Free Republic

The new round of national and state surveys this week generally showing President Obama clinging to a tenuous advantage over Republican Mitt Romney reinforce the conclusion that socially liberal, upscale white women may stand as the president's indispensable line of defense in his struggle for reelection. Both the national ABC/Washington Post survey released earlier this week, and the NBC/Marist Polls released Thursday in the battleground states of Ohio, Virginia and Florida show Obama retaining preponderant support among minority voters who were critical to his 2008 victory. Conversely, in almost all of the surveys, Obama faces a consistent pattern of erosion...

Americans Elect, after qualifying for ballot in 29 states, won't nominate a third-party presidential candidateAmericans Elect qualified for the presidential ballot in Oregon and 28 other states, but the group on Thursday said it is abandoning its effort to field a third-party presidential candidate this year. The well-funded group developed an elaborate online process aimed at attracting millions of voters who would nominate a candidate for president.  But the group said that no candidate managed to get enough voter support to participate in an online convention in June. "We will not hold a June convention," Ileana Wachtel, the group's press...

The upscale Washington private school that counts Sasha and Malia Obama among its students was hit Tuesday with a prank email advising parents that, among other things, their children would receive "a voucher that may be redeemed for their choice of contraception" at the prom this year. Washingtonian magazine broke the news of the fake message, which purported to be a missive sent from the Sidwell Friends School administration. It is unclear how many families at the Quaker day school received the message, which was addressed to "Parents of the Sidwell Friends School Community." Contacted by Yahoo News, the school...

'More than a million fake electronic parts from China have been found in US military aircraft, posing a risk to national security, an investigation has revealed. A report by the US Senate uncovered 1,800 cases of bogus parts - including some in special operations helicopters and the US Air Force's largest cargo plane. The total number of individual components involved in these cases exceeded one million, the Committee on Armed Services publication said. "This flood of counterfeit parts, overwhelmingly from China, threatens national security, the safety of our troops and American jobs," committee chairman Senator Carl Levin said. "It underscores...

The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee wants Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. to find out if taxpayer dollars received by Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s office through a federal grant program were used by his deputies to illegally detain Hispanics whom the government alleges were the victims of racial profiling. If so, Sen. Patrick J. Leahy of Vermont, wants the Justice Department to consider ways of getting the money back - a total that could exceed $25 million. “I urge the department to take all appropriate steps to determine whether taxpayer dollars - have been used in connection with the...

Democrats in House of Reps. joined J Street in supporting Obama administration's attempt to force Israel into making painful concessions Seventy-four Democrats in the House of Representatives have joined the dovish J Street organization in supporting the Obama administration's attempt to force Israel into making painful concessions to the Palestinian Authority. “In our view, support for a two-state resolution is inseparable from such support for Israel, its special relationship with the United States, and its very survival as a democratic homeland for the Jewish people,” the letter said. Seven Jewish members signed the letter, including Reps. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), John...

Before I get to the thread title material, let me say that Bush is not going away anytime soon. Obama brought him up today with Medicare Part D and will continue to bring him up again & again. If Romney praises Med. part D, Obama can say "See, Romney agrees with me that the first Republican president was right about the federal gov't..." as he said today. If Romney attacks Med. Part D as being big gov't, Obama can retort "Why is Romney attacking me for attacking Bush? Romney has also attacked Bush." And the issue of whether or not...

So many (Ryan, Rubio, GHWB, etc) have come forward recently to endorse Romney to be the standard-bearer for the GOP. But curiously missing is GWB... Secondly, Bill Clinton has said very recently that he will soon hold fund-raisers and even stump? for Obama. So where is 43 at - and very recently at that? Pro-Romney forces have said that it is time to quickly rally around the front-runner (Romney). If so, then what better way than for perhaps Romney, Ryan, Rubio, etc, to get or seek Bush 43 to quickly endorse Romney, stump for him and hold fund-raisers for Romney?...

Bad Smell Blanketing the DC Metro Area Friday, 16 Mar 2012 WASHINGTON - Reports of a really bad odor blanketing the metro area have been reported from downtown D.C. to Fairfax County to Oxon Hill! You may have smelled it Thursday night or Friday morning - and lots of people are talking about it...

To gun-rights supporters, the Supreme Court’s District of Columbia v. Heller and McDonald v. Chicago decisions may have felt like a dream come true — the Court recognized an individual right to keep and bear arms, and applied that right to state and local governments. Going forward, handgun bans are off the table in the U.S. But judging by a conference hosted by the Fordham Urban Law Journal last Friday, the two sides of the gun-control debate have simply regrouped, recalibrated their expectations, and lined up for battle once again. As definitive as Heller and McDonald may seem, they offer...

