Free Republic

Last month's passage of a sweeping ban on federal funding for abortion in the House healthcare bill caught most of Washington by surprise. The Democratic House leadership is closely aligned with the party's pro-abortion rights base, which alleged the ban would roll back abortion access for many women by keeping coverage for the procedure out of federally subsidized healthcare plans. And for abortion rights activists, the central role of the Roman Catholic bishops in pressing House leaders to allow a vote on the ban, known as the Stupak-Pitts amendment—and in helping prod 64 Democratic congressmen to support it—was as galling...

Oral Roberts died this week and the obituaries have been abuzz with analyses of his life and legacy. The USA Today headline summed up his contributions this way: "Oral Roberts brought health-and-wealth Gospel mainstream." The Los Angeles Times gave a similar snapshot of the man: "Oral Roberts dies at 91; televangelist was pioneering preacher of the 'prosperity gospel'" But Christianity Today's lead blogger, Ted Olsen, disagreed. He responded with a post titled "Why the Oral Roberts Obituaries Are Wrong." The long subtitle at the head of Olsen's post explained: "The 'faith-healer' (who hated the term) may have done much to...

Rush Limbaugh Voted America's Most Influential Conservative By Noel Sheppard Created 2009-11-29 23:36 A poll done by CBS's "60 Minutes" and Vanity Fair found Rush Limbaugh to be America's most influential conservative. In second place was Fox News's Glenn Beck, followed by former Vice President Dick Cheney, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, Fox News's Sean Hannity, and House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio). In fairness, those were the only choices given to respondents. That said, there were some other poll results people will find interesting as reported [1] by Vanity Fair: John F. Kennedy is the president 29 percent of...

(To be clear, that is a relatively low bar. Republicans went into the political wilderness in a major way following Bush's re-election as he grew increasingly less popular and it became increasingly more clear that the party was either unable or unwilling to break with the chief executive in any major way. Polls suggest that the Republican brand remains badly damaged in the eyes of the American public with most people still trusting Obama far more than Republicans in Congress to solve the major issues of the day.) With 2010 right around the corner, there is significant movement in this...

At 75, Charles Manson has spent more than half his life in prison for masterminding the notorious Helter Skelter killing spree that left actress Sharon Tate and six others dead in Los Angeles during the summer of 1969. Manson spent his 75th birthday this week at the state prison in Corcoran, California, where he is in the protective housing unit. Some records indicate that Manson was born on November 12, but Manson's current associates and other records indicate his birthday was on Wednesday, November 11. "He spent the day the same way he spends every day in prison," said Terry...

To regain its strength, an out-of-power party like the Republicans needs ideas to fuel its recovery and leaders to promote and deliver them. In this war of ideas, those committed to presenting a sensible, philosophically grounded conservative case to Americans play a special role. Because conservatives are distrustful of concentrated power, it is awkward to select just seven Washington power players, but here are my picks...

WASHINGTON – Nicole Kidman conceded Wednesday that Hollywood has probably contributed to violence against women by portraying them as weak sex objects. The Oscar-winning actress said she is not interested in those kinds of demeaning roles, adding that the movie industry also has made an effort to contribute to solutions for ending the violence. Kidman testified before a House Foreign Affairs subcommittee that is considering legislation to address violence against women overseas through humanitarian relief efforts and grants to local organizations working on the problem. Asked by Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., if the movie industry has "played a bad role,"...

NEW YORK – Get over it, America. Wall Street bankers make too much money. The latest example: Goldman Sachs says it has set aside $16.7 billion so far this year for compensation — or about $530,000 per employee. Not bad for a company that a year ago received $10 billion in federal money as well as $12.9 billion from the government's bailout of American International Group Inc. Maddening? Sure. But forcing Goldman or any other Wall Street firm to pay employees less won't help a single unemployed American find a job. It won't help a single homeowner who can't afford...

