Free Republic

Following the obvious political posturing at the Federal Communications Commission, Howard Stern called the opposition to the merger "communism" and vowed to never vote Democrat again. "I've voted Republican and I've voted Democrat," said Stern on the air. "I have vowed I will never vote for a Democrat again. I don't give a %#@% - no matter who they are." Stern took it even further and called the Democrat commissioners "communists" and referred to their tactics as "gangsterism." "The fact that these Democrats on the FCC are communists," Stern added. "They're for communism. They don't want to see companies... this...

John McCain's vice presidential running mate selection should be put in perspective. In a presidential campaign, there are only a handful of occasions when a running mate has news value: the day of the announcement and the few days following; the nominee's convention speech debut; the joint kickoff rally; and the televised debate with the counterpart running mate. Otherwise, by mid-September John McCain's VP choice will be consigned to secondary media markets in critical electoral states, along with tours through solid red states for fund raising, party-building and local-candidate support. National television and cable networks will include the vice presidential...

The latest chain e-mail smear against Barack Obama: He "blew off" troops at an Afghan base to shoot hoops for a publicity photo. The letter was apparently written by a Utah Army National Guard intelligence officer in a linguist unit at Bagram Airfield who claimed the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee was rude to G.I.s. "As the soldiers where [sic] lined up to shake his hand he blew them off," wrote the Task Force Wasatch "battle captain." But angry Army brass debunked the Obama-bashing soldier's allegations, which went viral Thursday over the Web and on military blogs such as Blackfive. The...

Longshot Republican congressional challenger Ed Lynch said he's seen a spike in campaign contributions and enjoyed newfound radio and TV exposure since Fox News personality Bill O'Reilly aired a report Tuesday accusing Democratic U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler of not really living in Florida. Since The O'Reilly Factor ran the Wexler item Tuesday night - complete with footage of an ambush interview featuring a shorts-and-T-shirt-clad Wexler in the driveway of the home he owns in Potomac, Md., - Lynch says his campaign has received about 20 online contributions ranging from $100 to $1,000. That's a big boost to what has been...

Marines visiting a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant. Scenes include troops walking inside the restaurant and KFC workers preparing and frying chicken and french fries. Click link to see video clip

A Royal Marine who threw himself on a grenade to save his comrades' lives is to receive the George Cross. Lance Corporal Matthew Croucher, 24, from Solihull, in the West Midlands triggered a trip wire in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, in February. He immediately dropped to the ground and lay across the grenade, being blown into the air as it went off. The George Cross is one of the highest decorations that can be awarded for acts of gallantry. L/Cpl Croucher said: "All I could do in the moment was shout out 'grenade' before diving on top of it." His bag...

Supporters of Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul have ramped up plans for a local counterweight to the GOP's national convention in September. Not content with a planned rally at the University of Minnesota's Williams Arena on Sept. 2, the Paul forces now plan a three-day "Rally for the Republic" that will climax in a 10-hour extravaganza at Target Center in Minneapolis. "It's getting exciting," said Marianne Stebbins, a longtime GOP activist who ran the Texas congressman's campaign in Minnesota. "We realized [Williams Arena] wasn't big enough for everything we wanted to do." Although Paul was a long-shot candidate who came...

Tonight ABC aired their interview with Sen. Barack Obama with correspondent Terry Moran conducting; here is a clip of the segment that ran on ABC's World News Tonight: Moran: If you had to do it over again, knowing what you know now, would you support the surge? Obama: No. Because, keep in mind that -- Moran: You wouldn't?

Ok guys this is the third week Neil has been missing. They keep saying he's on vacation. I'm a little worried about his health. I hope and pray he's doing ok and he's just taking time off. In the meantime I'm going through Cavuto withdrawls! Do any freepers have any more information on his status????

The Marine Corps is charging two of its own in connection with a theft ring that involved the stealing of secret files on potential terrorists. The widening investigation already has produced one conviction. Both Marines were called back to duty at Camp Pendleton and charged in late June with breaking military law, though the charges were not announced until yesterday. Gunnery Sgt. Eric L. Froboese and Master Sgt. Reinaldo Pagan, both reservists, were charged as part of a probe into the mishandling and compromise of classified information, the Marine Corps said. Pagan is charged with dereliction of duty and orders...

