Free Republic

WASHINGTON – A controversial one-year program allowing Mexican trucks to travel deep into the United States will be extended for two more years, federal officials announced Monday. John H. Hill, administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, said the extension would allow for the collection of more data to determine whether Mexican trucks can operate safely in the United States. Opponents quickly denounced the move, which some had been expecting despite their protests that the program poses a danger on U.S. highways. Rep. James Oberstar, D-Minn., chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, accused U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary...

A software engineer, the owner of a miniature golf course and nine other men, many from Central Florida, traveled to Polk County to have sex with a child, deputies said. Deputies with the Polk County Sheriff's Office arrested the 11 men on charges of soliciting sex from a child through the Internet during Operation Paladin -- a two-week online sex sting in which investigators, posing as a 14-year-old girl, used chat rooms and instant messaging programs to lure the men to a location in Polk County. ... Rick Nieves, 22, of Orlando, Extreme UpholsteryRobert Cirone, 42, of Lakeland, unemployedFarhan Mujahid,...

Results of N.H. Primaries Each link will take a minute or two to load.Scroll on town for total votes and percentages. http://www.boston.com/news/politics/2008/nh/nh_primary_gop_results_by_town/ For those who think Hillary was up to shenenanigans check out the towns where she won. http://www.boston.com/news/politics/2008/nh/nh_primary_gop_results_by_town/

In running for president, Mr. Bush's use of religious language was a careful, studied process. Initially, he was uncomfortable about talking publicly about his faith. "I view my religion as very personal," he told me in 1999, fidgeting in his chair in the governor's office in Austin. "I want people to judge me on my deeds, not how I try to define myself as a religious person of words." Mr. Bush hired speechwriter Michael Gerson, a graduate of evangelical Wheaton College, and he slowly invested his boss' speeches with words and phrases that resonated with Protestants. Mr. Rove enlisted the...

Rumor circulating on the Fred08 blog that there is going to be a major "surprise" announcement coming this morning. Perhaps an NRA endorsement or a major political figure?

COLUMBIA, S.C. - Republican White House hopeful John McCain said he wants "a crash program" in civilian and military schools that emphasizes language and creates a "new specialty in strategic interrogation" so the nation never feels the need for torture. McCain, a former Vietnam prisoner of war who suffered mistreatment, talked about the new proposal at a Columbia campaign stop Saturday. McCain said he wanted to create an Army Advisory Corps of 20,000 soldiers to act as military advisers and a new Office of Strategic Services to fight terrorists. He said he wanted them to pursue "a crash program in...

I tend to agree with one of our local talk show hosts who recently stated that while Rudy might be able to fool enough people during the primaries that he isn't all that liberal, you can bet when he goes up against Hillary she is going to make sure everybody knows his dirty little secret that most of the media including Fox News is trying to white-wash. I am what is known as a Social Conservative. I voted for President George W. Bush twice and do not regret either vote even though he has disappointed me and even though I...

Video at link...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20, 2007 – U.S. goals for progress in Iraq have not changed, but the timeline has been set back in order to achieve those goals, President Bush said here today. Bush said the original goal of turning security control over to Iraqis in all 18 of the country’s provinces by November has been delayed because progress has been slower than originally estimated. Still, he said, Iraqi control of the country’s provinces is an important step in denying al Qaeda and other extremist groups’ free movement in the region. “I believe it's worth it for the security of...

Former American football star O.J. Simpson has been charged with eight offences, including kidnapping and armed robbery, court documents showed Tuesday. Simpson, an iconic sports star who was dramatically acquitted of brutally murdering his ex-wife and her friend 12 years ago, is to appear in court in Las Vegas on Wednesday for an arraignment hearing. The charges against Simpson and three other men were detailed in a criminal complaint filed by Nevada prosecutors in Clark County on Tuesday, following the fallen icon's arrest on Sunday in connection with an alleged armed robbery. Simpson and the men have been charged with...

