Free Republic

Hugh Gallagher explored what he called FDR’s Splendid Deception in his 1985 book of that title. In the title Gallagher was referring to FDR’s concealment of the polio-related paralysis that struck him in 1921. Gallagher was also a polio victim who understood the pain underlying Roosevelt’s efforts. Researching the book, Gallagher found that among the 35,000 photographs of Roosevelt at his presidential library, only two featured him in his wheelchair. Media of the day cooperated by ignoring his polio. Roosevelt himself went to extraordinary lengths to convey the impression that he could walk. “[T]he overwhelming fact about [FDR] is that...

Top Republican pollster Frank Luntz and Ron DeSantis warned that the low GOP turnout in the Iowa caucuses is a red flag for the party and that if Donald Trump doesn't get 'new voters' then he will lose in the November election. 'Trump is going to have to show that he can get people who didn't vote for him in 2020, he's got to get new voters or he loses,' Luntz told DailyMail.com 'It's a warning sign for the party in November because the turnout was so abysmally low,' the Florida governor said on Friday. 'There's terrible enthusiasm right now.'...

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) seems to have disappeared from the airwaves in early primary states despite his commitment to stay in the 2024 race. After losing to former President Donald Trump in the Iowa Republican caucuses Monday, coming in a distant second, DeSantis does not have any ads running in New Hampshire, South Carolina, or Nevada, according to ad tracking services. Not only has his campaign apparently gone silent, but the various super PACs supporting his 2024 bid have also vanished from television in the early nominating states.

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) – David DePape, arrested after allegedly breaking into House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's home and attacking her husband, pleaded not guilty in his first court appearance Tuesday. The judge ordered him to be held in jail without bail. District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced she was charging DePape with attempted murder, residential burglary, assault, elder abuse and threatening a public official, charges that could put him in prison for 13 years to life. Before his arraignment Tuesday afternoon, DePape had been transferred to county jail Tuesday after being released from San Francisco General Hospital. DePape had been in...

The RNC has discovered some audio of John Fetterman, the Democrat candidate for Senate in Pennsylvania, talking about his dreams for the state’s prison population, especially those in prison for murder. Given the state’s soaring prison rate, Pennsylvania voters who haven’t drunk too deep from the leftist Kool-Aid may want to pay attention to what he said...because he’s completely out of his mind. Moreover, this is not because of his stroke, which has slowed his speech; this is leftism, pure and simple. In the two videos that seem to date from 2020 (hat tip: Red State), Fetterman freely voices his...

The National Republican Senatorial Committee is canceling $10 million worth of fall advertising reservations in Arizona, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin — three states at the center of the GOP’s push to regain control of Congress. The New York Times, which reported the news on Monday, notes Republicans have been struggling to raise money as of late, as well as that the decision to pull ads for some of its top candidates could be tied to the party’s financial troubles. The NRSC has cut the most money, $5 million, in Pennsylvania, where quack TV doctor Mehmet Oz is taking on Lt. Governor...

Pennsylvania Senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz explains the differences between himself and opponent John Fetterman and shows off a new campaign commercial bashing Fetterman's policies - via. "Greg Kelly Reports" on Newsmax.

I'm considering buying a new pick-up. Why new? Because it will most likely be the last vehicle I'll ever buy and I want it to last. So, I was looking at Ford F150s last night and my jaw dropped. One of the trucks was priced at $66,000!! For crying out-loud! $66K?? The one I liked the best was priced at $49,000! I'm in real estate and you can buy property cheaper! I thought perhaps some of the more experienced, wiser freepers could answer this question: Just how much does it actually cost to manufacture/produce one of these? (Or any other...

If Africans had stayed in African it's a safe bet that there would have been the likes of Rep. Ilhan Omar's father who was connected umbilically to crazed Somalian sociopath dictator Said Barre. But what are the chances that Omar herself would have been more than a piece of meat or sidewalk beggar? (See: "Ilhan Omar Can't Leave Country Because of The Sins of Her Father," Mychal Massie, July 17, 2019.) If Africa hadn't turned selling other Africans to slave traders into a thriving economy, even if there were an Al Sharpton and Maxine Waters, would they be the shakedown...

Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, whose campaign was sidelined last fall when he suffered a heart attack, says he won't release his full medical records -- going back on a promise he made four months ago. At a town hall event in Washington, D.C., Tuesday night, Sanders said he doesn't intend to publicize any more of his health records -- adding that he has so far released more than any other Democratic candidate. "I think we have released a detailed medical report and I'm comfortable on what we have done," he said. When asked if he will release more, he...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Connecticut woman said Joe Biden touched her inappropriately and rubbed noses with her at a 2009 political fundraiser, becoming the second person in three days to accuse the former vice president of unwanted physical contact as he considers a White House run.“It wasn’t sexual, but he did grab me by the head,” Amy Lappos, 43, told the Hartford Courant on Monday of her encounter with Biden at a Greenwich, Connecticut, event. “He put his hand around my neck and pulled me in to rub noses with me. When he was pulling me in, I thought he...

In his statement, Biden said that he did not recall those moments in the same way. But he added: "We have arrived at an important time when women feel they can and should relate their experiences, and men should pay attention. And I will." Biden also pledged to continue to be a strong advocate for women and equality, nodding at his work in the Senate to end violence against women. Given the nature of the alleged incident, Flores' comments on "State of the Union" and Biden's response, it is possible the controversy could swiftly end.

**SNIP** Sen. Kamala Harris of California told reporters Thursday that Tyson's statement "reads as a credible account" and called for an investigation into the incident. Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, another 2020 candidate, told CNN the allegation was "deeply, deeply disturbing" and praised Tyson for coming forward. He, too called for an investigation. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York praised Tyson's courage Wednesday night on podcast "Lovett or Leave It," saying that her account is credible and disturbing and warrants investigation. She repeated her comments on Twitter Thursday, adding, "Institutions – colleges, the military, the NFL – don't believe...

Virginia House of Delegates Member Patrick Hope (D) announced Friday he intends to introduce articles of impeachment for Justin Fairfax unless the Democratic lieutenant governor resigns by Monday following new allegations of sexual assault. “On Monday, I will be introducing articles of impeachment for Lt. Governor Justin Fairfax if he has not resigned before then,” Hope tweeted. Hope issued the declaration hours after a second woman came forward on Friday to publicly accuse Fairfax of sexual assault. A lawyer for Meredith Watson released a statement saying Fairfax raped her in 2000 when they were both students at Duke University, adding...

Moments after the embattled Virginia Governor tells staff he will remain in office, a second victim/accuser, Ms. Meredith Watson, comes forward against the embattled Lieutenant Governor with claims he raped her in 2000.

The number of Twitter followers may have some intrinsic value in politics, and Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona seems to be no exception to this rule. McCain tweeted Monday morning asking for assistance in gathering more followers to become one of the few sitting senators with at least three million followers. "We're only 74 Twitter followers away from 3M - spread the word & help us reach this big milestone!," McCain's tweet said. McCain's tweet seemed to have the opposite effect — he began steadily losing followers. As of this writing, McCain has 2,989,328, a big deficit from the...

Is Fox about to implode?... Mark Levin·Saturday, May 27, 2017 Its ratings are cratering. It has zero loyalty to its hosts. And the two lib Murdoch boys are calling the shots. Will its conservative audience put up with this latest abomination, I.e., Fox buckling to a Media Matters boycott of Hannity's advertisers? http://ijr.com/2017/05/883709-exclusive-hannity-goes-underground-decide-will-return-fox-news-source-says/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter

The CIA’s top officer in Kabul was exposed Saturday by the White House when his name was inadvertently included on a list provided to news organizations of senior U.S. officials participating in President Obama’s surprise visit with U.S. troops. The White House recognized the mistake and quickly issued a revised list that did not include the individual, who had been identified on the initial release as the “Chief of Station” in Kabul, a designation used by the CIA for its highest-ranking spy in a country. SNIP The Post is withholding the name of the CIA officer at the request of...

Gang Founder Claimed Innocence Until the End By KIM CURTIS, Associated Press Writer Tue Dec 13,11:26 AM ET SAN QUENTIN, Calif. - Stanley Tookie Williams maintained his innocence right up until his death, even when an admission of guilt may have spared him execution. ADVERTISEMENT Even after the courts and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger rejected a flurry of Williams' last-ditch appeals before his execution early Tuesday, his supporters vowed to prove his innocence. Williams, the Crips gang co-founder whose case stirred a national debate about capital punishment versus the possibility of redemption, was executed Tuesday morning for killing four people in...

<p>Exerpted from Marine Corps Times: When insurgents attacked the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, last fall, Col. George Bristol held a key post in the region. As commander of Joint Special Operations Task Force-Trans Sahara, he was in a position to know what options the U.S. had to protect Americans under fire.</p>