Free Republic

What next? The folks in charge of franking congressional mail refuse to allow our elected representatives to wish us a merry Christmas. Lest you vainly hope, as I did at first, that this is a noble attempt to demonstrate fiscal restraint, let me disabuse you of that idea. At first glance, the rules appear merely to ban holiday greetings when those greetings are “the primary purpose of the communication.� That makes sense. I don’t want my Congressman to use my tax dollars to send out his family’s Christmas letter. But, as it turns out, not even incidental use of the...

Last week, Attorney General Eric Holder tried to stall the momentum building behind the Fast and Furious investigation by submitting a letter to Senate and Congressional investigators in which he continued to plead ignorance, and in which he did his best to undercut the progress of the investigation to this point. In the letter, Holder actually had the gall to re-affirm his feigned ignorance of Fast and Furious: “[I have] no recollection of knowing about Fast and Furious or of hearing its name prior to the public controversy about it.”

Change font size: A | A Noel Sheppard's picture A number of Democratic members of Congress came out Wednesday throwing their support behind the protest known as Occupy Wall Street. Fox News's Neil Cavuto interviewed one of them on Your World marvelously asking Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Oh.), "So why didn’t you celebrate when Tea Partiers were running around the country and protesting all the spending and protesting the budget and the debt getting out of control? I don’t remember you glomming on to that one" (video follows with transcript and commentary):

On Saturday morning, Illinois Democrat Congressman Mike Quigely made a surprise appearance at the American Islamic College Conference in Chicago. The unaccredited college is the first of its kind in the United States. Quigley gave remarks to the primarily muslim audience. He rambled on about the typical racism and discrimination that the liberal left is so convinced America is rampantly infected with. As you can see in the video below, he proceeded in his congressional capacity to apologize on behalf of the country for discrimination against muslims’ faith.

A Southwest flight carrying 115 passengers from Albuquerque, New Mexico, to BWI Airport was diverted to Nashville International Airport due to a passenger's "suspicious behavior," an airline spokesman said.

A Republican member of the House Tea Party Caucus on Wednesday countered recent inflammatory remarks by members of the Congressional Black Caucus against the Tea Party. "I'm a TEA Party caucus member and have spoken at two tea party rallies. I am also NOT a racist. Maxine & Andre - get a grip," Rep. Dennis Ross (R-Fla.) tweeted. Rep. Andre Carson (D-Ind.) and Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) both directed harsh remarks at the Tea Party movement last week. Carson accused the Tea Party members in Congress of wanting to see blacks "hanging from a tree." Waters said at an event...

(CNSNews.com) – Congressman Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) has claimed that "Tea Partiers" have enacted a "plan to dismantle the American government" and in the process, the country has lost its "moral compass." "These ‘Tea Partiers,’ as willing conspirators with their so-called leadership have enacted on a plan to dismantle the American government and in the process, we have lost our moral compass," said Johnson when speaking with the Congressional Out of Poverty Caucus last week.

President Barack Obama alienated 37,00 twitter followers last night with scores of tweets urging followers to contact their local Congressman over the debt deal. With his approval rating sitting at an all-time low of 40 per cent amidst the debt crisis, tens of thousands of Americans unfollwed the President to avoid the deulge. The president’s staff sent a total of 118 tweets asking his followers to write their Republican lawmakers to demand a compromise on debt legislation. The first tweet read: 'The time for putting party first is over. If you want to see a bipartisan #compromise, let Congress know....

U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan's open defiance of Speaker John Boehner's efforts to solve the debt-ceiling crisis could cost the Urbana Republican his safe seat in next year's election. Two Republican sources deeply involved in configuring new Ohio congressional districts confirmed to The Dispatch today that Jordan's disloyalty to Boehner has put him in jeopardy of being zeroed out of a district.

Top House Democrats, including Nancy Pelosi, are again calling for the Ethics Committee to investigate one of their own following allegations of sexual misconduct by Oregon Rep. David Wu. "With deep disappointment and sadness about this situation, I hope that the Ethics Committee will take up this matter," Pelosi, the minority leader, said in a statement to reporters late Sunday. The Oregonian reported last week that the young daughter of a longtime Wu campaign donor called the congressman's office this spring accusing him of "an unwanted sexual encounter." The newspaper said that Wu acknowledged the incident, which occurred over Thanksgiving...

