Free Republic

Obama got this question last night at the presser in Pittsburgh on Afghanistan... Watch how hesitant he is with the answer, does this sound like a President who wants victory?...Listen Carefully

MOSCOW. July 1 (Interfax-AVN) - The number of tanks belonging to the Russian armed forces will be cut to 2,000, a Russian Defense Ministry source told Interfax on Wednesday. "As part of the armed forces reform, the General Staff endorsed the organizational structure of the Armor Forces within ground brigades and the Navy's coast forces. The Armor Forces will include two independent tank brigades and over 20 tank battalions within permanent alert brigades," the source said. The independent tank brigades will be stationed in the Siberian and Moscow Military Districts, he said. "The overall number of tanks of various versions,...

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama's budget blueprint Thursday canceled plans to extend the border fence along the U.S.-Mexico border beyond the 670 miles already completed or planned, symbolically breaking with a much-heralded approach to border security advocated by President George W. Bush. The Obama administration's turnabout left limited funds for roads, lights and so-called tactical infrastructure – but not a dime to extend the pedestrian fencing and vehicle barriers erected along roughly one-third of the nation's 1,947 mile border with Mexico. As a Democratic senator representing Illinois, Obama joined 79 other senators in 2006 to support construction of the barrier...

Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama moved to claim the mantle of fiscal responsibility in a roiling economy, vowing on Monday to slash federal spending on contractors by 10 percent and saving $40 billion. Urging members of his own party to be just as fiscally tough as the most conservative Republicans, Obama said the $700 billion economic bailout plan proposed by the Bush administration and congressional leaders is forcing a renewed look at federal spending. As president, Obama said he would create a White House team headed by a chief performance officer to monitor the efficiency of government spending.

Exactly 15 years ago this week the world first heard the story of John Wayne and Lorena Bobbitt. John Wayne, an ex-Marine, was accused of coming home drunk and raping his wife. Lorena was accused of retaliating by cutting off her husband's penis while he was asleep. Lorena went from anonymous to notorious - her story the subject of countless newspaper and magazine articles. Now in her first ever network morning show interview she discusses how she's using her notoriety to help others. "All of a sudden, my private life is out in the open and it's an open book...

American Axle and Manufacturing Holdings Inc. said Wednesday it will cut its U.S. hourly work force by 2,000, or about 55 percent, as a result of a new contract ratified last week by the United Auto Workers union.

‘Tax Cuts for the Rich’ Dangerous Rhetoric Thomas C. Patterson, Goldwater Institute Daily Email, April 29, 2008 The presidential candidates are promising some pretty pricey stuff. But you and I aren't going to have to pay for it. No, the free health care, free college, subsidized mortgages, and other goodies can be paid for by repealing President Bush's “tax cuts for the rich.” But here's the problem. There were no Bush tax cuts for the rich. The rates were cut, but the rich pay more taxes than ever. The top 1 percent of earners now pay 36.9 percent of all...

$168 Billion Stimulus Plan Clears CongressNYTimes.com Friday February 8, 12:37 am ET By DAVID M. HERSZENHORN and DAVID STOUT WASHINGTON — Congress overwhelmingly approved a $168 billion economic stimulus program on Thursday, sending it to President Bush for his signature so that millions of Americans can look forward to government checks in the mail. The House gave its final approval to the package on Thursday night by a vote of 380 to 34. The House was able to act because a stalemate in the Senate was broken a few hours earlier after Democrats agreed to add only payments for senior...

WASHINGTON -- Republicans and moderate Democrats drove a sweeping $1.35 trillion, 10-year tax cut through Congress on Saturday, handing President Bush his premier legislative goal in a bittersweet week that also saw his party lose Senate control. ''Tax relief is the right thing to do, and it is the responsible thing to do for the American people and for our economy,'' Bush said in celebratory remarks in the White House East Room. ... The Senate followed suit by 58-33. Twelve Democrats voted for the measure, while two Republicans opposed it: Sens. John McCain of Arizona and Lincoln Chafee of Rhode...