Here we are in year six of the Iraq war, which has receded in the media to a static-filled hum of casualty figures and reports of new advances in improvised weaponry. If it takes a re-created reality to make us think concretely about what's happening there, and has been happening there, so be it. Steven Bochco tried it a couple of seasons back with "Over There," half successfully, but it lasted only one season. And now David Simon(writer) and Ed Burns ("The Wire") have adapted Rolling Stone journalist Evan Wright's book “Generation Kill.” The HBO show recounts in seven parts...

Last July, Paul Broun shocked Georgia pundits when the poorly funded physician narrowly defeated a longtime legislative leader in a GOP primary for a special election in an overwhelmingly Republican U.S. House seat. Party grandees were convinced Dr. Broun's victory was a fluke and this year backed a challenge from state Rep. Barry Fleming, who hails from the district's population center of Augusta. Mr. Fleming promptly raised nearly $1 million and proceeded to throw the kitchen sink at Dr. Broun, including mailers chiding him for failing to bring home earmarks for the district. Well, Dr. Broun will be going back...

READER'S NOTE: The following is an update to the original post that explains the theory behind the research, and to assist those who have not read any of my previous posts. Also, comments have been reopened. BREAKING NEWS! Blog contributor, TechDude, has released a long-awaited document that represents a cooperative venture among myself, TechDude, and TexasDarlin. By combining my original analyses along with his own, TechDude has validated what I have been saying since June 19 -- that the images posted on the Daily Kos website, the Obama campaign website, and the FactCheck website are indeed, fakes, frauds, and forgeries....

(CAMP PENDLETON, Calif.) - We pick up now where we left off in the timeline of events surrounding the incident that put far too many Marines in prison for killing the enemy. If you didn’t see Part 1 yesterday, you can find it here: Pendleton 8 Exposed - The Real Story, Part 1 January 18, 2007: Marine Pleads Guilty to Iraqi Kidnap, Murder “The Marine said ‘Someone’ fired a shot,” and then he and the others in the squad opened fire. Sgt. Lawrence G. Hutchins III went up to the victim to make sure he was dead, [Cpl Trent] Thomas...

(CAMP PENDLETON, Calif.) - Two years ago the nation was shocked to hear of Marines coming home from the battlefield in shackles. This is not how we treat our heroes, not when they are highly decorated, highly trained, and even more experienced. It was preposterous, we said, to charge Marines with murder for shooting the enemy. Isn’t that what we train them to do? Marine Sergeant Hutchins"Yet that is exactly what we did–and the seven Marines, together with their Navy corpsman, became known as the Pendleton 8. For the last two years, these men have seen their families disintegrate, their...

To watch the contortions over that New Yorker cover cartoon of the Obamas is to understand whom it is impermissible to offend in the America of 2008. The cartoon is a caricature of Michelle as an urban terrorist in an Angela Davis afro with an AK-47 slung over her back and a bandoleer of ammo in the Oval Office doing a fist-bump with a Barack decked out in turban and Muslim garb. On the wall hangs a portrait of Osama bin Laden. Blazing away in the fireplace is the American flag. "President Obama and First Lady -- as Seen From...

I dedicated my book, What’s The Matter With California, to a retired United Airline pilot named Ray Lahr, “a true Californian and patriot”—and with good reason. Today, the tireless World War II vet and his intrepid attorney, John Clarke, are all that stand in the way of the successful execution of the single most astonishing cover-up in American peacetime history. What makes this whole event so astonishing is that TWA Flight 800 went down with 230 good souls on board in full view of literally hundreds of eyewitnesses on Long Island’s affluent south shore. Even more astonishing, although 270 of...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FOR INFORMATION: Peg Luksik, Campaign Manager | 814.244.8948 Grassroots Contributions Challenge Murtha War chest in PA’s 12th RussellBrigade.com Launches JOHNSTOWN [07.16.08]: The campaign of Johnstown resident and Republican nominee for Congress Lt. Colonel Bill Russell outpaced incumbent Congressman John Murtha in the second fundraising quarter of 2008. According to campaign manager, Peg Luksik, William Russell for Congress reported raising $637,137 to Murtha’s $113,155 to the Federal Elections Commission (FEC). The combined totals from the first and second quarters of 2008 exceed $900,000. “The incredible story about Bill’s campaign is that the $15 and $25 contributions are coming...

