Free Republic

Youtube video of Scott Walker do official Xmas tree lighting at the capitol. Two in the audience prominently give a 'Nazi' salute as he is introduced.

Debbie Wassermann has been making an ass of herself for WEEKS in the national press....but Miami "news" outlets haven't been showing her idiocy. FINALLY today, anyone wondering where DWS has gone saw some "coverage" of the chair of the Democrat Party. What news did the Democrat poodle for Obama make? She spoke about wounded congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, of course! She also flip flopped on the Weiner issue.

Disgraced former attorney Aaron Biber, imprisoned for raping a 15-year-old friend of his son, has been ordered to pay $15 million to a trust in the teen's name for acts a judge deemed "utterly intolerable to the civilized community." Hennepin County District Judge Denise Reilly ordered Biber, 48, formerly of Shoreview, to pay $10 million in punitive damages and $5 million for assault, battery and emotional distress inflicted on the teen, leading up to and including the October 2009 assault. Attorney Michael Schwartz, trustee for the teen, said he and other attorneys will immediately work toward collecting on the civil...

2012 White House hopeful Jon Huntsman made a plea for civility for the second day in a row during his five day opening campaign swing through New Hampshire, home of the leadoff primary next year. This time the former two-term Utah governor took aim at those in Washington negotiating over how to deal with the nation's $14 trillion federal debt in his commencement address to graduates of Southern New Hampshire University. Four years ago then-candidate Barack Obama did the same.

Former Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land will spend the next couple of weeks considering a 2012 challenge to U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Lansing. The Byron Center Republican, speaking today after former U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra announced he would not seek the position, said: “I'm truly, deeply concerned about the overspending in Washington, D.C., and what that means for our children and grandchildren. I'm going to spend the next couple of weeks seriously looking at this.” She said Hoekstra, R-Holland, obviously would have been a strong candidate. “Pete Hoekstra was a great congressman and he would have made an excellent...

Another Democrat coward exposed for hiding from constituents. Patrick Murphy confronted by his constituents AND Mike Fitzpatrick

KNOXVILLE - Federal court jurors reported today they have reached a verdict on three of four charges against former University of Tennessee student David C. Kernell, accused of illegally accessing the private e-mail account of 2008 GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. But they also reported they are deadlocked on the first count, a charge of identity theft. Without asking what their verdict is on the other counts, U.S. District Judge Thomas W. Phillips sent them back to the jury room to continue deliberating the first count. In their written communication to the judge this afternoon, the jurors said: "Some...

(CNN) — Former Rep. James Traficant had a triumphant homecoming Sunday night, his first public appearance since being released from federal prison, a local paper reports. The Youngstown Vindicator said Monday a supporter-organized welcome home dinner for the former Democratic congressman, which drew the capacity crowd of roughly 1,200 Sunday, included performances by an Elvis impersonator and a polka band, as well as a speech from Traficant himself. The newspaper reported that Traficant was defiant, telling listeners that he'd "been hounded by some government people for a long time" and that the government "had to cheat to convict me."

I voted Democrat because I love the fact that I can now marry whatever I want. I've decided to marry my horse. I voted Democrat because I believe oil companies' profits of 4% on a gallon of gas are obscene but the government taxing the same gallon of gas at 15% isn't. I voted Democrat because I believe the government will do a better job of spending the money I earn than I would. I voted Democrat because freedom of speech is fine as long as nobody is offended by it. I voted Democrat because when we pull out of...

Famed Mercury astronaut John Glenn has an open seat at his lunch table, provided you're willing to foot the bill. Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth, is offering an afternoon lunch as part of a charity auction for the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation, which is raising college scholarship funds for aspiring engineers and scientists. It was 50 years ago today that NASA unveiled Glenn and the six other Mercury astronauts - the country's first spaceflyers - to the world in a frenzied press conference that made the seven men instant national heroes. On that April 9 in 1959, Glenn...

My interview ("le blog drzz", a French conservative website) of Ishmael Jones, former CIA operative in the National Clandestine Service (1987-2005). "I’m concerned that the Democrats view the CIA as a political ally and are not aware of the danger we face from poor intelligence. The CIA provided Democrats with plentiful anti-Bush information during the Bush years, and nearly cut down President Bush with the Plame incident and the Iraq WMD controversies." READ THE EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW (see link). Ishmael Jones (pseudonym) is a former member of the Central Intelligence Agency. He joined the agency in the 1980s, where he served...

The guy who hacked into would-be VP Sarah Palin’s Yahoo email account is none other than the son of a Democratic state representative from Tennessee, posits GatwayPundit. A convincing amount of evidence suggests the “hacker” (perhaps a status he doens’t deserve) is David Kernell, son of Tennessee representative Mike Kernell.