The Federal Reserve, confronted with a global stock sell-off fanned by increased fears of a recession, cut its target for the federal funds rate by three-quarters of a percentage point to 3.5%, the biggest single move it has made on interest rates since a three-quarter percentage point increase in November 1994. The Fed, in a departure from recent tradition of moving rates at regularly scheduled meetings of policy makers, took the action week before its scheduled January 29-30 meeting "in view of a weakening of the economic outlook and increasing downside risks to growth." (Read the Fed's statement.1) It hinted...

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- Acting forcefully against economic risk and financial market meltdown, the Federal Reserve cut its overnight lending rate by 75 basis points to 3.50%, the Fed announced Tuesday. It was the first time the Fed had cut interest rates between meetings since the 9/11 attacks in 2001. "The committee took this action in view of a weakening economic outlook and increasing downside risks to growth," the Federal Open Market Committee said in a statement. Downside risks to growth remain. The committee met on Monday evening.

Woman Accused of Killing Expectant Mom, Cutting Baby From Womb, Found Guilty Monday, October 22, 2007 Family photo released by family spokesman Daniel Madden shows Zeb Stinnett holding his infant daughter, Victoria Jo Stinnett, during Easter 2005. Family photo released by family spokesman Daniel Madden shows Zeb Stinnett holding his infant daughter, Victoria Jo Stinnett, during Easter 2005. KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A woman whose attorneys had argued that she was suffering from delusions when she killed an expectant mother and cut the baby from her womb was found guilty Monday. Jurors convicted Lisa Montgomery, 39, of kidnapping resulting in...

Jim Brossard is interviewed by Mike Gallagher after cutting down a mexican flag illegally flown above an American Flag on the same flagpole. LINK

Occam's Rule: Sometimes the truth is so simple that even as it stares us in the face we are blind to it. The Federal Reserve cut its Fed Funds benchmark rate by 50 bp to 4.75%, more than most analysts' expectations. Already there have been trillions of pixels written to explain why, but none that I have seen follow the time-honored Occam or KISS principle (Keep It Simple, Stupid). Here is a chart that explains the FRB's move; for the non-professional there is an explanation after it. The chart above shows the interbank money market yield curve for US dollars,...

Economy: What the Fed does Tuesday will set the tone not just for the rest of the year, but for the rest of the decade. With so much at stake, the central bank has to get it right. That means a bigger rate cut than expected. In this case, the right thing would be to drop the fed funds rate at least a half-point to 4.75%. This would help keep the credit crunch from morphing into an ugly recession — something the Fed can avoid if it acts quickly and boldly to re-liquefy the economy. A little over two weeks...

Overstretched US cuts aid to Israel By Damien McElroy and Tim Butcher in Jerusalem Last Updated: 11:04pm BST 08/08/2007 America has been forced to withhold funding from its key ally in the Middle East amid the strain of paying for its expensive military campaign in Iraq. Insurgents fire off a battery of 49 rockets aimed at an American military base in Baghdad Washington had promised Israel a substantial increase in its financial support to bolster it against Iran. But US officials decided to amend their pledge because of escalating costs, including the need to spend $750 million (£375 million) to...

...Americans have revered such homely leaders as Abe Lincoln. They seem open to balding pates like Rudy’s and flattops like Jon Tester’s. They don’t want self-confidence to look like self-love.[If this is original with Dowd, it is a very good summary of human nature]... ...Someone who aspires to talk credibly about the two Americas can’t lavish on his locks what working families may spend on electricity in a year. You can’t sell earnestness while indulging in decadence. Mr. Edwards, the son of a mill worker, moved from a $5.2 million, six-bedroom Federal mansion in Georgetown to a 28,000-square-foot behemoth in...

PHOENIX - The new top immigration enforcement official in Arizona promised Monday to do more to cut down on the number of people working illegally in this country. Alonzo Peña said he plans to start bringing criminal charges against firms that provide false papers to undocumented workers. Peña said it is not enough simply to seek civil sanctions. But Peña, who took over about two months ago as the special agent in charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said he also wants to work cooperatively with employers who are trying to comply with the law. Peña's comments came after a...