Perhaps Chris Matthews hasn’t had a showdown quite this good since his contentious 2004 Republican Convention interview with then Sen. Zell Miller. During that exchange, the Georgia Democrat challenged the MSNBC “Hardball” host to a duel. But on his Tuesday program, Illinois Republican Freshman Rep. Joe Walsh went head-to-head with Matthews about the debt-ceiling debate. That prompted several interesting exchanges between Walsh and Matthews, including one referencing his 2008 comment that President Barack Obama gave him a “thrill” up his leg: WALSH: Hey, Chris, what’s the president’s plan? Hey Chris, explain… MATTHEWS: That’s not the point. I pointed out that...

Congressman Tom McClintock, House Floor remarks in support of an amendment to the Department of Defense Appropriations Act to deny authorization for the use of funds for the war in Libya. Speech in Support of the Amash/ Kucinich Amendment to HR 2219 Congressman Tom McClintock Mr. Chairman: For more than three months, our nation has been amidst a quiet constitutional crisis that carries immense implications. The Gentleman from Florida is sadly mistaken to dismiss this as a meaningless philosophical discussion. This issue strikes at the very heart of our Constitutional form of government. On March 19th, completely without Congressional authorization,...

PLEASE COPY AND PASTE BELOW AND E-MAIL OR FAX Speaker Boehner http://www.speaker.gov/contact/ FAX- 202-225-5117 Email:speakerboehner@mail.house.gov __________________________________________________________ Speaker Boehner, This is a plea for you to exercise your responsibility to control our rogue Administration and it’s arbitrary decision to use U.S. planes and arms against Khadaffi in Libya. The sixty days for Congressional approval have ended. The implications here are monumental and disastrous for our democratic republic. Our president, who is showing clear signs of becoming a traitor, has used his own simple judgement to turn the might of our military against another country, Obama’s enemy du jour. He does not...

House members side with Netanyahu House lawmakers from both parties are siding with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over President Obama in their differing approaches to the Israel-Palestine border dispute. Obama last week called for Israel's 1967 borders to mark the "foundation" for renewing stalled peace talks between the two sides – a concession to Palestine that Netanyahu has bluntly rejected, including in remarks to a joint meeting of Congress Tuesday. "The vast majority of the 650,000 Israelis who live beyond the 1967 lines reside in neighborhoods and suburbs of Jerusalem and greater Tel Aviv," Netanyahu told lawmakers in his...

Authorities intercepted a parcel this morning addressed to Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) containing a bloody pig's foot and a derogatory message, a source has confirmed to CBS News. The parcel was intercepted at the Congressional mail facility in Landover, Maryland, where mail sent to lawmakers is screened for security risks. The U.S. Capitol Police and U.S. Postal Service confirmed that there is an open investigation, though would not confirm the details of what was contained in the parcel because the investigation is ongoing. King's office, which did not see the parcel, referred all questions to the Capitol Police. According to...

Washington (CNSNews.com) – An illegal alien apprehended by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency during the last fiscal year had an estimated 84 percent chance of never being prosecuted, according to figures compiled by the office of Rep. John Culberson (R-Texas). Culberson submitted the figures for the record during a hearing Wednesday of the House Appropriations subcommittee on homeland security. Of 447,731 illegal aliens apprehended by the U.S. Border Patrol during fiscal year 2010 (which ended last September), only 73,263 (16.4 percent) were prosecuted, according to the submitted data. That means that 374,468 illegal aliens that were taken into...

King clashes with Muslim congressmanBy TOM BRUNE Originally published: January 5, 2011 7:59 AM **SNIP** Critics charge he's vilifying all Muslims and potentially creating an anti-Islamic witch hunt. King rejects the charges, saying too many Muslim leaders fail to cooperate with authorities on homegrown terrorism. Tuesday, King took on one critic - Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), a convert to Islam - and disputed his version of a talk the two had last month. On MSNBC on Dec. 20, Ellison said he approached King on the House floor to talk about the Muslim radicalization hearing because it might isolate Muslims in...

US Rep. Conyers reimburses for son's vehicle useUS Rep. Conyers reimburses $5,682 for son's unofficial use of government Escalade in Detroit On Thursday December 23, 2010, 12:54 pm EST DETROIT (AP) -- Taxpayers have been repaid for the time Detroit Congressman John Conyers' son spent using a government vehicle. The U.S. Treasury Department was reimbursed $5,682, the House Judiciary chair said in a statement Wednesday. Conyers said the amount was based on the daily use of the Cadillac Escalade by his 20-year-old son, John Conyers III, over the Thanksgiving holiday. He announced that his son used the sport utility vehicle...

