Free Republic

I opened the International Herald Tribune today here in Korea and read an absolutely precious letter from a Mr. Bruce Joffe of Piedmont, California (who, as far as I can tell is a professional writer of leftist letters to the editor): "How can I say this in a politically correct manner? A four-month baby needs a lot of time in the arms of its mother. Most mothers feel a similar need to be close to their baby. And a Downs Syndrome baby needs even more maternal attention. So what kind of family values is Palin exhibiting by going off on...

A conservative analyst says the media are currently in a feeding frenzy, trying to assert that Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is unfit to be vice president because her teenage daughter is pregnant. One pro-family leader says the way liberal media is reporting the story exposes a "rank hypocrisy." Female news anchors and reporters from various media outlets, including CBS, NBC, and CNN, have suggested 17-year-old Bristol Palin's pregnancy should have disqualified her mother from becoming John McCain's running mate and raises questions about McCain's judgment. Katie Couric of CBS News even chided the McCain campaign for not notifying the press...

A San Francisco court's ruling that a 14-year-old drug suspect from Honduras should be considered an abandoned youth - entitled to shelter rather than deportation - was thwarted Wednesday when the city turned him over to federal immigration authorities.

EDINBURG -- A nearly half-ton woman charged with capital murder in the death of her 2-year-old nephew faces additional charges following a grand jury indictment Thursday. Investigators suspect Mayra Lizbeth Rosales, 27, hit Eliseo Gonzalez Jr. at least two times on March 18, crushing the child's head. The bedridden woman told investigators at the time that she accidentally crushed Eliseo under her own weight while trying to pick him up. In addition to the capital murder charge - which carries a death sentence upon conviction - she was indicted on one count of first-degree murder, a charge punishable by up...

Why We Whisper by: Melinda Zosh, July 24, 2008 Senator Jim Demint (R-SC) said that unwed pregnant women should not be schoolteachers, and the media accused him of intolerance. What the media did not reveal, however, were the constituents who whispered after the cameras disappeared. “People would whisper ‘you’re right, we’re with you,’” said Sen. Demint. “They did not want to say that anything was wrong, because they know that’s hateful, wrong and politically incorrect. I notice how much people whisper.” Sen. Demint more than noticed the whispers, and he wanted his constituents’ voices to be heard. He wrote a...

Liberal Greed by: Melinda Zosh, July 24, 2008 Liberals accept cheating on taxes, cheating on their spouses and lying for their own self interests, Peter Schweizer, author of Makers and Takers, said. Schweizer spoke at the Heritage Foundation about his book focusing on “why conservatives work harder, feel happier, have closer families, take fewer drugs, give more generously, value honesty more, are less materialistic and envious, whine less…and even hug their children more than liberals.” He decided to write his book after liberals published articles about conservatives. His book is based on research conducted by non-partisan researchers at the University...

A recent survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation concluded that the number of Hispanics infected with HIV/AIDS is on the rise, with as many as one in four gay Hispanic men having HIV, almost equaling HIV rates in the sub-Saharan Africa. Although Hispanics make up about 14 percent of the US population, they represent 22 percent of new HIV and AIDS diagnoses in 2006. Hispanics in Washington DC appear to have the highest rate of new AIDS cases in the country. The 22 percent was the result of analyzing HIV rates in 33 states and Puerto Rico, but not California,...

A NeW Kind of Choice by: Rachel Paulk, July 02, 2008 Radical feminists have been hard at work for decades stressing the importance of women choosing career paths over homemaking, corner offices instead of kitchens, and power suits to replace aprons. To a certain extent, their message has been accepted and assimilated into mainstream society. The U.S. Department of Labor reported in 2007 that “A record 68 million women were employed in the U.S.—75% of employed women worked on full-time jobs, while 25% worked on a part-time basis” and “Women accounted for 51% of all workers in the high-paying management,...

