Free Republic

“I will go anywhere in the world to open new markets for American products,” President Obama said last week in his State of the Union address. He also indicated that he’s willing to risk a trade war with China, possibly leading to a swift closure of new markets for U.S. goods and services - the exact opposite of his stated goal. Mr. Obama entered the White House three years ago as a protectionist candidate who spoke of withdrawing from the North American Free Trade Agreement. Once in office, he felt the burden of responsible governance and reversed course, promising to...

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - A Washington state lawmaker wants to exempt shooting ranges from noise-related civil and criminal legal action. The Kitsap Sun reports that Democratic Rep. Dean Takko of Longview has introduced a measure that would require shooting ranges to conform to noise laws that existed when they were built and exempt them from later laws. The aim is to head off complaints from people building new homes next to a shooting range.

Things are getting dicey. While some States allow gun open carry and others allow concealed or both, many good folks just don't want to have to carry all the time. While I wish all good citizens would carry, here is an alternative for those who still would defend themselves and those innocents around them.

WASHINGTON- House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA) today announced the introduction of the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act (H.R. 3289). The legislation will strengthen provisions of the Whistleblower Protection Act, originally enacted in 1989, for federal government employees who expose abuse, mismanagement, or criminal activity in federal agencies and programs. Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., Ranking Member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, is an original co-sponsor of the legislation, as are Rep. Todd Platts, R-Pa., and Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., who sponsored whistleblower protection enhancement legislation last congress. Similar legislation was approved by the...

Under one proposal the Assembly passed Tuesday, homeowners acting in self-defense would be immune from criminal or civil liability of they kill someone who is unlawfully in their residence, vehicle or workplace. The bill requires a court to presume that the use of deadly force was necessary to prevent harm to the person being attacked or another person when the attack happens at the defender's home. "The citizens of this state, they just want to feel secure in their homes," said the bill's sponsor Rep. Dean Kaufert, R-Neenah. "They just want the ability to protect themselves without the fear of...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 7, 2011 -- Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta has authorized raising the force-protection level for military installations mainly in the United States, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said today. The commander of U.S. Northern Command Commander, Army Gen. Charles H. Jacoby Jr., requested the action in recent days in advance of the 10th anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks on the U.S. homeland, he added. Little said Panetta and Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, reviewed the request. “This is not in response to any specific or credible threat surrounding the 10th anniversary...

Why The Gun Is Civilization Human beings only have two ways to deal with one another: reason and force. If you want me to do something for you, you have a choice of either convincing me via argument, or force me to do your bidding under threat of force. Every human interaction falls into one of those two categories, without exception. Reason or force, that’s it. In a truly moral and civilized society, people exclusively interact through persuasion. Force has no place as a valid method of social interaction, and the only thing that removes force from the menu is...

"People are just plain scared," said Nancy Bryan, owner of Santa Ana, Calif.-based Maximum Security, who noted that sales started increasing about three years ago at the onset of the recession. Brown Safe said many of its customers have been making purchases over the past few weeks because they no longer trust their banks and are uncertain about stocks.

The culprit is the 2010 health care reform law, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. It stipulates that physician-owned hospitals cannot increase their total number of beds, operating rooms and procedure rooms—or if they do, they will no longer be eligible for payments under the federal Medicare program.

Here’s an overview: Adds Stand Your Ground Enhances Castle Doctrine Prevents Gun Seizures During a State of Emergency Extends Purchase Permits to Five Years The bill also borrows a page from the Permit to Carry law, providing a more robust appeal process for denied purchase permits, and requiring that police chiefs and sheriffs whose purchase permit denials are overturned must pay the applicants’ legal costs. Adds Universal Carry Permit Reciprocity

Update: Look who went fleebagging from Fannie/Freddie reform hearings…and look who’s raising more money from fat cats… The Democrats Friends-N-Fat Cats Protection Plan by Michelle Malkin Creators Syndicate Copyright 2011 As the budget stalemate in Washington continues, Democrats are ratcheting up their class-warfare caterwauling. Time to bring out your earplugs and hypocrisy meters. Liberal political strategist Donna Brazile took to Twitter to assail fiscal conservatives for “taking medicine from seniors” and cutting taxes for “the rich and their corporate donors.” Do-nothing House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi attacked Republicans for paving a “path to poverty for America’s seniors and children and...

Not so long ago and in a pasture too uncomfortably close to here, a flock of sheep lived and grazed. They were protected by a dog, who answered to the master, but despite his best efforts from time to time a nearby pack of wolves would prey… upon the flock. One day a group of sheep, more bold than the rest, met to discuss their dilemma. “Our dog is good, and vigilant, but he is one dog and the wolves are many. The wolves he catches are not always killed, and the master judges and releases many to prey again...

President Barack Obama Tuesday ordered a government-wide review of regulations with the goal of eliminating those that hurt job creation and make the U.S. economy less competitive. Photo by : Pete Souza President Barack Obama -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Obama took action after unveiling his plan in an op-ed piece in the Wall Street Journal in which he said some rules have placed "unreasonable burdens on business — burdens that have stifled innovation and have had a chilling effect on growth and jobs." The executive order marked Obama's latest move to repair relations with U.S. business, which were frayed amid bitter debate over...