(Some taps fail spot tests for cleanliness) Wisconsin beer lovers who belly up to the bar for an ice cold tap aren't always being served the fresh draft they're paying for and instead are getting mouthfuls of unwelcome bacteria.Brewers, both big and small, say Wisconsin bars and restaurants - including downtown hot spots - aren't cleaning their beer lines as they should, leading to a buildup of bacteria that "infects" and spoils tap beer. "They actually can be very, very dirty, to the point that you'd be shocked," said Dan Carey, the brewmaster for the New Glarus Brewing Co. in...

WASHINGTON – Immigration officials sharpened their message a day after being coy about whether they would agree to halt enforcement raids during the 2010 census. “We won't entertain any request to scale back our efforts,” Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman Kelly Nantel said Friday. Census officials had planned to speak with immigration agents about curbing enforcement during the population count, the Census Bureau's second-ranking official said in an interview earlier this week. Raids during the population count would make an already distrustful group even less likely to cooperate with government workers who are supposed to include them in the headcount,...

this week’s cover story of Der Spiegel-- titled "Baghdad Babylon: SPIEGEL-Reporter with U.S. Soldiers in the Iraq War," provided an unexpectedly upbeat assessment of the current surge strategy in Iraq. For three weeks in July, Der Spiegel reporter Ullrich Fichtner and his photographer traveled across Iraq under the auspices of the U.S. military to get a first-hand impression of the situation on the ground. Online, the 15-page in-depth Iraq trip article titled "The Hellish Peace" is only available to Spiegel subscribers: During an online-chat yesterday about his recent trip to Iraq, Ullrich Fichtner provided the following assessments: "I think that...

WASHINGTON – The House threw its weight yesterday behind a Senate-approved ban on the use of cruel, inhuman and degrading interrogation techniques – a major defeat for President Bush that raises pressure on the White House to reach a compromise on the measure. Democrats were joined by 107 Republicans in the 308-122 vote, which instructed House members to adopt the Senate ban during conference committee negotiations over a Defense Department spending bill. Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., who has recently clashed with the White House over Iraq policy, proposed the instruction. Advertisement "We cannot torture and still retain the moral high...

WASHINGTON – Lawmakers voted yesterday to cut federal aid to education for the first time in a decade as the House narrowly passed a spending bill that would freeze or cut back a wide variety of domestic programs. The $602 billion measure includes education, health research, and medical and job training programs. After years of budget increases, the measure essentially imposes a 1 percent cut to programs funded at lawmakers' discretion, providing $142.5 billion for them. The rest of the bill's funding represents mandatory payments, chiefly for the Medicare and Medicaid programs. AdvertisementThe cuts in the bill, a compromise between...

First the DNC tries to legally threaten a poster to the Free Republic website - claiming that the poster defamed DNC chairman Howard Dean. Next thing ya know, Howard Dean and the DNC are being sued for defamation and discrimination by a former employee - claiming among other things that Dean discriminates against gays and violated the “D.C. Human Rights Act�. [Hat-tip: CourthouseNews]One word: Karma.

Thanks to Kalam, he can now fight, standing Jaya Menon Posted online: Saturday, May 05, 2007 Tamil Nadu bus conductor lost his legs in an accident, a letter to Kalam on experiment led to new lease of life Chennai, May 4: For P Thangamarimuthu (38), both of whose legs were amputated after an accident more than three years ago, it’s virtually a fresh lease of life. And the person who gave him new hope was none other than President A P J Abdul Kalam. The two had never met before. But Thangamarimuthu, formerly a conductor in a government transport bus,...

China could have military edge by 2010 2007/4/25 LONDON, AFP China's rapid beefing up of its military might should give it the edge over Taiwan for the first time by 2010, Jane's Defense Weekly said Tuesday. China announced last month a 17.8-percent rise in military spending to US$45 billion for this year -- a boost aimed at making its forces capable of a quick, decisive invasion of Taiwan while deterring US intervention, the authoritative magazine said. "China is working hard to transform its Vietnam War-era defense establishment into a credible regional military power with a new generation of indigenous equipment,...

