Free Republic

OP-ED: On Inauguration Day, after it got the United Nations to pass a gag rule on insulting religions, the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) told our new president in a New York Times ad that Muslims "have compelling strategic and moral reasons to cooperate and peacefully coexist with the United States in particular, and with the West in general." Many Muslims here and elsewhere want that partnership; but some, jihadists in the name of Islam, disagree violently. In its address to our new president, the Organization of the Islamic Conference (which has permanent status at the United Nations) made...

Almost 500 years ago, on the wall of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany, Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses, characterizing as "madness" the notion that papal pardons could absolve individuals for their sins. As viewed from Rome, Luther had maligned, even defamed, the church. Luther was eventually excommunicated. His conduct ultimately led to the creation of a Protestant Church in Germany and a Reformation throughout Europe. It is difficult to believe that in the 21st century anyone would seriously propose that conduct such as Luther's should be deemed illegal. But a few weeks ago, the General Assembly of the...

Politics and diplomacy were not a good mix at Monday's protest rally against Iran at the United Nations. Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin didn't participate in the "Stop Iran Now" rally and there were a lot of hard feelings about it. It was a simple sign that read "We Want Sarah. Shame On The Rally Organizer." Howard Webber from Brooklyn held it. "As important an event as this is, you needed a unity of Democrats and Republicans to show Ahmadinejad that we're not going to accept a nuclear Iran." Buddy Macy of Little Fells, N.J., felt much the same way....

The General Assembly of the United Nations voted this week to elect Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann as its new president. Readers with a long memory will recall Father D'Escoto (he's a Catholic priest) as Nicaragua's foreign minister during the Sandinista regime of the 1980s. He's also the winner of the 1985 Lenin Prize. Only at the U.N. does that count as a recommendation.continued

Chris Freund, Vice President Thursday, January 31, 2008 Action Alert: Today is Virtual Pro-Life Lobby Day Today, pro-abortion advocates will descend on the state capitol for Planned Parenthood's annual "pro-choice" lobby day. The halls will be filled with high school and college age girls carrying the pro-abortion message to legislators. In their crosshairs this year is Virginia's abstinence education policy. Recent studies have shown that abstinence education programs in Virginia are working, which means less profit for the nation's largest private provider of abortion. During the fall they successfully lobbied Governor Kaine to cut off funding for abstinence ed programs...

Fixing the Prince George's County hospitals, a ban on panhandling in Prince George's and money for improvements to the Laurel Armory, the Laurel mill dam ruins and the Laurel Boys and Girls Club are among the top priorities of local lawmakers for the 2008 session of the Maryland General Assembly, which opened Wednesday, Jan. 9. In addition, local lawmakers are pushing legislation that would ban the use of special taxing districts in residential developments, an attempt to avoid the type of controversy that has roiled the upscale Victoria Falls community in Laurel. Developers used such a taxing district to help...

BALTIMORE - Gov. Martin O’Malley and Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine called on Congress Wednesday to pass legislation to control greenhouse gas emissions, arguing the health of the Chesapeake Bay is at stake. “We now know with certainty that human activities — including coastal development, the burning of fossil fuels and increasing greenhouse gas emissions — are contributing to both the causes and consequences of climate change,” O’Malley told the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. But his testimony did not go over well with critics of the Intercounty Connector — an 18-mile toll road that would connect Montgomery and...

Governor favors linking rate to cost of road work Maryland's gasoline tax would go up in 18 months -- and possibly sooner -- if Gov. Martin O'Malley's plan to add $400 million a year in transportation funding is approved by the General Assembly. Although an immediate increase in the gas tax is not part of the $2 billion revenue plan the Democratic governor has been rolling out over the past week, he said Monday that he will push to tie future increases to the rising cost of road and bridge construction materials. At present rates of inflation, that would average...