Some ways to trim the budget. 1. Privatize the Post Office 2. Privatize AmTrak 3. Privatize NPR 4. Turn of all streetlamps nationwide after 11 PM 5. End construction of "breakdown lanes" on all new roads other ideas? Budget of the United States Government Fiscal Year 2007 THE BUDGET DOCUMENTS Budget of the United States Government, Fiscal Year 2007 contains the Budget Message of the President, information on the President’s budget and management priorities, and budget overviews organized by agency. Analytical Perspectives, Budget of the United States Government, Fiscal Year 2007 (2.3 MB) contains analyses that are designed to highlight...

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran's OPEC governor said on Sunday that the oil cartel needed to cut production further because of a slowdown in world economic growth and rising oil stocks, the official IRNA news agency reported. Since it agreed to cut production from November by 1.2 million barrels per day, Ministers in the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) have expressed differing views on whether the group needs to reduce supplies further. Some are some concerned about high fuel stockpiles, but others are reluctant about a additional cut because crude prices are holding firm above $60. "Some factors including...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats, who won majorities in the U.S. Congress in last week's elections, said on Sunday they will push for a phased withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq to begin in four to six months. "The first order of business is to change the direction of Iraq policy," said Sen. Carl Levin (news, bio, voting record), a Michigan Democrat who is expected to be chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee in the new Congress. Levin, on ABC's "This Week," said he hoped some Republicans would emerge to join Democrats and press the administration of President George W....

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., discuss Medicare and prescription drugs at the Sunrise Senior Center, Tuesday, Oct.3, 2006, in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Pointing toward midterm elections, Pelosi promised to raise the minimum wage while cutting taxes to spur economic growth and help the middle class. (AP Photo/Steve Mitchell) AP - Oct 04 8:15 PM

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil held around $60 on Friday, as traders weighed OPEC's plans to cut production against overflowing stockpiles in top consumer the United States. U.S. crude rose 7 cents to $60.10 a barrel by 0806 GMT, after dipping to a low of $59.60 in early trade. London Brent rose 13 cents to $60.13. "The market is moving on rumors that Saudi Arabia has agreed to cut production since prices have continued to fall despite the earlier news," said Tetsu Emori, chief commodities strategist at Mitsui Bussan Futures. Officials from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) said...

Iran could cut West's oil supplies in event of war, warns American chief in Gulf By Alec Russell in Washington (Filed: 21/09/2006) Iran could trigger a global terrorist campaign and choke the West's oil supplies in the event of war with America, the top US commander in the region has warned. In a rare public discussion of how a war with Iran might unfold, Gen John Abizaid, the chief of the US Central Command, gave a sobering assessment of Iran's military potential. He warned that in a war Iran would rely on unconventional means to challenge America's superiority. "Number one,...

US casualties cut by half as Baghdad tears itself apart By Aqeel Hussein and Gethin Chamberlain (Filed: 17/09/2006) The sectarian violence that has brought Iraq to the verge of civil war has had one unexpected benefit: a marked fall in the number of United States military casualties in Baghdad. American combat deaths in the capital are down 50 per cent on this time last year and some terrorists say the US has succeeded in deflecting attention from its own troops. American deaths are down 50pc "Now we are fighting each other," said one insurgent. "That is what the Americans wanted...

Drug can help cut diabetes risk, say researchers By Nic Fleming, Medical Correspondent (Filed: 16/09/2006) A drug that improves the body's ability to turn sugars into fuel can substantially reduce the chances of people at risk of Type 2 diabetes developing the disease, according to research published yesterday. In a large international trial volunteers with "pre-diabetes" taking rosiglitazone, sold under the brand name Avandia, were 60 per cent less likely than those on placebos to develop the full disease. The drug, already prescribed to those with Type 2 diabetes, was also found to help patients return to normal blood sugar...