Today Russian leader Dmitry Medvedev told students at Pittsburgh University that he did have input on the president's decision. What's important is Barack Obama listened to my position. Perhaps it was part of the basis for his decision. We are learning to listen to each other. This is a change from the previous administration. I think these are bold, courageous decisions, to change decisions of previous administrations concerning foreign policy. This was a complex decision. I tried to put myself in his shoes. It would not have been easy for me.

For an uneducated, unsophisticated rube and former governor from a backwater state, Sarah Palin sure can drive a debate. With prospects for passage of his sweeping overhaul of the American health care delivery system fading with every speech, President Barack Obama is making it increasingly clear that Palin will be recognized, for good or ill, as perhaps the most prominent single political figure responsible for stopping it in its tracks. It’s a remarkable story. A failed vice-presidential candidate and resigned governor — unfairly viewed by many as a cruel joke – reached from beyond the political grave her elitist critics...

After a month without Lines -- on Friday or any other day -- Fixistas need their, um, Fix. And, of course, we aim to please. So this week we are doing two Lines -- one today looking at the ten most influential Republican leaders in the party and then one tomorrow ranking the ten Senate races most likely to switch parties in 2010. Republicans have seen something of a reversal of fortune since we last penned a Line looking at their relatively meager list of leaders. (snip) 10. John Cornyn 9. Sarah Palin 8. Mitch Daniels 7. Mike Huckabee 6....

At least in part due to Glenn Beck's influence, Obama administration aide Yosi Sergant was asked to resign today. Beck attacked Sergant and the NEA on his Fox News talk show, accusing the agency of propaganda efforts similar to those used by Nazi Germany. And now Sergant has been tossed overboard, making him Beck's second victim in his campaign to rid the administration of perceived radicals, socialists, communists, fascists, anarchists and all other manner of nefarious influences. Conservatives are considering this an opportunity to attack the N.E.A. I hate to evoke this name, because it has a tendency (like Hitler's)...

The Obama Administration announced it was officially abandoning use of the phrase "global war on terror", as well as references to "jihadists". In fact, the only terminology now accepted by the Obama Administration is a reference to fighting Al-qaeda. As if no other "jihadist" terror organizations exist. Wonder why? Last February Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal's "Center for Muslim Christian Understanding, [CMCU], held a panel discussion on the Middle East. Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad, Ph.D., reported on this panel discussion in an article posted to his minaret blog entitled "Advising Obama on the Middle East" A few excerpts: "The panelists were Aaron David...

Kennedy’s Comrade: Hunting a KGB Mole in the Democratic PartyBy Fedora With thanks to those who helped Profile of an Agent In 1999, espionage author Christopher Andrew revealed that Soviet archives smuggled by defector Vasili Mitrokhin described an unnamed KGB agent recruited from California Democratic Party circles in the 1970s: Though [Gus] Hall tended to overstate the influence of undeclared members of the CPUSA within the Democratic Party, there was at least one to whom the [KGB’s] Centre attached real importance during the 1970s: a Democratic activist in California recruited as a KGB agent during a visit to Russia. The...

First Lady Michelle Obama, about to round out the summer with a stay on Martha's Vineyard, perhaps packing those shorts for the trip, debuted on the Forbes list of 100 Most Powerful Women -- at No. 40. Given that the list is heavily tilted to CEOs and world leaders, it seems a reasonable slot. German Chancellor Angela Merkel was No. 1 and Sheila Bair,

Oddly enough, Andy Ostray of The Huffington Post, had nothing but almost great things to say about Governor Palin. Are we starting to see even the left seeing the power of Palin? Simply posting notes on her Facebook page and she is changing national policy and putting the White House on the defense. Imprerssive to say the least, according to Andy Ostroy. As the debate over Obama's health-care overhaul intensifies, one thing has become quite clear: it took former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin just three weeks into 'retirement' to prove that when it comes to major domestic policy, she is...