BHUBANESWAR, India (Reuters) - India carried out a successful test on Thursday of its longest-range ballistic missile, the Agni III, which is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead more than 3,000 km (1,900 miles), scientists said. Defence analysts say the Agni III is primarily designed to counter the military strength of China, which also has nuclear weapons, while shorter-range versions of the missile have been developed with long-time rival Pakistan in mind. The launch of the longest-range Agni, which means "fire" in the Sanskrit language, came after a failed test last July when the missile plunged into the Bay of...

WASHINGTON - Pet food contaminated with an industrial chemical may have sickened or killed 39,000 cats and dogs nationwide, based on an extrapolation from data released Monday by one of the nation’s largest chains of veterinary hospitals.

South African Navy Commissions Charlotte Maxeke (Source: ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems; issued March 14, 2007) EMDEN/HAMBURG/KIEL, Germany --- On March 14, 2007, the South African Navy commissioned the submarine “Charlotte Maxeke” at Emden-based Nordseewerke GmbH (NSWE), a company of ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems AG (TKMS). This submarine is an ultra-modern submarine of the German 209/1400mod Class. During commissioning ceremony the boat which was christened as S102 on May 4, 2005, got the new name “Charlotte Maxeke.” The boat is the second of a total of three submarines which the South African government ordered from the German Submarine Consortium in 2000. The consortium...

The U.S. government conducted a series of secret war games in 1999 that anticipated an invasion of Iraq would require 400,000 troops, and even then chaos might ensue. In its "Desert Crossing" games, 70 military, diplomatic and intelligence officials assumed the high troop levels would be needed to keep order, seal borders and take care of other security needs. The documents came to light Saturday through a Freedom of Information Act request by the George Washington University's National Security Archive, an independent research institute and library. "The conventional wisdom is the U.S. mistake in Iraq was not enough troops," said...

This is a report from the Keep Arkansas Legal Meeting, Saturday October 8th at the Fletcher Library. Keep Arkansas Legal is a Central Arkansas group dedicated to stopping illegal immigration. We mainly discussed the effects of illegal immigration on Arkansas. Sharon told stories of how illegals who are supposed to do lawn work end up trashing the place. We all talked about ways to get people’s attention about this issue. Topics include the Mexican Consulate in Little Rock, Aztlan, in-state tuition for illegals, welfare for illegals, and population congestion. Brent gave us all a DVD about how socialism is destroying...

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- 40/29 News, along with its media partners, The Morning News and Magic 107.9FM, are hosting a gubernatorial debate tonight (October 4th). For viewers not in the Fort Smith or Fayetteville markets, the debate will be livestreamed online at thehometownchannel.com. Republican candidate Asa Hutchinson and Democratic candidate Mike Beebe will answer questions from a media panel. The media panel will consist of Craig Cannon of 40/29 News, who will also serve as moderator. Joining Cannon on the panel will be Regional Editor for The Morning News Brenda Blagg and News Director for Magic 107.9FM Jess Smith. The two...

WASHINGTON, Oct. 2, 2006 – Families of the 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, are not happy about the unit’s 46-day extension in Iraq, but they are accepting it well and the Army has many systems in place to support them while their loved ones are deployed, the unit’s rear detachment commander said today. “The families don’t particularly like it, but they have understood all along that this was a possibility,” said Army Maj. Tony Perry, commander of the 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division’s Task Force Ready. “The families also realize the importance of supporting their soldier and the mission they...

State courts say that Colorado teachers unions do not have to follow a new rule that empowers members to choose whether to fund union political causes. A favorable decision from the U.S. Supreme Court in the coming session could aid in restoring union members' rights. In August, the Colorado Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers filed a complaint against Secretary of State Gigi Dennis for issuing the campaign rule. Denver District Court Judge John McMullen enjoined the rule from applying to the teachers unions. On Thursday the Colorado Court of Appeals upheld the temporary injunction. On Monday, pending...