Dear Friend, I remember when I was back home from Vietnam and veterans were speaking out against the Vietnam war policy, someone yelled at the vets: "You should support the troops." One of those veterans said simply: "Lady, we are the troops." With a war in Iraq gone horribly wrong and a Republican attack machine determined to smear those who speak out, there's nothing more important this fall than electing veterans to Congress who can speak out about Iraq with a special moral authority. And man, do we need them. Recently, John "Randy" Kuhl, a Republican incumbent House member from...

Opposition Democrats expressed outrage at a campaign by President George W. Bush's administration portraying critics of the Iraq war as defeatists reminiscent of those who tried to appease Nazis before World War II. Bush's top aides, including Vice President Dick Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, delivered strident speeches last week describing the conflict in Iraq as a crucial part of the "war on terror," invoking World War II and the Cold War. "Can we truly afford to believe somehow, some way, vicious extremists can be appeased?" Rumsfeld asked in his address. Democratic lawmakers said the White House was trying...

/begin my translation China to Cut Oil Shipment to N. Korea China has cut oil shipment to N. Korea, in order to prevent N. Korea's nuclear test, according to local sources in China on Aug. 26."These days the amount of oil shipped to N. Korea from here has substantially dropped,", said an employee at Basan Oil Repository, located 20km(12.5 miles) away from Dandong, a Chinese city sitting next to Sino-Chinese border. The repository stores oil sent from Daqing Oil Field. Crude oil stored here is sent to the shore of Yalu River 10 km(6.25miles), from which it is shipped to N. Korea. The worker...

Although they were outnumbered, two men fought off attackers in a south Minneapolis apartment robbery with a souvenir sword. At least one attacker left some fingers behind. Four men who broke into a south Minneapolis apartment early Wednesday had their hands full when two friends inside wrestled for the intruders' weapons and left at least one suspect minus fingers. Police were called to the apartment building in the 3100 block of Lyndale Avenue S. about 3:30 a.m. on a report of a stabbing. Four men, one with a handgun, forced their way into a third-floor apartment, apparently to burglarize it,...

Stung Lung: Volatile chemical may cut respiratory capacity Ben Harder A chemical in some air fresheners and pest-control products may slightly impair lung function in millions of people, a nationwide study suggests. The compound, para-dichlorobenzene, is used to make mothballs, urinal deodorizers, and air-freshening blocks for household use. At room temperature, the strong-smelling chemical gradually changes from a solid to a gas. Para-dichlorobenzene was previously detected in the blood of more than 95 percent of the participants tested in a U.S. study called NHANES III. Scientists at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in Research Triangle Park, N.C., looked...

The documents seized in the FBI raid on the offices of Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA) remain unread by Justice Department investigators, pending a federal Appeals Court ruling scheduled for August 27. [snip] But we already know a bit about the charges and some of the alleged partners of Congressman Jefferson. Two people have pleaded guilty to bribing him.

I.R.S. to Cut Tax AuditorsBy DAVID CAY JOHNSTON Published: July 23, 2006 The federal government is moving to eliminate the jobs of nearly half of the lawyers at the Internal Revenue Service who audit tax returns of some of the wealthiest Americans, specifically those who are subject to gift and estate taxes when they transfer parts of their fortunes to their children and others. The administration plans to cut the jobs of 157 of the agency’s 345 estate tax lawyers, plus 17 support personnel, in less than 70 days. Kevin Brown, an I.R.S. deputy commissioner, confirmed the cuts after The...

CLEBURNE, Texas: A rail worker who lost his legs when a train ran over him used a mobile phone to report that he was trapped and had been "cut in two". Truman Duncan, 36, was in a critical condition yesterday after the accident on Sunday at the Gunderson Southwest rail yard in Cleburne. In a tape of the 911 call, Duncan tells the operator: "I need 911 ... I think I'm cut in two." The operator asks: "Someone got run over?" Duncan replies: "It was me. I guess I'm going into shock. Hurry up, ma'am, because I'm about to pass...