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- The national average price for a gallon of gasoline rose for the eighth straight day on Saturday to $3.835. That is now only about 7% below the record high of $4.11 from July 2008. The average price rose by four-tenths of a penny, according to the survey of gas stations conducted for the motorist group AAA. Gas prices are now up more than 17% this year. The nationwide average was $3.52 a gallon a month ago and $3.76 a gallon on March 9 -- the day that prices started rising again after a few days of...

Washington, D.C. — Massachusetts Rep. Barney Frank on Thursday refused to comment on the rumor that South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham is gay. During an appearance on C-SPAN's American Journal, a caller named Frank from Largo, Florida told Frank that he was concerned that closeted lawmakers could be blackmailed during critical budget talks.

The hypocrisy of opponents of school choice schemes has never been a big secret. But rarely has that quality been so brazenly exhibited as by Vincent Giordano, the head of the New Jersey Education Association, in a recent interview on New Jersey public television. When asked why he opposes giving poor parents the same opportunity to take their kids out of failing public schools and into successful private or religious institutions the wealthy have, the teachers union boss, who makes more than half a million in salary and other compensation, replied: "Life's not always fair." Giordano, who has been a major antagonist of New...

She always called him “Mr. President” — not Jack. He refused to kiss her on the lips when they made love. But Mimi Alford, a White House intern from New Jersey, was smitten nonetheless. She was in the midst of an 18-month affair with the most powerful man in the world, sharing not only John F. Kennedy’s bed but also some of his darkest and most intimate moments. In her explosive new tell-all, “Once Upon a Secret: My Affair with President John F. Kennedy and Its Aftermath,” Alford, now a 69-year-old grandmother and retired New York City church administrator, sets...

Six protesters were arrested in a pre-dawn raid on the Occupy D.C. encampment in McPherson Square Saturday, and police began clearing away tents, debris and some dead rodents. U.S. Park Police on horseback and on foot clad in riot gear swept into the park around 6 a.m. Several square blocks downtown were closed during the raid, which was characterized as “further enforcement” of a no-camping crackdown that began Monday.

Police were clearing out the Occupy DC camp and asked all of the protesters to leave. The police put up signs letting the Occupy people know to get out and take their stuff. Meanwhile, one of the rabble decided that he would rather stay and tear down the police signs. The police wound up having to tase him. After the tasing you hear him shout loudly as his friends yell at the police.

<p>January 30, 2012 (LifeSiteNews.com) – After receiving letters from “antiabortion readers” complaining about his paper’s coverage of the March for Life, the Washington Post’s ombudsman has penned a column agreeing with many of their criticisms.</p> <p>Ombudsman Patrick Pexton says that the Washington Post gave an “incomplete picture” of the March for Life in both its print story and online photo gallery.</p>

Congressional support for controversial online piracy legislation eroded dramatically on Wednesday in the face of an unprecedented online protest supported by tech titans such as Google, Wikipedia and Facebook. Several key senators withdrew their support from the Senate's Protect IP Act (PIPA), including Tea Party favorite Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), an elected member of his party's leadership. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), who leads the Senate GOP's campaign team, said the legislation should be put on hold, while Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), a sponsor and the ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, retreated from the...

<p>Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli says he is worried that a new District of Columbia law that governs how pest control operators must handle rats may result in entire rodent “families” being relocated across the Potomac River into Virginia by D.C. pest control personnel.</p>

Washington - When Michelle Obama worked in Mayor Daley's City Hall in the early 1990s, she was "distressed" by how a small group of "white Irish Catholic" families -- the Daleys, the Hynes and the Madigans -- "locked up" power in Illinois. And as she prepared to become first lady, Mrs. Obama naively wanted to delay a move into the White House for six months, so her daughters could finish the school year. Her initial thought was to "commute" to the White House from her South Side home. And Marty Nesbitt, one of President Obama's best friends, had been recruited...

In a video posted at The Blaze Wednesday, Fred Mason, President of the AFL-CIO in Maryland and the District of Columbia, called former Rep. Cyntia McKinney (D-GA) and Communist guerilla Che Guevara heroes. "Without a person like Cynthia McKinney, there would not have been a Barack Obama," he said while speaking at Baltimore's Union Baptist Church in late August. "And I was reminded of one of my heroes, Che Guevara, and his contribution to the Cuban Revolution," he added. According to Mason, Guevara was "an internationalist," who "was about oppressed people everywhere." "Anywhere there was suffering, he spoke out against...