Pro-Life Congressman John Boehner Elected New House Speaker Washington, DC -- Congressman John Boehner, a pro-life advocate who led the fight against the abortion-funding ObamaCare legislation in the House was unanimously elected today by his Republican colleagues to become the next Speaker. http://LifeNews.com/nat-6864

Ohio Democrat Congressman Charlie Wilson was first elected to Congress in the Democrat wave year of 2006. Prior to that, he had been a long-time member of the Ohio state legislature, first elected to the Ohio House in 1996 and the Ohio Senate in 2004. (One of his four grown sons succeeded him in the legislature and is currently an Ohio State Senator.) He was also married for 27 years to his wife, Clara. The marriage ended in divorce in 1990. BigGovernment has obtained a trial brief filed by Mrs. Clara Wilson prior to the formal divorce proceedings. The brief...

Congressman Paul Ryan Latest to Call For Truce on Pro-Life, Social Issues Washington, DC -- Congressman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin became the latest potential presidential candidate and Republican with a national profile to call for a "truce" on social issues. He joins Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels and Mississippi Gov. Hailey Barbour, who called for Republicans to back down on pro-life issues. http://LifeNews.com/nat6697.html

Most Republicans are probably thrilled that their party is in striking distance of regaining its majority in the U.S. House this fall. Yet for Anh "Joseph" Cao, the unlikely first-term GOP congressman from the overwhelmingly Democratic 2nd District, the battle for control could make his already uphill re-election run still more steep. (snip) On a personal level, Cao said, "I love the president, and I believe he truly likes me." Cao said he's visited the White House about 10 times -- not counting the Superbowl party that he missed...

Here is another great joke (I sort of use the word loosely here...you'll see why) that was sent to me via email thats too good to not share: One day a florist went to a barber for a haircut. After the cut, he asked about his bill, and the barber replied,'I cannot accept money from you. I'm doing community service this week.' The florist was pleased and left the shop. When the barber went to open his shop the next morning, there was a thank you card and a dozen roses waiting for him at his door. Later, a...

Via the DSA: WHO ARE THE SOCIALIST IN ELECTED OFFICE TODAY: Q: How many members of the U.S. Congress are also members of the DSA? A: Seventy Q: How many of the DSA members sit on the Judiciary Committee? A: Eleven: John Conyers [Chairman of the Judiciary Committee], Tammy Baldwin, Jerrold Nadler, Luis Gutierrez, Melvin Watt, Maxine Waters, Hank Johnson, Steve Cohen, Barbara Lee, Robert Wexler, Linda Sanchez [there are 23 Democrats on the Judiciary Committee of which eleven, almost half, are now members of the DSA]. Q: Who are these members of 111th Congress? A: See the listing below...

I think we missed the story from mid-July about Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' mind-boggling effort to lobby Gen. Petraeus to reduce the military's carbon footprint in Afghanistan. During a hearing on the war (yes, this is war we're talking about) the Arizona Democrat stated that the U.S. Air Force is "the largest user of energy on the planet" (even larger than Al Gore?). She then asked Petraeus whether he plans to use "small-scale solar and hydropower systems and also some solar-powered street lights" at our bases in Afghanistan. The General appeared to have a hard time believing what he had heard,...

The story of the Obama Justice Department’s questionable handling of the New Black Panther voter intimidation case of 2008 keeps gaining momentum and has taken a new turn today. As congress is in recess, town hall meetings are taking place in districts all over America. Not unlike last year’s environment with frustrated and concerned constituents wanting answers about the pending ObamaCare legislation, this summer’s town halls include citizens asking their representatives about the curious actions of Eric Holder and his team at Justice. Witness the latest home video featured at Breitbart.tv: Notice how the room erupts with anger and disbelief...

Ever heard that old adage "Don't mess with the goat, you'll get the horn"? Neither had we, but maybe it's time for it to start going viral, after Rep. Anthony Weiner's bracing encounter with a pair of farmyard animals Thursday on Capitol Hill. The New York Democrat, known for his flair for theatrics, showed up Thursday morning on the Hill with a pair of mohair goats, Lancelot and Arthur. It was all about one of Weiner's, um, pet projects: his effort to repeal a nearly 60-year-old federal subsidy for mohair. According to Weiner's office, the subsidy hit the books back...

