------------------- Dear Whole Foods Market, My experience at Whole Foods was like an increasingly sped up fall down a really long hill. That got rockier with every metre. And eventually, just really spiky ... With fire, acid and Nickleback music. I was hired about five or six years ago. I appreciated and respected what the company said it's philosophies were at that time. The...

<p>Bernanke said in prepared remarks that the economy is growing more slowly than expected, and should that continue the central bank stands at the ready with more accommodative measures.</p> <p>"However, given the range of uncertainties about the strength of the recovery and prospects for inflation over the medium term, the Federal Reserve remains prepared to respond should economic developments indicate that an adjustment in the stance of monetary policy would be appropriate."</p>

Meager 18,000 increase in June heightens worries over economyWASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — A disappointing U.S. jobs report has stunned Wall Street and triggered a fresh round of political recriminations as to who and what’s to blame. The economy added a meager 18,000 jobs in June, stoking worries the U.S. economy is slumping again. See story on June jobs data. Here is a sample of reaction on Wall Street and in Washington. • “Today’s report is more evidence that the misguided ‘stimulus’ spending binge, excessive regulations, and an overwhelming national debt continue to hold back private-sector job creation in our country.” —...

In his second post-FOMC press conference, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke touched on every topic, admitting that the recovery was weaker than expected and that beyond temporary factors like supply chain disruptions in Japan and high energy prices, he was at a loss as to what was causing the soft patch. In a Q&A session with reporters, Bernanke said a disorderly default in Greece would have significant effects on the U.S. economy, while adding that the Fed still had several tools at its disposal to pump up the economy. (Snip) Brutally honest, Bernanke admitted that he had no clue what was...

Modern day Democrats talk often about ‘progress’. If you listen to your Democratic Congressman or Senator or President talk, they’ll mention how they want to move society forward, advance the ball, create or grow jobs through government spending, or in some way improve humanity by using the power of the state to hammer the backward among us into the future. Liberal blogs support Democrats by arguing and mocking conservatives and Republicans as ‘backwards’ and falling behind an advancing liberal society.

US presidential candidate Herman Cain is trying to recover from an embarassing stumble over the question of the Palestinian Right of Return on Sunday. “Right of Return?,” Cain blankly asked twice in response to being questioned about his position on the vital issue on FOX News Sunday. The second or two of deafening silence that lasted before host Chris Wallace repeated “The Palestinian Right of Return” to the Republican hopeful seemed to last forever.

Former eBay CEO Meg Whitman, who made her first foray into politics with a bid for California governor last year, said that after losing that race, she’s probably out of politics for good. “I doubt it,” she said Wednesday on Fox Business Network when asked whether she’d run for elected office again. Some had speculated that Whitman, who lost to Democrat Jerry Brown by 13 points in November, might consider a run for Senate. Last month, she said she was “definitely not” plotting a 2012 Senate bid challenging Democrat Dianne Feinstein.

The current military intervention in Libya by the West has been marketed with the claim that its purpose, as French President Sarkozy put it, is “to protect the civilian population from the murderous madness of a regime that has forfeited all claim to legitimacy.” Behind this humanitarian idealism, however, lurk a host of questions and dangers, reflecting wishful thinking rather than a prudent foreign policy. First we should acknowledge that the intervention is an American show. The French and British, and perhaps a few Arab nations like Qatar, may provide some warplanes and a few missiles, but the bulk of...

"In my opinion, any future defense secretary who advises the President to again send a big American land army into Asia or into the Middle East or Africa should have his head examined, as General MacArthur so delicately put it."-Gates [Now does that send a message of comfort and emboldenment to dangerous hostile anti-American regimes?] [Also, Gates is no Douglas McArthur!]

President Obama recounts an anecdote about the 2004 Democratic National Convention at White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs' final press briefing:"The most challenging problem was what tie to wear. And this went up to the very last minute I mean, 10 minutes before we were about to go on stage we were still having an argument about ties. I had bought five, six ties. And Michelle didn't like any of them, Axelrod didn't like a couple of them -- him being one of the best dressed men in the world. So we really valued his opinion."And then somebody -- I...

