http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/extended-news/ en-us Fri, 25 Jul 2008 21:57:04 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051422/posts DES MOINES, Iowa (Reuters) - Four peace activists were arrested on Friday as they attempted to make a "citizens arrest" of Karl Rove, who was one of President George W. Bush's top aides before leaving the administration last year. "It should be Karl Rove in that van. War Criminal!" Reuters http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051422/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 21:57:04 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051409/posts DENVER, July 25 (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate John McCain slammed Democratic rival Barack Obama on Friday for poor judgment on the Iraq war, laying out in sharp terms his argument the Illinois senator should not be commander in chief. McCain, a Vietnam War veteran, said if Obama had succeeded in his effort to prevent last year's boost in U.S. troop levels in Iraq, American forces would have had to retreat under fire, the Iraqi army would have collapsed and al Qaeda would have found a safe haven. "Had his position been adopted, we would have lost both wars" in... Reuters http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051409/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 21:40:49 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051394/posts (The Politico) On Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid criticized the Washington press corps for failing to report what he believes is unprecedented Republican obstruction. So Friday afternoon, Reid reached out to the liberal blogosphere. "You need to keep doing the job you're doing, but you need to move on," Reid said in a Webcast hosted by a handful of progressive bloggers. "We need your help to push back against the Republican harangue ... that we're not allowing votes" on oil drilling amendments. The Webcast was hosted by meetthebloggers and included bloggers from HuffingtonPost, OpenLeft and thesmogblog.com. Reid seemed flustered... CBS http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051394/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 21:20:00 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051375/posts HuffPo notes that Maverick tweaked this charge during his speech this morning to a group of veterans, stating that Obama would rather win in Afghanistan by losing in Iraq. Blitzer presses him here to see if the old formulation still applies. Answer: Yup, pretty clearly it does, although McCain is careful to emphasize that he’s not questioning Obama’s patriotism, just his judgment. Is it possible to accuse someone of subordinating the national interest to their own personal ambition without, in essence, questioning their patriotism? I don’t know. Is it possible to “support the troops” while believing they’re carrying out an... Hot Air http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051375/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 20:48:04 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051369/posts Thank you for that kind introduction and warm welcome. I want to begin by talking about an issue in this campaign that I know concerns you as it concerns all Americans: the war in Iraq. Thankfully, the news from Iraq today is much more encouraging than I could have reported to you last year. Eighteen months ago, America faced a crisis as profound as any in our history. Iraq was in flames, torn apart by violence that was escaping our control. Al Qaeda was succeeding in what Osama bin Laden called the central front in their war against us. The... realclearpolitics.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051369/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 20:41:38 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051354/posts California will be the first state to ban trans fats in restaurants and bakeries under legislation signed today by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. The measure requires restaurants to quit using trans fats by January 2010, and for bakeries to follow suit one year later. "Consuming trans fat is linked to coronary heart disease, and today we are taking a strong step toward creating a healthier future for California," Schwarzenegger said in a written statement. The legislation, Assembly Bill 97, was proposed by Democratic Assemblyman Tony Mendoza of Artesia and opposed by most Republicans. Trans fats, also known as trans fatty acids,... Sacramento Bee http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051354/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 20:12:48 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051347/posts On Wednesday, New York Times Co. (NYT) reported disappointing second-quarter earnings, and on Thursday the stock continued in its steep descent. At the end of trading it stood at 12.48, or virtually half the price it commanded one year ago. This part of the story is unsurprising, given how the Street is slamming any newspaper stock. What's startling is something else: If you back out much of the rest of the company's portfolio, you arrive at a surprisingly teeny valuation for the vaunted New York Times itself, despite all the respect the brand commands. At its current $12.48 stock price—down... Business Week http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051347/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 20:03:50 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051331/posts A mysterious explosion in a suburb of Teheran that killed 15 people last Saturday was likely an attack on a Iranian military convoy carrying arms to Hizbullah, the Telegraph reported Friday. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards imposed a news black-out immediately after the blast, but the UK newspaper reported that it looked like sabotage was responsible for destroying the convoy as it traveled through Khavarshahar. The newspaper noted that the company responsible for moving the military equipment, LTK, was owned by the Revolutionary Guards and was allegedly involved in shipping arms to Hizbullah. Last Saturday's incident was the latest in a... Jerusalem Post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051331/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 19:42:02 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051324/posts Denver, CO (AHN) - Republican nominee Bob Schaffer and Rep. Mark Udall (D-CO) are tied in the race for the seat of retiring Sen. Wayne Allard (R-CO), according to the latest Quinnipiac University poll. Schaffer and Udall are in a dead heat at 44 percent each. One percent of voters declared their support for other candidates and 11 percent were undecided. Schaffer has closed a 10-point deficit since last month, when he trailed 38 percent to 48 percent. Pundits are attributing his rise to increased support for offshore oil drilling, which the former Republican congressman supports. Fifty-nine percent of Colorado... All Headline News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051324/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 19:37:15 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051321/posts While much attention has been focused on the photo-ops of Barack Obama's foreign trip orchestrated by a highly skilled political entourage, beyond the pictures numerous questions were raised about the Democratic presidential nominee's foreign policy positions and missteps....read the briefing here. John McCain http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051321/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 19:31:09 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051289/posts LAT Gags Blogs: In a move that has apparently stirred up some internal discontent, the Los Angeles Times has banned its bloggers , including political bloggers, from mentioning the Edwards/Rielle Hunter story. Even bloggers who want to mention the story in order to make a skeptical we-don't-trust-the-Enquirer point are forbidden from doing so. Kausfiles has obtained a copy of the email Times bloggers received from editor Tony Pierce. [I've excised the recipient list and omitted Pierce's email address]: snip Slate http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051289/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 18:30:08 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051260/posts India has issued a report challenging global warming fears. This is dramatic. The Indian Prime Minister's Council on Climate Change said that India would rather save its people from poverty than global warming, and would not cut growth in order to cut gases. Referring to claimed changes in climate attributed to human activity, the report declares: "No firm link between the documented charges described below and warming due to an anthropogenic climate change has yet been established." The report goes on to state: "It is obvious that India needs to substantially increase its per capita energy consumption to provide a... Engineering News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051260/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 17:42:21 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051261/posts Islamabad, July 24: Pakistan's security and intelligence agencies have been put on high alert following reports that local Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud has prepared a hit list of 300 high-profile figures, including top political leaders. Among those that could be targeted are the leadership of the ruling Pakistan People's Party, Awami National Party, Muttahida Qaumi Movement and anti-Taliban Shia and Sunni clerics, said source close to an intelligence agency. Personnel from intelligence and law enforcement agencies, officials from the federal interior and provincial ministries and journalists could also be targeted by the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan of Mehsud, who was blamed for... Express India http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051261/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 17:43:12 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051254/posts Senator McCain can't seem to catch a break during Senator Obama's widely watched trip abroad this week. The Arizona senator's campaign had planned for the Republican candidate to make a dramatic push for offshore oil drilling while standing on a rig off the coast of Louisiana today, but weather associated with Hurricane Dolly forced the campaign to cancel, Politico reported. Mr. McCain will instead head to Ohio and attend a summit on cancer with Lance Armstrong. The detour also forced Mr. McCain to scrap a meeting with Louisiana's Governor Jindal, who has been mentioned as a possible vice presidential pick.... The Sun http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051254/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 17:30:02 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051219/posts Froggie, the marble-eating Albino African Claw Frog, is home after recovering from innovative stomach surgery that allowed Dr. James Askew to remove three offending large glass beads - one clear, one turquoise, one blue. Admittedly, that's not normal frog food, but she was hungry. Vela Taconi thought Froggie was getting fat, so she cut back on "his" food. "His" is a key word because everyone thought the white aquatic frog was male. Wrong. --- SNIP ---- "I can't believe I've been so upset over a frog," Taconi admitted Thursday when the family came to retrieve Froggie. "But he, I... Sun Herald http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051219/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:37:25 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051200/posts WASHINGTON, July 25 (Reuters) - U.S. legislation to rein in excessive energy speculation failed a key procedural vote on Friday to move forward in the Senate, and now lawmakers will set aside the bill to consider other legislation. The House of Representatives may take up its own anti-speculation bill next week, and then lawmakers will get ready to leave for their month-long recess in August. Sixty "yes" votes were required in the 100-member Senate for the bill to move forward, but the measure received only 50 "yes" votes and 43 lawmakers were opposed. Reuters http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051200/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 15:47:24 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051172/posts Berkeley -- Angry shouts of "Shame! Shame!" erupted in the Berkeley City Chambers Thursday night after the council declined to appeal a court ruling against the city allowing UC Berkeley to build an athletic training center next to Memorial Stadium. The conflict has drawn wide attention because of a 20-month protest by tree-sitters at the project site who have demanded that UC preserve the grove of more than 80 oaks, redwoods and other trees next to the stadium. The city had sued - along with stadium neighbors and a tree preservation group - to block the project. The other two... San Francisco Chronicle http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051172/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:39:57 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051163/posts The Pentagon said Barack Obama phoned wounded U.S. soldiers at Landstuhl Regional Medical center in Germany today a day after a firestorm developed over his cancellation of plans to visit the base and Ramstein Air Force Base.Pentagon spokeswoman Elizabeth Hibner told Bloomberg News that Obama was told by the military he could visit the bases as an offical but not as a candidate and without campaign staff.Obama chose to cancel the visit and instead phoned it in to the troops. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051163/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:31:34 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051149/posts NBC’s Jim Miklaszewski and Courtney Kube get the skinny on the abrupt cancellation of Barack Obama’s visit to Landstuhl and Ramstein yesterday. The campaign tried to excuse it by claiming that it wouldn’t be appropriate to visit while on a campaign-funded portion of his trip, but that wasn’t the real problem. When Obama found out he couldn’t use the visit as a photo op, he canceled... In fact, those same rules applied for the CODEL trip to Iraq and Afghanistan. They serve to keep politicians from exploiting military facilities for political reasons, and to ensure that all visitors get treated... Hot Air http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051149/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:09:01 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051135/posts Randy Pausch, the Carnegie Mellon University computer science professor whose final lecture inspired millions, has died of pancreatic cancer. Dr. Pausch, 47, who turned the lecture into a book, said that no one would have been interested in his words of wisdom were he not a man in his 40s with a terminal illness, leaving behind a wife and three young children. According to Dr. Pausch's Web site, a biopsy last week revealed that the cancer had progressed further than expected, based on recent PETscans. Pittsburg Post Gazette http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051135/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 13:47:37 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051079/posts And it came to pass, in the eighth year of the reign of the evil Bush the Younger (The Ignorant), when the whole land from the Arabian desert to the shores of the Great Lakes had been laid barren, that a Child appeared in the wilderness. The Child was blessed in looks and intellect. Scion of a simple family, offspring of a miraculous union, grandson of a typical white person and an African peasant. And yea, as he grew, the Child walked in the path of righteousness, with only the occasional detour into the odd weed and a little blow.... The Times of London http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051079/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 12:17:03 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051097/posts Three good men are dead thanks largely to San Francisco’s outrageous sanctuary-city policy, which forbids city authorities from notifying federal immigration authorities when they arrest illegal aliens for crimes they commit, and it’s time for President Bush to crack down on all the cities in the United States that follow this absurd policy. On June 22, Anthony Bologna and his sons Michael and Matthew were shot to death by Edwin Ramos, 21, after a brief traffic incident when Anthony Bologna allegedly briefly blocked Ramos' car from making a left turn, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Ramos, an alleged member... humanevents.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051097/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 12:37:43 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051090/posts America’s gas prices are continuing to spiral out of control and Washington has done nothing to give our nation’s motorists the relieve they deserve. Record high prices are having a major impact on American consumers and businesses, from the way people travel to the way they do business to the food they buy at the grocery store. Congress has the ability to decrease prices at the pump and get our nation back to $2 a gallon gas – and it means accessing our nation’s available resources and opening up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) today. Last weekend, I traveled... humanevents.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051090/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 12:27:54 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051054/posts Right-wing provocateur and well-known Clinton antagonist David Bossie says he will premiere a documentary critical of presidential candidate Barack Obama in Denver on the Sunday before the Democratic National Convention. Expected to recycle the "greatest hits" of cable TV clips that damaged Obama's candidacy, from the wailing of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright to Michelle Obama's "proud of my country" gaffe, the project from Bossie's group Citizens United released an online trailer over the weekend and is being advertised on Fox News this week. It will be released on DVD nationwide Sept. 1. The film will offer new sound bites of... Politico http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051054/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 10:59:22 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051039/posts Fresh polls show that he has been unable to convert weeks of extensive media coverage into a widened lead. And some prominent Democrats whose support could boost his campaign are still not enthusiastic about his candidacy. Several new surveys show that Obama is in a tight race or even losing ground to Republican John McCain, both nationally and in two important swing states, Colorado and Minnesota. One new poll offered a possible explanation for his troubles: A minority of voters see Obama as a familiar figure with whom they can identify. Many voters still seem to be puzzling over who... Los Angeles Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051039/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 09:37:42 GMT