A California Republican congressman on Friday would not apologize for a comment about immigrants he made in April in the context of Arizona's controversial new immigration law. The law requires that state law enforcement officials ask for identification from people they suspect are in the country illegally if they are stopped for other reasons. Critics say that could lead to racial profiling of Latinos. Rep. Brian Bilbray -- a supporter of the law -- was asked on MSNBC in late April how officers could identify illegal immigrants without using ethnic characteristics. "They will look at the kind of dress they...

While he looks forward to the bill's largest aspects starting up in 2014, not everything he wanted made it into the bill. Congressman Walz says, "I said there were a few lines in the sand needed in order for me to support it. It had to have pay-for-value..." Pay for value refers to geographic disparities in Medicare payments; for example, hospitals in Minnesota will receive significantly less for doing a procedure than a hospital in New York for doing the exact same thing. That goal, however, is notably absent from the new law. In its place are 800 million dollars...

As a gesture to all of the traitors that screwed over the United States of America last night, I propose the following: Place a piece of bread in your toaster. "Cook" it until it is charred black. Place charred toast in a suitable envelope. Mail said envelope to your representative in DC. They'll get the message.....

Folks, despite all the rhetoric about reconciliation, the real fight is to get the House to pass the Senate bill, word for word, exactly like it came from the Senate. Until then, there can be no "reconcilliation" vote in the Senate, and furthermore, only the Senate bill, word for word, can be voted on. All the rhetoric about changes to the bill, slimmed down bill, incorporation of Republican ideas is simply nonsense. Both Senator Jim DeMint and Senator Lindsey Graham explained this quite nicely on FNC last night. We must pressure the House members and keep the pressure on. I...

The PC-Police be dammed ! When Keith Ellison ran for and was elected to congress in the 2006 mid-term election he was the darling of the PC world and the Democratic leadership -- America's First Muslim Congressman a perfect example of the diversity of this nation. Despite the fact that there were warning signs about his "friends". Soon after his election he joined with the most powerful woman in the world, Nancy Pelosi to try and create a federal law against profiling. Its no wonder the PC police loved him. And the fact that he has associated with Anti-Semitic organizations...

Senators have to find a balance between voting their conscience and voting as their constituents would like. If senators vote their conscience too heavily, constituents tend to get angry. When this happens, constituents may ask for a recall of their U.S. Senator. (The 5 steps are listed in detail) -- The 18 states allowing for recall are as follows: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington and Wisconsin.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A former Louisiana congressman who famously hid $90,000 cash in his freezer was sentenced Friday to 13 years in prison for taking bribes, the longest term ever imposed on a congressman for bribery charges. William Jefferson, a Democrat who represented parts of New Orleans for nearly 20 years, was convicted in August of taking roughly $500,000 in bribes and seeking millions more in exchange for using his influence to broker business deals in Africa. The sentence was still far less than the nearly 30 years prosecutors had sought.

A Muslim congressman says there is no need to investigate interns who may be placed with members of strategic security committees by the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

Congressman Defends Saying Obama the "Enemy of Humanity" Due to Abortion Washington, DC -- Congressman Trent Franks of Arizona has found himself the subject of criticism due to some "frank" comments he made at a recent conservative conference. Over the weekend, Frank said President Barack Obama was the "enemy of humanity" because of his aggressive pro-abortion record. http://www.LifeNews.com/nat5517.html

Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) on Wednesday called for President Obama's "czars," or appointed high-level advisers, to testify before Congress about their "authority and responsibilities" in the executive branch. The president's "czars" have become a point of controversy among his opponents because they do not have to be confirmed by the Senate as cabinet-level officials do.

Tonight at 7:00 p.m., U.S. Congressmen Joe Barton (6th Dist.-Texas), Jeb Hensarling (5th Dist.-Texas), Sam Johnson (3rd Dist.-Texas), and Pete Sessions (32nd Dist.-Texas) will host a congressional field hearing on healthcare solutions at the Eisemann Center in Richardson. The free event will be open to the public. There will be parking but people are encouraged to take DART.