The White House said Monday that the former ambassador President Obama sent to Cairo doesn’t speak for the administration, even after he carried a message from Obama to Hosni Mubarak. The envoy, Frank Wisner, said over the weekend that Mubarak’s “continued leadership is critical” in Egypt and that “it’s his opportunity to write his own legacy,” while the White House has suggested that Mubarak needs to leave power sooner rather than later. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters on Monday that Wisner “is not an employee of the government” and that he wasn’t speaking for the administration when...

The Washington A-List was out in force Saturday night at the farewell party for senior adviser David Axelrod, with a roster of guests featuring Cabinet secretaries, big shot journos and – President Obama. As revolution threatened to sweep Egypt and possibly other allies – with the horrifying prospect of Islamism replacing reliable friends – the president was on view partying with the IN crowd. The skepticism beyond the Beltway about whether Washington is just one big Love-In certainly gets fed by the sight – as conveyed by the press pool report – of reporters like ABC’s Jake Tapper, NBC’s Chuck...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nTPX4JW_Ts&feature=player_embedded

President Obama is expected to call for increased spending on R&D and infrastructure during Tuesday's State of the Union address, according to reports. The president is also expected to call for a decrease in corporate tax rates as part of his recent pro-business offensive that has already seen the appointments of executives William Daley and Jeffrey Immelt to senior advisory roles, and a promise to reduce onerous regulations. (See: Obama Shows His True Colors ... and They're (Still) PRO-Business) But talk is cheap and Peter Schiff, president of Euro Pacific Capital, says President Obama is "clueless" about what the economy...

This is a free country. If Sarah Palin wants to run for president in 2012, she is free to try. But she will not win the GOP nomination because Republican voters are not going to choose a middle-aged version of Britney Spears -- a figure whose most evident talent is to attract attention to herself -- to challenge Barack Obama. It's this simple: Republicans are too smart to nominate a candidate with a 50 percent unfavorable rating, according to the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll, before she has declared for office. Cue to Palin's latest video, in which she...

In this CBN video, as usual, Hillary Clinton gets it wrong,--Lance Lambert gets it right. A brief excerpt: " Rabbi Eliezer Waldman told CBN News that this dispute dates back to God's covenant with Israel." "It's not the settlements that are a stumbling block," Waldman explained. "It's the establishment of the settlement of a Jewish state in the Middle East that's a stumbling block in the eyes of the nations of the world." So as the world pushes Israel to give up its biblical heartland for peace, many Christians see a totally different result. "If you ask me what was...

Yesterday Comrade Obama and the Bitter Half treated the nation to this uplifting Kwanzaa greeting: "Michelle and I extend our warmest thoughts and wishes to all those who are celebrating Kwanzaa this holiday season. Today is the first of a joyful seven-day celebration of African-American culture and heritage. The seven principles of Kwanzaa — Unity, Self-Determination, Collective Work and Responsibility, Cooperative Economics, Purpose, Creativity and Faith — are some of the very values that make us Americans." Actually, these are the values that would make you not American, but Symbionese. They are the same concepts symbolized by the seven deadly...

Surely with so many terror plots developing around the world in recent days, it's understandable that someone might miss one, right? Well, for ordinary Americans, sure -- but you're held to a different standard if you're the head of U.S. intelligence. That's why U.S. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper is having a very bad day Wednesday. Clapper appeared to draw a blank when ABC's Diane Sawyer asked him about the arrests hours earlier of 12 men accused of plotting an al-Qaida-type attack in London. What, Me Worry? YOU BETCHA!

"Barbara Bush Should Shut Up," says Dan Riehl. Oh no. Not our Bar. Painful to acknowledge, but after a lifetime of embracing the former first lady's persona of outspoken authenticity, we have to admit she no longer speaks to us. See below for details. Above, GHWB and Barbara in a Larry King interview that will air Monday.