Facts from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service about wolves in Park County and northwest Wyoming include: There are at least 75 wolves in at least nine packs in Park County. Two additional packs are suspected but they haven't yet been confirmed. Final cattle depredation numbers won't be available until the end of the year. Wolf numbers this year have increased in Wyoming... There are about 143 wolves in Yellowstone Park in 14 packs. There's about 166 wolves in Wyoming outside Yellowstone Park in 17-20 packs. Idaho has about 650 wolves in 70 packs. Numbers from Montana this year are...

The Democratic congressman running against Republican Secretary of State Ken Blackwell in the Ohio governor’s race said the state’s job-loss problem is not caused by high taxes or regulation, but by not having abortion on demand. He made the statement on Wednesday. The Democratic congressman who made this statment? Liberal candidate Ted Strickland, who is trying to paint Blackwell as an extremist for being pro-life. But his comments raise the question: Who is the extremist here? When Strickland was asked what he would do in his first 100 days to help create jobs, his reply was essentially to replace Ohio...

WASHINGTON - In a new sign of mounting strain from the war in Iraq, the Army has extended the combat tours of about 4,000 soldiers who would otherwise be returning home, defense officials said Monday. The 1st Brigade of 1st Armored Division, which is operating in the vicinity of Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province, will be kept in place for several weeks beyond its scheduled departure, the officials said. The officials spoke only on condition of anonymity because the decision has not been formally announced by the Pentagon. The brigade's home base is in Germany. The soldiers' families were...

Sean Hannity visited Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas. Hannity's lecture included the time he tricked Paul Begala with the quotes John Kerry made supporting invading Iraq. He also spoke about facing the evil of our time in the same way we had to face Hitler. Hannity did many impersonations of Bill Clinton and talked about how the democrats had lost the South. He briefly talked about his disagreements with Repubicans on the issues of over-spending and illegal immigration. His ending statement was that in times of war, we need the right people in power. During Q/A session, most of the...

JONESBORO, AR - Gubernatorial candidates Mike Beebe (D) and Asa Hutchinson (R) will face off in a debate tonight at Arkansas State University's Fowler Center in Jonesboro. But two other gubernatorial hopefuls, Independent candidate Rod Bryan and Green Party candidate Jim Lendall, plan to travel to Jonesboro to protest their exclusion from the 7 p.m. debate. Tonight's forum begins at 7 p.m. and will be moderated by KAIT News anchor Diana Davis. KAIT will also broadcast the event live via streaming video on KAIT8.com. The debate will be aired on a tape-delay basis on KAIT beginning at 9 p.m. The...

SAN FRANCISCO Extending beyond the skullduggery that pried loose people's private phone records, Hewlett-Packard Co. investigators hunting for a boardroom leak shadowed the company's directors and tried to install snooping software on at least one reporter's computer, according to published reports. While the additional surveillance reported by The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal may provoke more indignation about HP's probe, the tactics aren't likely to shift the focus of the inquiries into whether the company and its investigators broke any laws in their quest to identify the boardroom leaker. Authorities and politicians remain primarily concerned about the...

DOBBINS AIR RESERVE BASE, Ga. - After stepping out of his limousine and approaching the Northern players, President George W. Bush began trying to identify them. As Bush moved down the row of players, he asked Northern manager Randy Morris, "Where is the big lefty?" In the middle of the line of players, Kyle Carter stood waiting to meet the 43rd president. Like the other 10 players, Carter shook his hand. "It was really exciting," said Carter, who set a Little League World Series record with four wins. "This is the best moment." The 11 Northern players, coaches Morris and...