According to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the recent wave of town hall protesters are nothing but “un-American

To: Larry Wilson, Public Editor, Pasadena Star News http://www.insidesocal.com/publiceye/2009/08/the_friday_column_truths_for_t.html#comments "Mr. Wilson, I don't understand you liberals; you claim you are for total freedom of speech, yet when anyone disagrees with you, we are immediately called "wingnuts" un-American, mobs, Nazis, Astroturf and worse. My reply to you, Sir is the same as I wrote to Congressman Schiff. My letter follows: August 19, 2009 Congressman Adam Schiff 29th Congressional District 87 N. Raymond Avenue, Suite 800 Pasadena, CA 91103 Dear Congressman Schiff, My wife and I and several friends attended your “Town Hall” meeting last week. We have never before attended any...

Representative Mike Honda (CA-15) is holding a tele-townhall "raffle" for access to his Tuesday, August 25, 2009 @ 6:30PM event. If you are a constituent, you can throw your name, address, email address, phone number, and zip-code into the hat and see if you are one of the lucky constituents who will be blessed by the presence of Rep. Honda's voice. I may seem a little perturbed. Why you may ask. When I feel my federal Representative is hiding from his constituents, especially when he is needed the most raises a danger flag. When your Congressman has to collect all...

William Jefferson's former friend and associate says congressman told him, 'You worry too much'by Jonathan Tilove and Bruce Alpert The Times-Picayune Tuesday July 14, 2009, 8:38 PM ALEXANDRIA, VA. -- William Jefferson, then a New Orleans congressman, and Noah Samara, the Ethiopian-born CEO of WorldSpace, which brought satellite radio to parts of Asia and Africa, were close. They shared political views, books on Africa and frequent dinners. In 200, when Jefferson was chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Samara and President Bill Clinton were the recipients of the chairman's annual award. **SNIP** $50,000 never repaid Samara testified that when...

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Congressman Henry Waxman, the powerful chairman of the House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee, has been hospitalized in Los Angeles after fainting in his district office, a spokeswoman said on Wednesday.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Opening statements are scheduled in the trial of a former Louisiana congressman charged with bribery after federal agents found $90,000 in cash in his freezer. The case is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. Tuesday in federal court in Alexandria, Va. William Jefferson is accused of soliciting bribes, racketeering, money laundering and other crimes. Jefferson represented parts of New Orleans until losing re-election last year. Prosecutors say he received more than $500,000 and sought millions more for using his influence to broker business deals in Africa.

Video at link...

Donald Payne who put others lives in danger when he went to Somalia to grandstand is going to be Live on America's Newsroom. By the way the mortars that missed his plane landed in a nearby neighborhood. And injured three people.

Somali insurgents fired mortars toward U.S. Congressman Donald Payne's plane during a visit to the Somali capital. The New Jersey congressman was not injured, his spokeswoman Kerry McKenney told FOX News. "One mortar landed at the airport when Payne's plane was due to fly and five others after he left and no one was hurt," Abukar Hassan, a police officer at Mogadishu airport, told Reuters. McKenney said Payne, who chairs the House subcommittee on Africa, felt it was important to go to Mogadishu and see first hand what was happening there.

(CNSNews.com) – An Arizona congressman wants to know why Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner isn’t facing tough questions over his apparent about-face on whether the U.S. would consider China’s request to abandon the dollar as the global currency, in favor of a mix of currencies. Geithner told Congress under oath Tuesday that he wouldn’t consider China’s proposal to shift away from the U.S. dollar toward a world currency -- then the following day (Wednesday) said the U.S. would “be open” to the idea.

Reporting from Washington -- Rep. Pete Stark (D-Fremont), dean of the California congressional delegation, has claimed his Maryland home as his principal residence to qualify for a $3,770 tax break, even though it is thousands of miles from the Northern California district he represents -- and where he is registered to vote. A senior member of the House's tax-writing Ways and Means Committee, Stark said he was unaware that he might not be eligible for the tax break. Asked whether it was questionable for him to receive it, he said, "I guess it is." To qualify, a property must be...

A member at ar15.com sent his congressman a teabag in the mail to protest their spending, and now his congressman's office is threatening him. The member says, "I told her no malice intended and asked if it was illegal to mail a teabag. I told her it was a in protest in response to the votes of the Congressman. I also told her I thought maybe they would enjoy a good cup of tea this afternoon. She was not amused but acted dumb as to why I sent it. She also said a RECORD of this would be made." Here...