Free Republic

Had a good turnout for the ultimate backwoods teaparty. It's raining right now in Indy and we had our teaparty/gun shoot yesterday. We knew it would be raining today so we had our event yesterday. Made some noise, shot some guns, set off some explosives in celebration of the the 4th at an undisclosed location in Indiana. Heard the news about Gov. Palin resigning, coupled with the Gov. Sanford self destruction, we feel there is no hope left. Powder is dry. For those who feel the need to point out that we are now on the DHS most wanted list...

Sanford has committed sepuku on live TV. Ensign has discovered what goes on in Vegas does not always stay in Vegas. Palin is retiring from politics. Haley Barbour is a former lobbyist who runs the poorest state in the Union. Huckabee is a 5th stringer. John Thune is running for Vice President and we have no idea whether General Petraeus is a conservative or not. It looks like the only guy who can stop the Mitt Machine is Daniels. If you don't like Daniels, then Romney is the nominee by default in 2012.

Harry Potter fans are looking forward to the boy wizard’s next screen adventure, when Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince opens this month. Pottermania broke loose when J. K. Rowling’s first book appeared on bookstands in 1997, prompting the creation of films, fan websites, and dozens of similarly themed books. Rowling’s world of wizardry has even inspired the name of a dinosaur fossil, Dracorex hogwartsia. But serious researchers are seeing evidence that dragons were more than just fantastical creatures...

GARY – Gary officials are seeking nearly $25 million in federal money to tear down more than 900 abandoned houses and 200 empty commercial buildings.......

There is a gigantic amount of hostility to Romney on this forum. Personally I'd vote for Romney if he were the nominee, but I'm not really enthusiastic because of his flip flopping. He strikes me as a smarter version of GHWB. My question to you guys is if Romney is a no go for you then how about Mitch Daniels of Indiana? With Sanford's self destruction act I cannot imagine who else could possibly stop Romney's war machine. Ensign is also disgraced and John Thune is probably eyeing the VEEP position rather than being the nominee. Haley Barbour is a...

EVANSVILLE, IN—Jarvis Brown, 28, of Indianapolis, Indiana, was sentenced to five consecutive life imprisonment sentences, plus an additional 20 year sentence, late yesterday by U.S. District Judge Richard L. Young, according to Timothy M. Morrison, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. Brown previously pleaded guilty on March 17, 2009, to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, one count of interference with commerce by threats or violence; three counts of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime or crime of violence resulting in death, and one count of tampering...

Time is running out for the legislatures in Arizona, California, Indiana, Mississippi and Pennsylvania to solve budget gaps. The last time Indiana missed its deadline for passing a budget and had to shut down the government was during the Civil War. But on Monday... Indiana is one of five states -- along with Arizona, California, Mississippi and Pennsylvania -- bracing for possible shutdowns this week as time runs out for lawmakers to close billion-dollar gaps in their fiscal 2010 budgets. Of the 46 states whose fiscal year ends today, 32 did not have budgets passed and approved by their governors...

Budget Must Pass By Midnight Tuesday, Or Must Government Functions Will Stop INDIANAPOLIS (CBS) ― The State of Indiana is reeling from the death of perhaps its most famous native ever. But as if that weren't enough, the state is also plagued by a budget battle that now threatens a government shutdown. Gov. Mitch Daniels says if no state budget passes before midnight this coming Tuesday, he has the authority to keep prisons operating and state police on the roads, but most other government functions must stop. "I don't think we can wait any longer to let the public know...

INDIANAPOLIS -- A former state representative and once Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor told Indianapolis police that he was immune from arrest during an alleged drunken incident outside a gas station downtown early Friday morning. Dennie Oxley, 38, of Taswell, Ind., was with a 21-year-old female Indiana House intern in the parking lot of the Citgo gas station in the 400 block of East Ohio Street after 1 a.m., 6News' Jack Rinehart reported.

In 1972, when the movie "Ben" premiered and sent that falsetto voice of little Michael Jackson soaring across movie screens, the joy inside black America was palpable. It wasn't just that the song raced to No. 1 on the charts, it was that it flowed from the magic of film. And black America, long kept away from mainstream movies, kept a close eye on -- and a keen interest in -- the world of Tinseltown. Little Michael had come upon this particular movie only 18 years after the collapse of legal segregation in the United States. And many of the...

How should Rep. Brad Ellsworth vote on the cap and trade climate bill?