A Maryland judge sentenced an illegal immigrant to more than seven years in prison for coercing a 14-year-old girl into prostitution and forcing her to engage in sex with more than 25 men a day, according to federal prosecutors in Maryland. Javier Miguel Ramirez, 35, a Mexican national living in Hyattsville, was sentenced Monday to 87 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release for sex trafficking of a minor girl. He had pleaded guilty in March. U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein said the case was one of the most shameful human trafficking cases he’s seen. “Javier Miguel...

Where the Boys Are by: Emily Ham, June 18, 2008 After the state Supreme Court’s June 5 decision to discard the requests of attorneys general from some ten states to stay the May 15 ruling allowing gay marriage within the state, thousands of homosexual couples are expected to tie the knot in California as soon as the new legislation takes effect. But many people are seeing confusion in the horizon as questions are beginning to arise about how long the state’s new court ruling will be in place.This uncertainty began with the June 2 ruling in which the California Supreme...

We broke the unbelievable story last night of a 10-year old girl in St. Anthony who gave birth to a baby. She's now one of the youngest kids in the country to become a mother. Residents both on and off camera were shocked and in dismay over the situation, today this is what they had to say about our story. Jim Ker, shocked resident: "I think there's a lot of sick people out there." Holly Theisen, upset resident: "Somebody would end up getting hurt by me if that was my kid and I'd probably go to jail." Kaity Dolezal, shocked...

(Burlington, NC) Twelve men were arrested in connection with charges of kidnapping and assaulting three women Saturday and authorities will still trying to sort out the "convoluted mess" on Sunday. The women say they were held against their will at gunpoint in a mobile home at Seamster's Mobile Home Park at 2111 N.C. 49 North, near Sandy Cross Road, north of Green Level, overnight Saturday. A list of names and charges against the men remained unavailable Sunday, as deputies and interpreters were still interviewing the suspects and victims. At least four men had been formally charged with a range of...

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Straight Kids Unite by: J. Matt Barber, May 08, 2008 On April 25, adult homosexual activists with the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN) held their annual “Day of Silence” (DOS) propaganda push. During DOS, teachers and students in roughly three thousand middle schools, high schools and colleges across the country are cynically used as culture war pawns in an effort to legitimize conventionally immoral, objectively deviant and demonstrably high-risk sexual behaviors. Kids and teachers are encouraged on DOS to disrupt the school day by refusing to speak in class as a show of support to students who self-identify...

RAINBOW VALLEY, Ariz. -- An 18-year-old illegal immigrant has been arrested in connection with the rape of an 11-year-old girl, Maricopa County sheriff's deputies said.Enrique Jacobo-Valdez was booked into the Fourth Avenue Jail on two counts of sexual conduct with a minor.Jacobo-Valdez is currently unemployed and had a warrant out for his arrest from Pinal County for possession of dangerous drugs, deputies said.He was living with the child's family at the time of the alleged incident. The sheriff's office said it dispatched deputies after receiving a phone call Thursday from the victim's grandmother indicating that she found the 11-year-old locked...

EDINBURG — Jose Guadalupe Garcia predicted his death weeks before sheriff’s deputies found him shot and mutilated in an orchard northwest of Alton. The 36-year-old former Mexican judicial officer and gang member told family members he had been offered a promotion within his criminal organization, but he wanted out, Hidalgo County Sheriff Lupe Treviño said Monday. And in the Partido Revolucionario Mexicano, a violent and secretive prison gang also known as Los Barrachos de Villa, that decision could only mean one thing. “Blood in, blood out,” Treviño said. “The motive is very traditional for these types of gangs. To join...

Would this not send a strong message to support Christianity? Would it not also be a counter to the homosexual “Day of Silence?” Any comments?

Melanie Bowers, 13, and her parents walked into Athens High School Monday afternoon to talk to campus police. They were hoping to get some answers. "It never should have happened in the first place. The whole assignment was a silly assignment and they should have contacted us immediately after it happened," said J.R. Bowers, Melanie's father. It was an assignment for history class--to make a protest sign for or against an issue, and Melanie said she chose illegal immigration. Her sign read, "If you love our nation, stop illegal immigration." Somehow, Melanie said the sign got passed around lunch and...