Hispanics head for higher ed (Especially in Northwest Arkansas.) Gema Vargas, 20, will be a senior at UALR in the 2006-07 school year. She came to this country as a child. Her father, who had fled a war in Nicaragua, got a job in Arkansas, then brought his family up. Because they were considered war refugees, the Vargas family got the necessary papers to stay here comparatively easily, Vargas said. She said that a majority of Latino college-age students in the U.S. don’t have papers, which means they’re here illegally. Vargas speaks English fluently — although, she says, she sometimes...

Opinions clash in initial meeting of Ark. immigration watch group Viewpoints clashed Tuesday night during the Arkansas Minuteman Civil Defense Corps organizational meeting at Lake Hamilton Fire Department. Nearly half of the packed meeting room at the station were there to voice their opposition to the organization’s mission, while the other half voiced staunch support. "It’s up to us to do what we can to protect the birthright of our children and grandchildren," meeting organizer Bill Riggins of Hot Springs told the crowd. "With every benefit and every reward comes responsibility." Riggins called the influx of illegal immigrants into the...

ATLAS Does The Bikini Vlog:   http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2006/08/the_bikini_vlog.html

Threat Level Change for the Aviation Sector The U.S. threat level is raised to Severe, or Red, for all commercial flights flying from the United Kingdom to the U.S. The U.S. threat level is raised to High, or Orange for all commercial aviation operating in the U.S., including international flights. Flights from the U.S. to the U.K. are also Orange. All travelers on commercial U.S. carriers and on all flights into the U.S., please be advised of the following changes to airport screening procedures: NO LIQUIDS OR GELS OF ANY KIND WILL BE PERMITTED IN CARRY ON BAGGAGE. ITEMS MUST...

Some time ago I received an email from someone in Australia who had visited my web page. He was inquiring about his father. A web page called MACHAL is the story of the volunteers who came to Palestine to help the Jews fight for their independence and the ultimate establishment of the State of Israel. This photo is from that web page and it shows two British Cromwell Tanks that were stolen by two members of the Parachute Regiment. He Thought that he could identify his father as one of the two soldiers. He was very involved with computer graphics...

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy ordered Friday that his temporary stay protecting the Mount Soledad cross extend until state and federal courts can hear the city of San Diego's appeal this fall. In blocking a federal judge's order that the city remove the cross by Aug. 1 or face a daily fine of $5,000, Kennedy also indicated that the full court may want to review the controversial case. Kennedy said the court, which refused three years ago to get involved in the dispute, may consider it because of two new factors favorable to cross proponents. He cited legislation to...

It appears that we need a new Secretary of State. As of 1:23pm, There are still hundreds of votes still have not been counted. My vote in Pulaski County may be one of them! Arkansas will have the chance to replace democrat daniels with Republican Jim Lagrone. More about this story below. Growing Number Of Counties Report Tabulation Problems Vote totals are coming in slowly tonight as 12 counties reported problems in tabulating ballots. Cleburne and Phillips counties reported technical problems in tabulating votes. In Lawrence County, officials realized they had given voters ballpoint pens and began to overwrite all...

In the small town of Paron, you have a lot of upset people. Many say the decision to close the middle and high schools was a poor one because they say it was made without the voice of the people it is going to affect. “That's why this state's got to get vouchers so the parents can say 'Here's my money, I'm going here,'" says Dan Carlson. Carlson says he moved his family from Benton to the Paron area because he was looking to put his kids in a school with smaller class sizes. Carlson says, “We can come out...

Since immigration and Patrick Kennedy are popular issues being talked about, here is part of the voting record of Patrick Kennedy on immigration. Rep. Kennedy voted againstH.R. 4437, the Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005. H.R. 4437, as amended and passed, includes major improvements in interior enforcement and border security, as well as a reduction in legal immigration numbers. Among its most significant provisions are: a requirement that all businesses must use an electronic system to check if all new hires have the legal right to work in the country; additional security fencing along the Mexican...