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- Embattled state House Speaker Jim Black said Tuesday night he will not seek another term as speaker, ending an eight-year tenure as the top official in the state House. "I've been speaker for four terms," Black told The Associated Press. "This is, again, not about me. I don't have any need for me to be speaker forever." Black said he has no plans now to step aside from his Mecklenburg County legislative seat, and dismissed the suggestion he decided against seeking another term as speaker because he is worried about a possible federal indictment. For more...

Power Lunch President Bush at a U.N. luncheon; the event was skipped by Iranian President Ahmadinejad.

PRESIDENTIAL NEWS OF THE DAY: The President and First Lady are spending a quiet weekend prior to what will be another very busy week for them. The President will address the UN next week, while Mrs. Bush will also have a busy schedule while they are in New York. White House Press Secretary Tony Snow, a big FR favorite, has added a new and very welcome aggressive touch to White House communications efforts. The White House website now prominently features a series of rebuttals to inaccurate media reports. Called "Setting the Record Straight," the site has three rebuttals to news...

What if nobody blinks?by Michael Hardy and Jeff E. Schapiro Richmond Times Dispatch Virginia's highest-possible credit rating is not imperiled -- for now -- by a marathon budget impasse that could force a partial government shutdown in 22 days, Gov. Timothy M. Kaine and bond experts said yesterday. One of the analysts with whom Kaine met said the impasse does not immediately threaten the state's sterling credit rating -- Triple A, shared with six other states, including nearby Maryland and Delaware.

New talks toward a compromise Virginia budget abruptly collapsed in acrimony yesterday, reviving chances of a government shutdown unless lawmakers reach a deal before June 30. Conferees hit the road after senators accused delegates of gamesmanship for pressing for $800 million in new funding for a program senators believed was off the table for now: transportation.

This Friday, March 3, the House of Delegates Committee on Cities, Counties and Towns will hear SB 673, sponsored by Senator Mary Margaret Whipple (D-31, Arlington). This bill would allow self-insured local governments to add same-sex domestic partners to an employee's health insurance plan. The language of the bill purposefully is vague - not specifically mentioning homosexual couples - so as to soften perception and increase its chances of passage. It already passed the Senate 35-5 earlier in the session. Stopping this bill now - this Friday - in committee is the best way to defeat it. This bill was...

Another hectic week in the General Assembly is completed, and several important pro-family pieces of legislation are moving through the process. These bills will now move onto the Senate side as crossover approaches next week. At some point during the Senate debate we will need concerned citizens to contact their Senators to express support for the following bills. Stay tuned for further details. Student Survey Bill Delegate Tim Hugo's (R-40, Centreville) HB 1242 passed the House of Delegates this week by a vote of 93-4. This is legislation that will forbid school boards from surveying school children under 9th grade...

Yesterday, the Senate Finance Committee went on record for the first time in its history in opposition to giving parents in Virginia the freedom to choose the most suitable education environment for their children. In past years, any school choice legislation presented to this committee was killed without a vote. In fact, the bill had never received a motion for any action at all. But yesterday, to the apparent dismay of several Republican members of the committee, Democrats Dick Salsaw (D-35, Springfield) and Janet Howell (D-32, Reston) motioned for the bill to be "Passed by indefinitely" or defeated, forcing a...

On Friday, February 3, the House Militia, Police and Public Safety Committee passed two important pro-Second Amendment bills: HB 162, sponsored by Delegate Scott Lingamfelter (R-31), which prevents law-abiding citizens from being subjected to an employer's policy prohibiting lawfully-possessed firearms in a locked vehicle on the employer's property; and HB 1265, sponsored by Delegate Bill Janis (R-56), that prevents any government authority from suspending or restricting your Right to Keep and Bear Arms during a declared state of emergency. Both of these bills will be heading to the House floor next week, so it is critical that you contact your...

Today, nearly 200 people came together to lobby for marriage at va4marriage.org's Marriage Lobby Day! Even though you couldn't be here, you can still lobby from home and it's critical that you do! As early as tomorrow at 4 pm, the Senate Privileges and Elections Committee could vote on the Senate version of the marriage amendment. Patroned by Senator Steve Newman (R-23, Lynchburg), H J92 contains the same language of the amendment from last year. In addition to passing this resolution, the Senate will also need to pass SB 526 which specifically names the November 2006 election as the time...