On the eve before the Back of the Yards Council's founding convention, the Chicago Daily News announced that "something new in community organization is about to happen in the Back of the Yards. The council is the conception and individual project of Saul D. Alinsky. The residents of the district are almost completely stockyard workers and Catholics, and on this basis the sociologist Alinsky has enlisted churchmen and the CIO leaders to form the main pillars of the neighborhood council." At the CHD's 25th anniversary, Cardinal Bernardin would have been more historically precise if he had stated that the great...

The sad news of the death of former correspondent and newscaster Walter Cronkite gripped the entire nation last week and continues to do so. Many generations are grieving for the man who brought the truth of living history into our homes and into our lives. Each generation has its own vision of the man who became affectionately known as “Uncle” Walter. To the older generations, born during the Great Depression and prior, he first gained national attention by reporting firsthand on the struggle of World War II. His coverage of the war included North Africa and Europe, where he participated...

In January, the Congressional Budget Office reported that healthcare legislation drafted by the Senate would add $1 trillion to the federal deficit and only reduce the number of uninsured Americans by 16 million. Then in July, the CBO reported that healthcare legislation drafted by the House would add $239 billion to the federal deficit and actually increase healthcare costs. Now, Barack Obama wants a meeting with the director of the Congressional Budget Office. After these CBO numbers .. which some Democrats have described as "devastating" .. it's time to pull out the big guns. Get this guy a meeting with...

Katharine Weymouth, the relatively new publisher of The Washington Post, is a lawyer who worked for the company for 12 years and was educated at the Harvard School of Business, so she is hardly a naïf in running a business. But she has never worked in a newsroom, a gap in her résumé that may have contributed to her current problems. As first reported in Politico, The Washington Post had sent out a brochure offering sponsorships — a fee of $25,000 for one, or $250,000 for an entire series — for an exclusive “Washington Post salon” at Ms. Weymouth’s home...

Is the right responsible for inspiring murder, such as that of late-term abortionist George Tiller by Kansas native Scott Roeder?  Some certainly seem to think so.  For instance, the Friday before last Bill O'Reilly had as a guest on his show Joan Walsh, the editor of leftist news site Salon.com.  She appeared because she had criticized O'Reilly for engaging in what she called a "jihad" against Tiller.  Her thesis is that O'Reilly and, presumably, the rest of us who are passionately pro-life are culpable Tiller's death. Of course, this isn't a novel idea among the left.  If there is any...

Update on Recovery Act Lobbying Rules: New Limits on Special Interest Influence Another update from Norm Eisen, special counsel to the president for ethics and government reform, in the spirit of transparency as always: I am writing with an update on the President’s March 20, 2009 Memorandum on Ensuring Responsible Spending of Recovery Act Funds. Section 3 of the Memorandum required all oral communications between federally registered lobbyists and government officials concerning Recovery Act policy to be disclosed on the Internet; barred registered lobbyists from having oral communications with government officials about specific Recovery Act projects or applications and instead...

NEEDHAM, Mass. – A Massachusetts man may wish he had breakfast in bed instead of in his car. Police said a man who was stopped for erratic driving on Central Avenue last week was eating a bowl of cereal and milk while he drove. He told officers he was hungry. ... Schlittler didn't know what kind of cereal the driver was eating.

According to Newsweek's Ramin Setoodeh, "American Idol's" Adam Lambert could "be heading home" due to those homophobic Christians that watch every week. Lambert, Setoodeh wrote in a May 12 blog post, "has been called the best ‘Idol' singer in the history of the show, thanks to his Celine Dion-like pipes. But he's also one of the most controversial, thanks to his Marilyn Manson-like wardrobe and his (not-so) ambiguous sexuality." Despite the fact that Randy, Simon and Paula all like Lambert, and he's garnered enough votes to compete in the semi-finals of "Idol," Setoodeh warned of a "possible roadblock" to a...