FORT HUACHUCA — Come July, Col. Jonathan Hunter doesn’t know if he will have even half the money he needs to run the garrison for the last three months of the current federal fiscal year. The garrison commander does know about $16 million is needed for July, August and September. “We’ll be lucky if we get half,” he said. The situation is so dire that temporary and term civil service employees in the garrison are being cut, civil service people are being offered voluntary early retirement, and vacant positions are not being filled. Term and temporary employees have no guarantee...

Two million Darfur refugees face food ration cut as aid cash runs out By David Blair, Africa Correspondent (Filed: 29/04/2006) The suffering of at least two million refugees in Darfur worsened still further yesterday when the United Nations said their food rations will be halved. The UN's World Food Programme explained that a 50 per cent cut was necessary because donors had failed to provide enough money. Over two million refugees in Darfur depend on the WFP "This is one of the hardest decisions I have ever made," said James Morris, director of the WFP. "Haven't the people of Darfur...

Prosecutors Say Defendant Should Be Given Life Term McKINNEY, Texas -- A woman on trial for allegedly cutting off her infant's arms had "layer upon layer of" insanity and psychosis, a Texas state psychiatrist said. Dr. David Self told a jury Monday that Dena Schlosser felt God was commanding her to cut off the girl's arms as well as her own arms, legs and head. The mental expert evaluated Schlosser in the months after her November 2004 arrest. Police responding to a 911 call found her covered in blood, still holding a knife and listening to a church hymn. She...

NATIONWIDE knife amnesty to end the carnage on our streets was launched yesterday. The five-week initiative, running throughout the UK, is aimed at repeating the success of Operation Blade, which took thousands of weapons off the streets of Strathclyde in 1993. Justice Minister Cathy Jamieson yesterday vowed it would be just one of many measures to battle knife crime in Scotland. Victims of the scourge have included policeman Lewis Fulton, knifed through the heart in Glasgow in 1994 as he tried to arrest a teenage schizophrenic. Knives are becoming an increasing menace in the hands of young girls, too. Kirsty...

ELGIN ¡ª The federal government took to the air to kill 200 coyotes in Southeast Arizona over the past three weeks, in response to ranchers' concerns they were eating calves. Wildlife Services, a federal program formerly known as Animal Damage Control, wrapped up aerial gunning Friday. It hunted on private and public land, including national forest land, used by 10 to 15 ranchers in Cochise and Santa Cruz counties, said a spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which runs the program. A rancher from the Elgin area said every calf lost to a coyote ultimately costs him $500 to...

'We will cut them until Iran asks for mercy' By Massoud Ansari (Filed: 15/01/2006) Deep in the lawless triangle connecting Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan, eight terrified Iranian soldiers are being held hostage by a Sunni group that is vowing to "slaughter" them if Teheran does not bow to its demands. "We will chop their heads once our deadline is over," Abdul Hameed Reeki, chief spokesman of the Jundallah or Brigade of God group, told the Sunday Telegraph, slowly drawing an index finger across his neck to demonstrate the seriousness of his intent. The deadline for the men is tomorrow. The...

A bit foggy on ideas this week, I decided to see what the first picture was if I Googled for images on the word "chasm". Though this is not the first picture that was found, it is the first place that was found, and it's called "The Chasm" in Milford Sound, New Zealand. Now here's a mini-challenge: where's your favorite chasm*? It has to actually be (officially) named "chasm" -- gorges, canyons, and gulches don't count. (I did a bit more Googling, and found a mind-blowing... well, have fun.) *and no chasmas from Mars, either

Few Democrats willing to stand up for statewide races By Jason Embry By W. Gardner Selby AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF Sunday, December 04, 2005 On the eve of an election year when the governorship, a U.S. Senate seat and other statewide posts are on the ballot, the Texas Democratic Party last week was urging visitors to its Web site to get behind four hopefuls — including the mother of NFL quarterback Drew Brees — running for the Austin-based 3rd Court of Appeals. Activists insist that their focus on races such as the 24-county judicial contest is not a sign that the party...

