Free Republic

A Dane County judge who issued a temporary injunction against Wisconsin's photo ID voting law last week, David Flanagan, drew a barrage of criticism for not disclosing he had signed a petition for a recall election of Gov. Scott Walker. The state Republican party filed a judicial ethics complaint against him over the controversy. One other Dane County judge had signed a recall petition. In Milwaukee County, it appears at least nine of 47 circuit judges signed: Bonnie Gordon, Charles Kahn, Mary Kuhnmuench, Dennis Cimpl, Jane Carroll, Jean DiMotto, Karen Christenson, Marshall Murray, and Michael Dwyer. The names came back...

Are George Soros, The IMF And The World Bank Purposely Trying To Scare The Living Daylights Out Of Us? Michael SnyderJanuary 25, 2012 Over the past couple of weeks, George Soros, the IMF and the World Bank have all issued incredibly chilling warnings about the possibility of an impending economic collapse. Considering the power and the influence that Soros, the IMF and the World Bank all have over the global financial system, this is very alarming. So are they purposely trying to scare the living daylights out of us? Soros is even warning of riots in the streets of America....

Meet Judy Faulkner. She is the founder and CEO of Epic Systems Corporation in Wisconsin. She is also a member of the GAO Health Information Technology Policy Committee and an advisory board member of the Journal of Healthcare Information Management. She is also politically active. In 2008, Faulkner gave at least $110,000 to political organizations and candidates, including $57,000 to the Democratic National Committee and $2,300 to then-Senator Barack Obama, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. After Obama’s election, Faulkner continued giving to the Democrats, giving at least $85,000 through the 2010 midterm election. In 2010, Faulkner gave $60,000...

US ambassador in Belgium provides controversial explanation for Muslim anti-Semitism BRUSSELS – Growing global anti-Semitism is linked to Israel’s policy towards the Palestinians, the American ambassador to Belgium told stunned Jewish conference attendants in Brussels earlier this week. Speaking Wednesday at a Jewish conference on anti-Semitism organized by the European Jewish Union (EJU,) Howard Gutman told participants he was apologizing in advance if his words are not to their liking. He then proceeded to make controversial statements about his views on Muslim anti-Semitism, Yedioth Ahronoth reported Friday.

Contrary to the expectations of most pundits, the election of Barack Obama has aggravated the racial divide in America between blacks and all other racial groups.

Contrary to the expectations of most pundits, the election of Barack Obama has aggravated the racial divide in America between blacks and all other racial groups.

I recently took two trips to China just as the government launched its 12th Five-Year Plan to rebalance the country's long-term growth model. My visits deepened my view that there is a potentially destabilizing contradiction between China's short- and medium-term economic performance. China's economy is overheating now, but, over time, its current overinvestment will prove deflationary both domestically and globally. Once increasing fixed investment becomes impossible—most likely after 2013—China is poised for a sharp slowdown. Instead of focusing on securing a soft landing today, Chinese policymakers should be worrying about the brick wall that economic growth may hit in the...

WASHINGTON -President Barack Obama says the United States intends to formally recognize Southern Sudan as a sovereign, independent state in July. Obama made the announcement Monday in a statement congratulating the people of Southern Sudan for "a successful and inspiring" referendum. Election officials said Monday that more than 98 percent of ballots in the Jan. 9 vote were for independence. That means South Sudan will become the world's newest country in July. Obama said that after decades of conflict the image of millions of southern Sudanese voters deciding their own future was an inspiration to the world. He also said...

China is preparing for conflict 'in every direction', the defence minister said on Wednesday in remarks that threaten to overshadow a visit to Beijing by his US counterpart next month. "In the coming five years, our military will push forward preparations for military conflict in every strategic direction," said Liang Guanglie in an interview published by several state-backed newspapers in China. "We may be living in peaceful times, but we can never forget war, never send the horses south or put the bayonets and guns away," Mr Liang added. China repeatedly says it is planning a "peaceful rise" but the...

Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie, may be involved in a serious, but so far unreported conflict of interest. One of Ritchie's responsibilities is to supervise the re-count of very closely contested state elections. With the power to decide which ballots may be counted as valid, Ritchie effectively has the power to decide the outcome of closely fought races. This drew national attention in early 2009, when Ritchie handed a critical U.S. Senate seat to Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (the Minnesota affiliate of the Democratic Party) candidate and former comedian Al Franken, though Republican Norm Coleman had been ahead on election night....

BEIJING — Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates met his Chinese counterpart, Liang Guanglie, in Vietnam on Monday for the first time since the two militaries suspended talks with each other last winter, calling for the two countries to prevent “mistrust, miscalculations and mistakes.”