March 27 Federal police arrested four alleged financial operatives of the Sinaloa drug cartel, the government announced. The four suspects have been identified by the U.S. Treasury Department as Sinaloa members suspected of money laundering. Six people, including two soldiers, died during a firefight in Badiraguato, Sinaloa state. Some soldiers were detained afterward for violating the rules of engagement during the incident. Police in Cancun, Quintana Roo state, increased security at a hospital in the city after fears surfaced that an alleged Cuban smuggler being treated at the hospital may be kidnapped. A man in Yautepec, Morelos state, died from...

It sounds like a throwback to the heights of political correctness of the early 1990s, but it's actually happening here in New York City in 2008: The Prospect Park Alliance has renamed its annual, much loved "Family Day" event as "Members Spring Fest." To rub salt in the wounds of family-loving Brooklynites, a "save the date" postcard notes in small print that the event is "formerly known as Family Day." So much for family values in Brooklyn, is the apparent decision of the Prospect Park Alliance board. That group of eminent New Yorkers includes Mayor Bloomberg's daughter Emma; Mr. Bloomberg's...

In a stunning turnaround, the cabby hailed as a hero for delivering an "abandoned" baby to a Queens firehouse Thursday was arrested yesterday for making up the heart-wrenching story. In a dramatic jailhouse confession to The Post, livery cabdriver Klever Sailema, 45, said he was only trying to help the infant. -snip Sailema allegedly teamed up with the child's dad, Carlos Rodas, 27, and paternal aunt, Maria Siavichay, to enact a bizarre plot to get rid of the kid, dubbed "Lourdes," but whose real name is Daniella Perez, after the little girl's 14-year-old mother said she could no longer handle...

. Published: January 10, 2008 The Dark Side of Illegal Immigration: Nearly One Million Sex Crimes Committed by Illegal Immigrants in the United States Deborah Schurman-Kauflin, Ph.D. From the author: Please note: This study of illegal immigrants who committed sex crimes in the U.S. was NOT funded by anyone or any group. As a working profiler, I wondered what the statistics were regarding these crimes. I could not find any studies that discussed these offenses and the profile of the offenders, so I did the research myself. Additionally, I was not paid for publishing the results. Introduction: After conducting a...

MEXICO CITY – Mexico City has started a women-only bus service to protect female passengers from groping and verbal abuse common on the city's packed public transportation system. Millions of people cram into subway trains and buses in the Mexican capital, one of the world's largest cities, and women have long complained of abuse from men taking advantage of overcrowding to sneak in an inappropriate grab. “One time a man stuck his hand up my skirt. They grab your butt ... It's gross,” said 27-year-old office assistant Lourdes Zendejas, who waited 20 minutes during the evening rush hour to catch...

Fred on the Issues (from www.Fred08.com) National Security The first responsibility of government is to protect the American people, the homeland, and our way of life. Today we face the urgent threat of radical Islamic terrorists. Al Qaeda is committed to attacking us here at home, and wants to use weapons of mass destruction (WMD) to kill millions. We must never give them that opportunity. We must defeat the terrorists abroad, and that begins in Iraq and Afghanistan—the central fronts in this global war. We must show the world we have the will to fight and win. A weakened America...

Shakesqueer by: Bethany Stotts, January 09, 2008 Chicago, Ill.—The recent Shakespeare panel at the 2007 Modern Language Association (MLA) convention, ironically titled “Shakesqueer,” featured four queer theorists presenting articles soon to be published by the notoriously liberal Duke University press. The panelists described the collection as the first reputable, scholarly collection of Shakespeare queer theory criticism, and it will join other illustrious Duke Press lesbian bisexual gay transsexual (LGBT) titles such as “Barbie’s Queer Accessories,” “Desiring Disability: Queer Theory Meets Disability Studies,” “Female Masculinity,” and “In the Name of National Security: Hitchcock, Homophobia, and the Political Construction of Gender in...

Film Clips by: Heyecan Veziroglu, December 20, 2007 The Washington Film Institute is a new organization which was established to inspire and stimulate audiences through film education and discussions. The Institute has been programming film events such as Prince Among Slaves which was shown at Howard University’s Cramton Auditorium on December1, 2007. The film is far more than the true story of an African Prince (Abdul Rahman Ibrahim Sori) who was sold into slavery in the American South in 1788. The Moslem Prince was enslaved for 40 years. Then he regained his freedom and returned to Africa. He married a...

