Free Republic

NEW YORK - Some of the participants at this week's Clinton Global Initiative conference should come as no surprise. Former president Bill Clinton will be there, of course, as will his senator wife, his former vice president, and a number of high-profile people with whom he has worked, including Bill and Melinda Gates. But there are also a few people one might not expect to see at an event with the Clinton name attached — including First Lady Laura Bush and publisher Rupert Murdoch. Bush is scheduled to be among the first speakers Wednesday at the conference, which aims to...

Show Us Your Dove Recipes and Prove Anti-Hunters Wrong- (08/28) Michigan Join our e-mail alert list In their quest to ban dove hunting in Michigan by ballot in November, anti-hunters have stated repeatedly that doves are not eaten by hunters, giving the impression that they are left in the field to rot. The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance wants sportsmen across the country to prove the anti-hunters wrong by submitting their best dove recipe and perhaps winning a sportsmen’s prize package for doing so. Anti-hunting groups in Michigan have created a campaign of misinformation designed to win the votes of urban-dwellers and...

A group that wants Phoenix to enforce federal immigration policies has submitted its last batch of petitions in hopes of getting the proposed measure before voters as early as November. Randy Pullen, chairman of Protect Our City, said he dropped off petitions with 1,246 signatures at the Phoenix City Clerk's Office on Friday. The group initially submitted 21,797 signatures, but only 14,160 of those were valid. The requirement is 14,844 to qualify for the ballot. Protect Our City got a second shot at making up the difference because laws allow proponents an extra 10 days to do so. If the...

An initiative to create a statewide border police force failed in its second effort to get on the ballot and appears to be headed for California's political dustbin. The Border Police Initiative fell far short of the 373,816 signatures needed to make it on the November ballot, according to the California Secretary of State's Office -- short by 373,816 signatures. "The counties did not submit any petitions for verification," said Nghia Nguyen, a spokeswoman for Secretary of State Bruce McPherson. The proposal was the brainchild of Assemblyman Ray Haynes, R-Temecula, who launched a signature-gathering effort last year. Haynes, who did...

DENVER - Moderate Democrats think they have the key to winning back power in Washington and across the country - a package of economic proposals aimed at giving every American a shot at reaching the middle class. "We thought it was important and necessary to rekindle the American dream," said Gov. Tom Vilsack of Iowa, a potential 2008 presidential candidate and the chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council, a centrist think tank. [snip] The centrist organization, best known for helping Bill Clinton secure the White House in 1992, was to unveil Monday its "American Dream Initiative," which lays out policies...

For Immediate ReleaseOffice of the Press SecretaryJuly 8, 2006 President's Radio Address       Audio      In Focus: Jobs & Economy      THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. This week I visited the city of Chicago. In that great city, and across America, our strong and growing economy is creating jobs and delivering prosperity to more of our people. In the Chicago area, businesses have added more than 74,000 new jobs over the past two years. And in Illinois, the unemployment rate has fallen to 4.6 percent, the lowest rate there in over 5-and-a-half years.  Radio Address 200620052004200320022001  Radio Interviews 20052004 We have good...

Ready or not, the $37.2 billion infrastructure bond package on the November ballot just got a little bigger. About $5 billion bigger, to be exact. A coalition of California environmental groups has qualified an initiative that calls for $5.4 billion in bonds to pay for water quality improvements, protection of rivers, lakes and streams, shoreline protection and parkland purchases. Backers of the measure made it clear that they'll be hugging the governor's bipartisan bond package tight in an effort to get the conservation bonds passed. "This is the fifth prong of the infrastructure bonds," said Fiona Hutton, a spokeswoman for...

The California Assembly just passed a bill widely described in the press as “an end run around the Electoral College.” It now goes to the California Senate, which is likely to agree. There is only one slight problem with this proposal. It is thrice-times unconstitutional. The bill is an “interstate compact,” and has been introduced in the legislatures of most of the largest states, by do-gooders who are clueless about the Constitution and how it works. The theory is that if states possessing “a majority of the votes in the Electoral College” pass similar bills, those states would be committed...

BEXLEY, Ohio, April 24, 2006 – In an effort to ease the burden military families face when a loved one is deployed, the first lady of Ohio, Hope Taft, started the "On the Ohio Homefront" initiative. Ohio First Lady Hope Taft started the "On the Ohio Homefront" initiative to help military families. She discussed the initiative with American Forces Press Service at the Ohio governor's mansion in Bexley, Ohio, April 19. Photo by Steven Donald Smith  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The Internet-based project connects the families of deployed Ohio military personnel with free and discounted services from...

WASHINGTON, April 6, 2006 – Servicemembers seriously injured by improvised explosive devices during duty in the global war on terror are getting a unique opportunity to use their experience to combat and prevent future IED attacks. The Joint IED Defeat Organization here has entered into full partnership with the Operation Warfighter program at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in an initiative to target, recruit and hire servicemembers, including many who have suffered serious injuries from IED attacks. Operation Warfighter is a nationwide program that places wounded servicemembers in positions within the federal government. Thanks to this partnership, these servicemembers can...