Conflict Escalates As China Arrests Four Japanese Caught In Military Zone Gus Lubin Sep. 23, 2010, 9:40 PM The small but rapidly escalating conflict between China and Japan just hit a new high, as four Japanese were caught trespassing in a Chinese military zone and videotaping military targets. State authorities in northern China's Shijiazhuang announced the arrest late Thursday night, saying only "The case is being investigated," according to Xinhua. The arrest follows another incident Thursday afternoon when a group of Hong Kong activists were intercepted by marine police while heading for contested water, according to The Standard. Japan may...

''I've got your back." That's what U.S. District Judge Richard Roberts said to his decades-long friend, Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr., in introducing the AG at an April 22 speech at Vassar College. At that time, Judge Roberts was ignoring several legal deadlines to the benefit of Mr. Holder's administration on numerous motions and countermotions in a key lawsuit for which Mr. Holder's underlings effectively were acting as defense attorneys. Pressed by a higher court to justify his delays, Judge Roberts two months later ruled completely in the administration's favor - tossing out the suit, without trial, of Gerald...

After centuries of war and strife, in an unprecedented show of good faith, Israel laid down their arms. The move marked the end of a bitter era and the start of a new peaceful Middle East. As Israel disarmed their last bombers and guns, celebration ignited throughout the country. In a sign of good will the surrounding countries Iran, Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt and Syria launched a myriad of fireworks in an explosive celebration. The crackling of Black Cats and the bright burst of bottle rockets could be seen across all 8000 square miles of Israel. Shrill screaming cheers could...

New Delhi: The Pentagon has recently reported that China has moved lethal medium-range Ballistic Missiles closer to the Indian border. The potential Chinese military threat has been anticipated by India, which has now deployed a couple of strategic missile units in the East. These units under the Strategic Forces Command that control India's nuclear arsenal have been moved under the Eastern Command recently. The Indian Air Force, which first deployed its best fighter jets, the Sukhois, in Tezpur in Assam last year, has increased the number of planes in the area. The Air Force has also stepped up the pace...

Is US ready to recognize China as world power? 15:24, July 29, 2010 The U.S. government has repeatedly made it clear that it would welcome China’s entrance into the world arena as a power. However, a series of issues since the beginning of this year, particularly Washington's stance on the U.S.-South Korean joint military exercises and the South China Sea issue, have made the world think: Is the United States ready to recognize China as a power on the world stage? It is easier said than done for the United States to adapt itself to China's development. Lip service is...

I short, in 100 Words... Israel [the multi-racial, equal democracy], its Jewish returnees to their historic homeland, face genocide campaign [at times "just" ethnic cleansing] by Arab-Muslims since the 1920's. Whether by Arab immigrants, their children - called "Palestinians," or by [apartheid, Judenrein] Arab/Muslim forces [exploiters of Arab-Palestinians] for power, sheer anti-Jewish hatred [exemplified through dehumanization/incitement], or as part of an overall Jihad towards world domination. Motivation: Islamic bigotry, Jihad, Arab racism. The aggressors (Palestinians/Hezbollah) self-made "victims" falsify information/images, define lost battles, casualties resulting from Islamists' use of civilians (to make humane Israel look bad), as "massacres."

Five soldiers have been killed in a roadside bomb in Thailand's southern province of Narathiwat, the scene of a long-running insurgency. The paramilitary troops were on a night patrol when their vehicle drove over the explosive device. Insurgents then opened fire on the men and seized their weapons.

/begin my summary N. Korea Deploys Mortars and Multiple Rocket Launchers at Sino-NK border 122mm multiple rocket launcher, the same type N. Korea deployed at the border area. N. Korea deployed 82mm mortars to border guard units. Each border guard company now has a fire support platoon equipped with 82mm mortars. Each platoon has at least 4 mortars. The process started in February and is now complete. Border guard units used to be armed only with light weapons such as rifles because their main mission is to deter people from illegal entry to or escape from N. Korea. Border guard...

(Reuters) - Arab states should prepare for the possibility that the Palestinian-Israeli peace process may be a total failure and come up with alternatives, Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa said on Saturday. The troubled peace process suffered a setback this month when the Palestinians said indirect talks with the Israelis would not take place unless Israel canceled a decision to build 1,600 new homes in a settlement near east Jerusalem. Further underscoring the obstacles to reviving negotiations, two Israeli soldiers and a Palestinian were killed in a clash in the Gaza strip on Friday, the bloodiest fighting in the enclave...

