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A War Hero Is Vindicated–Again Posted By Arnold Ahlert On December 26, 2011 @ 12:20 am In Daily Mailer,FrontPage | Seven long years after he allegedly committed “premeditated murder,” Iraq war veteran Ilario Pantano, who gave up a comfortable life on Manhattan’s Upper West Side to fight for his country following the September 11th attacks, has been thoroughly vindicated. Thus ends a saga highlighted by an unconscionable rush to judgement by the military, and the subsequent trashing of Mr. Pantano’s reputation by leftists who never miss an opportunity to denigrate American soldiers based on nothing more than unproven allegations.

Freedom Radio will rock and roll Sunday evening June 5th when we welcome back Congressman Allen B. West from Florida’s 22nd district. The Congressman will discuss everything from the budget to the Patriot Act to Obamacare, in the way that only he can. Also returning to Freedom Radio is Vicki Behenna, mother of American hero Lt. Michael Behenna, being unjustly held at Levanworth for simply doing his job as an American soldier. On March 20th, 2009, Army Ranger 1st Lieutenant Michael Behenna was sentenced to 25 years in prison for killing Ali Mansur, a known Al Qaeda operative while serving...

The campaigns of Mike McIntyre and Ilario Pantano both said Thursday they are encouraged by early voting numbers across the 7th Congressional District. As of late Wednesday, about a week into the early voting period, nearly 27,000 votes had been cast in the district, which includes all or parts of 10 Southeastern North Carolina counties. That’s about 6 percent of the registered voters. Which boxes were checked on those early ballots, of course, won’t be known until late in the day Nov. 2. The early voting numbers offer a glimpse into voter trends in the dynamic race between the incumbent...

WILMINGTON, N.C. — A former Marine turned Republican congressional candidate is raising campaign money by challenging all comers to a shooting contest.

A leading tea party activist broke ranks Monday to endorse Democratic Rep. Mike McIntyre of North Carolina, expressing concern about a Republican challenger who was once charged with murder in connection with his military service in Iraq. Deborah Johns said it appears that voters are ignoring Republican candidate Ilario Pantano's past.

Throughout the country there are a number of Democrats who claim to be conservative enough to represent deeply Republican districts, and in North Carolina’s 7th, Mike McIntyre is definitely one of them.  He’s managed to evade the wrath of angry constituents by touting the bills he votes against, but hoping most of his “Yea” votes slip under the radar.  Its McIntyre’s votes in favor of the Democrats failed “Stimulus”, the privacy squashing Card Check, and for Nancy Pelosi as Speaker that have caused his race against Republican Ilario Pantano to tighten.  Since I last wrote about this race, GOP candidate Ilario...

We are now in the last month of the campaign. So much is happening and we are excited to share with you some of our latest news. The most important news of the week is the independent poll that came out announcing that Pantano has taken the lead in the Congressional race. Among all registered voters, he has a 1 point advantage, but among MOST likely voters, he vaults to a 10 point lead! This shows a huge enthusiasm gap between those looking to maintain the status quo of incumbency and energized conservatives determined to rein in Congress

Raleigh, N.C. – The battle for North Carolina’s 7th Congressional district seat between Republican candidate Ilario Pantano and Democratic Rep. Mike McIntyre is virtually tied, according to a new SurveyUSA poll released today by the Civitas Institute. According to the poll of 450 registered voters in that district, 46 percent of voters said they would vote for Pantano if the election for United States House of Representatives were held today. Forty-five percent said they would vote for McIntyre, and nine percent of voters said they are undecided. However, when looking at those who are most likely to vote in 2010,...

Instead of delivering the hope and change he promised us two years ago, President Obama has put America on the path towards a full-fledged socialist state. If universal health care, astronomical taxes and incredible government overreach don't automatically spell disaster for America in your eyes, the reality of a raunchy pop star leading the charge to repeal Don't Ask Don't Tell, not the Pentagon, should. I've fought in two wars but nothing scares me more than what I see when I look at America today.

The National Republican Congressional Committee is set to go up with new ads this week against a pair of incumbents who had previously been considered lower tier targets this fall, providing further proof the House playing field still very fluid with 49 days to go before the elections. According to a GOP strategist who tracks ad buys, the NRCC has placed an $82,000 buy against Rep. Rick Boucher (D) in Virginia's 9th district as well as a $45,000 buy against Rep. Mike McIntyre (D) in North Carolina's 7th district. The ad buys are for the week of Sept. 17-23. Neither...