A school district near Austin, TX wants to name a new high school there Vandegrift High School after a fallen Marine who graduated in 1999. He was killed in Iraq serving his country, and the local school board voted to name a new high school after him. This is a great gesture of appreciation. But unfortunately some lunatic leftists are protesting this decision. Please contact the Leander ISD to let them know you support their decision, despite what a vocal, anti-American minority of fringe activists think. Call the school district at 512-434-5000. Fax a letter to them at 512-434-5398. Email...

Berkeley mayor announces re-election bid Tom Bates seeks third term By Doug OakleyStaff Writer Article Launched: 07/14/2008 05:35:31 PM PDT Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates announced his candidacy for a third term Monday on the steps of city hall surrounded by five other council members who are endorsing him.His challengers so far include former Berkeley Mayor Shirley Dean and activist Zachary Running Wolf.Bates cited his record on fighting global warming, creating a "green economy," getting homeless people off the streets and supporting development near public transportation centers.He is endorsed by council members Gordon Wozniak, Linda Maio, Laurie Capitelli, Darryl Moore and Max...

WASHINGTON, July 15, 2008 – Hundreds of military family members will gather next week for Marine Parents United’s 5th Annual Marine Family Conference, where they’ll have opportunities aimed at helping them better understand military life. “The conference will provide educational and social opportunities to encourage attendees to both understand and support their Marine and the commitment he [or] she made to the [Marine Corps],” said Joyce Gilmour, the organization’s treasurer. The conference fulfills Marine Parents United’s mission statement of hosting an annual educational and networking conference to offer guidance to Marine families, though each year’s event is open to...

Marine Sgt. Ryan Weemer is accused of murdering an enemy combatant captured a few hours after his squad crossed the line of departure on November 9, 2004 to attack Fallujah, Iraq. The government claims somebody gave Weemer’s squad leader an order over a radio to kill four prisoners they had just captured and Weemer was one of the Marines who complied. Weemer’s former squad leader Jose L. Nazario, and Sgt. Jermaine Nelson, an assaultman attached to his squad, are also accused of murder in the affair. After Weemer and Nelson waived their right to legal counsel they both gave voluntary...

Wed: Fox News correspondent Molly Henneberg, 34, to Marine Capt. Chris Nagel, 30, in her hometown of Falls Church on Saturday. Met at a Christmas party just seven months ago (turned out they attend the same church and their dads have been friends for decades); got engaged three months later. She's covering the 2008 campaign; he's a military lawyer. First marriage for both.

Here are a couple nice interviews with Marine Major John Cowarts regarding his experiences in Iraq Interview, part 1 Interview, part 2

If YouTube proved the natural home of anyone who happened to find himself in simultaneous possession of a camera phone, some Mentos, and a can of Diet Coke, then the not-yet-two-year-old LiveLeak.com is digging a foxhole for itself. It's become a meeting place for those who blow stuff up and those who like to watch it explode. Troops in the field in Iraq and Afghanistan are the most valued content providers on LiveLeak. The site's unsqueamish emphasis on raw video - it does have some rules, not that you would notice - makes it a destination spot for short...

Daniel Gilyeat sauntered through the back door to the offices of Cycle Connections, an online motorcycle magazine, then paused and scratched his chin. He was more than a little aware that a roomful of mechanics and Hooters employees on a Saturday afternoon meant something was up. “Danny, you need to come here,” said sales manager Dave Miller. “For all the things you do to keep us safe, we wanted to give you an opportunity to get back on the road.” Miller then turned to the mechanics. “Go ahead.” Without a word, they pulled a sheet off a sparkling deep blue...