Recently I had Cody Willard of the Fox Business Network on my program and we discussed the incredible expansion of the federal government for several years and the fact that the end is no where in sight. Willard attributes the problem to the "Republican" and "Democrat" financial machine that pays for an ever expansive government. In addition of leading to questionable priorities, expansive government can also lead to some very serious questions about conflict of interest. He points to the recent recall of automobiles on the behalf of several automobile companies.

The US wants to open Cold War-style arms reduction talks with China to prevent future military confrontations, Robert Gates, the US defence secretary, said in New Delhi on Wednesday. His comments appeared to confirm Washington's acceptance of China as a military superpower amid growing regional concerns over its build-up in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. China is currently undergoing a major overhaul of its armed forces. Beijing's increasing number of nuclear submarine deployments have caused alarm in India, which regards China as its main regional rival. China has further antagonised India by increasing military co-operation with India's rival Pakistan, which...

Pakistan Collapse Could Trigger Global Great Depression and World War III Politics / Pakistan Jan 16, 2010 - 08:47 PM By: Nadeem Walayat During 2009 the 2600 terrorist attacks resulted in the number of deaths soaring to more than 12,000 casualties in Pakistan, compared to the number killed in Iraq falling to 2,800 from the 2008 total of 5,900. The U.S. War in Afghanistan pushed the Taliban and Al-Qeeda over the border into Pakistan that has sparked an escalating insurgency and Pakistan's own U.S. backed un-popular "War on Terror" which is going just as badly as that in Afghanistan, only...

Egypt's president basically acknowledged that to Peres. "A Jew cannot even build a bathroom in Jerusalem without International condemnation"-Dov Hikind, NY Assemblyman Israel's president Shimon Peres was in Cairo, Egypt for talks with Hosni Mubarak. The Egyptian president, who has been Egypt's head of state for at least a quarter of a century, warned that Israel would anger all Muslims if it did not resolve what was refered to as Jerusalem's "disputed status". But the real kicker came when Mubarak emphasized that the future of Jerusalem is "an issue for the entire Islamic world". Did you get that? "...an issue...

Catholicism was comfort, conflict for Kennedy His stance on abortion and divorce from wife Joan defied church teachings BOSTON - Sen. Edward Kennedy was raised from birth to cherish his Catholicism, and it became both a source of comfort and conflict throughout his life. The son of the country's most famous Catholic family defied church teachings when he divorced his first wife, then was granted an annulment only after he admitted he wasn't being honest when he promised her he'd be faithful. His most significant and public break with the church came with his support for abortion rights. Yet Kennedy...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The top U.S. military officer on Sunday described the situation in Afghanistan as deteriorating but said the new commander on the ground had not yet requested additional troops. "I think it is serious and it is deteriorating, and I've said that over the past couple of years, that the Taliban insurgency has gotten better, more sophisticated, in their tactics," said Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff

A map produced by the BBC suggests only 38% of Pakistan's North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and surrounding areas is under full government control. The map, compiled by the BBC's Urdu language service, was based on local research and correspondent reports as well as conversations with officials. It shows the Taleban strengthening their hold across the north-west. Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari rejected the findings, telling the BBC it was an "incorrect survey". He was speaking after talks in London with UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who pledged £12m ($18m) in humanitarian aid for north-west Pakistan. Mr Zardari said the...

Fighting terrorism: "how democracies can defeat..." [Book by Binyamin Netanyahu - 1997 - Political Science - 180 pages] Page 85 The first, the Pan-Arab nationalism of Egypt's Nasser and the Baath party in Syria and Iraq, was consciously modeled after the Pan-German nationalism which had succeeded in unifying the fragmented German people in the nineteenth century and had resurrected a defeated Germany between the two world wars.Pan-Arabism actively supported Hitler's "achievements" in Europe and collaborated with him against the British in the Middle East during the war. An ideology tailor-made for Arab military men, it dreamed of the creation of...

The owner of the website Orly Taitz was using explains why the good doctor is no longer there. I gather there were communication problems of some sort. The owner says you'll have to ask Orly herself about the Paypal contributions.

Given the choice between two models, I ask which is the more ethical. On the one hand, you have a policy that does not preclude the input of any person, regardless of their economic condition and previous employment history. In this model, a lobbyist is likely to get a job in the White House because of the expertise that he or she may have in a specific area. On the other hand, you have a stated policy that makes an announcement to the world that the conflict of interest inherent in some people's economic condition is too great to allow...