For several years, the Senate Education and Health committee has been a killing ground for pro-life and pro-family legislation. Notorious for disrespecting pro-family advocates testifying before the committee and leading the killing of bills, Chairman Russ Potts (R-27, Winchester) has become the poster child for some Senate Republican's anti-family agenda. Now, you can have a say in what happens with that committee! Next week, the Senate leadership will have to make several decisions regarding seats on the Ed and Health committee, including that of Chairman Potts. Many pro-family Senators are demanding that Potts be removed from the committee after having...

The battle to renew the rights of parents to be involved in the lives of their children will be at the forefront of many initiatives The Family Foundation will support during the upcoming General Assembly session. For too long, government officials and legislators have interfered in the parent/child relationship, assuming that the government and its institutions are better suited to raise our children. Liberal activist groups like Planned Parenthood, the ACLU and the Virginia Education Association spend tremendous amounts of effort to block attempts to protect the relationship of parents and children. Among the several initiatives we will work to...

RICHMOND, Va. -- Social conservatives will continue to push their agenda in the 2006 General Assembly despite losses by two of their favorite legislators in the fall elections, activists and lawmakers say. The defeats of Republican Dels. Dick Black of Loudoun County and Brad Marrs of Chesterfield County were viewed by some as evidence that Virginians are tired of legislators focusing on hot-button social issues instead of core services such as public education and transportation. "The voters of Virginia have spoken, and it would behoove the legislators to listen to those voters and address more pressing statewide issues," said Ben...

By now you may have heard the news about Senator Bill Mims (R-33) accepting the position of Chief Deputy Attorney General. While his departure will surely be a loss for us in Loudoun County, we are thankful that one of our own will be assuming such enormous responsibilities for all of Virginia. With the tough losses we experienced in Loudoun County in November, I cannot stress the importance of retaining control of this seat. We must ensure that we continue to be represented by someone who steadfastly upholds the values and principles of the Republican Party. That’s why I’m running...

...There are good reasons to believe the current operation in Tal Afar -- a largely Turkoman city near the Syrian border -- will be a model of things to come. Previous attempts to clean the terrorists out of Tal Afar and other cities in northern and western Iraq have too often seen the insurgents melt away only to return when the U.S. spearhead withdrew. This time Iraqis are leading the fight and, most important, many will stay so the people of Tal Afar can begin to believe they can live free of terrorist intimidation. As of last night, a force...

UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday adopted a watered-down document on poverty, human rights and U.N. reform for world leaders to approve at a summit this week, after shedding many of Secretary-General Kofi Annan's most ambitious goals during weeks of bitter debate. The compromise 35-page document is supposed to launch a major reform of the United Nations itself and galvanize efforts to ease global poverty. But to reach a consensus, most of the text's details were gutted in favor of abstract language. A definition of terrorism and details on how to replace the discredited U.N. Commission...

Last update - 18:03 16/08/2005 Envoy to UN: Pullout should end UN hostility toward Israel By Reuters The Gaza pullout should mark an end to UN hostility against Israel, UN Ambassador Dan Gillerman said on Monday, urging the world body to support the withdrawal as a historic move toward peace. The comments echoed previous calls by Israel and the United States to halt the litany of anti-Israel resolutions passed by the UN General Assembly each year and dismantle the extensive bureaucracy built up around the Palestinian cause. "It is time for the United Nations to acknowledge Israel's actions," Gillerman told...

Operation Clean Sweep is aimed at one simple goal: cleaning house in the Pennsylvania General Assembly by defeating every single incumbent officeholder up for re-election in 2006. The current members of the General Assembly have slapped taxpayers in the face by awarding themselves a huge pay increase. While some members did vote "no" on the increase, it is common knowledge that all votes were pre-arranged to protect vulnerable seats. Operation Clean Sweep is not a Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Constitution or Green Party issue. It's us vs. them. The governed vs. the government. The taxpayers vs. the tax spenders. Are you...