As Michelle Obama realized over the summer and fall of 2008 that she was likely to become first lady, she asked a question that probably would have surprised outsiders: could she and her children delay moving to the White House? Perhaps it was better, she told aides and friends, to remain in Chicago until the end of the school year, giving her children more time to adjust, rather than coming right at the inauguration. Her notion, though short-lived, was telling: she didn’t understand or care what sort of message it would send to a public enthralled by the new first...

INSIDE OCCUPY D.C. People monitoring the Occupy D.C. movement tell Inside the Ring that the two encampments are fast becoming health hazards. Numerous protesters also recently were sickened with unusual respiratory illnesses. The major emerging problem for the leftists camped out in tents at McPherson Square and Freedom Plaza is rats. The rodents appear to be moving into the area by the hundreds, and their numbers are increasing daily. The McPherson camp appears be where more radical leftists are based. An observer familiar with the McPherson camp said one distinctive smell coming from the park area is that of methamphetamine...

Inside the RingBy Bill Gertz - The Washington Times Wednesday, December 21, 2011 **SNIP** INSIDE OCCUPY D.C. People monitoring the Occupy D.C. movement tell Inside the Ring that the two encampments are fast becoming health hazards. Numerous protesters also recently were sickened with unusual respiratory illnesses. The major emerging problem for the leftists camped out in tents at McPherson Square and Freedom Plaza is rats. The rodents appear to be moving into the area by the hundreds, and their numbers are increasing daily. The McPherson camp appears be where more radical leftists are based. An observer familiar with the McPherson...

Last week, D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray announced his latest and greatest plan to solve D.C.’s crisis in education: the D.C schools will extend their reach in 2012, offering “early childhood education” to children as young as 6 months of age. The mayor believes that D.C. babies and toddlers will experience educational success only if school system employees--or subcontractors--are around to prod their intellectual growth. After all, what could be more crucial to a baby’s development than a specially assigned bureaucrat, right? It’s preposterous. Even from an educational perspective, the proposal lacks credibility. The D.C. public schools are among the worst...

In Boston, one university has taken steps to help Muslim students maintain an important ritual: bathing before prayer ... Across the country a number of universities, including the University of Michigan in Dearborn and George Washington University in Washington D.C., have installed foot baths. So have two airports, the Indianapolis Airport and KCI Airport in Kansas City, Missouri. In each case the move came with some degree of resistance. ... Some of the foot baths in other states were built using public funds. The American Civil Liberties Union generally objects to public money being used for religious structures.But they don't...

SNIPPET: "A radical Tunisian Islamist leader, denied an entry visa into the United States during the 1990s, is scheduled to make two appearances on Capitol Hill Tuesday. Rachid Ghannouchi, leader of Tunisia's Ennahda Party, will attend a forum on the Arab Spring at the Cannon Office Building, an announcement from the event's sponsor, the Muslim Public Affairs Council's (MPAC) said. He'll also attend a special dinner Tuesday evening. Ghannouchi's Ennahda Party recently won the majority in the first free parliamentary elections since the ouster of Tunisia's longtime ruler, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali." SNIPPET: "In a May interview with the...

At first, 9/11 seemed impossible. Witnesses couldnÂ’t believe their eyes; officials were bewildered; wild tales swirled of conspiracies involving the CIA, the Jews, real-estate speculators. Yet the impossible happened, and the site of its occurrence in Manhattan fittingly became known as Ground Zero, recalling the devastated landscapes left in the past by atomic experiments. Now that the general alarm has dissipated, however, we can see that the attack on New York was not unprecedented in its inspiration, its actors, or even its method. The strategy of causing panic by burning cities and terrorizing populations was theorized a century and a...

·11250 Waples Mill Road ·   Fairfax, Virginia 22030    ·800-392-8683   Senate Judiciary Committee Holds Hearing on Schumer Registration and Rights Denial Bill   Friday, November 18, 2011   On Tuesday November 16, the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism held a hearing on Sen. Charles Schumer’s (D-N.Y.) S. 436.  Dubbed by anti-gunners the “Fix Gun Checks Act,” rather than “fix” the current National Instant Criminal Background Check System, the legislation would eliminate private sales and gun shows as we know them and expand the range of persons prohibited from owning firearms.For much of the hearing, Sen. Schumer and his...