The World's Most Influential People In our annual TIME 100 issue, we do the impossible: name the people who most affect our world. Leaders & RevolutionariesBuilders & TitansArtists & EntertainersHeroes & IconsScientists & Thinkers

<p>NEW YORK (AP) -- First Lady Michelle Obama is visiting New York City.</p> <p>Obama will speak Tuesday evening at a celebration for Time magazine's issue of what it considers the world's 100 most influential people.</p>

A group called Wall Street Watch is out with a report that finds that “Wall Street investment firms, commercial banks, hedge funds, real estate companies and insurance conglomerates made $1.7 billion in political contributions and spent another $3.4 billion on lobbyists” between 1998 and 2008. The report, "Sold Out: How Wall Street and Washington Betrayed America," concludes that the contributions were “aimed at undercutting federal regulation” and ultimately “led directly to the current financial collapse.” The two men behind the report are California lawyer Harvey Rosenfield of the nonprofit Consumer Education Foundation and Robert Weissman of Essential Information, a Washington...

Army spouse and mother of three, Randa Bronson, is a self-described "average, everyday person," and by all accounts you could take her word for it.

Lists like the one you are about to read are a lot like most hairpieces: They’re probably a bad idea, but they do get a lot of people talking. Capitol Weekly spent weeks talking to top California political professionals to get a consensus on the top influence peddlers, power brokers and political players in California. The list is varied – there are Democrats and Republicans; labor leaders and captains of industry; people who are little known outside of Sacramento circles, and international superstars. One thing you will not find on this list is elected officials. We debated whether to include...

(04-04) 13:50 PDT WASHINGTON (AP) -- Lawrence Summers, President Barack Obama's top economic adviser, earned millions over the past year as managing director of the hedge fund D.E. Shaw Group and through speaking fees, some from financial institutions now at the center of the government's rescue program. Financial disclosure reports released by the White House show that Summers received $5.2 million from D.E. Shaw. He also reported payments for appearances before institutions such as J.P. Morgan, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs and Lehman Brothers. Overall, Summers was paid $2.7 million for more than 40 appearances before different organizations and companies, including financial...

It has been reported that UPS will stop advertising on the Orielly factor because of pressure from groups funded by George Soros. They are also pressuring other advertisers that advertise on his show to pull out. If this tactic works they will certainly move on to talk radio and anyone else that is not a fascist lemming. Rose on the Quinn and Rose show suggested that the 9/12ers and we surround them and others particiapate in a letter writing campaign to UPS and excoriate them, and to the other advertisers on his show and other shows, offer praise and and...

As America's Muslim population grows, so too does the influence of Islamic law, or Shariah, in daily life in the U.S. "Shariah Law is the totality of the Muslim's obligation," said Abdullahi An-Na'im, a professor of law at Emory University in Atlanta. According to An-Na'im, Shariah is similar to Jewish Talmudic Law or Catholic Canon Law in that it guides an adherent's moral conduct. "As a citizen, I am a subject of the United States," An-Na'im said. "I owe allegiance to the United States, to the Constitution of the United States. That is not inconsistent with observing a religious code...

Surprise and even shock were among the reactions to my recent column about how elite members of the World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos, Switzerland, were considering a proposal for a new global television network to usher in a state of "global governance." It sounded authoritarian, even totalitarian, to some. Here are more of the troubling details. The media proposal, which was included in "The Global Agenda 2009" report, is to create "a new global network" with "the capacity to connect the world, bridging cultures and peoples, and telling us who we are and what we mean to each...

To many, the New York Times is a dinosaur, doomed to go the way of all stegosauri. But the Gray Lady still holds sway in one sector of our society: the Democratic party. We saw an illustration of the paper’s influence today, when Tom Daschle, explaining to Andrea Mitchell his decision to withdraw his name as HHS Secretary nominee, cited today’s Times’ editorial calling for his head. On today’s Hardball, Chris Matthews both acknowledged and complained of the Times’ inordinate influence. Calling the paper “dictatorial,” he described it as “the engine of the Democratic party.” Matthews was kibitzing the Daschle...

President Obama held a "very sober meeting" about the economy with 10 of the nation's business leaders at the White House Wednesday as the House debated his proposed $825 billion economic stimulus package. "They understand when it comes to rebuilding our economy, we don't have a moment to spare," Mr. Obama said of the chief executive officers attending the meeting. "They are looking for action from Washington, bold and swift." Mr. Obama characterized them as being "on the frontline of people who are seeing enormous problems in the economy right now" and said the economic difficulties were a reason for...