INDIANAPOLIS — Two Muslim inmates held in a special unit at the U.S. prison in Terre Haute say they aren’t allowed to pray in groups as often as their religion commands and have asked a federal judge to ease limitations on worship imposed by the Bureau of Prisons. The prison in western Indiana houses several high-security inmates, including American-born Taliban soldier John Walker Lindh, who is serving a 20-year sentence for aiding Afghanistan’s now-defunct Taliban government. The June 16 lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana challenges limits on Islamic worship in the prison’s restrictive Communications Management...

A new nationwide study released by the nonpartisan Bay Area Center for Voting Research (BACVR) ranks the political leanings of every American city and finds that Detroit, Michigan is the most liberal and Provo, Utah the most conservative. In all, the BACVR researchers examined voting patterns of 237 American cities with populations of over 100,000 and ranked them each on liberal and conservative scales. The list of Americas most liberal cities is dominated by cities with large African American populations that are concentrated in the Northeast, Midwest and California. Conversely, the study found that the staunchest conservative cities are clustered...

Several weeks ago President Obama pilloried holders of Chrysler debt who refused to take a deal for less than they had expected as secured creditors of the company, famously dismissing them as "a small group of speculators." Bloomberg reported that he also questioned their motives, saying that, "A group of investment firms and hedge funds decided to hold out for the prospect of an unjustified taxpayer-funded bailout." Among other things, Obama tried to cast the conflict as a moral issue, in effect suggesting that bondholders were greedy and threatening the jobs of hardworking Americans with unfair demands and a lack...

House approves Iran bill 405-1 By Ian Swanson Posted: 06/19/09 11:51 AM [ET] The House overwhelmingly approved a resolution Friday in support of Iranian dissidents as that country’s top cleric warned protestors to end demonstrations. The resolution was approved in a 405-1 vote, with two members voting present. “This resolution is not about American interests,” said Howard Berman, chairman of the House Foreign Relations Committee. “It is about American values that I believe are universal.” Berman sponsored the resolution with Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.). Iran has been consumed by demonstrations protesting the election of Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad since last...

JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. -- A southern Indiana lawyer said he's embarrassed and has apologized for being found asleep headfirst in neighbor's trash can after a night of drinking. No charges have been filed against Larry Wilder, who is the Jeffersonville City Council's attorney. The council president said she'll call a special meeting next week to discuss Wilder's status with the city. Wilder said he was with friends for dinner and drinks in nearby Louisville, Ky., on Tuesday night but was driven home in a client's limousine and remembers little of what happened after that. A neighbor found Wilder...

Washington—With one in three children in the United States living apart from their biological fathers, Senator Evan Bayh (D-IN) and Congressman Danny Davis (D-IL) are renewing their efforts to promote healthy families and support American fathers who are trying to earn a livable wage and take a more active role in the lives of their children. Bayh today introduced his Responsible Fatherhood and Healthy Families Act of 2009, a bill cosponsored by then-Senator Barack Obama in the last Congress. Bayh’s bill is co-sponsored by Senators Blanche Lincoln (D-AK) and Roland Burris (D-IL).

Jeffersonville attorney Larry Wilder was found asleep by police in his neighbor’s overturned city garbage can Wednesday morning, after neighbors called police when they woke to find their trash strewn on the ground and a man inside the receptacle. Jeffersonville Police Chief Tim Deeringer said Wilder was cooperative when police arrived at the home on Elk Pointe Boulevard and was able to walk back to his home — next door. Wilder’s son and daughter, both adults, were home and able to take care of him from there, Deeringer said. No arrest was made as a result of the incident. “There...

INDIANAPOLIS, IN—Michael S. Welch, Special Agent in Charge of the Indianapolis Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Reginald Harris, Chief of the Gary, Indiana Police Department jointly request the public’s assistance in locating JADA JUSTICE. At approximately 9:40 p.m., June 16, 2009, JADA JUSTICE was taken from a parked vehicle at the Glen Park Gas Station, 1401 East Ridge Road, Gary, Indiana. JUSTICE was in the care of a relative at the time of her disappearance. The Gary Police Department immediately responded to the scene and conducted an extensive search of the surrounding area without success. JADA...

INDIANAPOLIS, IN—Michael S. Welch, Special Agent in Charge of the Indianapolis Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), is requesting the public’s assistance in identifying an individual responsible for carjacking a 21-year old female from the Columbus, Ohio area and forcing her to travel into Indiana. At approximately 11:00 a.m., June 17, 2009, a 21-year old white female from the Columbus, Ohio, area, was driving a 2002 4-door Saturn, silver in color, bearing Ohio license plates, when she was stopped or approached by an unknown male who forced his way into her vehicle. The unknown individual displayed a...