The Occupy DC mom who used her two toddlers to block a convention center door amid mayhem says she’s not going to stop using her kids as human blockades. On Nov. 4, when Occupy DC was protesting in front of an Americans For Prosperity (AFP) event at the Washington Convention Center, this Occu-Mom set up her blockade with her two little kids in front of one of the doors. MRCTV captured on video the two distressed toddlers sitting in a toy wagon amidst the police intervention and ensuing pushing and shoving. On Tuesday, Nov. 8, MRCTV caught up with Occu-Mom...

We all know there is a large contingent of radical socialists, even communist die-hards, among the Occupy crowd, but it’s still pretty jarring to see this sort of discussion being conducted in the light of day, probably no more then a mile or two from our nation’s capitol.

The debate over spending among Republicans in Congress has become so intense that one Senate Republican leader has started wearing a flak jacket to meetings. The arguments have gotten so pointed that Senate Republican Conference Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) wore a flak jacket to a Republican lunch meeting a few weeks ago. He said he would don the protective gear after Rep. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), an outspoken conservative, blasted him in a meeting for arguing that Congress had already made substantial reductions in discretionary spending. Coburn objected heatedly. He argued that slowing the rate of discretionary spending growth is not...

Background: Americans for Prosperity is having its annual summit this weekend, and the Occupy movement decided to send some people over to disrupt it – which is to say, they tried to rush the building. They failed, of course – the American Left simply is not very good at demonstrations* – but in the process of expressing their inner kindergarteners (the ones that weren’t using actual kindergarteners as props/riot shields, that is) some protesters got hit by a car. And we almost had an incident over it – only it turns out that ‘protesters got hit by a car’ actually...

Hundreds of Occupy D.C. protesters descended on the city’s convention center Friday night, blocking the streets around where a conservative group was gathered for an annual summit. Demonstrators staged a “sit in” around the convention center for several hours and barred individuals inside from leaving the area, the Washington Post reported. Three protesters were struck by a car, authorities told the Post. They were transported to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. “The protesters were apparently trying to block the roadway,” D.C. police Lt. Christopher Micciche told the Associated Press. “It was essentially an accident where three individuals were injured...

(Reuters) - Three activists protesting economic inequality were struck by a car and mildly injured late on Friday night as they attempted to block traffic near a gathering of conservatives in the nation's capital, police said on Saturday. The protesters, who were transported to area hospitals with no signs of visible injury, were cited for obstructing traffic late on Friday night, said Araz Alali, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Police Department. "The driver saw he had the green light and the protesters then basically jumped in front of the vehicle to block traffic," Alali said. "It appears that the protesters...

Can Cain Win the Nomination? The Conventional Wisdom among pundits of all political persuasions -- Cain can't win, so we don't have to even pretend to take him seriously. One small problem with the conventional wisdom -- Cain is polling at 30%, even 35%, is tied for the lead in two early-voting states, and well-positioned in a third. I think the pundit class, by and large, is committing the crime of Aggravated Solipsism. They don't find Cain plausible or acceptable; ergo, he is not plausible or acceptable to a plurality of the Republican primary electorate and ergo he cannot, under...

The Daily Caller visited the Occupy DC encampment on Friday and interviewed union organizer Anthony Sluder. While Sluder appeared to be in charge, he preferred to describe himself as “the one who is informed to inform you.” Check out what Sluder told TheDC about the “occupiers” and their plan to — you heard it right — secede.

Students, alumni and faculty from historically black Howard University are preparing for a march to support the Occupy Wall Street protests and similar demonstrations in Washington. Organizers say Friday's march is intended in part to bring more racial diversity to the Wall Street protests.

Occupy DC’s medical tent Friday With bitter cold weather’s impending arrival in D.C. and snow seen as increasingly likely for the surrounding area, the need for warmth is becoming a top priority for Occupy DC protesters in McPherson Square. On an otherwise bright and sunny day, the bitter wind ruffled Kelly Mears’s tent Friday as he attempted to “weatherproof” his adopted home and adjoining “tech/ops” tent. Mears, 24, said he’s been at the park for 28 days, and while donations of tents, blankets and outerwear have kept him and other Occupy DC protesters warm as the temperatures dropped, he said...

Although some of the homeless resent the newcomers’ claim on the park, many said the new neighbors are doing what city leaders have struggled to do. The protesters are raising awareness while boosting their quality of life by bringing a sense of security and community to an otherwise cruel existence, many of the homeless said. Rafael Cruz has been on the streets for four years — often catching free dinner from a mobile soup kitchen at McPherson Square before settling in for the night on the steps of a local church. Cruz said he can work and can earn up...

