Free Republic

lthough he officially abandoned his presidential bid last summer, Texas Congressman Ron Paul’s star continues to brighten. Once shunned by the mainstream media and marginalized by the national leadership of the Republican Party, the modest pediatrician-turned-congressman has become something of an éminence grise these days, feted and fawned over by the likes of Fox News, which once dismissed him as a quack. The reason? Dr. Paul’s unexpected fundraising prowess during his presidential campaign turned more than a few heads, and the bestseller status of his book The Revolution: A Manifesto attracted further attention. But besides the growth of his Campaign...

April was a cruel month indeed for new Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. The weeks before the Swine Flu outbreak found her stumbling through reporters’ questions about a DHS threat assessment memo on “Rightwing Extremism.” That memo urged law enforcers nationwide to monitor the allegedly gathering danger from Rightist radicals, including pro-lifers, immigration opponents, and those who reject “federal authority in favor of state and local authority.” Was this a sinister conspiracy by an administration full of Chard-sipping arugula eaters determined to spy on Red-State patriots? That‘s quite unlikely: The memo was commissioned during the Bush administration, as was a...

This week, concerns about swine flu have dominated the media and many government officials. While the American people should be made aware of infectious diseases and common sense preventative measures, much of the hysterical reaction from government only serves to remind us how detrimental to your health it can be when government plays doctor. As a physician, I have yet to see any evidence that justifies the current level of alarm. Influenza typically kills around 36,000 people every year in this country and hospitalizes a couple hundred thousand. So far there are only a handful of confirmed deaths attributable to...

I hope the citizens of South Carolina stop the General Assembly from the shark-like “feeding frenzy” of federal funds, which are really our seized tax dollars. Find out the facts. Gov. Mark Sanford has tried to reduce the non-necessary spending of our lawmakers. He has vetoed this pork every budget year and the legislature has consistently overridden his efforts to reduce spending. South Carolina would be in a better fiscal situation if spending restraints had been made in the good times. Now we are being threatened by our legislative leaders that if we don’t take the federal funds, prisons will...

The Transportation Security Administration is investigating the detention and harassment of a Ron Paul organization official by airport screeners, an incident that was caught on tape at a St. Louis airport. Steve Bierfeldt, director of development for Campaign for Liberty, was selected for additional screening after officials spotted a metal box in his luggage that contained a large amount of cash and checks made out to the campaign. Mr. Bierfeldt was attending his organization's regional conference in St. Louis and said he was keenly aware, as the situation unfolded March 29, of a controversial report issued to Missouri law enforcement...

Last week the House passed another budget that increases federal power, raises taxes, and increases the national debt. I voted against it, and was pleased to see that not a single Republican representative voted for it. Legislators often see bipartisanship as constructive, but I disagree especially where the destruction of our economy or our liberty is concerned. There has been too much bipartisan consensus on expanding government far beyond the bounds of the Constitution which we all swore to defend and uphold. Because of this, I have never been able to vote for a budget. However, it was good to...

While the nation's lenders ran amok during the boom, Andy Beal hoarded his money. Now he's cleaning up--with scant help from Uncle Sam. BY BERNARD CONDON & NATHAN VARDI Standing outside the glass-domed headquarters of his Plano, Texas, bank in March, D. Andrew Beal presses a cellphone to his ear. He's discussing a deal to buy mortgage securities. In just a few minutes, the deal's done: His Beal Bank will buy $15 million of face value for $5 million. A few hours earlier he reviewed details on a $500 million loan his bank is making to a company heading into...

We have recently heard many shocking stories of brutal killings and ruthless violence related to drug cartels warring with Mexican and US officials. It is approaching the fever pitch of a full blown crisis. Unfortunately, the administration is not likely to waste this opportunity to further expand government. Hopefully, we can take a deep breath and look at history for the optimal way to deal with this dangerous situation, which is not unprecedented. Alcohol prohibition in the 1920’s brought similar violence, gangs, lawlessness, corruption and brutality. The reason for the violence was not that making and selling alcohol was inherently...

Limited government, individual liberty, personal responsibility, greater economic opportunity, and respect for this nation and its heritage. BY JERRY A. KANE At what point does complacency end and panic set in for the members and leaders of the Republican Party? When will they notice the empty hour glass and recognize wickedness for what it is? The hordes of satiated simpletons shouting in rhythmic cadence, “Oh we love, the O-One … Oh we love, the O-One” is not the Winkie chant of guards entering a castle in a scene from a classic fantasy film. The ill winds of the 2006 and...

A report compiled by federal and Missouri law enforcement officials has ignited a firestorm of criticism that shows no signs of letting up. A confidential analysis on “The Modern Militia Movement” compiled by the state “fusion center” has drawn livid responses from people and groups listed in the document. State officials — including those at the Missouri Information Analysis Center in Jefferson City, which compiled and disseminated the report to police — stand behind it, contending it has been misinterpreted. The eight-page MIAC report listed warning signs indicating someone might be a domestic terrorist or a member of a militia....