OP-ED COLUMNIST I don't like John Bolton's management style. Nor am I a big fan of his foreign policy views. He doesn't really believe in using U.S. power to end genocide or promote democracy. But it is ridiculous to say he doesn't believe in the United Nations. This is a canard spread by journalists who haven't bothered to read his stuff and by crafty politicians who aren't willing to say what the Bolton debate is really about. The Bolton controversy isn't about whether we believe in the U.N. mission. It's about which U.N. mission we believe in. From the start,...

SB1338 Health insurance; Group accident and sickness insurance coverage. Allows coverage under a group accident and sickness insurance policy to be extended to insure any class of persons as may mutually be agreed upon by the insurer and the goup policyholder. This is a dangerous and costly piece of legislation. If passed, it opens the door for health care coverage of anyone an employee designates and the employer & insurer agree to. The costs to the employers are potentially astronomical. Who gets to define "class of persons"? Once this bill is passed and an employer or insurer declines to cover...

Fw:Rep John W Rhodes Johnrh@ncleg.net Letter to the Editor The Charlotte Observer January 24 2005 Once Again Lawmakers, Tripping Over the Trees, Looking for Forest. Rep. John W. Rhodes 704-892-7783 Once again North Carolinians will be watching the story unfold of how their state is in such financial disrepair as the 2004-05 General Assembly convenes Wednesday. Once again lawmakers will be tripping over the trees in search of the illusive forest, a quick fix the current budget, or at least make things look rosy for their next election. Folks, this is not rocket science, the cure for North Carolina's budget...

They seek momentum and distinctions as they get ready for governor's race With both men running for governor, the legislative focus of Lt. Gov. Timothy M. Kaine and Attorney General Jerry W. Kilgore will have a distinct political tilt this session. Republican Kilgore's legislative package emphasizes law and order, including a new death-penalty crime. Democrat Kaine is morally opposed to the death penalty but says he will enforce state death-penalty laws. Kilgore's backers think Kaine is vulnerable on this issue, and the legislative measure could keep the death penalty in the public eye.

Phil Berger (R-Eden) was unanimously elected as Senate Minority Leader, the job held by Jim Forrester (R-Gaston) since Patrick Ballantine resigned last April.“I’m excited about this opportunity,” Berger said. “My colleagues have expressed confidence in my ability to articulate our conservative message and to provide new focus to our efforts in the General Assembly.”Democrats hold a 29-21 lead in the state Senate after picking up a net gain of two seats on Election Day, despite Senate Republicans winning more than half the statewide vote.“We understand we’re in the minority, Berger said. “The Governor and legislative Democrats could adopt rules and...

KENTUCKIANS FOR TAX REFORM SET TO EXPOSE ‘KENTUCKY’S LEAST WANTED’ WILL SINGLE OUT LEGISLATORS AS ENEMIES OF THE TAXPAYER FOR THEIR REFUSAL TO VOTE ON A STATE BUDGET LOUISVILLE, KY – Kentuckians for Tax Reform, the state chapter of Americans for Tax Reform, famous for the “Taxpayer Protection Pledge”, has called a press conference for Tuesday, October 5th, in the Rotunda of the Capitol Building in Frankfort, Kentucky. The press conference is scheduled for 10:30 till 11:00 a.m. The KTR press conference will expose “Kentucky’s Least Wanted” legislators, who have obstructed, delayed and refused to pass a state budget during...

State Senator Ray Jones' months-long personal attacks against the Governor, the Senate President, the Senate President's wife, and anyone who disagrees with him are a case-study in the failed policies of the left-wing of the Democratic Party. Senator Jones invokes insidious words like 'blackmail' and 'extortion', as well as threats of legal reprisal against all those who oppose him. Desperate to re-elect himself and advance his political career, Mr. Jones throws one tantrum of name-calling after another in the press and on the Senate floor against those who are putting partisan differences aside and forging a bipartisan approach to solving...