No Arab land is occupied by Israel Thursday, 8th January, 2009 By Ben Okiror THE current fighting in the Gaza Strip needs clarification for people to understand its genesis. I accept that the situation is complex, and that might explain why even the US President-elect, Barack Obama has so far opted to remain silent since the war broke out. However, I would like to bring out what seems to have been ignored and yet it is important for a balanced analysis of the conflict. Whereas on the surface it is the terrorist group, Hamas, fighting the only Jewish nation, Israel,...

Mideast Narratives Have Changed Over Time News Analysis By David Bedein & Shmuel Sokol, For The Bulletin Published: Tuesday, February 17, 2009 Jerusalem — During the course of the 20th century, and especially in the years since the 1967 Six Day War, there has been a dramatic change in the academic and popular historiography of the Middle East. The traditional narratives have been supplanted by new and fundamentally different and revisionist ways of looking at the region and its conflicts. A case in point: In 1977, PLO executive committee member Zahir Muhsein told the Dutch newspaper Trouw that “The Palestinian...

The latest chapter in the conflict between the governments of Israel and Palestine is generating loads of media ink – and huge, whopping lies. Here’s a roundup of the top myths related to this war: 1) Israel launched a preemptive war. Congressman and former GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul, suggested to Press TV – the official propaganda arm of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad – that Israel’s actions were “preemptive”. His logic: Israel has nukes and Hamas doesn’t, so it’s unfair. Look, a war isn’t automatically “preemptive” just because one party was dumb enough to pick a fight it can’t win....

PARIS – Government officials and Jewish leaders are concerned the conflict in Gaza may spill over into violence in Europe, with attacks reported against Jews and synagogues in France, Sweden and Britain. Assailants rammed a burning car into the gates of a synagogue in Toulouse, in southwest France, Monday night. A Jewish congregation in Helsingborg, in southern Sweden, was attacked Monday night by someone who "broke a window and threw in something that was burning," said police spokesman Leif Nilsson. And on Sunday slogans, including "murderers ... You broke the cease-fire," were daubed on Israel's Embassy in Stockholm.

As the Israeli offensive against Hamas heats up, new fronts in the war are opening up. Tonight, reported attacks against pro-Israeli websites are being stepped up. A number of pro-Israeli websites have reported online attacks.

The Sacramento County District Attorney's Office and California attorney general are investigating whether members of the Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board broke conflict-of-interest laws in 2005 when they voted to offer their own chairwoman a job in San Diego. During a closed session on Halloween three years ago, the appeals board offered Cynthia K. Thornton a six-figure job as an unemployment insurance appeals administrative law judge, board minutes show. Three members of that board, including former Democratic Assemblywoman Virginia Strom-Martin, voted to give Thornton the judgeship in San Diego, where she now earns $109,000 hearing claims from workers who say they...

The Gospel According to St. Levan by: Jesse Masai, October 09, 2008 A new gospel is in town. The gospel, according to Saint Levan Gachechiladze, is that Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili is responsible for the country’s recent woes. At an on-the-record meeting at the Hudson Institute on September 30, the opposition leader accused Saakashvili of provoking Russia into invading Georgia by using “undiplomatic rhetoric.” “Saakashvili is responsible for the war we have had with Russia. He miscalculated the situation, and then proceeded to manipulate the West,” he said, adding that an unstable Georgia could be vulnerable to Russian domination and...

Dear Fellow American: The mainstream (liberal) media’s smear campaign against Governor Sarah Palin has been one of the ugliest chapters in the history of modern witch hunts. Well, it has just become uglier—just when you probably thought that was impossible. It turns out that the “moderator” of the Thursday, October 2 vice presidential debate—PBS anchor Gwen Ifill—has a clear conflict of interest. Ms. Ifill is the author of a forthcoming book celebrating the politics and career of Senator Barack Obama. Her book is titled The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama, and is scheduled to be published...

Two weeks ago, the nation’s most powerful regulators and bankers huddled in the Lower Manhattan fortress that is the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, desperately trying to stave off disaster. As the group, led by Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr., pondered the collapse of one of America’s oldest investment banks, Lehman Brothers, a more dangerous threat emerged: American International Group, the world’s largest insurer, was teetering. A.I.G. needed billions of dollars to right itself and had suddenly begged for help. The only Wall Street chief executive participating in the meeting was Lloyd C. Blankfein of Goldman Sachs, Mr....

So Far, It Just Isn't Looking Like Asia's Century By Joshua Kurlantzick Sunday, September 7, 2008; Page B03 So much for the Asian century. The Thais are bickering with themselves, and when they're done doing that, they'll bicker with the Cambodians -- again. China may be Japan's biggest trading partner, but they hate each other anyway. Malaysia and Indonesia? Two countries divided by the same language. I've spent a lot of time in Asia over the past decade, as an expat and a traveler. From where I stand, the place is a geopolitical mess. Hogtied by nationalism and narrow self-interest,...

· Solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, says mainstream public opinion, and the rest will follow. But the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is only one of many afflicting the Middle East, and it is by no means the dominant one. · The Palestinian leadership continues to evade accountability. Today the watchword is "weakness." The image of political impotence has become a precious asset in the Palestinian strategy. The problem is not Abbas' actual capabilities. The problem is his unwillingness and lack of determination to create and govern a viable and accountable state. · Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and others have called for...

Georgia crisis helps McCain for now Christian Science Monitor, MA Since last Friday, when Russia invaded its Caucasian neighbor, Senator McCain has spoken to his old friend "Misha" Saakashvili several times, ...

"It looks very strongly like the war is escalating both in the region of South Ossetia and now also in Abkhazia," Finnish Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb, who chairs the group, told reporters in Helsinki on Saturday.

An armed conflict in the Arctic area is not far away unless USA leads the way toward a multilateral diplomatic solution. Washington has forfeited its ability to assert sovereignty in the Arctic by allowing its icebreaker fleet to atrophy, says former U. S. Coast Guard officer Thanks to global warming, the Arctic icecap is rapidly melting, opening up access to massive natural resources and creating shipping shortcuts that could save billions of dollars a year. But there are currently no clear rules governing this economically and strategically vital region. Unless Washington leads the way toward a multilateral diplomatic solution, the...

Thugs vs. Peacekeepers or Fighters vs. oppressors; Mob vs. Protectors or Martyrs vs. killers? Before I could judge, please allow me to present some recounts of the Tibet unrest from the commons there. (As most western media had sided with Tibetans, I basically pick quotes from common Hans for balance.) http://www.globalvoicesonline.org/2008/03/21/china-commons-in-violence-and-conflict/

· Merrill says gap between rich and poor will worsen · Governments must curb rising prices, insists bank Riots, protests and political unrest could multiply in the developing world as soaring inflation widens the gap between the "haves" and the "have nots", an investment bank predicted yesterday. Economists at Merrill Lynch view inflation as an "accident waiting to happen". As prices for food and commodities surge, the bank expects global inflation to rise from 3.5% to 4.9% this year. In emerging markets, the average rate is to be 7.3%. The cost of food and fuel has already been cited as...

John McCain's campaign asked a prominent Republican consultant, Craig Shirley, to leave his official campaign role Thursday after a Politico inquiry about Shirley's dual role consulting for the campaign and for an independent "527" group opposing the Democratic presidential candidates. The campaign also released a new conflict of interest policy barring such arrangements. Shirley, a conservative public relations veteran, doubled as a consultant to McCain and to the group Stop Her Now, a 527 group barred from coordinating its activities with presidential campaigns. He is not currently on the McCain campaign’s payroll, but would also step down from his role...

ISG moves from consensus to conflictBy DANIEL LIBIT 4/22/08 4:32 AM EST In December 2006, in an effort to build a national consensus on a “new way forward in Iraq,” the Iraq Study Group painted itself as a portrait of bipartisan chumminess, with all political hackery checked at the door. Sixteen months later, seven of the 10 ISG members are backing presidential candidates with radically different views about how to proceed in Iraq. Republicans James Baker, Lawrence Eagleburger and Ed Meese are supporting Sen. John McCain, who argues that the United States should be sending more troops to Iraq. Democrats...

ISLAMIC leaders from around the globe are at a two day summit in Dakar, struggling to counter wars in their midst and feeling unloved and unfairly treated by the West. US-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, never ending conflict between Israelis and Palestinians and strife in Sudan's Darfur region weigh heavily on the 57-member Organisation of the Islamic Conference as its leaders gather in the Senegalese capital. OIC Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu told foreign ministers at a pre-summit meeting that the leaders of the 1.3 billion Muslims must work on the "pressing issues confronting" them such as the death and...

Mother-daughter Conflict, Low Serotonin Level May Be Deadly Combination ScienceDaily (Mar. 7, 2008) — A combination of negative mother-daughter relationships and low blood levels of serotonin, an important brain chemical for mood stability, may be lethal for adolescent girls, leaving them vulnerable to engage in self-harming behaviors such as cutting themselves. New University of Washington research indicates that these two factors in combination account for 64 percent of the difference among adolescents, primarily girls, who engage in self-harming behaviors and those who do not. "Girls who engage in self harm are at high risk for attempting suicide, and some of...