A court case in British Columbia has the potential to drastically change the Canadian Internet landscape by making search engines such as Google and Yahoo illegal. A case brought against the Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA) by a small search engine for BitTorrent files, called ISOHunt Web Technologies Inc., is raising questions about whether search engines are liable for the sharing of copyright-protected content online. The question before the British Columbia Supreme Court is, if a site like ISOHunt allows people to find a pirated copy of Watchmen or The Dark Knight, is it breaching Canadian copyright law? “It’s a...

The Missouri Libertarian Party, the third-largest political party in the state, issued the following statement regarding a “Strategic Report” issued by the Missouri Information Analysis Center (MIAC) on February 22nd, which became known to the public late last week: An internal document designed for law enforcement education purposes inaccurately and dangerously implies that among the indicators of possible involvement in extremist, militant militia activity is support for the Libertarian Party. This memo and its findings are potentially dangerous to both the people of Missouri and to our system of free political speech. The memo claims that membership in, among other...

Earmarks seem to be the hot topic this week, and as a fiscal conservative I am dismayed so many people deliberately distort the earmarking process and grandstand to make political points. It is an easy thing to do with earmarks. It takes a little more time and patience to grasp the reality of what earmarks really are. To be sure, if earmarks were the driving force behind explosive government spending as some have been led to believe, that would be a good reason for all the fuss. The misconception seems to be that members of Congress put together a bunch...

South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford sees a strong future for the Republican Party, provided it's rebuilt in what he sees as the right way: on the local level, far from the halls of Congress and the GOP's national headquarters. Republican ideals haven't changed, he said last week, but he thinks the ways the party engages new people will have to. NEWSWEEK's Daniel Stone asked Sanford who's responsible to lead the party from here and what he thinks about the party's national leadership. Excerpts: NEWSWEEK: In devising a new strategy for the party, where do you go from here?SANFORD: There is...

Governor Mark Sanford (R) of South Carolina has been a vocal critic of President Barack Obama’s stimulus plan and in the process has become one of the most prominent fiscal conservatives in the country. Recently, he made national news when he announced his plan to accept the stimulus funds but sought a waiver from the President to use 25 percent of it to pay down state debt rather than spend it on suggested programs (the other 75 percent is determined by formulas). If Obama doesn’t grant the waiver, Sanford has said he will reject it. Before Sanford was governor, Sanford...

In last week's Best of Charleston issue, City Paper readers picked Gov. Mark Sanford as our "Best Conservative" and rightfully so. "Facing budget deficits and high unemployment, Sanford has opposed the state legislature's pet projects and the White House's economic stimulus," the write-up read. "The controversial governor's logic may not be practical, but it is conservative." In these tough economic times, accusing conservatives like Sanford of not being "practical" for opposing massive spending has been a common liberal theme. During a press conference last week, President Barack Obama was asked about the plummeting stock market, the rapidity of which many...

As I know you’re aware, the Federal Reserve’s inner-workings are shrouded in secrecy, and their meetings are off-limits to the public. Just recently, the Federal Reserve told Congress “NO WAY” when asked to account for TWO TRILLION DOLLARS in taxpayer-backed loans! Well, why do you think they refused? They know coming clean with Congress and the American people on how they doled out those two TRILLION dollars would result in an anti-Fed firestorm. So can you imagine the impact of a full-scale audit? You and I will finally be able to show the American people that the Federal Reserve System...

Gov. Mark Sanford's wish to use $700 million of federal stimulus money to cut the state's debt rather than prop up its budget soon will land on the desk of President Barack Obama. If Obama refuses Sanford's request, as expected, then state lawmakers will decide whether to override the governor yet again. The drama will unfold in the coming weeks as each of them grapples with what is widely considered the worst economy since the Great Depression. Much of South Carolina's $8 billion share of the $787 billion stimulus package will go directly to individuals in the form of tax...

S.C. lawmakers will bypass him, accept disputed money. BY JOHN O'CONNOR Gov. Mark Sanford said Wednesday that using federal money to balance the state budget come July could “destabilize” the S.C. economy over time. The governor said he will not accept $700 million in federal aid for state budgets unless South Carolina can use the money to pay off retirement, health care costs and other debts — making him the nations’ first governor to specifically reject portions of the federal aid.

COLUMBIA, South Carolina (CNN) -- The United States faces a Zimbabwe-style economic collapse if it keeps "spending a bunch of money we don't have," South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford said Wednesday. Sanford, a Republican, has been an outspoken critic of the Obama administration's $800 billion stimulus plan. He said he'll turn down about a quarter of his state's $2.8 billion share unless Washington lets him use that money to pay down debt. "What you're doing is buying into the notion that if we just print some more money that we don't have and send it to different states, we'll create...