Being broke need not mean social death in Sweden - as long as you are well-educated. But for Americans and Russians having a good all-round education is no substitute for having cash, according to a new survey on status symbols in the three countries. The international survey by analysts United Minds asked 1,000 people in each country what values confer status. 'Bling' items such as expensive jewellery and designer clothes come well down the list for Swedes, while featuring more highly for Americans and, particularly, Russians. "Sweden is the only country where you can be penniless but well-read and still...

A brand new Whit Ayers poll of 600 South Carolina voters — 300 likely Republican presidential primary voters and 300 likely Democratic primary voters — was released Monday. Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani and John McCain are in a statistical dead heat among Republicans with Fred Thompson in a close fourth. And for Democrats, Hillary Clinton is dusting the field with a 19 point lead over second place Barack Obama.REPUBLICANS: Mitt Romney - 20% Rudy Giuliani - 19% John McCain - 17% Fred Thompson - 13% Mike Huckabee - 8% Ron Paul - 3% Duncan Hunter - 1% Tom Tancredo...

BOISE -- Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney spent some time in Boise this morning and gathered a lot of money for his campaign. He attended a fundraising breakfast at Hillcrest Country Club where about 150 people donated more than $100,000 total. Afterwards, the former Massachusetts governor talked about two of his key issues. "I also have described how I would strengthen our economy, and that's getting us independent from foreign oil, and it's enforcing our immigration laws so we can have legal immigration but end illegal immigration," said Romney. Romney also answered a question about Senator Larry Craig. As we...

A new CNN/WMUR-TV poll in New Hampshire finds Mitt Romney way ahead with 33% support from likely Republican primary voters, followed by Sen. John McCain at 18%, Rudy Giuliani at 16%, Rep. Ron Paul at 8% and Gov. Mike Huckabee at 5%. Key caveat: Just 14% have "definitely decided" who they will vote for in the primary while 56% "are still trying to decide." Complete survey results are available.

Thompson skids while Romney, Paul climb in N.H. pollCNN 19 November 2007 WASHINGTON (CNN) – Former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson has skidded into sixth place in a new CNN/WMUR poll of likely Republican voters in New Hampshire, edged out by ex-Libertarian and anti-war congressman Ron Paul and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney topped the poll, widening a lead he has held for months in neighboring New Hampshire, while Arizona Sen. John McCain and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani were running close in the second and third spots. The CNN/WMUR poll was conducted by...

As Mitt Romney contemplates a potential presidential matchup next November against Hillary Clinton, his supporters believe he has a leg up: He already knows how to beat a Democratic insider, a woman with strong political connections, and a tough, well-oiled campaign operation. Former aides say Romney's winning campaign against state Treasurer Shannon P. O'Brien in the 2002 Massachusetts gubernatorial race showed that Romney could gracefully navigate issues of gender, power, and party politics sure to arise in a contest with Clinton. The leading GOP contenders all say they would be the strongest standard-bearer against Clinton, but Romney himself has cited...

The Court of Appeals for the U.S. Ninth Circuit upheld this summer an Oakland, Calif., city government declaration that the phrase "marriage is the foundation of the natural family and sustains family values" was inflammatory and promoted harassment based on so-called sexual orientation. The phrase was also deemed to be homophobic and disruptive. It seems a few Christian women working for Oakland's city government formed a Good News Employee Association, and in promoting the club, included the aforementioned phrase on a flier. Later, a lesbian worker complained that the flier made her feel "targeted" and "excluded." Most recently, hate crimes...

ISN'T IT GREAT to know that the Republican candidates for president are all hopped up about moral values? In presentations to conservative voters in Florida at the "Value Voter Summit," major presidential hopefuls Fred Thompson, Mitt Romney, John McCain and Rudy Giuliani each sought to outscore their opponents on those matters that so exercise the hearts and minds of the evangelicals. It's intriguing to see how these anxious social conservatives (and their candidates on that day) define values. Their big four issues are abortion, gay rights, religious liberalism and gun control. These "no, no, no, no" positions that stress the...