SMITHVILLE, Tenn. — State Rep. Rob Briley of Nashville has pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident and property damage prior to leading authorities on a high-speed chase last September. Briley, who has already been sentenced to 10 days in jail on separate charges of drunken driving, waived his right to a trial by jury Thursday morning in DeKalb County. Authorities said he struck the rear of a truck and then left the scene. No one was injured. Prosecutors dropped charges of following too closely and non immediate notification of an accident. Police records show Briley was arrested...

A proposed addition to the State House statue would accurately portray Ben Tillman as one of the leading white supremacists of his time. As thousands pour onto the State House lawn next week for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day march, a part of the state's history will stand silent. Silent, and wrong. Words at the base of Ben "Pitchfork" Tillman's statue, a prominent gathering place near the State House steps, describe Tillman as a great South Carolinian who worked for peoples' rights. In reality, he was one of the leading white supremacists of his time who worked for years...

(CNSNews.com) - Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) this week criticized Gen. David Petraeus for not meeting with members of Congress during a recent visit to Washington, D.C., to report on the status of operations in Iraq, but not only did the commander of Multinational Force - Iraq meet with hundreds of lawmakers, he personally briefed Murtha himself. Murtha told MSNBC's Chris Matthews on Tuesday, "They bring Petraeus back - purely political move. Petraeus comes back here. He doesn't talk to any of us. He only talks to the news media and so forth trying to sell this program." But a senior...

MISSION — A former Hidalgo County district clerk has been arrested in Mexico and brought back the United States after authorities issued a warrant for his arrest on charges of sexually assaulting a minor, police said. Omar Guerrero was arrested Saturday evening in or near Reynosa in the Mexican border state of Tamaulipas, Mission Police Chief Leo Longoria said. He is expected to be arraigned Monday afternoon. “This was coming,” Longoria said. “We have received information previously that he was in our area of reach, and we’ve been patient.” Guerrero has been missing since Dec. 6 when Mission police issued...

Ga. Lawmaker's Wife Appeals Deportation ASSOCIATED PRESS ATLANTA (AP) - The wife of a Georgia legislator known as an outspoken advocate for immigration rights is in hiding after federal agents came to their home with a deportation order, her lawyer said. Sascha Herrera, the wife of Democratic state Sen. Curt Thompson, was ordered deported after she missed a federal court hearing in February 2005, her lawyer Charles Kuck said. Kuck said he plans to ask an immigration judge Monday to reconsider the order calling for her deportation, though it could take as long as a month before a decision is...

WASHINGTON - A drive by the Democratic leadership to strip embattled Rep. William Jefferson (news, bio, voting record) of his committee post triggered a backlash Thursday as the Congressional Black Caucus opposed the move and said the Louisiana lawmaker deserves a "presumption of innocence." The caucus chairman, Rep. Melvin Watt (news, bio, voting record) of North Carolina, told reporters that some black voters might ask why action was sought against "a black member of Congress" when there was neither precedent nor rule for it.Jefferson has not been indicted and has denied all wrongdoing in connection with a federal bribery investigation...

AP) St. Louis Park, Minn. State Rep. Keith Ellison won the Democratic Party's endorsement as its candidate for the 5th Congressional District on Saturday, putting himself on a path to be Minnesota's first black member of Congress. Ellison's rapid victory was unexpected in the crowded field of candidates seeking the seat. By the third ballot he was just a few votes short of the 60 percent needed to claim the endorsement, and the two remaining contenders -- Hennepin County Commissioner Gail Dorfman and peace activist Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer -- withdrew and backed Ellison. "We've got to unify," Ellison, 42, told the...

Those who disagree with the Bush administration's policies in Iraq face the same scornful charges that they are unpatriotic as Sen. John Kerry did 35 years ago when he spoke out against the Vietnam War, the Massachusetts Democrat said Saturday. "I have come here today to reaffirm that it was right to dissent in 1971 from a war that was wrong. And to affirm that it is both a right and an obligation for Americans today to disagree with a President who is wrong, a policy that is wrong, and a war in Iraq that weakens the nation," Kerry said...

Galveston County Democratic Party Chairman Lloyd Criss issued a news release this week saying he had asked for a list of voters whose addresses have been called into question. “One of the primary reasons I have requested the list of suspended voters is because I want to know if the preponderance of those suspended reside in Democratic precincts,” he wrote. Tax Assessor-Collector Cheryl Johnson, whose office is responsible voter registration, said she’d be glad to provide the list to anyone who asked, but she said she was offended by the implication that she might play politics with the voter rolls....