Every time politicians attack Rush Limbaugh, his power and influence on the American political landscape increases. Yet those who wish to silence him continue to gift him with their attacks. It's as if nobody remembers what Rush accomplished for charitable purposes in response to Harry Reid's letter. The failure of this puzzling strategy has been on full display in recent days, with predictable results. It began last Friday when Barack Obama told congressional Republicans that they need to stop listening to Rush Limbaugh if they hope to have any success dealing with Obama and his Democrat-controlled Congress. Ignoring the fact...

Written on January 14, 2009 - As the Gaza war continues and Israel fights to protect itself from Hamas, Turkish citizens and now Turkish politicians are demonstrating against both the State of Israel and the Jewish people. Islamic radicals would love to see the Turkish Prime Minister and his government overthrown. Long a country that was good to the Jews and good for the Jews, Turkey often celebrates its friendly ties to the Jewish people. Yet, just as geographical borders change with time, so does society at large. Change can be seen on a daily basis in the Turkish newspapers,...

The sushi was plentiful, the jazz ensemble loud and the guest list included just what the party-givers wanted: members of Congress, incoming Obama administration officials and celebrities. The invitation-only reception at the National Museum of Women in the Arts was among scores that lobbyists and corporations are hosting around the capital to mark Barack Obama's presidential inauguration on Tuesday. For those staging such events, the celebrations are a chance to rekindle old relationships, start new ones, flash influence and impress clients. "Obviously there's a new Congress, a new administration," said Richard Cotton, executive vice president and general counsel of NBC...

telecommunications company has confirmed for this columnist that its vice president for policy—who is also an Obama donor and a former lobbyist—is advising Barack Obama’s transition team on telecom policy. Obama’s transition team, which has failed to disclose this executive’s involvement, happens to have proposed a significant change in telecom policy that will profit that very company, called Clearwire. By pushing to delay the long-scheduled transition of television broadcasting from analog signals to digital signals, president-elect Obama is directly aiding Sprint and its partner Clearwire while hurting Verizon. Clearwire’s executive vice president for “Strategy, Policy and External Affairs” is R....

The 41-member Congressional Black Caucus, which often describes itself as the “conscience of the Congress”, is anticipating a power surge next week as one of its former members takes the oath of office as president of the United States. “As I stand here today, I can tell you with certainty that these 41 members of the Congressional Black Caucus recognizes that this is our moment,” said U. S. Rep. Barbara Lee, the new chairwoman of the 40-year-old caucus at the group’s ceremonial swearing in last week. Recalling the mission of the 13 founding members of the CBC as being “to...

... As president, Mr. Obama should use his bully pulpit to undermine the bachelor’s degree as a job qualification. Here’s a suggested battle cry, to be repeated in every speech on the subject: “It’s what you can do that should count when you apply for a job, not where you learned to do it.” The residential college leading to a bachelor’s degree at the end of four years works fine for the children of parents who have plenty of money. It works fine for top students from all backgrounds who are drawn toward academics. But most 18-year-olds are not from...

Washington’s influence industry is humming steadily while the national economy is declining in what several economists predict will be the worst recession in 50 years. More than half a million Americans lost jobs last month, and the value of most 401(k) plans plunged, yet government and public-relations pros in town expect to make a lot of money over the next two years. Fueling the industry along K Street is an anticipation of sweeping changes that President-elect Obama and the newly emboldened Democratic Congress will pursue together — from ending Bush-administration tax cuts to enacting the broad health reforms proposed during...

