Free Republic

December 14 has come and gone—and President Obama’s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act—better known as Obamacare—has received a stunning blow. State governments had until December 14, 2012 to decide whether or not they would build their own health insurance exchange, an online service that would allow individuals to purchase private health insurance if it wasn’t provided for by their employees. That date has now passed, and the exchange has been rebuked by half the states—with 25 state governments refusing to participate in this critical component of Obamacare. Their refusal won’t stop exchanges in their states. Under the law, states...

POLITICO: In an interview with Aaron David Miller for his book published by Random House, "The Much Too Promised Land," Sen. Chuck Hagel spoke about Israel

The Muslim women could vote. Islamic winter. An Egyptian judge banned Christian women from voting in yesterday’s election. Al-Arabiya reported: A group of Egypt’s Christian women voters were banned on Saturday in Cairo’s Nasr City from casting their ballot in a disputed constitutional referendum, an Al Arabiya correspondent and AFP reported. Nasr City was the scene of mass rallies last night as Islamists who support President Mohammed Mursi took to the streets. Details of banning Coptic Christians from voting are not immediately available, but earlier the opposition National Salvation Front was quoted by AFP as saying that a judge in...

'Wasn't The Connecticut Killer Just Doing What Abortionists Do Every Day?' Shocking Outburst By Former SNL Star Sparks Outrage Comedian turned politico Victoria Jackson said 'this is what you get when you forget the Ten Commandments' The Facebook post - which has so far received more than 150 'likes' - also quickly attracted angry comments By AMANDA WILLIAMS 16 December 2012 Comedian turned political commentator Victoria Jackson has caused outrage by apparently comparing the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School with abortion. The former Saturday Night Live star, who is now an outspoken political conservative, posted a message on her...

House Speaker John A. Boehner has offered to push any fight over the federal debt limit off for a year, a major concession that would deprive Republicans of leverage in the budget battle but is breathing new life into stalled talks over the year-end “fiscal cliff.” The offer came Friday, according to people in both parties familiar with the talks, as part of the latest effort by Boehner (R-Ohio) to strike a deal with President Obama to replace more than $500 billion in painful deficit-reduction measures set to take effect in January. With the national debt already bumping up against...

Nancy Lanza, whose gun collection was raided by her son Adam for Friday’s massacre at Sandy Hook school, was part of the “prepper” movement, which urges readiness for social chaos by hoarding supplies and training with weapons. “She prepared for the worst,” her sister-in-law Marsha Lanza told reporters. “Last time we visited her in person, we talked about prepping – are you ready for what could happen down the line, when the economy collapses?”

Our Troops Rock!  Thank you for all you do!   For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday... Thank the Veterans who served in The United States Armed Forces.   Looking forward to tomorrow's freedom? Support The United States Armed Forces Today!     ~ Hall of Heroes ~ Part 3:  Operation Little VittlesAll info and photos from this website. Link to Part One Link to Part Two             "DER SCHOKOLADEN FLIEGER"   OPERATION LITTLE VITTLES   40K JPEG General Hoyt S. Vandenberg, Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force is shown presenting the 1948 Cheney...

A U.S. soldier was killed Friday after he opened fire on members of the Military Police at the Fort Hood Army base in the state of Texas, according to a source. The MPs at Fort Hood while on routine patrol discovered a suspicious vehicle parked near the main gate of the base in the early morning, according to the law enforcement source.

French actor Gerard Depardieu says he is handing back his French passport after the prime minister criticised him for moving to Belgium to avoid taxes. In a letter to a newspaper he lambasted the French government for punishing "success, creation and talent". Last week the 63-year-old actor announced he was moving to the small Belgian town of Nechin just over the French border. French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault described the decision as "shabby". Next year, the top rate of income tax in France is due to become 75% on earnings above 1m euros. It is currently 50% in Belgium. "I...

Barney Frank won’t go quietlyBy ASSOCIATED PRESS | 12/16/12 12:53 PM EST **SNIP** Frank has retained Hollywood super-agent Ari Emanuel to ensure he is a paid fixture on cable television, the lecture circuit, in bookstores - and maybe the occasional sitcom or Broadway show. He has already sent his agent two book proposals, one offering a recipe for future liberal success and the other a “semi-memoir” about the history of the gay rights movement. And he leaves Washington with a particular disdain for Fox News. “I’m hoping to get paid well to do what I do now for nothing,” a...