<p>A woman was struck by gunfire Thursday night after a pistol discharged when it was dropped by a patron at a restaurant in Kingwood, Houston police said.</p> <p>The woman and the gun owner were both customers at Raffa's American Bistro, 1660 W. Lake Houston Parkway.</p>

Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Wis., plans to introduce legislation repealing the Dodd-Frank financial services law, calling it “misguided” and a “blatant abuse of power.” A key criticism by Rep. Bachmann is a provision in the law that allows the federal government to take over failing non-bank institutions, such as American International Group, according to Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., former chairman of the House Financial Services Committee and a prime architect of the legislation. In a statement, Rep. Frank said another key objection to the legislation by Rep. Bachmann and her conservative supporters is the creation of the independent Consumer Financial Protection...

Bank of America will begin testing a new slate of checking accounts in Massachusetts and two other states later this month in an effort to generate more revenue from customers.......... A second new account, called “Premium,’’ will cost $15 a month unless customers either maintain a $5,000 minimum balance, use a Bank of America credit card at least once a month, or add $2,000 to the account every month. A third new account, labeled “Enhanced,’’ will cost $25 per month unless holders maintain at least $20,000 in deposits and investments in certain accounts or link their accounts to a Bank...

[snip] "A distorted picture" is the result, they say, one that exaggerates trade imbalances between nations. Trade statistics in both countries consider the iPhone a Chinese export to the U.S., even though it is entirely designed and owned by a U.S. company, and is made largely of parts produced in several Asian and European countries. China's contribution is the last step—assembling and shipping the phones. So the entire $178.96 estimated wholesale cost of the shipped phone is credited to China, even though the value of the work performed by the Chinese workers at Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. accounts for...

Big business interests are hopeful that a Republican takeover of the House -- now looking more likely than not -- will thaw free-trade deals that have languished since President Obama took office. Those agreements are on a short list of priorities the White House has in common with GOP leaders.But a rising protectionist tide brought about by the sour economy is threatening to complicate the task. And business groups in Washington are already preparing for the possibility that a new Republican majority stocked with populists from Rust Belt districts and beyond will present a less receptive audience than they once...

Barney Frank: Protection bureau won’t run amokBy Thomas Grillo Friday, October 15, 2010 - Updated 2 days ago U.S. Rep. Barney Frank rejected suggestions that the director of the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will have unchecked powers. “I can’t see many examples of there being an excess of consumer protection,” the Newton Democrat said yesterday following a speech to kick off Suffolk University’s Moakley Breakfast Series at the federal courthouse. “There are very strict rules about what she can and can’t do,” he said, “but the notion that we will overprotect consumers is a strange one.” Last month, President...

Looking for the best deals on ammo in case things fall apart.

“Special adviser” is the new czar. Facing stiff opposition and pointed questions about the left-wing, anti-business advocate that he wanted to nominate as chairman of the new federal consumer financial protection bureau, President Obama once again circumvented the Senate’ constitutional advice and consent role and installed Elizabeth Warren with a wave of his hand: Consumer advocate Elizabeth Warren will help set up a powerful new watchdog agency policing the financial marketplace on behalf of ordinary borrowers and savers, a Democratic official said Wednesday. But it’s unclear whether the Harvard University law professor will end up running the Consumer Financial Protection...

FDIC's expanded authority is part of the 2,300-page Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act signed into law on July 21. The new regime for dissolving megacompanies -- one with almost no judicial oversight and in which creditors' rights are few. A company has essentially no choice about the FDIC taking over as receiver. "It may be difficult to try to draw a box around what that is," said Renée Dailey

Heard an interview author gave about the SS views on past presidents..Most liked Ronaldo Magnus, because he treated them with respect.worst--the Peanut Man because he treated them like hired help, the red-headed step-child.One example was that Jimma would appear to be carrying his own luggage but it was empty, only did it for publicity. When the camera's were off, he made them carry the real heavy ones.

Daisy Baker’s, a fine-dining restaurant in downtown Troy, N.Y., has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and will remain open as it reorganizes its debts. Jim Scully, president of Green Street Entertainment Corp., which owns the restaurant, said sales haven’t fully recovered from last year’s sharp downturn, when the recession especially hurt high-end restaurants nationwide. In past recessions, Daisy Baker’s could rely on short-term borrowing to make it through slow periods. But that’s not the case anymore. “We were always able to finance our operations to keep up with our seasonality, but banks stopped lending a couple years ago,” Scully...

Battle brews over director for new Consumer Financial Protection BureauThe agency with the power to make rules for credit cards, mortgages and other products is created as Obama signs the financial overhaul law. By Jim Puzzanghera, Los Angeles Times July 22, 2010 Reporting from Washington — President Obama reversed decades of lax oversight of the financial industry Wednesday by signing a landmark overhaul of regulations, but he still faces a major task — appointing a director for the powerful new agency charged with protecting consumers from unscrupulous deals.