Key Bridge, 14th St. bridge among 215 D.C. area spans rated structurally deficientBy Ashley Halsey III, Published: October 19 Two hundred fifteen bridges in the Washington region are structurally deficient, including three of the five major bridges that cross the Potomac River into Washington, according to a report released Wednesday. The group Transportation for America said the Key Bridge, the Memorial Bridge and the 14th Street bridge all need immediate repair. More than 215,000 vehicles cross them on an average day. The 14th Street bridge is scheduled to undergo a complete overhaul in the next four years. **SNIP** “There are...

We need to start a camp, but in the right place and for the right reasons. Occupy D.C.!

When President Obama takes the stage Saturday for his annual address to the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, it is certain to be a warm and festive affair, but probably a little less festive and lot more more urgent than on previous occasions. In the audience will be Rep. Maxine Waters (D), the California congresswoman who has been a lead critic of the president and his administration for not being sufficiently focused on the stubborn problem of black unemployment. Waters says she expects more from Obama on Saturday. “African Americans are very proud that there is an African American man who...

Gov. Sam Brownback endorsed Texas Gov. Rick Perry for president on Thursday, citing Perry's record on creating jobs and reducing taxes. "Rick Perry is the right leader for this moment in history," he said in a prepared statement. "I think he's really got the right message that it's about jobs, it's about job creation and it's about getting the atmosphere right," Brownback said. "They've maintained and created a very positive, growth-oriented atmosphere in Texas that we've got to get back to in the United States." Perry's campaign issued a statement calling Brownback "one of the most respected voices for conservatism...

Unfortunately, cracks have formed in the iconic Washington Monument, caused by the earthquake that struck the east coast earlier this week:

The Washington Monument will remain closed indefinitely after yesterday's earthquake rocked much of the east coast including the nation's Capitol. The 5.8 magnitude earthquake damaged the monument by creating a four foot long crack as wide as one inch in some places at the very top of the monument. National Park service Spokesman Bill Line said that a structural engineering firm was brought in today to begin assessing the damage to the 550-foot structure. The firm will evaluate the crack and submit a report to the National Park Service outlining the problems to the structure along with recommendations for repairs....

The Washington Monument is pictured early morning. (WTOP/Neal Augenstein) Wednesday - 8/24/2011, 4:18am ET The National Park Service says engineers have found cracks in the stones atop the Washington Monument, shutting down the area indefinitely. The cracks were discovered during a secondary inspection after Tuesday's earthquake. Structural engineers will evaluate the cracks on Wednesday to determine the best way to repair the Monument before it is reopened. The Lincoln and Jefferson memorials have reopened after being closed for several hours following the earthquake. The park service says all monuments and memorials on the National Mall, including the new Martin Luther...

A 5.9 magnitude earthquake that was centered in Richmond, Virginia and felt as far as New York City and New England. Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly reported at 2:30 pm that their bureau received information from a producer saying that a Captiol Hill Police officer says that the Washington Monument may actually be tilting as a result of the earthquake. Seismologist John Rundle joined Kelly on her show and confirmed that the Washington Monument could very well be tilting as a result of the earthquake and the structure should be checked out. Two nuclear reactors have reportedly been taken off...

SNIPPET: "Three Pakistani men pleaded guilty Monday to terrorism-related charges of supporting the Pakistani Taliban, according to a release from the U.S. Justice Department. At a hearing before U.S. District Judge John Bates in the District of Columbia, Irfan Ul Haq, Qasim Ali, and Zahid Yousaf pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiracy to provide material support to the Tehrik-e-Taliban (TTP), a designated foreign terrorist organization. Ul Haq, Ali, and Yousaf were arrested in Miami on March 13 and charged with one count of conspiracy to commit alien smuggling. The three men allegedly ran an alien smuggling operation out...

Full title: Panic In DC As Starbucks' Schultz Calls For CEO Boycott Of Campaign Donations, Urges Americans To Go On Strike Against Their Politicians In today's most underreported news of the day, which could potentially have the biggest impact on the future of America, none other than America's CEOs, or at least one of them: Starbucks' Howard Schultz, has mass blasted an email to fellow CEOs asking for a consensual boycott on donating to political campaigns in order to encourage the nation's muppets, elsewhere idiotically called "leaders", to solve America's budget and debt impasse. Bloomberg quotes from the CEO's e-mail...