Tune in to see Ilario Pantano on a discussion panel with Bob Beckel and Monica Crowley on the Sean Hannity show. Fox News Channel, 9 pm.

WILMINGTON, N.C. – As the political season intensifies, the once safe 7th Congressional District long represented by Mike McIntyre has become a serious battleground. New poll results released by the Pantano campaign indicate the race is close with the challenger, Ilario Pantano, leading incumbent Congressman Mike McIntyre among voters identified as highly likely to vote. Public Opinion Strategies conducted the live interview poll on August 31 and September 2 with 400 interviews and a margin of error of 4.9%. In summary, Public Opinion Strategies stated, “A combination of a worsening political environment for Democrats and Mike McIntyre’s bad voting record...

The host is the Hope Mills Area Chamber of Commerce in conjunction with Fayetteville Technical Community College. Hope Mills Shrine Club 4461 Cameron Road Doors open at 6:30p for the reserved seating. Only people on these lists will be permitted inside. At 6:45p, the doors will open to the public. Any reserved seats that haven't been claimed will be opened up to the public. There is a total of 200 chairs inside of the Shrine Club, but there will be standing room for all others. For those living in the Wilmington vicinity, please join our caravan. *******We are meeting up...

We had another nail biter this week with our TBF poll, and Ilario Pantano finished in first place. About fifteen minutes before the poll closed, Pantano and and Sean Bielat were tied! Coincidentally, both of the top two TBF candidates were endorsed by Michelle Malkin this week, as was Renee Ellmers (last week's TBF winner). Why should we care about races from North Carolina to Massachusetts to Oregon? Because every Congressman in every corner of the country has an impact on your life. So please support strong conservative candidates wherever they're from. Don't forget the fact that the National GOP...

We had another nail biter this week with our TBF poll, and Ilario Pantano finished in first place. About fifteen minutes before the poll closed, Pantano and and Sean Bielat were tied! Coincidentally, both of the top two TBF candidates were endorsed by Michelle Malkin this week, as was Renee Ellmers (last week's TBF winner). Why should we care about races from North Carolina to Massachusetts to Oregon? Because every Congressman in every corner of the country has an impact on your life. So please support strong conservative candidates wherever they're from. Don't forget the fact that the National GOP...

Ilario Pantano is a Warlord. That was the name of his U.S. Marines unit when he served during the Iraqi War. It was his second tour of duty after serving previously in the Gulf War. He had returned to civilian life during the 1990s and was working on Wall Street when the attacks of September 11th rocked his office in lower Manhattan. The first thing he did after the attacks was to go to his barber to get a military-style haircut. He knew right away that he was going back to war. Some of you may remember Ilario Pantano from...

Please take a look at some of the recent letters to the editor that our supporters have had published [Excerpted below. Click the title to read the entire letter.]. This is one way that you can really impact votes in the community and actively support the campaign.***** I'm voting for Ilario Pantano | StarNewsOnline.com All that is necessary for evil to triumph, is for good men to do nothing. This is why my vote is for Ilario Pantano. Mike McIntyre waited until the last moment he could to vote against Obamacare, and now he refuses to sign the petition to...

Commentary from around the web is already buzzing with a clear victory for Pantano in the first debate last night. Even a flash poll at WECT-TV supports that assumption. A confident Pantano was clearly in full command, and spoke passionately with the strength of his experience and convictions. Comparatively, a visibly rattled incumbent McIntyre continuously shuffled a ream of papers as he read his canned answers from the notes in front of him. Oddly enough, McIntyre actually tried to make a case that his experience qualifies him for re-election, when it was clear that no one in the audience was...

It is good news for the people of NC-07 that they can compare their choices side by side. This debate is the first of three planned debates in August and September (see Events on the website for details on future debates). It starts at 7 PM and will go until approximately 9:30 PM. The address for tonight's debate: McKeithan Center, Cape Fear Community College's North Campus, 4500 Blue Clay Road, Castle Hayne.

“I am honored that George would agree to speak out on my behalf,” Pantano said. “George is a respected community leader in Wilmington who has been a strong advocate for southeastern North Carolina for many years. Like many people I have met throughout the 7th District, many of whom are former supporters of Congressman McIntyre, George is fed up with the way things are going in Washington. He’s sick of the Pelosi agenda, he’s tired of having a Congressman who won’t stand up to Pelosi, and he’s ready to help lead the fight to take back our country.”

