Free Republic

Tavis Smiley and Cornel West launch a "Poverty Tour" that criticizes the president in harsh terms. In aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Cornel West proclaimed, “[Hurricane Katrina] showed the unbelievable resilience [of blacks] in the face of crushing white supremacist powers.” This statement added to his already bloated legacy of race-baiting diatribes.When he criticized blacks who achieved financial success based on meritocracy as the black bourgeoisie, he was applauded by blacks amenable to the idea of class warfare. West’s comments that those whom he identified as the “black bourgeoisie” had an obligation to fight for the 33 percent of black children...

I don’t know if you saw this with all the news yesterday. Illinois lost 89,000 jobs since enacting the largest tax increase in the history of the state, as reported by the Illinois Policy Institute. It was the largest job loss of any state in the nation. Democrats will blame it on a poor economy. The truth is, higher taxes change behavior. Combine that with the fact that Illinois pols have given tax waivers to some large companies. John Deere ($JD), Motorola Mobility ($MOT, $GOOG), Sears, and others have gotten roll backs on the tax. So, like most tax levies...

JULIA Gillard could be "third time lucky", with US President Barack Obama planning to visit Australia in November having cancelled two previous tours when Kevin Rudd was prime minister. It would be the first time Mr Obama was in Australia as leader, although he passed through the country as a child on his way to Indonesia, where he lived for four years. Mr Obama is also expected to visit Indonesia in November, a year after his first visit to that nation as president. The federal government is expecting Mr Obama to come to Australia after the APEC leaders' meeting, to...

The protesters brought the giant inflatable rat to Martha's Vineyard to 'remind' President Obama of his administration's 'job-killing' policies. Cops broke it up, and made them deflate the rat. One protester was arrested after videotaping a conversation between the local police chief and another protester. He was charged with 'illegal wiretapping,' for videotaping the conversation.

Executive Summary Getting the national homeland security enterprise right is among the most difficult challenges in Washington because the problems in protecting the homeland are rooted in overcentralization, pervasive complacency, and entrenched politics—problems that often cause Washington to not work properly. This report marks a path through this obstacle course.The recommendations in this report are essential steps in establishing the right type of homeland security for the United States—one that is enduring and efficacious. The experience of the past decade is a better guide to the future than what was thought in the immediate aftermath of 9/11. These recommendations are...

President Barack Obama is finalizing a jobs package that could include a program to refurbish school buildings nationwide and tax breaks to encourage firms to hire workers. The package, to be unveiled in early September, is Obama's chance to convince skeptical voters he can bring down the 9.1 percent unemployment rate and steer the United States away from another recession - ahead of next year's election. More must-read stories Getty Images stock Eating in Life Inc.: Between the weak economy and the high unemployment rate, it’s not surprising that many people are choosing to eat at their desks rather than...

President Obama continues to lead all named Republicans in early polling on the 2012 race for the White House, but the numbers suggest a competitive race may be possible. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows the President earning 43% of the vote if Texas Governor Rick Perry is the GOP nominee. Perry attracts support from 40%. Ten percent (10%) say they’d prefer some other candidate while seven percent (7%) are not sure. If Congresswoman Michele Bachmann is the GOP candidate, the president leads 43% to 39%. In that match-up, 12% would prefer some other candidate and seven percent...

Warren Buffett will host a fundraiser for President Obama next month in New York City, the Berkshire Hathaway CEO told CNNMoney on Thursday. With the 2012 election season just around the corner, the campaign to put Obama back in the White House for a second term is well underway -- and it's not unusual for the campaign to boost the president's drawing power by allowing him to share the stage with a well known benefactor. Billed as an "Economic Forum Dinner with Warren Buffett," the fundraiser will be held at the Four Seasons restaurant in New York and moderated by...

The Attorney General of New York has been on the receiving end of what seems like an unusual amount of pressure from Obama Administration officials to accept a settlement with mortgage lender rather than pursue the criminal fraud investigation that he opened several months ago: Eric T. Schneiderman, the attorney general of New York, has come under increasing pressure from the Obama administration to drop his opposition to a wide-ranging state settlement with banks over dubious foreclosure practices, according to people briefed on discussions about the deal. In recent weeks, Shaun Donovan, the secretary of Housing and Urban Development, and...

Apparently we can now call Obama unpatriotic, and he'll have to agree with it.