A software update for the Windows operating system has left hundreds and thousands of computer users unable to access the internet. The update, known as a "patch", conflicts with another piece of software, the Zone Alarms firewall, that many people use to protect their computers from hackers and viruses. The patch, codenamed MS08-037, was designed to fix a security loophole in the way Windows handles website addresses. It was discovered that there was a weakness with the operating system that could allow hackers to re-route legitimate web pages to malicious websites instead, and leave internet users open to fraud...

CAMP PENDLETON ---- A military prosecutor on Friday asked a Marine officer to recommend that a veteran of the legendary Fallujah battle be tried for murder for his admission that he killed a prisoner under his control. "While he is a remarkably sympathetic figure," prosecutor Nick Gannon said of Sgt. Ryan Weemer, "especially on these facts, this is not a gray area. It's black and white. It's right and wrong." Gannon bolstered his argument by pointing to testimony that Marines who took prisoners during the massive 2004 offensive in Fallujah were told to treat the detainees humanely and get them...

In the decades since they shared a prison cell in North Vietnam, George "Bud" Day has remained a close friend of Republican John McCain and emerged as a staunch opponent of Democrats seeking the presidency. As he did in 2004, when he took the lead in questioning Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry's Vietnam War record, Day is eager this fall to do whatever he can to retain the White House for the Republicans _ especially this Republican. "I just want everyone to understand the difference between a board-certified physician and a student in medical school, because that is the difference,"...

Miniseries portrays unit in early days of Iraq war By Rick Rogers UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER July 10, 2008 JOHN R. McCUTCHEN / Union-Tribune Retired Cpl. Josh Ray Person (left); his wife, Sarah; and actor James Ransone who portrayed the Marine in the HBO miniseries "Generation Kill" attended last night's screening at Camp Pendleton. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Video The HBO Films miniseries "Generation Kill" dramatizes the experiences of some Marines of Camp Pendleton's First Reconnaissance Battalion during the Iraq War. Media Player -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The FREE Windows Media Player is necessary to play Windows Media. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- JOHN McCUTCHEN /Union-Tribune Actor Joon Huertas (left), former...

Proud papa Michael Cintron looks on via Webcam from Iraq after wife, Jeannine, gave birth to baby son Michael in Brooklyn.He was 6,000 miles from Brooklyn, but Marine Lance Cpl. Michael Cintron got a glimpse of his newborn son before his wife did. "Hi, I'm your daddy," Cintron announced to his minutes-old son. "Look, your nose is squishy." In a remarkable four-hour Web cast from a maternity ward at Maimonides Medical Center, mom Jeannine Cintron's delivery of son Michael James Cintron was beamed clear across ocean and land to his 26-year-old father in Iraq. The baby weighed in at 7...

This is without a doubt, the worst congress in the history of this nation. The latest Rasmussen poll shows that for the first time in history, congress's approval rating is in SINGLE DIGITS at a pathetic 9%!! There's no doubt it needs to be fixed, and "Geeks On Caffeine" explores this problem in this cartoon. Fix the congress? Please do! NOTE: The author of this cartoon has requested that you visit the site and refrain from pasting the cartoon within the body of the thread. Thanks!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twzoec7zZig

KABUL (AFP) — More than 400 militants have been killed in a 10-week-old operation led by US Marines in a remote district of southern Afghanistan but fighters remain in the area, a commander said Wednesday. Marines and British troops under NATO command in late April launched the operation in Garmser district, a desert area on the border with Pakistan described as an insurgent "logistics hub" and key opium-producing centre. Citing figures from Helmand province governor Gulab Mangal, the Marine commanding officer in Afghanistan told reporters in Kabul that more than 400 Taliban-linked rebels had been killed.