For the past 14 years, North Carolina’s Seventh Congressional District has been held by Democrat Mike McIntyre, who, lacking any significant challengers, has managed to maintain his grip on this culturally conservative district. But this fall McIntyre faces his first serious threat when he battles top-tier Republican candidate Ilario Pantano. A decidedly Republican district with a strong conservative base, the Cook Partisan Voting Index for the Seventh District is R+5. Located in the southeastern corner of North Carolina, this district stretches from Sampson and Duplin counties to Columbus and Brunswick in the south, covering nine counties in total. It includes...

If North Carolina’s Pantano wins in November, he will owe his victory in large measure to his identity as a Marine. Pantano’s story is simply remarkable. After attending an expensive New York prep school on scholarship, he astonished his teachers and classmates by deciding to enlist in the Marines rather than go to college. He went to sniper school and took part in the first Gulf War. At the end of his four years in 1993, he enrolled at New York University. After graduation, Pantano took a job at Goldman Sachs and later started his own consulting business. His future...

Kelsey Grammer, the five-time Emmy award winner, is scheduled to be the star attraction at a fundraiser next week for Ilario Pantano, the Republican who is challenging Democratic Rep. Mike McIntyre. Grammer is best known for playing the psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane in the sitcom "Cheers" and later starred in the spinoff "Frasier," Rob Christensen reports. He is a Republican who campaigned for Sen. John McCain in 2008 and has said he may run for Congress one day. Grammer will appear at a private fund raiser on Monday, August 2nd at the Lumberton home of Linda and Don Metzger.

“It’s no surprise political analysts are starting to take notice of Ilario Pantano’s strong challenge to Mike McIntyre. After all, he already has, as evidenced by his unusually early TV ads. After recently being outraised by Ilario by an almost 2-1 margin, it’s clear that McIntyre’s support for Nancy Pelosi and inability to create jobs has finally caught up to him. The people of southeastern North Carolina are ready for someone who will fight for them, and Ilario Pantano has proven throughout his life that he’s that person.”

Political handicappers at The Cook Political Report have changed their assessment of North Carolina’s Seventh Congressional District from “Solid Democrat” to “Likely Democrat.” That’s a positive sign for the Ilario Pantano camp, who faces incumbent Democrat Rep. Mike McIntyre in the November election. Here’s a comment from National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Jon Thompson, who sent out an email about the switch: It’s no surprise political analysts are starting to take notice of Ilario Pantano’s strong challenge to Mike McIntyre. After all, he already has, as evidenced by his unusually early TV ads. After recently being outraised by Ilario by...

“These fundraising numbers clearly show that momentum is on our side. The citizens are fed up, they are voting early and they are doing it with their pocket books. As I travel across the district, the voters are responding to my message of conservative values and fiscal responsibility. The people of the 7th District are tired of politics as usual with a Congress focused on the needs of special interest groups instead of the needs of the people.”

“Why do these numbers matter?” Pantano continued. “These fundraising numbers clearly show that momentum is on our side. The citizens are fed up, they are voting early and they are doing it with their pocket books. As I travel across the district, the voters are responding to my message of conservative values and fiscal responsibility. The people of the 7th District are tired of politics as usual with a Congress focused on the needs of special interest groups instead of the needs of the people.”

Facebook Sabotage Results in Pantano SURGE! Friends and Supporters- Over the holiday weekend, our popular campaign Facebook page was sabotaged. Remember, we were fresh off a massive BUNKERBUSTER moneybomb that raised four times as much money as we initially hoped for - and our Facebook initiative was a big part of that overwhelming success. Well, someone on the other side thought they would take that advantage away from us, by hijacking and deleting our entire account. On July 3rd our account disappeared. Everything was gone - all 2500 supporters, photos, video, links, articles, etc. We've had zero customer support from...

-the June 24th, 2010 episode of "America's Nightly Scoreboard" with David Asman- Pantano discussed the ideals of service and sacrifice with respect to public office and was joined by Monica Crowley and Alan Colmes. David Asman introduced the segment with Ilario by saying, "We are separating the phonies from the heroes in public service. Most politician enter politics because of the perks. But there is a new breed of politicians winning at the polls. These are true public servants who understand the meaning of sacrifice." Video and podcast included.

"Cordoba Center" sounds comfortably Latino and almost familiar in a multi-ethnic city like New York. The name’s Spanish origin has a little bit of history too: the Cordoba Mosque in Spain symbolized a gateway to Muslim conquest of Western Europe – a conquest that today is unfolding in real time. But as disturbing as the sharia invasion of the European Union might be, my concern is the new $100 million mosque that will sit smugly just 600 feet from Ground Zero in New York City. This new Cordoba Mosque will occupy a building that was literally struck by pieces of...