Hewlett-Packard Co. is the latest business to take advantage of the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004. HP announced that in the third and fourth quarters, it will repatriate $14.5 billion in cash from foreign earnings. As a result, it added, the company took a $988 million adjustment on an after-tax basis in the June quarter, primarily related to a tax adjustment resulting from this repatriation. HP Brings Home Money, but Not Jobs The timing of Hewlett-Packard's $14.5 billion repatriation is more than a little ironic. Stephen Taub, CFO.com August 18, 2005 Hewlett-Packard Co. is the latest business to take...

TAMPA, Fla. (June 13, 2005) -- Akili Smith was released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the latest NFL team to part ways with the quarterback who was the No. 3 overall pick in the 1999 NFL Draft. Smith was only with the Buccaneers after the team agreed to sign him so he could participate with an NFL Europe team, the Frankfurt Galaxy, this summer. The Galaxy's season ended June 4, and Smith returned to Tampa for a minicamp last week. Taken by the Cincinnati Bengals, Smith was a member of the heralded 1999 quarterback draft class, which included Tim Couch,...

3m homes 'should be demolished' to cut global warming By Charles Clover (Filed: 30/05/2005) Some 3.2 million homes must be demolished over the next 45 years to fulfil the Government's aspirations for tackling global warming, academics have warned. The report, by researchers at Oxford University's Environmental Change Institute and Heriot Watt University, is bound to re-ignite the controversy caused by the proposed demolition of 400,000 homes in the Midlands and the North. Households account for around 30 per cent of Britain's total energy use and the researchers conclude there is a "desperate need" for a clear strategy for housing stock...

  For Immediate ReleaseApril 23, 2005 President's Radio Address      Audio THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. My most solemn responsibility as Commander-in-Chief is to protect the American people. At this moment, our courageous men and women in uniform are serving in distant lands, risking their lives to ensure our security. We must give them all the resources they need to protect us from the threats of determined enemies and to prevail in the war on terror. I applaud the House and Senate for their strong support of my supplemental funding request for our troops serving on the front lines. This funding...

SEOUL (Reuters) - Two Koreans used weed clippers and a knife to lop off fingers on Monday outside the Japanese embassy in Seoul to protest at Tokyo's claims on a group of desolate islands that South Korea (news - web sites) insists is its territory. Reuters Photo Park Kyung-ja, a 67-year-old woman, and Cho Seung-kyu, 40, each chopped off a finger during a rally at the embassy gates. The long-simmering dispute over the islands, called Tokto in Korea and Takeshima in Japan, flared as Tokyo and Seoul were celebrating the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties. Park and Cho struggled with...

WASHINGTON - President Bush (news - web sites) will propose a nearly 5 percent increase for next year's defense spending while calling for cuts in payments to farmers and work on a nuclear waste storage site in Nevada, according to documents and federal officials. Bush also will propose boosting the size of Pell grants for low-income college students as he seeks to abolish a widely used college loan program and to shrink federal subsidies for banks that lend money to students. Those details and others emerged Friday about the roughly $2.5 trillion budget for 2006 the president will ship Congress...

New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) has long been rumored as desperately seeking the democratic nomination for president in 2008. And while many political observers fully expect the power hungry former First Lady to hit the campaign trail within only a few months of being re-elected as a US Senator in 2006, US News & World report claims to have a confirmation of sorts. From USNews.Com's Washington Whispers: Hillary's in… You don't have to take it from us about Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton 's desire to run for president. Her brothers, Hugh and Tony Rodham, say it's true. Friends...

The New York Civil Liberties Union is filing a lawsuit against the city that alleges two eighth-graders were forced to undergo intrusive medical exams after they cut school. Administrators told the girls, who skipped class in May to go to a party, would have to take tests for pregnancy and sexually-transmitted diseases before they could return to school, according to the NYCLU. The suit claims the girls were humiliated. Since the girls weren't putting anyone else at risk, the school had no right to order the exams, the NYCLU says. The Department of Education said it hasn't seen the lawsuit...