By GARY D. ROBERTSON, Associated Press Writer RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - Federal attorneys said Friday they only have a couple of questions about North Carolina's legislative districts, a sign that the plans may be approved in time for a primary now set for July. The U.S. Department of Justice, writing to a three-judge federal panel in Washington, said the state's latest House and Senate maps don't appear to have been designed to reduce the political power of minority voters. The attorneys also aren't worried that black residents may be worse off compared to maps approved in 2002, except in two...

A JOINT RESOLUTION directing the Historic Properties Advisory Commission to remove the Jefferson Davis statue from the Capitol Rotunda and move it to the Kentucky History Center where it can be displayed for its historical value and context in history. WHEREAS, we recognize that Jefferson Davis has a significant role in history as a well accomplished veteran, politician, and statesman; and WHEREAS, there is no question of his status as a historical figure serving as Secretary of War, representing Mississippi as senator, and leading the Confederacy as President; however, his belief in the rights expounded by the Confederacy to own...

<p>Gov. Mark R. Warner said he was forced to break his no-tax-increase pledge because he had been misinformed about the gravity of the state's budget mess during his candidacy.</p> <p>In effect, Warner said in an interview yesterday, he eventually chose to make good on the tax-overhaul pledge he made as a candidate in 2001 instead of the no-tax-increase vow.</p>

Israel, which has seen hundreds of UN resolutions passed against its policies over the years, circulated its first resolution ever to the General Assembly as part of a new effort to engage the United Nations and to test whether the organization is capable of taking a balanced approach to the Mideast. The Israeli resolution, a copy of which was given to The Associated Press on Monday, calls for the protection of Israeli children victimized by Palestinian terrorism. It closely mirrors a similar draft submitted by Egypt last week highlighting the plight of Palestinian children affected by more than three years...

United Nations, October 21: Angered by American veto of their resolution in the Security Council, Arabs have asked the UN General Assembly to declare the security wall that Israel is building illegal and seek advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on its legality. After a debate lasting three hours, the sponsors postponed the vote on the two resolutions, which were introduced as the 191-member Assembly met, to give time to their diplomats to get widest possible support. During the debate, Arabs were highly critical of Israel, accusing it of trying to grab Palestinians' lands and establishing a de...

UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 19 (Xinhuanet) -- The United Nations General Assembly on Friday overwhelmingly adopted a resolution demanding Israel drop its threat to "remove" Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. The measure was passed in a vote of 133 to 4, with 15 abstentions. Sudan, Malaysia and 18 other nations presented the resolution to the General Assembly after a similar one was vetoed by the United States on Tuesday at the Security Council. But unlike those adopted by the 15-nation council, General Assembly resolutions are not binding.

<p>UNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- Arab nations plan to go to the U.N. General Assembly to ask for a resolution condemning the U.S.-British-led coalition in Iraq and calling for troop withdrawal.</p> <p>Secretary-General Kofi Annan met in New York Monday with ambassadors from Arab nations to brief them on Iraq and hear their concerns on the conflict, his spokesman said.</p>

Could the U.N. use military force to prevent the United States and Britain from waging war on Iraq without a Security Council mandate? United Nations headquarters in New York Some anti-war groups are urging the world body to invoke a little-known convention that allows the General Assembly to step in when the Security Council is at an impasse in the face of a "threat to the peace, breach of the peace or act of aggression." The willingness by the U.S. and Britain to go to war with Iraq without Security Council authorization is the kind of threat the U.N. had...

Here is the latest tactic from Greenpeace to stop the U.S. from disarming Saddam Hussein - Let the voices of the WORLD be heard Mon 17 March 2003 UNITED STATES/New York The leaders of the most powerful nations on Earth have failed us. The Security Council has failed us. The world stands on the brink of war. The UN has one last chance to stand up for peace. If ever there was a need for the United Nations to rise to the challenge it was conceived to meet, now is that time. When the majority of world opinion stands opposed...