1: Barack Obama 2: Hu Jintao 3: Nicolas Sarkozy 4-5-6: Economic Triumvirate 7: Gordon Brown 8: Angela Merkel 9: Vladimir Putin 10: Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud 11: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei 12: Kim Jong Il 13-14: The Clintons 15: Timothy Geithner 16: Gen. David Petraeus 17: Sonia Gandhi 18: Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva 19: Warren Buffett 20: Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani 21: Nuri al-Maliki 22-23: The Philanthropists 24: Nancy Pelosi 25: Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan 26: Mike Duke 27: Rahm Emanuel 28: Eric Schmidt 29: Jamie Dimon 30-31: Friends of Barack 32: Dominique Strauss-Kahn 33: Rex Tillerson 34: Steve...

Clinton for sale By posting this am I saying that Bill Clinton is different from any other powerful politician, in taking money from foreign donors who obviously hope to influence the political process? No, in this Bill Clinton is not singular. But look at this list: $10 million to $25 million from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Between $1 million and $5 million each from Saudi businessman Nasser Al-Rashid, Friends of Saudi Arabia, the Dubai Foundation, and the governments of Kuwait, Qatar, Brunei and Oman. And the New York Post here is worried about money from India keeping Hillary from...

Reporting from Washington -- For years, progressive groups and their causes have been in the political wilderness. Now, with Barack Obama preparing to take the White House and Democrats tightening their hold on Congress, the party's liberal constituencies can see their way to a promised land. Their vision includes federal laws banning job discrimination against gays; expanded hate-crime laws; public land protections from logging and oil drilling; and easier union organizing of workers. Labor unions, environmentalists and other liberal groups are eagerly preparing for new confrontations with business and conservative interests. They feel secure in having allies in Washington's power...

A groundbreaking survey of Catholic college students published by The Cardinal Newman Society’s (CNS) Center for the Study of Catholic Higher Education finds that most students on Catholic campuses reject key Catholic moral values and tenets of the faith, and significant numbers engage in pre-marital sexuality activity and the viewing of pornography. The study was released in the wake of Tuesday’s presidential election, just as many commentators are looking for reasons why the Catholic vote broke the way it did in such large numbers for a pro-abortion candidate. It is the only known nationally representative survey of students at Catholic...

I’m Sold to the value of Digging!! Thanks to GodGunsGuts to show me how to do it, it’s FUN! You guys told me how Obama hired a team to just “DIGG” their favorable articles, videos to the top at DIGG.com! We’re playing catch up! I already emailed a ton of anti-Obamination people to get involved! I will spend most of this weekend though Election day Digging! Wish I’ve learned this secret sooner! Like today, rain pour down here, can’t canvass, but any grandma or teenager can sit in front of PC and click AWAY towards victory! When we're outspent, this...

I finally found the article that I was looking for regarding a Venezuelan software firm with no experience in elections being involved in the last election fiasco in Venezuela. I suppose it was only a fiasco if you voted against Hugo Chavez. The point of this article was that two software engineers got a loan from the Venezuelan government and started a voting software company called Smartmatic. This company subsequently bought a US voting machine manufacturer called Sequoia. I don't know how to automatically link to the article above, (Tim Golden,NYT,29OCT06), but it goes into much more detail.

PESHAWAR, Pakistan – Almost three years ago, Sajjad Khan used to buy supplies for the Pakistani Taliban with U.S. dollars that he says came from al-Qaida. Now he realizes what al-Qaida is getting in exchange. Khan's 13-year-old nephew has been pulled from a madrassa to train as a suicide bomber, and Khan fears he himself might be killed for begging the boy not to go. "The Taliban come in secret and take them for training from the madrassa," said Khan, a burly, black-bearded Pashtun, holding a picture of his young nephew. "They go to the Taliban but they get their...

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Barack Obama was voted the most influential man of 2008 in an online poll released on Tuesday that asked men to decide who most impacted the way they behave, buy and think. The U.S. Democratic presidential candidate was ranked No.1 by readers on the AskMen.com lifestyle Web site, beating Apple chief executive Steve Jobs and Olympic swimming champion Michael Phelps, who landed in the No. 2 and No. 3 spots, respectively. Republican presidential candidate John McCain was ranked No. 10 on the list, which was compiled on the basis of 200,000 votes from readers of the...