EDINBURG - Hidalgo County District Clerk Omar Guerrero deeply regrets his lack of good judgment and apologizes to all his supporters, according to a statement issued by the agency handling his re-election campaign. The statement reads: "Early in the morning last week, I was summoned to the aid of a good friend who needed assistance and unfortunately it was the wrong thing to do at the wrong time. I had been taking medication for an illness and this affected my ability to communicate effectively with the McAllen police officer. I'm human like everyone else and I make mistakes. In retrospect,...

COMMENTARY Supporters grieve as mayor ends campaign Friday, December 02, 2005 ANN FISHER The outer chamber of the mayor’s City Hall office was cool, quiet and somber when many of his closest supporters gathered on Tuesday. To most people, the volunteers and paid staffers were unremarkable and anonymous sidekicks of Michael B. Coleman. When a campaign dies, who writes their eulogies or plots the timeline of their sacrifices, their highs and lows during its 10-month life? There was no call to arms that day, before Coleman announced that his campaign for governor had ended, his spokesman Mike Brown said. "People...

Gabi Canales says officer harassed her during stop An officer with the Corpus Christi Police Department filed an offense report Sunday claiming former District 35 state Rep. Gabi Canales made a terroristic threat against another Corpus Christi police officer. According to a copy of the police report, Sgt. Leopoldo Hernandez stopped Canales' vehicle at about 6 p.m. Sunday at the corner of Saratoga Boulevard and Player Street because she was not wearing a seat belt. "(Canales) shook my hand and then pointed again at s/o Hernandez. This time she stated 'I hope you are always wearing your bullet-proof vest!' "...

I just received a visit from a representative of ACORN. What a hoot! This ding-a-ling went on and on about the disenfranchisement of black voters in 2000 and how the "crackers" were responsible for it. I told him I was voting for the President, and he began the rant about job losses and Iraq. I retorted with 9/11 and the Clinton recession. Then I told him to leave. Four times. Nope. Not that easy. It took me coming outside, chasing him down the driveway and my wife calling the police before he left, calling me "Klan" and "cracker" all the...

Conn. Lawmaker Strikes Deal in Sex Case By MATT APUZZO ASSOCIATED PRESS DANIELSON, Conn. (AP) - An eastern Connecticut lawmaker struck a plea deal Wednesday on charges he sexually assaulted an 8-year-old boy, and agreed to register as a sex offender. Under the deal with prosecutors, state Rep. Jefferson Davis pleaded guilty to a charge of risk of injury to a minor and will accept a 10-year suspended prison term and probation when he is sentenced in November. The agreement also calls for Davis to register as a sex offender and receive counseling and evaluation. The six-term Democratic lawmaker announced...

Spokesman says remark offhand; state GOP wants apology. AUSTIN – The spokesman for the Texas Democratic Party acknowledged Thursday that he called Texas Supreme Court Justice Scott Brister "a Nazi" in a conversation with an Internet newsletter representative. The spokesman, Mike Lavigne, said that he used the term in an "an offhand remark." "It was an unfortunate use of words, but Brister is a bad guy," Mr. Lavigne said. Justice Brister, who was narrowly confirmed by the state Senate this week, could not be reached for comment. Republican Party spokesman Ted Royer said his Democratic counterpart owes Justice Brister an...

Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle is the most powerful Democrat in Texas. No other Democrat is better positioned to launch vicious, vindictive partisan attacks against Republican leaders – and no one else does so with as much zeal as Ronnie Earle. It’s time to put a stop to the Earle of Injustice’s reign of partisanship. Sign the petition. Read the press release. Download the precinct convention resolution in Adobe Acrobat (.PDF) format. Tell your friends.

WASHINGTON - Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton said Wednesday the all-volunteer military "raises serious questions in a democracy, both (about) how we define ourselves (and) what the real risks politically and militarily of taking action might be."

Selling Sleaze: A User's Guide Ten ways to rationalize the publication of infidelity rumors. By Timothy Noah Posted Thursday, Feb. 12, 2004, at 4:15 PM PT The Fourth Estate is not interested in petty gossip and unfounded rumors. We report on matters of high policy pertaining to the public interest. Consequently, the rumor of a sexual liaison between a certain presidential candidate and a female intern with the Associated Press wouldn't ordinarily be the sort of thing we'd stoop to publish or broadcast. Sadly, however, overriding considerations compel us to share this information with the public: 1) It's a press...

Nancy Pelosi and Tom Dashle are responding. Pelosi is reading verbatim from her script. Looks like a teleprompter. She lost her place and looked foolish.