In yet another expansion of government through Executive Order, the Obama administration has created an Office of Diversity and Inclusion to boost minority participation in the federal work force. Judicial Watch reported on this new government office Wednesday, and stated that the Obama administration’s goal is to: “Eliminate demographic group imbalances in targeted occupations and improve workforce diversity. To attain this, special initiatives have been created targeting specific groups, including Hispanics, African Americans, American Indians, women and gays and lesbians.” You can read the entire executive order here, but below is an excerpt that summarizes its mission: “By this order,...

During the 2008 election cycle, political talking heads kept a sharp eye on the alleged extravagance of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. And decades ago they had a lot to say about First Lady Nancy Reagan and her lifestyle in the White House. Why are there no stories about First Lady Michelle Obama? London’s Daily Mail newspaper claims Michelle Obama has spent $10 million in taxpayer money on vacations. And on his Wednesday evening show, radio host Mark Levin went after the Obamas, particularly as the coverage of Michelle Obama in the White House seems lacking compared to Nancy Reagan.

Barack Obama wants to crush an investigation that's getting too close to him and some really close friends: Attorney General of N.Y. Is Said to Face Pressure on Bank Foreclosure Deal Eric T. Schneiderman, the attorney general of New York, has come under increasing pressure from the Obama administration to drop his opposition to a wide-ranging state settlement with banks over dubious foreclosure practices, according to people briefed on discussions about the deal. In recent weeks, Shaun Donovan, the secretary of Housing and Urban Development, and high-level Justice Department officials have been waging an intensifying campaign to try to persuade...

The rising impatience with the leadership of President Obama was epitomized on Aug. 8 in the middle of one of the now-habitual Wall Street roller coasters. His speech on the economy was 53 minutes late. What showed on TV screens was an empty White House podium, an image suggestive of the absence of leadership. When the president did speak, the best he could come up with was "We've always been and always will be a triple-A country." The market's response was a Bronx cheer, a drop of another 300 points. Mr. Obama seems unable to get a firm grip on...

Black voters remain defiantly loyal to Obama, despite suffering from his mishandling of the economy and Maxine Waters' complaints about his focus on wooing white independent voters for his reelection. But of course, Democrats have long taken blacks for granted. This loyalty in the face of bad treatment is reminiscent of battered wife syndrome (BWS).

The AFL-CIO is distancing itself from the Democratic Party, redirecting its funds to build its own permanent political organization, and pressuring President Barack Obama to embrace a big-spending program for job creation, Richard Trumka, the union’s president, said today. The storied labor federation’s level of support for Obama in 2012 will be decided early next year, and will partly depend on whether Obama abandons his current strategy of promoting “little nibbly things,” such as a patent-update law, Trumka told a press breakfast hosted by the Christian Science Monitor. “That’s not going to get the job done,” he said. “Everybody knows...

I have a special offer for you. This week, we're sending free 2012 bumper stickers to anyone who wants one. All you have to do is tell us where to send it. A bumper sticker may seem like a small gesture, but it sends a message that our commitment to this campaign is one that's shared by Americans all around the country -- and we want as many supporters as possible to send that same message to folks in their communities. Sign up here to get your free 2012 bumper sticker. Sending out these stickers won't just help us increase...

The Obama administration is setting new workplace regulations to assist foreign workers who fill goat herding positions in the U.S. , including employee-paid cell phones and comfy beds. These new special procedures issued by the Labor Department must be followed by employers who want to hire temporary agricultural foreign workers to perform sheep herding or goat herding activities. It describes strict rules for sleeping quarters, lighting, food storage, bathing, laundry, cooking and new rules for the counters where food is prepared. “A separate sleeping unit shall be provided for each person, except in a family arrangement,” says the rules signed...

New applications for U.S. unemployment compensation rose 5,000 to 417,000 , the Labor Department said Thursday. Initial claims from two weeks ago were revised up to 412,000 from an original reading of 408,000... The average of new claims over the past four weeks, meanwhile, increased by 4,000 to 407,500...In addition, the Labor Department said the number of Americans who continue to receive state unemployment checks fell by 80,000 to 3.64 million in the week ended Aug 13. Continuing claims are reported with a one-week lag.

President Obama's proposal to severely restrict "deferral" will cause a significant tax increase on American companies trying to earn market share in other nations. For all intents and purposes, the White House plan is protectionism, but the target is American companies rather than their foreign rivals. This Center for Freedom and Prosperity Foundation video explains why this misguided policy will reduce exports from America and reduce jobs in America. For more information: www.freedomandprosperity.org