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED OVER PARTS OF THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY AND MIDWEST TODAY AND TONIGHT... THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER IN NORMAN OK IS FORECASTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF TORNADOES...LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS OVER PARTS OF THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY AND MIDWEST TODAY AND TONIGHT. THE AREAS MOST LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE THIS ACTIVITY INCLUDE IOWA ILLINOIS INDIANA MINNESOTA WISCONSIN ELSEWHERE...SEVERE STORMS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE FROM THE CENTRAL AND NORTHERN PLAINS ACROSS THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY AND APPALACHIANS MOUNTAINS TO THE MID ATLANTIC COAST. A VERY ACTIVE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT REGIME WILL CONTINUE TODAY OVER AN EXTENSIVE REGION FROM THE PLAINS...ACROSS THE...

A 26-year-old convenience store clerk is shot and killed in broad daylight in Gary, Indiana. Police say witnesses stood by and did nothing. CBS 2's Pamela Jones shows us critical clues that may help crack the case. Police say one of the men bursting into the clerk's booth at this convenience store is about to commit murder. In the video on the left side of the screen, you can see a man in red run up an aisle and kick in the door to the booth. Within seconds, the clerk, Gurjeet Singh, is shot in the neck. "It was senseless....

GOSHEN, Ind. - Coachmen Industries, no longer part of the slumping recreational vehicle industry, could start hiring soon as part of a $3.5 million expansion that it expects to create more than 200 jobs. The Elkhart County Council has approved $135,661 in local property tax abatements over 10 years on the company's promise to create 234 jobs over three years. Coachmen Chief Executive Officer Rich Lavers said the company is moving ahead with its plans and could start hiring new workers next month. "We're not standing still," Lavers said Saturday. "We're moving forward."

For a liberal Democrat, President Obama has offered generous praise for the most celebrated of his recent Republican predecessors. Mr. Obama has credited Ronald Reagan with having “changed the trajectory of America” in ways Bill Clinton didn’t. “President Reagan helped as much as any president to restore a sense of optimism in our country, a spirit that transcended politics,” Mr. Obama said earlier this month while signing the Ronald Reagan Centennial Commission Act in the presence of Nancy Reagan. It’s not surprising that Mr. Obama has embraced Mr. Reagan’s achievement since it seems akin to his own aspirations and might...

HOBART, Ind. – At the end of the 81-year marriage, the Isaksons said goodbye by turning off the lights. The partnership was over. The Chrysler sign went dark. It was an unceremonious finale to a four-generation bond between one family and one company, but it was not a surprise. Rob Isakson had known for weeks his dealership was on a Chrysler hit list — the cuts were part of the troubled automaker's survival strategy...

CAMP ATTERBURY, Ind., June 12, 2009 – Civilian employees representing various federal departments are being trained here alongside their military counterparts in preparation for deployment to Afghanistan. Army Sgt. Carlos Velasquez radios for medical assistance while Air Force Senior Airman Ashley Jackson delivers medical aid during a training exercise at Camp Atterbury Ind., June 9, 2009. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Robert G. Cooper III  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. As part of a broader focus of operations in Afghanistan designed to include both military and civilian assets, more than 20 civilians from the State Department, the Agriculture...

Like NR's Mark Hemingway, I'm a slightly fanatical admirer of Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels. In his latest column, Rich Lowry makes an excellent case for Daniels as a role model for 2012 Republicans. Daniels counsels national Republicans to adopt a “no, but” approach. As he told an interviewer from National Journal, on cap-and-trade he’d say: “No, let’s not double the tax on poor people in the vain hope of moving the world’s thermometer. Here’s a way to conserve energy and protect the environment that doesn’t impoverish the nation.” On health care, he’d say, “Sure, let’s get people covered with health...

WASHINGTON – The revelation that Democratic appropriations kingpins may face a House ethics investigation of their campaign receipts from lobbyists for recipients of government grants and contracts moves Republicans closer to gaining a corruption issue in 2010. ... The Democratic chairman and senior Republican on the House ethics committee dropped their political bomb Thursday night, announcing that the panel is reviewing the practice of lawmakers steering money and contracts to favored companies, and then receiving campaign contributions in return for the "earmarks." The announcement came months after the Justice Department began a criminal investigation of the matter and a repetition...

(Reuters) - A U.S. bankruptcy judge on Tuesday approved Chrysler's motion to reject 789 dealers. The bankruptcy judge said the order rejecting dealership contracts was effective immediately.

The Justice Department is urging the Supreme Court to steer clear of a request from Indiana pension funds to halt the 'sale' of ...