Fox News Channel's Bill O'Reilly had Code Pink's Medea Benjamin on The Factor tonight. It was Benjamin's second appearance within a week on the Factor.Last Thursday, Benjamin was on with guest host John Kasich opposite Vets for Freedom's Pete Hegseth. Tonight she was interviewed one-on-one by O'Reilly.The segment last week dealt with Benjamin's comments trashing Vietnam veterans. Tonight's segment was on Benjamin's reaction to Obama supposedly moving to the center for the general election from the progressive positions he staked out during the primaries.O'Reilly treated Benjamin as a respectable voice in American politics, totally ignoring her support for the terrorists...

The Department of Defense announced today the death of four Marines who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Sgt. Michael Toussiant-Hyle Washington, 20, of Tacoma, Wash. Lance Cpl. Layton Bradly Crass, 22, of Richmond, In. Pfc. Dawid Pietrek, 24, of Bensenville, Ill. Pfc. Michael Robert Patton, 19, of Fenton, Mo. All four Marines died June 14 while supporting combat operations in Farah Province, Afghanistan. They were assigned to 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif. Requesting prayer for the family, friends, and loved ones of Sgt. Michael Toussiant-Hyle Washington, 20, of Tacoma, Wash. Requesting...

~snip~ Half of all living Americans today were born after McCain's A4E Skyhawk was shot down in an attempted bombing run on the Yen Phu power plant. Thus his story here bears retelling. ~snip~ The McCain story is unambiguously heroic. ~snip~ The only chance Democrats have is to turn the page. For them, victory lies in the fact that a new generation is about to take over American politics. In a provocative new book, Morley Winograd and Michael Hais identify today's young voters as millennials - the largest generation in American history, bigger even than the baby boom. About a...

It was perverse -- not to mention tone-deaf and foolish -- for Barack Obama's supporters to pick the week of July Fourth to attack John McCain's military background. The cliche rings true: With political friends like these, Obama doesn't need enemies. First up was retired Army Gen. Wesley K. Clark, who told CBS' "Face the Nation" that "I don't think getting in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to become president." That was tame compared with a vile posting by the nut-roots liberal Americablog.com headlined "Honestly, besides being tortured, what did McCain do to excel in...

We don't have just two choices Hordes of Democrats and Republicans are unimpressed by their choices for president this year. Many on both sides are willing to crawl across broken glass, this time to avoid voting for their party's candidate. The two major parties, neither one of which are even mentioned in the Constitution, think they have us in a corner where we must vote for either Barack Obama or John McCain, or the other guy will win. But it isn't true; especially in states where it's already a foregone conclusion who will win? Everyone knows McCain will win Texas'...

Marine Corps Sergeants Jermaine Nelson and Ryan Weemer will celebrate Independence Day in a Camp Pendleton brig instead of the San Bernardino County Jail, Defend Our Marines has learned. Sergeants Jermaine Nelson and Ryan Weemer, both veterans of the famous "Hell House" fight at Fallujah, Iraq, are currently being held in the San Bernardino County federal lockup for contempt of court charges. They were locked up after refusing to talk to a Grand Jury seated in Riverside, California. A spokesman at Camp Pendleton is still trying to determine whether they have already been transferred to the Camp Pendleton brig at...

A Marine sniper charged with two counts of manslaughter in the shooting deaths of two men he suspected of planting a roadside bomb in Iraq said Wednesday that he was doing his best to protect his troops. "I did this action in defense of my Marines," Sgt. John "Johnny" Winnick II said at the conclusion of an investigative hearing that will help determine if the charges against him stand. Winnick, 24, a veteran of four Iraq deployments, said he decided to shoot when he suspected the men were about to place a bomb near an intersection about a mile from...

That Marines stand tall and rigid in their actions, thoughts and deeds when others bend with the direction of the wind and are as confused as a dog looking at a ceiling fan. that each and every Marine considers the honor and legacy of the Corps as his/her personal and sacred trust to protect and defend. that most civilians don't have a clue what makes us tick...And that's not a bad thing. Because if they did, it would probably scare the hell out of them. that others say they want to be like us, but don't have what it takes...