...Could it really happen here? Our guide is a political refugee from Bulgaria, Dr. Boyan Georgiev, who practices medicine here in Wilmington NC. Having escaped the heavy hand of government authority with his wife, Dr. Georgiev came to America for the dream of freedom and opportunity. Hear what this survivor has to say about the grim reality of socialized medicine. "Communism is a fearful existence, and is damaging to the individual...and I can see trends (here) that are leading in that direction..." -w/video

Ilario Pantano, former USMC officer and current candidate for Congress in NC-07 leaves no doubt about where he stands on DADT. In fact, he doesn't just have an opinion based on his combat experience, he accuses standard-bearer Congressman Patrick Murphy of selling his military oath for hard Leftist special interest money - he names names AND amounts! He charges hard as a Marine ought! After Jack Murtha, another Pennsylvania all-star, made an art form out of shoving our troops under the bus for his own career, I never thought I’d live to see what Congressman Patrick Murphy has just done:...

In this new series focusing on the impact of ObamaCare, Ilario Pantano asks questions to doctors "on the ground and in the trenches." Through a series of candid and unscripted conversations, this ongoing special report will focus on all aspects of the healthcare system: from caregivers to patients. Questions will be answered about the true impact of this bill, its effect on healthcare, its constitutionality and what we, the people, can do about it. Includes video.

It is with great honor that we introduce you to one of the "Bravest of the Brave", a Medal of Honor recipient, Major General James Livingston. Please read the story of his boundless courage and fortitude in combat, and of the lives he saved. This story is about more than military history, it is a national legacy entrusted to our generation, and a challenge to uphold the standards of honor, loyalty, and selflessness demonstrated therein, no matter our walk of life.

Illogically high expectations about pinpoint accuracy and target discrimination in a fire-fight are the fantasy of armchair-academics and videogame players. Men on the ground know that war is sloppy and rough. Combat is not a noun or a place that you are “in,” but rather a verb, a thing that you “do” to other people. Principally, combat is imposing your will on the enemy by violence of action and the ugly truth is that the process kills all kinds of people: good ones, bad ones, and yes, even our own. When our expectations of success and precision are unrealistic it...

Despite being a blue dog seat for 140 years, this recent shift in vulnerability puts U.S. Congressional district NC-7 on par with other competitive North Carolina seats (NC-11 Shuler, NC-8 Kissell) that have been Republican as recently as two years ago. Jim Geraghty of The National Review Online noted, "Mike McIntyre, North Carolina: This seven-term Democrat would be safe in an ordinary year, but he felt enough pressure back in his district to vote against the health-care bill. GOP challenger Ilario Pantano, a [former] police officer, raised $103,000, which is more than McIntyre did

Wilmington, NC - First we give thanks and glory to God. “With God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26 Next we thank our tireless volunteers and supporters. You labored non-stop for ninety days to literally build a grass roots campaign from scratch. In the process our little team broke a few records! Countless thanks go to the folks behind the scenes who made our success possible. You have shown the country that a common sense conservative approach to promoting job creation by reducing taxes and cutting spending, protecting the homeland, and preserving conservative values can actually succeed in a district...

The Fuller Campaign Committee has released the first exit poll from early voting. The poll, which was conducted Saturday, May 1st, included results for races from U.S. Congress, State Senate, and New Hanover County Commissioners. In the U.S. Congressional race, numbers are looking good for Will Breazeale. The results show Breazeale leading his nearest primary challenger, Ilario Pantano, 51.7 to 41.4%. "We are very pleased that the early numbers are trending our way," observed Breazeale. "However, this race is still a long way from being over. We need each and every one of our dedicated voters to get out on...

Watching Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein testify yesterday brought me back to the day he hired me. It was 1995 and I remember calling my parents from a pay phone in front of the stock market. This son of an immigrant was living the American dream! But after three years of a "results-based" culture that found me trading electricity with unsavory characters like Enron and AIG, I decided to walk away. It was a decade before we would all learn that tax-payers were the ultimate "hedging instruments," and that hard decision to leave easy money didn’t come without consequences. My...

Conservatives have a historic opportunity to lead this country back from the brink and onto a path to prosperity, but will we rise to the challenge? Or, will we succumb to our baser political instincts and lose sight of our mission to serve the American people? It's not enough to see things as they are and say "no," we need to see things as they could be, and say, "Follow me."