. . . Germany has pushed for a replacement of the programme, which expires in 2013, and increased economic coordination in the EU — a goal advanced last month when plans it put forward with France to make limited changes to the bloc's treaty and tighten budgetary rules gained approval. France and Germany should maintain their leadership role in Europe, Schaeuble said, especially in order to harmonise its economic policy and bolster stability given current economic uncertainties. These are being worsened by reckless policy in part from the the United States, Schaeuble said, sharpening his criticism of the Federal Reserve's...

Obama is speaking right now, and he is either clueless still or insane. The first question asked was not answered. When it was asked again, his reponse was, "that was the first questions; we will have others." WTF?He is either insane or lobotomized.Does he believe we will stop asking, or allow him to keep changing the subject? He is going on and on, filibustering the question-answer period to limit having to hear the HARD QUESTIONS HE REFUSES TO ANSWER.Thoughts?

Obama says he's a 'pretty good president' 50 mins ago SEATTLE, Washington (AFP) – Barack Obama's approval ratings might have slipped, but he gave himself an appreciative job appraisal Thursday, saying on the campaign trail that he was a "pretty good president." Obama gave the upbeat assessment of his own performance during a stem-winding speech to an overflow crowd at a rally for Washington state senator Patty Murray, part of a four-day mid-term election campaign swing. "I've been inspired by you. Wherever I go, traveling across this country, especially when I meet young people, I'm reminded of your energy, and...

Ed Gillespie tells National Review Online that President Obama’s demonization of political operatives reeks of desperation. “Can you imagine former president Bush talking about Bob Shrum?” he laughs. “It is just remarkable that he is so willing to diminish the office. It’s starting to look like the Oval Office is swallowing him up.” Robert Gibbs, the White House press secretary, singled out Gillespie, the longtime Republican strategist and former counselor to Pres. George W. Bush, by name on Wednesday. At an afternoon press briefing, Gibbs cited Gillespie, along with fellow former Bush adviser Karl Rove, as a Republican leader involved...

This collage of license plates came from a March gathering of Tesla Roadster owners...

General James Conway said troops in southern Afghanistan were likely to have to remain for a few years A senior US general has warned President Barack Obama's deadline to begin pulling troops out of Afghanistan is encouraging the Taliban. US General James Conway, head of the US Marine Corps, said the deadline was "giving our enemy sustenance". Gen Conway warned that US forces in southern Afghanistan will likely have to stay in place for several years. His comments are likely to fuel debate over US strategy in Afghanistan and Mr Obama's July 2011 withdrawal date. US administration officials say privately...

Barack Obama has compared the impact the oil spill disaster will have on the U.S. national psyche to 9/11. The president said the ongoing environmental disaster will 'shape how we think about the environment and energy for many years to come.' His comments, made in an interview with U.S. news website Politico, were today criticised by relatives of those killed on September 11, 2001. Mr Obama said: 'In the same way that our view of our vulnerabilities and our foreign policy was shaped profoundly by 9/11, I think this disaster is going to shape how we think about the environment...

Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, has been left red faced after mistakenly sending a birthday message to the Queen a week early. An official statement from the US foreign policy chief paid tribute to the "Queen’s life and legacy,” despite the fact that the Monarch does not celebrate her official birthday until next weekend. The diplomatic faux pas, sent on behalf of President Barack Obama and the American people on Friday, also celebrated the "special relationship" between the British and US governments.

America is watching the president alternate between wringing his hands in helplessness and pointing his finger in blame when he should be solving the most pressing environmental problem America has faced in the past 50 years. [...] And the truth begins to dawn on all of us: Obama has no more idea how to work his way out of the economic mess into which his policies have plunged us than he does about how to clean up the oil spill that is destroying our southern coastline.

Noah Schactman at Wired argues that the real national security choices that Barack Obama has made over his tenure have been largely misunderstood. They are not between competing models of security but are driven by somethng else. To make his point, Schactman cites a Reuters article quoting counterterrorism officials as saying that the closure of Guantanamo Bay has made it necessary to drone-kill more militants because “there’s nowhere to put them”.