Alternative energy researchers are hoping that California voters get a chance to act on their rage against oil companies at the ballot box in November--and alternative energy companies are pointing to the initiative as the boost needed to get the industry off the ground. However, critics of a new initiative effort say the main beneficiaries would be the venture capitalists behind the campaign. The group Californians for Clean Alternative Energy is gathering signatures to place an initiative on the November ballot that would impose a tax on oil production in California. The Clean Alternative Energy Act would place a tax...

Do you remember Chuck Quackenbush? He was the insurance commissioner who lost his job because he used fines that he collected from insurance companies to buy television commercials to promote his political career. It was a huge scandal at the time, and Quackenbush, who was a colleague of mine in the Assembly, left his job in disgrace, having been run out of office by Legislative Democrats for abusing state money. Another boondoggle is brewing, only this time Legislative Democrats are strangely silent. A few years ago, Rob Reiner (“Meathead” from the old television series, “All in the Family”) sponsored an...

For Immediate ReleaseFebruary 25, 2006 President's Radio Address      Audio      THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. On Sunday and Monday, I will meet with America's governors during their annual gathering in Washington, D.C. As a former governor, I appreciate the work of these fine public servants. I look forward to talking with them about the challenges and opportunities facing their states and our nation and discussing how leaders of both parties can work together to solve problems for our citizens. One of the most important issues we will discuss is how to improve health care for the American people, and we have...

A Republican lawyer who works as legal counsel to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has filed an initiative that would raise the minimum wage--but also abolish the eight-hour day for overtime. Thomas Hiltachk filed the "Fair Pay Workplace Flexibility Act of 2006" with the Attorney General on Feb. 10. If it makes it to the ballot and is passed by voters, it would lift the state's minimum wage from the current $6.75 to $7.25 on July 1, 2007, and to $7.75 a year later. The initiative does not include automatic cost-of-living increases known as indexing. The initiative would also codify several rules...

I just recieved a phone call from a polling/survey group. Nice lady, very professional. Said she wasn't selling any thing nor asking for donations and would I answer some questions. She made a statement that the Nov elections were a ways off, but her questions were related to the Nov. voting. She ran off a list of issues facing CA (crime, budget, immigration, taxes, education, etc.) and asked which were most important to me. 1st several questions were mundane. Would I be likely, very likely, not likely to vote in Nov. After a few questions she said there would be...

For Immediate ReleaseOffice of the Press SecretaryFebruary 4, 2006 President's Radio Address      Audio      THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. This week in the State of the Union address, I set forth my American Competitiveness Initiative. This plan will help our Nation to compete with confidence, raise the standard of living for our families, and generate new jobs for our citizens. Generations of risk-takers, inventors, and visionaries have made America the world's most prosperous and innovative nation. Just 25 years ago, most Americans used typewriters instead of computers, rotary phones instead of cell phones, and bank tellers instead of ATMs. Today America...

WASHINGTON - After a series of reports warning of the growing economic threat from China and India, ``competitiveness'' has become the latest catch-word of Silicon Valley's high-tech industry. President Bush elevated the issue for the nation Tuesday, announcing a decadelong ``American Competitiveness Initiative'' that would pour $136 billion into scientific research and the promotion of math and science education. --snip-- High-tech leaders praised the proposal Tuesday night. ``I was heartened by the amount of time he spent talking about competitiveness,'' said Carl Guardino, head of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group. ``To hear him focus on math and science, especially in...

CAMP TAQADDUM, Iraq (Jan. 27, 2006) -- More than 25 Marines from different sections within 2nd Marine Logistics Group (Forward) received their Corporals Course certificates here Jan. 25. At garrison bases, Corporals Course is held over a two week period and comprised of uniform inspections, sword manual, drill, physical training and numerous hours of academic instruction. It is not much different here in Iraq, according to Gunnery Sgt. Thomas E. Clough, 8th Engineer Communications Detachment commander and chief instructor for the Corporals Course. “We do the same things here,” Clough said. “Except here we don’t have the same uniform inspections...

WASHINGTON, Jan. 5, 2006 – President Bush today kicked off a new national program designed to increase the number of Americans fluent in Arabic, Chinese, Russian, Hindu, Farsi, and other critical-need languages. "We're going to teach our kids how to speak important languages. We'll welcome teachers here to help teach our kids how to speak languages," Bush said in introducing his National Security Language Initiative at the State Department. Bush addressed university presidents here attending an international educator's conference that's co-sponsored by the State and Education departments. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Education Secretary Margaret Spellings, and Defense Secretary Donald...

Warren Mundine believes it's time for his people to make it on their own. Michael Duffy reports. 'I ACTUALLY find it bizarre to be in this position. I never meant to be here." The speaker is Warren Mundine, and "here" is the position of national prominence he has recently acquired. "All I did," he continues, "was say what I thought." He thinks a lot, but the thought that's brought him a lot of new friends and enemies was his proposal earlier this year that it be made easier for individual Aborigines to own sections of their traditional land. They should...