DemocRATic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry (news - web sites) said on Sunday President Bush (news - web sites) and Vice President Dick Cheney (news - web sites) should apologize for misleading the American people about the war in Iraq (news - web sites) and called the international fighting force there a "fraud." Kerry criticized Bush and Cheney for justifying the war, in part, by saying Iraq was "on the road" to building nuclear weapons, which the senator said has been proven not to be true. He also slammed the administration for not working adequately with the international community to...

So you think you accomplished something by stealing another election and putting that dummy goon "Ahhnuld" in as Governor. Well he's an idiot just like that other installed resident George (imbecile) W. Bush. The reason California's economy is so bad is the fault of the white house resident and his moronic economic policies. Also, his Enron buddies screwed California with the energy contracts. So after Ahhnie screws California royally and the nation sees what corrupt fools W and the repuggies are, the Democrats will take control of the nation again for 40 years. Hasta La Vista baybee

WASHINGTON (AP) - Actor Tony Randall has a fantasy: when he dies President Bush and Vice President Cheney show up to pay their respects but they're turned away - because his family knows he didn't like them. Feeling his own mortality while suffering a cold, Randall, 83, made his remarks as the National Funeral Directors Association announced a new code of ethics for its members, beginning in 2004. Funerals should be planned as a celebration of life and "a touch of humor doesn't hurt a bit," Randall said. A comedian, Randall is best known for his role as Felix Unger...

Members of Congress often use weekend plane trips back to their districts as a way to unwind after a hectic bout of lawmaking. Which could explain why Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) demanded a whole row of seats to herself on a recent Continental flight from Washington to Houston. Jackson Lee usually gets first-class upgrades from the airline. But on this particular flight first class was full. After cabin attendants delivered the bad news and showed her to the coach section, Jackson Lee exploded, said one witness. “When she saw that she had to sit with other people, she started...

Kerry: Bush Tax Plan Irks Conservatives Bush Tax Plan Lets Down Conservatives, Democratic Presidential Hopeful Sen. John Kerry Says HAMPTON, N.H. June 8 — Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. John Kerry continued his attack on President Bush's policies during a campaign visit to New Hampshire on Saturday. The Massachusetts Democrat called Bush's policies "radical" and said they disappoint even conservative Republicans. "Conservative Republicans do not create massive federal deficits. Conservative Republicans do not turn their backs on civil rights," Kerry said at a party at the home of former state Senate President Beverly Hollingworth. At the same time, Kerry said, "we...

In Utah, Rocky Anderson is seen as a Democrat with a capital D. But outside the state -- in Massachusetts, to be specific -- the Salt Lake City mayor might as well be a Republican, at least according to a prominent Democrat. After all, last year Anderson endorsed Republican Mitt Romney, of 2002 Olympic fame, for governor of the Bay State. For that, Arthur Powell of the Massachusetts Democratic State Committee is practically calling Anderson a turncoat in a series of e-mails sent this week to Utah Democrats who recently endorsed the mayor's re-election bid in the nonpartisan race. "Here...

Sen. Graham Accuses Administration of 9/11 Cover-up In perhaps the harshest rhetoric from a leading Democrat yet, Sen. Bob Graham, D-Fla., said Sunday that the Bush administration has been engaging in a "cover-up” of the government's handling of terrorist warnings before Sept. 11 and continues to stymie the release of critical information about future terrorist threats. Appearing on CBS’s "Face the Nation" with Bob Schieffer, Graham, a former member of the Senate Intelligence Committee and announced presidential hopeful, also claimed that he is aware of still classified information about Sept. 11 and future threats that should be publicly disclosed. "Senator,"...

We intend to demonstrate against Russ Feingold at the Racine County Democratic Party Annual Dinner, to be held on Sunday, 3/16. The dinner will take place at Roma Lodge, 7130 Spring Street, Racine. We will meet there at 4:45 sharp. Since it is private property, we will park on the street, not on the Roma Lodge property, and ensure we remain on public property throughout. Themes for the demonstration should include encouraging Senator Feingold to support President Bush on Iraq, and call him to task for blocking a vote on the Estrada nomination. Please let me know if you intend...

<p>Given the unequivocal rout in the Nov. 5 election, there's been no shortage of friendly advice on how the Democratic Party can resuscitate itself.</p> <p>From Sen. Zell Miller, a Georgia Democrat, looking at the prospect that Rep. Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco will become the new public face of the party in the House of Representatives: "We've got the left-turn signal on, and we're headed down another rabbit hole to political oblivion."</p>