Pension funds opposed to Chrysler's sale to Fiat have asked the US Supreme Court to block the deal immediately. Three Indiana state pension and construction funds filed papers at the court on Sunday calling for the sale to be halted so they can pursue an appeal. It comes after a US appeals court approved Chrysler's sale to a group led by Fiat, a union-aligned trust and the US and Canadian governments. Chrysler entered bankruptcy protection in April after falling vehicle sales. US carmakers have suffered from a massive slump in sales during the recession. The US government has backed its...

Opponents of Chrysler's sale to Fiat are asking the Supreme Court to block the deal. Three Indiana state pension and construction funds filed emergency papers at the high court early Sunday to put the sale on hold so they can pursue an appeal.

WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--A group of Indiana pension funds opposed to Chrysler LLC's sale to Fiat SpA (FIATY) on Saturday filed an emergency appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court to stay the sale while they continue their attempts to block it. The emergency stay request, filed shortly before midnight Saturday, came after the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York approved the acquisition of most of Chrysler's assets by a group led by Fiat, the Italian auto manufacturer. A U.S. bankruptcy judge early last week approved the sale. A coalition of consumer groups lodged a separate stay request early...

INDIANAPOLIS – “I have learned that the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals (Court) extended the ‘stay’ previously placed on the sale of Chrysler, LLC assets, which gives the Indiana State Police Pension Fund, the Indiana Teachers Retirement Fund, and the Major Moves Construction Fund until 4:00 p.m. on Monday, June 8, 2009, to petition a continuing stay by the United States Supreme Court.

Can Mitch Daniels save the GOP? By: Byron York Chief Political Correspondent 06/05/09 12:05 AM EDT There's been a Mitch Daniels boomlet in Republican political circles lately. The governor of Indiana has been mentioned as a possible 2012 contender by a number of well-connected pundits, he's been featured on the cover of National Review, and GOP leaders selected him to give a recent Saturday radio address. It's a lot of good exposure if you're looking to raise your national profile. But why Daniels? And why now? "It shows you how slim the pickings are," Daniels told me Wednesday, after he...

WASHINGTON (Army News Service, June 3, 2009) -- The military's High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, also known as a "HMMWV" or a "Humvee," will continue to be made in the United States, by an American-owned company. The recent announcement that Detroit-based General Motors will sell their Hummer brand of vehicles to Chinese-based Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Company, has no bearing on the U.S. military's Humvee. "The Army's Humvee and the civilian Hummer look similar and share a common appearance," said spokesman Lt. Col. Martin Downie. "But the rights to produce those two different vehicles are no longer owned by...

Timothy M. Morrison, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, announced that DANA T. HARRELL, 21, Indianapolis, Indiana and ANTHONY S. HARRELL, Jr., 26, an inmate at the Federal Correctional Complex, Terre Haute, Indiana, were indicted by a federal grand jury sitting in Indianapolis for providing and possessing contraband in prison, following an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Federal Bureau of Prisons. The indictment alleges that on December 24, 2008, DANA T. HARRELL knowingly provided marijuana, to his brother, ANTHONY S. HARRELL, Jr., an inmate at the Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute, Indiana during...

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Not so fast, Chrysler. Indiana Treasurer Richard Mourdock is getting his day in court, again. His appeal against a ruling allowing the sale of the bankrupt carmaker's assets, filed on behalf of three Indiana state pension funds, has made its way to the U.S. Court of Appeals in New York. Arguments will be heard Friday. "Obviously, we're very pleased," said Mourdock, in an interview with CNNMoney.com. "Points of law that we have consistently raised in this debate had never been challenged. Now we're finally going to see the points of law get debated." The three Indiana...

INDIANAPOLIS (June 03, 2009) – Late on Tuesday night, June 02, the Indiana Treasurer of State’s Office received word that its petition for a stay in the bankruptcy sale of Chrysler, LLC had been granted by the United States (US) Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York City, New York. The schedule bankruptcy sale of Chrysler, LLC originally set for Friday, June 5, 2009, at noon will not occur. The US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit has agreed to hear legal arguments on behalf of the Indiana State Police Pension Fund, the Indiana Teacher’s Retirement...

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indiana treasurer's petition for a stay in the bankruptcy sale of Chrysler to Fiat has been granted. The U.S. Court of Appeals in New York has agreed to hear legal arguments on behalf of the Indiana State Police Pension Fund, Indiana Teacher's Retirement Fund and the Major Moves construction fund. The court will begin hearing arguments in the case on Friday, when Chrysler's sale had originally been set. "We are pleased the Court of Appeals has agreed to hear our arguments," said Treasurer Richard Mourdock, in a statement released early Wednesday morning. "Indiana retirees and Indiana taxpayers...

