Free Republic

Perhaps Mitt Romney played it right when he was meek and contrite in response to the Washington Post's front-page allegations that he bullied a kid half a century ago in high school. Romney no doubt feels embarrassed by the charges, even if most of us struggle to understand their relevance or gauge their veracity. But the time is coming for Romney to get angry, very angry, with what is increasingly, quaintly called "the mainstream media." The Post's decision to play up the story as if it were major news -- front page, thousands of drably dull self-serious words piled high...

- During a meeting with 18 Delaware Tea Party leaders here on Wednesday, Newt Gingrich lambasted The Fox News Channel, accusing the cable news network that employed him as recently as last year of having been in the tank for Mitt Romney from the beginning of the Republican presidential fight and singling out former colleagues for attacking him out of what he characterized as personal jealousy. “I think Fox has been for Romney all the way through,” Gingrich said during the private meeting at Wesley College to which RealClearPolitics was granted access. “In our experience, Callista and I both believe...

Never in the history of the world have so many memes been crafted by the MSM, the Left or Palin's enemies in the GOP establishment to bring someone down. Normally by now, the prey would have quit, ended up being subdued, being imprisoned as political prisoner or been killed. Instead Sarah Palin has managed to keep her head above water, risen from the proverbial ashes as a phoenix on several occasions and even had the effrontery to thrive in defiance of her enemies. So in the interest of reminding folks of the crucible that Palin has emerged here are 50...

Following a report on Monday's CBS Early Show that slammed Delaware Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell for comments she made on Bill Maher's 'Politically Incorrect' in the 1990s, co-host Maggie Rodriguez suggested O'Donnell's response: "Well, she could do what Sarah Palin has done and which has worked so beautifully for Sarah Palin, and that is to play media victim." Rodriguez made the comment to political analyst John Dickerson, who added: "That's right. And the victim card is one that Sarah Palin has played, Rand Paul has done the same thing. It's a bit of a time-honored technique and

Last week, Sarah Palin took to Facebook and the airwaves to slam a journalist who moved into the house next door to her in Wasilla, Alaska, as he writes a book about her. --snip-- Now journalist Joe McGinniss is firing back. In an interview on NBC's "Today," McGinnis defended himself and called Palin's comments "ugly innuendo" and "revolting." --snip-- "I'm not observing them at all. I'm here to talk to people who've known them for forty years in Wasilla," he said in the interview. "I don't care how they behave in their backyard. And I don't care what they do...

As cynical as I have become about the news media, even I never thought I would see the day where "60 Minutes" provided far more comedy than "Saturday Night Live," but Sunday’s edition of the formerly respected news magazine gave the educated viewer infinitely more laughs than SNL delivered (although Charles Barkley’s pathetic performance may have still somehow been even worse than that of Anderson Cooper). Specifically I am referring to the segment that was allegedly devoted to the new book “Game Change” about the 2008 Presidential election. Quite simply, (partly because it dealt with subjects about which I have...

Dispatch from the Department of Pot-Meet-Kettle . . . Katie Couric has demanded "humility" from Wall Streeters making seven-figure incomes. This from a woman pulling down . . . eight figures [an estimated $15 million/year] from CBS while cementing the Evening News' caboose status. Couric made her hypocritical plea in her "Notebook" segment yesterday, commenting on Pres. Obama's pay czar's plan to cut compensation for employees of financial firms that have received bail-out bucks [emphasis added]:

<p>A secret Israeli plan for airstrikes on Iran's nuclear facility was scuttled last year when the United States rebuffed Israel in its request to fly through Iraqi airspace, according to a New York Times report on a covert U.S. program.</p>

[posted by ArrMatey] By now I hope you read my earlier post below. Link is here. Across the blogosphere, we have news that Joe the Plumber, single father, American working guy, aspiring business owner, is about to be shut down and put out of work, to the great glee of Obama supporters. I am angry. I know I ought not blog angry. I’m going to count to a hundred, listen to some Men without Hats, and finish writing this in a few…. I’m back. It’s amazing what a few minutes listening to Pop Goes the World can do for you....

HOLLAND, Ohio (CBS) ― Republican John McCain said Thursday that 'Joe the Plumber,' whose questions about Democrat Barack Obama's tax policy became a centerpiece of the final presidential debate, was the real winner of the televised forum. But it turns out that 'Joe The Plummer' doesn't have a plumbing license, owes back taxes, makes less than $250,000 a year and is a registered Republican, according to television, newspaper and wire service reports Thursday. Joe Wurzelbacher, 34, of Holland, Ohio was cited by McCain in Wednesday evening's debate as an example of someone who wants to buy a plumbing business but...

When a South Korean student began his killing spree on the grounds of Virginia Tech back in April this year, slaughtering 32 people, the incident generated extensive coverage worldwide and grabbed the headlines in the regional press as well. There were editorial comments too in the regional press expressing total shock and questioning the state of mind of Cho, the Korean student behind the carnage. And in the letters pages of the local papers readers expressed sympathy and compassion for the families of the fallen. An equally gruesome incident happened this month but hardly a line appeared in our newspapers....

A strong majority of Americans — including nearly two-thirds of Republicans — favors allowing illegal immigrants to become citizens if they pay fines, learn English and meet other requirements, a new Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll has found. That is a striking show of support for the central tenet of legislation that has stalled in the Senate amid vocal opposition from conservatives to provisions allowing such a path to citizenship. Only 23% of adults surveyed opposed allowing immigrants to become legal. That bolsters the view, shared by President Bush, that the bill's opponents represent a vocal minority, whereas most people are...