GOP presidential contender Fred Thompson brought his message to religious conservatives in Hollywood after a stopover in Pensacola. Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson polished his conservative credentials Friday as he emphasized family values and traditional policy pillars in a speech Friday night to a conservative religious group. The Florida Family Policy Council invited Thompson to be the keynote speaker at at a dinner at the Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa in Hollywood. The group is an off-shoot of James Dobson's Focus on the Family and has advocated a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. The group is not endorsing the Republican...

What would you say if I told you that there is an American business that drops metric tons of toxic waste on your country and in your homes every day? I'm not talking about chemical waste or nuclear waste but toxins far more lethal - the byproducts of what's called entertainment, which are destroying the social environment. I refer to Hollywood, whose primary products are sex, violence, perversion, nihilism, attacks on religion and a thoroughgoing anti-family ethic. They are produced both for domestic consumption and export. It wasn't always so. As fans of old movies can attest, in the 1930s...

Now with a commanding lead in the lead off Caucus, and big lead in New Hampshire, Romney has extended his lead while Huckabee is starting to lose steam. It would appear as if voters were beginning to look at his record and not like what they see. Romney now has 29% of Likely Caucus voters followed by Huckabee trailing Romney by thirteen percentage points, who now has 16%. In a virtual tie for second is Rudy Giuliani at 15% and Fred Thompson at 14%. Further back are John McCain (6%), Ron Paul (4%), Tom Tancredo (4%), and Duncan Hunter (2%)....

Mitt Romney, campaigning for the Republican presidential nomination with a name less known than Rudy Giuliani, says he will win his party's nod the old-fashioned way. The traditional campaign strategy of focusing on the premier contests in Iowa and New Hampshire is a proven recipe for success, Romney says in an interview with the Associated Press. Writer Liz Sidoti reports from Sioux City, Iowa, that the former Massachusetts governor believes he is "just following the same path that every nominee for president has followed.'' ...snip... ""I'm outworking them. That's what I'm going to do," Romney said of his Republican rivals....

The Florida Family Policy Council will be hosting, An evening with… Fred Thompson Friday November 16, 2007 VIP Reception 5:30-6:30pm Dinner 6:30-9:00pm Westin Diplomat Hotel: 3555 South Ocean Drive, Hollywood, Florida http://www.flfamily.org/events_details.php?id=47

DOVER — Mitt Romney believes his experience as a former governor and an entrepreneur make him the best qualified candidate — Republican or Democratic — to be the next president. "If you're going to run the largest enterprise in the world, it is helpful to have had some executive experience running something," said Romney during an editorial board meeting at Foster's Daily Democrat Friday morning. Romney said he has much more experience compared to Democratic front-runner New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama and North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, who he calls "career politicians." The former Massachusetts governor...

Mitt Romney has had a great week in California. First, on Wednesday night, the Young Republican Federation of California's Board of Directors voted to endorse the Romney campaign - becoming the first grassroots group in the state to endorse Governor Romney. To add to that, just minutes ago, the California Republican Assembly joined the YRFC by overwhelmingly voting to endorse the Romney campaign. By a vote of 148 - 73, CRA took a big step in showing clearly that the conservative base of the Republican Party is coalescing around Governor Romney. Primary elections are traditionally dominated by the bases of...

THE RACE: The presidential race for Republicans, Democrats in New Hampshire THE NUMBERS - DEMOCRATS Hillary Rodham Clinton, 36% Barack Obama, 25% John Edwards, 14% Bill Richardson, 6% THE NUMBERS - REPUBLICANS Mitt Romney, 33% Rudy Giuliani, 22% John McCain, 13% Ron Paul, 7% Mike Huckabee, 7% Fred Thompson, 5%

Fred Thompson's campaign for president has collapsed. Well, at least, among the bookies. I've been giving readers regular updates on the betting in the presidential election, but absolutely nothing has been more dramatic this fall than Thompson's market meltdown. According to the betting at the Iowa Electronic Markets, the TV actor's chances of winning the GOP nomination have slumped in just six weeks from nearly 30% to less than 10%. As recently as June, just after the former Senator announced he was running, he was the favorite in the betting, at nearly 40%. The numbers are similar over at Dublin-based...