Top 10 Cities for New GradsAs Class of 2009 feels pinch, job searches expand By Kate Lorenz, CareerBuilder.com editor Nate Torvik has mixed feelings about his upcoming graduation from Purdue University. While there's relief that classes are over, exams have been taken and term papers turned in, what lies ahead is an extremely challenging and competitive job market. "I feel like the wind has been taken out of my sails," says Torvik, who received a bachelor's degree in mass communication. "There is so much pride and happiness that comes with graduation, but as soon as I step off that stage...

PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE TUESDAY, JUNE 2, 2009 Contact: Nate Bullock Cell: 317-258-6276 E-Mail: nate@signbig.com SIGN BIG LAUNCHES STATEWIDE Tuesday, June 2, 2009 – Yesterday, Sign Big, an Indiana organization focused on taxpayer issues, announced its official launch. “Sign Big has one focus: Hoosier taxpayers,” said Nate Bullock, Sign Big treasurer and spokesperson. “Our top priority now is to inform Hoosiers and get them engaged in the process of fighting inequitable and higher taxes. So, in the spirit of John Hancock, who made his mark larger than life on the Declaration of Independence, we are asking Hoosiers who are...

Good evening, citizens and taxpayers. As you know, the legislature didn’t pass a budget before they adjourned a month ago. That’s OK, because the one they were working on assumed over a billion dollars of revenue we clearly will never have. So it would have spent way beyond our current means, wiped out our state savings account, and forced a big tax increase. I’d have had to veto it, and we’d be right where we are today. To their credit, the legislative leadership quickly came up with a good plan for starting fresh, this time with a more believable estimate...

CAMP ATTERBURY, Ind., June 1, 2009 – It’s not hard to find a full-time soldier who goes right back to work doing something else after the uniform comes off. From entrepreneurial endeavors through self-owned businesses to hobbies-turned-careers, some soldiers moonlight in their passions no matter how involved their military careers might be. Army Maj. (Dr.) Nickolas Karajohn, a physician on active duty at Camp Atterbury, Ind., is better known off duty as “M.C. M.D.,” a rhyme-dropping rapper from Las Vegas. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Robert G. Cooper III  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Army Maj. (Dr.) Nickolas...

DETROIT – General Motors Corp. said Monday it will permanently close nine more plants and idle three others to trim production and labor costs under bankruptcy protection. Six of the plants are in GM's home state of Michigan, which has already been hard-hit by job cuts in the auto industry.

"This is Mitch Daniels, governor of Indiana. "The role of the loyal opposition is important in our democracy. It imposes a duty to wish for the nation's success, to express not just disagreements, but agreements where they exist, and to leave partisanship at the water's edge. "I do wish President Obama well. I support his education reform ideas, anti-fraud initiative in social programs, and the great example he and his family are setting for families across America. And I endorse wholeheartedly his stated commitment to 'government that works.'

WASHINGTON -- Rep. Peter Visclosky, a senior Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, confirmed Friday he had received subpoenas related to the federal investigation of PMA Group, a defunct defense lobbying firm. Rep. Peter Visclosky, left, listens to Rep. John Murtha during a Congressional Steel Caucus hearing in February. Mr. Visclosky is the first member of Congress who has reported receiving a subpoena in the long-running investigation of PMA. The firm and its clients gave more than $2 million in campaign contributions to Rep. John Murtha (D., Pa.), a member of the Appropriations Committee and chair of its subcommittee on...

Sarah Palin's speech to the folks at Vanderburgh County Right to Life last month didn't seem to get on the national political radar.  But if you get a chance to review the YouTube video, it's worth it. Governor Palin (R-AK) may have been giving a speech to  conservative pro-lifers in Evansville, Indiana, on April 16, 2009, but the speech was an arrow aimed right over the heads of the conservatives present towards the hearts of moderate women voters everywhere. And that, if you ask me, is the future of conservatism. Palin's first big theme that night was "gifting."  You men...

FORT WAYNE, IN—The United States Attorney’s Office today announced that a Criminal Complaint charging Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine was filed in federal court. The complaint alleges a conspiracy to distribute cocaine in the greater Fort Wayne area from July 2008 to May 2009. Named in the criminal complaint, all of Fort Wayne, were: * ANDRE L. HUTCHINS, age 38 * TALITHA N. HUTCHINS, age 31 * ARIELEAN HUTCHINS, age 73 * CHARLES DIES, age 52 * PARIS JONES, age 37 * TAKIESHA MCGLASTON, age 34 * ADRIAN LEE, age 37 * KEVIN PORTER, age 51 * JOHN MINNIEFIELD, age 31...