ARLINGTON, Va., April 17, 2006 – "Faces of the Fallen," a compelling exhibit featuring more than 1,300 portraits honoring America's servicemen and women who died fighting the war on terrorism in Afghanistan and Iraq, will stay on display at the Women's Memorial here until May 31, officials said. Annette Polan, founder of the "Faces of the Fallen" exhibit on display at the Women in Military Service to America Memorial in Arlington, Va., takes time to read a note left by a portrait of a fallen servicemember. Photo by Rudi Williams  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. More than 230,000...

A British man accused of being behind the largest ever hack of US government computer networks could end up at Guantanamo Bay, his lawyer has claimed. Gary McKinnon, from London, denies causing $700,000 (£400,000) damage to military and Nasa systems in 2001-2. Bow Street Magistrates' Court was told the 40-year-old feared a prosecution might take place under US anti-terror laws if it agreed to his extradition. The US said Mr McKinnon had assurances he would be tried in a federal court. But defence lawyers said his human rights could be breached if he was sent to the US. Mr McKinnon...

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The April 10 deadline for all victims of Hurricane Katrina and Rita requesting assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is rapidly approaching. In an initial news release March 10, David Paulison, FEMA acting director, announced that the deadline for registering for assistance as a result of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas would be extended 30 days to April 10. Applicants may qualify for help under a wide range of federal and state programs, such as temporary disaster housing assistance; SBA low-interest disaster loans for homeowners, renters and businesses; and assistance for...

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders on Tuesday gave themselves at least one more day to try to overcome what one lawmaker called "the diabolical politics of water" and put a record-setting public works bond measure on the June ballot. Negotiators have been working on borrowed time since last Friday, the secretary of state's official cutoff date for the Legislature to add proposals to the June 6 ballot. Lawmakers and administration officials have repeatedly stretched that deadline as they try to find a way out of a seemingly intractable disagreement over how much bond money to spend for new reservoirs....

The commercial will be broadcast on cable channels By SAMANTHA LEVINE Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle Washington Bureau WASHINGTON - Another day, another Tom DeLay ad, another rejection. After four Houston TV stations initially refused last month to show an ad criticizing the Republican House member from Sugar Land, at least one local station is refusing to run a new spot that promotes the lawmaker and attacks a prominent supporter of the Democrats. "We have chosen not to take the spot in its current form," said D'Artagnan Bebel, vice president and general manager of the local Fox affiliate, KRIV (Channel 26)....

AXcess News) New York - The United Nations envoy to Iraq today briefed Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the situation in the troubled country, focusing on the 15 December elections and the role of the UN Assistance Mission (UNAMI). UNAMI said that Ashraf Qazi had been invited to Moscow by the minister, who had also expressed his "appreciation" for the UN role in Iraq the country and "promised continued Russian support." Qazi discussed the United Iraqi Alliance's nomination of Prime Minister Ibrahim Al-Jaafari to head the first elected Government, the emergence of new alliances in Iraq and the likely...

Iraq hostage deadline is extended The peace campaigners oppose the war in Iraq An Iraqi militant group holding four Western peace activists hostage has extended the deadline for their execution, al-Jazeera reports. The original deadline set by the group for the US to release all Iraqi detainees was extended from Thursday to Saturday, the Arab TV station said. The four men - two Canadians, a Briton and an American - were seized last month in Baghdad. UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has renewed calls for the men's release. "If the kidnappers want to get in touch we want to hear...

Dr. Elsebeth Baumgartner and Bryan DuBois run a blog called Erie Voices that focuses on local issues in northern Ohio, especially those that are underreported by local newspapers. Many of their posts deal with judicial and governmental corruption in northern Ohio. The bloggers were arrested in July on charges of intimidation, retaliation, and possession of criminal tools (a computer). Their trial began yesterday. The charges originated from a complaint made by retired visiting Judge Richard Markus, who alleges that Baumgartner and DuBois intimidated and threatened him in 2004 prior to a civil trial in which Baumgartner was the defendant, as...