In the race for the GOP Presidential nomination there are two real frontrunners and three nipping at the formers’ heels. It certainly appearst that either Rudy Giuliani or Mitt Romney are going to be the Republican nominee. In the comments section of an article on Race42008, there is an interesting discussion going on about the respective strategies for winning the nomination of both Rudy and Mitt. Rudy’s strategy is a national one. He views February 5th as a national primary; a day in which truly significant states with large numbers of delegates are voting. Ultimately Rudy’s plan is now to...

...The truth is - significant evangelical voices have spoken with great conviction about the qualifications of one of the leading top tier candidates of recent - and more voices continue to come forward almost weekly. While Mayor Giuliani's faith would on the surface expect to share similar values with evangelical voters, apparently the Mayor himself does not. But Mitt Romney - who has not been ruled out of support from prominent leaders like Dr. James Dobson and Dr. Tony Perkins. Is also enjoying expressed outspoken support from additional prominent conservative evangelical voices like Paul Weyrich, Dr. Wayne Grudem, and perhaps...

Sen. Judd Gregg: America needs Mitt Romney's leadershipBy SEN. JUDD GREGG 7 November 2007 OVER THE LAST few months, I have joined you in taking the opportunity to meet the candidates running for the Republican presidential nomination, to learn about their positions on the issues, to meet their families, and to examine their records. This is a critical election that will determine the future course of our country. When evaluating a candidate, we must take into account the full breadth of their experience, vision and values. What I have found is that Mitt Romney is the leader we need...

That Southern charm may soften the appearance of the actor-senator’s hardened conservative views. Last month brough the moment in the presidential campaign I’d been dreading. The popular conservative from my home state, fellow Tennessean Fred Thompson, entered the Republican primary. The pundits and “insiders” have dismissed the actor and former senator even before he declared his candidacy on late-night TV. Some claim he’s a Hollywood lightweight, but I’ve heard that before (Ronald Reagan). Some dismiss him as a Southern simpleton, but I’ve heard that before (George W. Bush). And I’ve even heard some claim he has a wealth of sexual...

Herndon Police Investigate Homicide posted 12:16 pm Sun October 28, 2007 - Herndon (Virginia) police are investigating a homicide the occurred Saturday night. Officers were called to the 1,000-block of Alabama Drive around 9:45 p.m. Saturday. Investigation revealed 20-year-old Luis Miguel Abrego Romero stabbed Juan Jose Alvarenga Alvarenga in the upper torso. Alvarenga was transported to INOVA Fairfax Hospital where he later died. Officers say Romero fled the scene on foot and his current whereabouts are unknown.

WOODLYN, Pa. - For years, brothers Pisey and Dara Tan had barely spoken to each other as they went their separate ways - Pisey into the Army, Dara off to college. Today they share a home and are as close as two brothers can be, reunited by a roadside bombing in Iraq in 2004 that reduced Pisey's legs to bandaged stubs. It's been a long, agonizing three years. Dara, now 22, has carried, pushed, picked up, encouraged and sometimes fought with his brother, who has learned to walk with ease on prosthetic legs. "He thinks I'm a psychopath maniac sometimes...

Country-entertainment mecca Branson, Mo., is becoming the GOP's answer to Hollywood when it comes to raising big bucks from the entertainment community. Presidential hopefuls have found their own little slice of hillbilly heaven nestled in the foothills of the Ozarks. Branson serves up its politics the same way its restaurants serve up food -- down-home, country-style, and unapologetically old-fashioned. Here you'll find no Barbra Streisands, Jane Fondas, or other denizens of Tinseltown's left-leaning elite. Branson entertainer and theater owner Jim Stafford calls it “families entertaining families,” From the flags draping Highway 76 to the stars and stripes lavishly splashed on...