VETS FOR FREEDOM is a nonpartisan organization established by combat veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is the largest Iraq and Afghanistan veterans organization in America, whose mission is to help candidates—mostly combat veterans—who believe in achieving success in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the overall War on Terrorism, get elected to the United States Congress and other Federal positions. This election cycle, they have made a concerted effort to focus their vocal support on select elections around the country, and Ilario Pantano is honored to be chosen for their endorsement. This is a true indicator of the strength,...

For the first time in Mike McIntyre’s 14-year career in Congress, the Democrat has been beaten by a Republican challenger.

Ilario Pantano is excited to announce that, after due consideration, he has joined the Alliance for Bonded Term Limits, and looks forward to promoting the issue in this election and in future elections. The catalyst for Pantano has been the increased exposure to the culture of D.C. that he has had over the recent weeks through the success of his current congressional campaign. By being invited into special programs to raise money for Republican candidates, he has seen the power of money in politics up close. Pantano observed, "When NRCC Chairman Pete Sessions introduced me to dozens of members at...

Voters from across North Carolina's 7th District stood behind Will Breazeale on Saturday afternoon. In the first bellwether of the 2010 Primary Season, participants at the Cumberland County Ronald Reagan Republican Roundup Straw Poll handed the three-time Iraq War veteran an impressive 60 percent of the vote. The total nearly doubled the closest competitor. Finishing a distant second was Ilario Pantano with 33 percent of the vote and in third was Tim Wilkes with seven percent. "We are very humbled that so many voters are firmly and enthusiastically standing with us," observed Breazeale. "To win with such impressive numbers shows...

WILMINGTON, N.C., Jan. 28 (UPI) -- A former U.S. Marine officer acquitted of killing two Iraqis announced Thursday he is a candidate for Congress in North Carolina. Ilario Pantano plans to seek the Republican nomination in the seventh district, now represented by Democrat Mike McIntyre, WECT-TV in Wilmington reported. "Anybody's background in a political race is fair game," Pantano said. "My life has been more dramatic and kinetic than any other candidate's." After his acquittal five years ago, Pantano wrote a memoir, "Warlord." He has also been a commodity trader for Goldman Sachs.

WILMINGTON, N.C., Jan. 28 (UPI) -- A former U.S. Marine officer acquitted of killing two Iraqis announced Thursday he is a candidate for Congress in North Carolina. Ilario Pantano plans to seek the Republican nomination in the seventh district, now represented by Democrat Mike McIntyre, WECT-TV in Wilmington reported. "Anybody's background in a political race is fair game," Pantano said. "My life has been more dramatic and kinetic than any other candidate's." After his acquittal five years ago, Pantano wrote a memoir, "Warlord." He has also been a commodity trader for Goldman Sachs. Will Breazeale, who was defeated by McIntyre...

Three years ago, I was leading Marines in Fallujah. Two years ago, with lawyers that many of you helped pay for, I walked into a courtroom at Camp Lejeune to face off against prosecutors in a fight for my life. Today, I am back in the fight, and ask for your help in defending a team of true American heroes. Drawn from the elite ranks of “Force Recon,” the hand-picked men of Marine Special Operations (MARSOC) are literally the best of the best, and instead of being honored they are being investigated for simply doing their job. Our commandos became...

An Honest Investigation Would Have Cleared Lieutenant Pantano in Iraq (and Other Lessons for the Haditha Hearings)Second Lieutenant Ilario Pantano was an outstanding Marine officer who did his job, including the hard business of killing the enemy, very well. And then the government told him that he was a murderer. On February 1, 2005, he was charged with premeditated murder and a host of other charges including dereliction of duty and damaging a terrorist’s car. Not a single charge should have been made. The lieutenant had shot and killed two detainees after they made a hostile move toward him. Lieutenant...

Ilario Pantano's third tour of duty will be in the service of the New Hanover County Sheriff's Office. Pantano and 15 other proud graduates of the Cape Fear Community College's basic law enforcement training course stood front and center Thursday night during a ceremony in McKeithan Hall on the CFCC North campus. Each graduate demonstrated commitment to a law enforcement career by successfully completing the rigorous course. But Pantano's path to becoming a deputy assigned to corrections duty at the New Hanover County jail is notable for its highly publicized twists and turns.

The following is a Free Republic exclusive. Freeper Flightline has been in touch with a family of one of the Marines accused of murder