Steve Welch was a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate this year The Sunday morning before the election, my daughter and I attended a candidates' breakfast in Chester County. The room was packed with passionate Republican volunteers. The energy level bordered on exuberance, as people believed Pennsylvania was in play in the presidential race. In fact, one ardent political operative for the Pennsylvania Pastors Network told me he believed Mitt Romney would likely win Pennsylvania by 10 points. That night, my three children, my wife, and I trekked out to Bucks County to attend a Romney rally. We arrived over an...

In 2010, the Kaiser Family Foundation released a study showing that 8- to 18-year-olds spend an average of 7.5 hours every day with media devices. These include cell phones (many of which have internet connection), TV, computers, and the like. It’s clear that the more life-affirming videos, commercials, and short clips that we can put out there, the more we will reach our youth. We need to find creative ways to proclaim our message. It’s doubtful that many young people would click on a video called “Fetal Heartbeat at 8 Weeks” (though a pregnant teen might). But what about a...

President Obama tonight will speak at an interfaith vigil as part of his visit to Newtown, CT for families of the victims of Sandy Hook Elementary School. President Obama traveled to Newtown, CT earlier today to meet with the families of those who were lost and to thank first responders. On Friday, the President made a statement to the press on the elementary school shooting in Newtown, Conn. A total of 20 children are among the 26 dead. The gunman also died at the scene. The President said that it is time for the country to “take meaningful action” after...

ORANJESTAD, Aruba — A speck of an island in the Dutch Caribbean has become increasingly popular with gay couples after legislators legalized same-sex marriages in a region still openly hostile to gays and lesbians. Two men were recently married in Saba, marking the first ceremony of its kind in the region and setting off a frenzy of calls from gay couples in other Dutch Caribbean islands seeking to marry, said Julietta Woods with Saba’s Civil Registry office.”People keep calling me every second,” she said by telephone this week. As part of the Netherlands Kingdom, the islands of Saba, Bonaire and...

Many people are insisting we all sit down and have a thoughtful, calm reflection on the Second Amendment after the Connecticut massacre. Others, particularly on the Left, are more forthright and are demanding more gun control. If we are to engage in the former, however, I want to share some of the arguments Rep. Louie Gohmert made today on Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace. The segment with Gohmert began with footage of Eric Holder saying we need to discuss who we are as a nation, talk about the freedom and rights we have, and how they can be used...

Historically, small businesses have been the primary engine of new job creation in the United States. If the economy was getting healthy, we would expect to see the number of jobs at new businesses rise. Instead, we are witnessing just the opposite. We are told that the economy is supposed to be "recovering", but the number of "startup jobs" at new businesses has fallen for five years in a row. According to an analysis of U.S. Department of Labor data performed by economist Tim Kane, there were almost 12 startup jobs per 1000 Americans back in the year 2006....

Chief representative of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) in Washington D.C. is warning United States lawmakers against retaliating for last month's statehood vote at the United Nations, maintaining that doing so would only hurt U.S. credibility in the region. “History has shown time and again that the language of threats, financial pressure, and punitive measures simply does not work,” Maen Rashid Areikat wrote in a letter sent to U.S. lawmakers. “Engagement and dialogue is the only way to express the views of Congress. Biased and one-sided resolutions cannot contribute to an atmosphere that is conducive for a political resolution to...

More than 3,000 people are sheltering in evacuation centres as Cyclone Evan bears down on Fiji's northern islands. The storm has already caused widespread damage in Samoa, claiming at least four lives. Fiji's Meteorological Office says at 9am local time the centre of Severe Tropical Cyclone C Evan was located about 30km due east of Yasawa i Ra island. It is moving southwest by southerly at 22 kilometres an hour, and is expected to be about 60km west of Nadi around 8pm tonight. The Met Office says the Yasawa and Mamanuca, and the west of Viti Levu will feel the...

The Pope has again condemned same-sex marriage and on Monday warned that it is a threat to humanity. Speaking directly to international diplomats at a New Year’s address, Pope Benedict XVI acknowledged various economic and social factors that he says affect the world today. "Policies which undermine the family threaten human dignity and the future of humanity itself," The Pontiff said, according to Reuters. "The family unit is fundamental for the educational process and for the development both of individuals and states," he said. "Pride of place goes to the family, based on the marriage of a man and a...

2,000 years after Judah the Maccabee fought against the decrees of Greek ruler Antiochus, the descendants of the Hasmoneans and the ancient Greeks are cooperating militarily. For Hanukkah, the IAF Website featured these pictures of Greek-Israeli cooperation in joint maneuvers of the countries' air forces. Cooperation with Greece has tightened following the deterioration in relations between Israel and Turkey...