CAMP PENDLETON -- A Marine sniper charged with two counts of manslaughter and two counts of assault in the shooting of four Syrians last year had the authority to shoot suspected insurgents if he deemed they posed a threat, his platoon commander testified Tuesday morning. Lt. Dominic Corabi, commander of a scout sniper platoon from Camp Pendleton's 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, said Sgt. John "Johnny" Winnick II had that authority when he led a six-man surveillance team on a mission near Lake Tharthar in the Anbar province of Iraq on June 17. Winnick, 24, a San Diego native and...

    ~The FReeper Canteen Presents~ Road Trip: Marine Corps Air Station, Cherry Point, North Carolina Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point or MCAS Cherry Point is a United States Marine Corps airfield located in Havelock, North Carolina, USA, in the eastern part of the state. It was built in 1941, and was commissioned in 1942 and is currently home to the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing.MCAS Cherry Point's mission is to provide the highest quality operating environment for all using activities; operate and maintain facilities and assigned aircraft; furnish a full range of vital support services; nurture the quality...

The federal trial of former Marine Sgt Jose L. Nazario is on hold until August 19, Defend Our Marines has learned. Presiding US District Judge Steven Larsen issued the order last week. Nazario’s trial was scheduled to begin July 8 at the US District Court for Central California at Riverside. Judge Larsen has also issued an unusual order to Nazario’s defense attorney Kevin B. McDermott to keep the Grand Jury testimony he received in discovery secret, and to return the transcripts to the court undisclosed to the public upon the completion of the case. The delay in the Nazario case...

ARLINGTON, Va. — Marines in Fallujah will transfer their headquarters to Ramadi in the next six months, said Marine Col. Lewis Craparotta, commander of Regimental Combat Team 1. The 412 Marines and sailors in the regimental combat team’s headquarters will make the move as part of an effort to reduce the U.S. presence in Fallujah, Craparotta told reporters Monday. Both Fallujah and Ramadi were once hotbeds for the insurgency, but since 2007, local Sunnis have allied with U.S. troops to drive out al-Qaida. On Monday, Craparotta said the enemy in his area has been "neutralized;" however, he noted a series...

MANDOZI, Afghanistan - Army Pvt. Justin Fillmore has some family military history. Yet he didn't really know what to expect in his first overseas combat mission. He is here in Afghanistan, he says, because he wanted to give a break to other soldiers, some of them on their second, third or fourth combat deployments. "I'm young enough, I can handle it," Fillmore, 23, of Latrobe says as he sits by a Humvee, smoking a cigarette. "I'm happy it happened, that I got to go while I still had the mind-set for it."

CAMP PENDLETON ---- A hearing to help determine if a Marine sniper should face trial for killing two Iraqi civilians and wounding two others last year is scheduled to begin at Camp Pendleton on Tuesday morning. Sgt. John "Johnny" Winnick II is accused of voluntary manslaughter, aggravated assault and failing to follow the military's rules of engagement in the incident that took place in Iraq's Anbar province June 17, 2007. A charging document alleges Winnick used a shotgun to kill an Iraqi civilian named Raid Ahmed. He also is alleged to have killed or caused another to kill Rayson Muhammad...

The highest voltage third rail of this presidential campaign may not be race, sex, or age, but Senator John McCain's military service. McCain's campaign Sunday issued a pair of outraged statements after retired general and Barack Obama supporter Wesley Clark said he didn't think that McCain’s service as a fighter pilot and prisoner of war was relevant to running the country. Obama has consistently praised McCain's service, and called him "a genuine American hero." But farther to the left—and among some of McCain's conservative enemies as well—harsher attacks are circulating. Critics have accused McCain of war crimes for bombing targets...

French marines shoot children in bungled hostage display By Our Foreign Staff Last Updated: 11:39PM BST 29/06/2008 Seventeen people have been injured, including a child left in a critical condition, after French soldiers fired live bullets instead of blanks during an open day display. Troops stand outside the barracks near Carcassone Fifteen civilians and two soldiers were injured in the incident which involved a demonstration by members of a marines parachute regiment of hostage liberation exercises. Four of the 17 were seriously injured, with two described as critical, following "incomprehensible" scenes at the barracks near Carcassone, in the country's south-west....