Russia and France are threatening to veto any U.N. Security Council resolution that authorizes military action against Iraq. Is a veto the same thing as a "no" vote? For the Security Council's five permanent members, voting "nay" is, indeed, tantamount to a veto, per a rule known as "great power unanimity." The word "veto" is nowhere to be found in the U.N. Charter, but the document does mention that Security Council decisions "shall be made by an affirmative vote of nine members, including the concurring votes of the permanent members." So, if permanent members China, Russia, France, Great Britain,...

Here is the status of key bills introduced thus far during the 2003 General Assembly session: Bill: H.B. 37 Description: Prohibits the state, local governments and school districts from denying any youth organization access to public facilities for meetings, based on that organization's enforcement of its moral principles. Aimed at preventing discrimination against the Boy Scouts for prohibiting homosexual members or leaders. Status: Assigned to Judiciary Committee Bill: H.B. 83 Description: Prohibits drivers from using cell phones while their vehicle is in motion, unless it's a hands-free phone. Status: Assigned to Motor Vehicles Committee Bill: H.B. 121 Description: Mid-year budget...

On Wednesday Feb. 19th both chambers of the Kentucky General Assembly passed versions of the Resolution to Support our Troops that was previously passed by the Louisville Metro Council. In the House, it was submitted as HR79 by State Representative Steve Nunn (R-Glasgow). In the Senate, State Senator Dan Seum (R-Louisville) introduced the Resolution and nearly every Senator stood to request to be added as co-sponsors before the vote was taken! In both chambers the voice vote to approve the Resolution was overwhelming. I'd like to thank FReeper fivetoes out in Colorado who took this Resolution and organized a campaign...

Okay folks, This is "It"!!! VAHV had several Board members lobbying the Senate Courts of Justice committee today to determine if SB698, (designed to close the gun show loophole in Virginia) really had any kind of real chance. They have just reported back that if we can flood the offices of the committee members tomorrow with phone calls and faxed letters, then the bill does in fact have a real chance. YOU ARE NEEDED!!! Please take a moment and make a phone call and or send a fax. Simply say that you hope that you can count on your legislative...

GOP Governor candidate in Kentucky, State Representative Steve Nunn will make is official Thursday, December 19th. He will have a state-wide sweep through key battle ground areas to announce his bid for Governor. He will also announce his pick to be his running mate. Inside speculation is that it will be Louisville State Representative Bob Heleringer.

Attempt to restrict stance on late-term abortions is defeated by Assembly By Leslie Scanlon Outlook National Reporter COLUMBUS, OHIO — Continuing the PC(USA)'s ongoing struggle with the issue of abortion, the 214th General Assembly rejected Friday a minority report that wanted the church to say that late-term abortions "may be undertaken only when necessary to save the life of the mother." Instead, the Assembly adopted a statement that ending a pregnancy late in the term, after the fetus becomes viable and possibly could live after birth, "is a matter of grave moral concern to us all, and may be undertaken...

Emergency U.N. General Assembly Session to Consider Resolution That Would Condemn Israel for 'atrocities' in Jenin UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The U.N. General Assembly scheduled an emergency session Tuesday, with Arab and developing nations pressing to condemn Israel for alleged atrocities in the Jenin refugee camp and for blocking a U.N. fact-finding mission from looking into the fighting in the camp. A draft resolution introduced by Sudan on behalf of the Arab Group of nations and by South Africa on behalf of the Nonaligned Movement of developing countries would ask Secretary-General Kofi Annan to submit a report on events in...

<p>In a stunning setback for Democratic Gov. Mark R. Warner last night, Republicans in the House killed voter-choice tax increases for roads and schools by adjourning rather than voting on the hard-fought proposal.</p> <p>In a partisan power play, the House GOP used its 2-to-1 majority to force the adjournment of the 2002 General Assembly and avoid a vote on a compromise freeing Northern Virginians - in a single regional vote - to raise the sales tax from 4.5 cents to a nickel on the dollar for transportation and education.</p>