Thomas Jefferson was a genius. The Declaration of Independence and his other writings prove this beyond doubt. But even he had difficulty thinking free. He had spent his life up to that point as a subject of His Britannic Majesty King George III. So when he wrote the first draft of the Declaration, he automatically used the word “subjects.” But he saw his error, erased “subjects” and substituted “citizens.” If even Jefferson had to make an effort to think free, how much more do we non-geniuses have to exert ourselves constantly to be alert. If we citizens allow ourselves to...

The liberal “elite” disguise themselves as pro-child, pro-woman humanitarians. But sometimes the disguise slips, revealing what lies beneath. It’s not a pretty sight. It includes demoting the unborn to things that can be discarded at our convenience. It includes seeing children not as unique individuals in God’s image, but − like a BMW − as possessions to flaunt. It includes prematurely sexualizing children by TV, films, and classes beginning as early as the first grade. It includes excusing a child molester if he is “one of us.”

Several of us are sending our children off to college in the fall and are concerned about their safety. Since most campuses have a no carry policy, what are some suggestions on how to "arm" them? be aware of your surroundings walk with friends - power in numbers pepper spray kubotan don't accept drinks from friends or strangers without watching it being poured.

Gossip Girl Taylor Momsen was today blasted by anti-violence campaigners after boasting she carries a flick-knife everywhere and even carried it on a plane. The American actress, 16, told how she has a knife collection and 'relaxes' by opening and closing a switchblade. She said: 'I have a knife collection. I have my favourite black knife with me all the time. It's a switchblade. 'It relaxes me to flick it. I close it and open it.' Momsen, who is currently in London promoting her band The Pretty Reckless, went on: 'I flew from New York to Los Angeles and still...

SACRAMENTO — State wildlife officials today ruled that the California tiger salamander deserves protection as a threatened species, subjecting landowners to more scrutiny if they want to build or farm in the amphibian's habitat. The California Fish and Game Commission made the decision after finding roughly 400,000 acres of the amphibian's habitat is threatened by future development and the expansion of farming, mostly in the Central Valley. The tiger salamander lives in nearly half the state's counties, in a region that stretches from Yolo County north of Sacramento to Santa Barbara County. "We have learned over the years, at our...

[Print This Page]Press Office Press Releases March 23, 2009 - 7:00 PM Burr Introduces “Veterans’ Second Amendment Protection Act” Legislation would end arbitrary process that strips veterans of rights [Share This] Today, U.S. Senator Richard Burr (R-NC), along with 14 other cosponsors, introduced legislation that would end an arbitrary process through which the government strips veterans and other Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) beneficiaries of their Second Amendment rights. Under current practice, veterans who have a fiduciary appointed to act on their behalf are deemed “mentally defective” and are reported to the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS),...

DETROIT — A Nigerian man pleaded not guilty Friday to charges that he tried to blow up a packed U.S. Detroit-bound airliner on Christmas Day. Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab said little during a federal court hearing that lasted less than five minutes. The 23-year-old, who wore a white T-shirt, tennis shoes and light olive pants, said "yes" in English when asked if understood the charges against him. Authorities say Abdulmutallab was traveling from Amsterdam when he tried to destroy the Northwest Airlines plane carrying nearly 300 people by injecting chemicals into a package of explosives concealed in his underwear. The failed...

BAGHDAD, Jan. 5, 2010 – Soldiers of the 1st Armored Division’s 501st Military Police Company participated in a live-fire training exercise Jan. 2 at the Besmaya Range complex near Contingency Operating Station Hammer. Soldiers from the 1st Armored Division’s 501st Military Police Company participate in a convoy live-fire exercise at the Besmaya Range complex near Contingency Operating Station Hammer, Iraq, Jan. 2, 2010. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Samantha Beuterbaugh  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The MPs began arriving in Iraq Dec. 30, and the exercise was part of their mandatory initial training for their unique mission requirements. The...

I visited a friend’s home for an evening. I wanted to check my email. I asked the 12-year-old daughter if I could check my email via her bedroom computer. She hesitated. I wondered immediately at her hesitation.

Mr. Obama's attempt to extort a supporting vote out of Ben Nelson by threatening to close Offutt AFB reminded me of a skit from Monty Python. (Most things remind me of Monty Python sketches but that's beside the point.) The "Army Protection Racket" There's a brief sketch before the main sketch which starts at 1:28.

On 29 October 2001, while the Taliban's rule over Afghanistan was under assault, the regime's ambassador in Islamabad in neighbouring Pakistan gave a chaotic press conference in front of several dozen reporters sitting on the grass. On the Taliban diplomat's right sat his interpreter, Ahmad Rateb Popal, a man with an imposing presence. Like the ambassador, Popal wore a black turban, and he had a huge bushy beard. He had a black patch over his right eye socket, a prosthetic left arm and a deformed right hand, the result of injuries from an explosives mishap during an old operation against...

WASHINGTON - The unprecedented number of death threats against President Obama, a rise in racist hate groups, and a new wave of antigovernment fervor threaten to overwhelm the US Secret Service, according to government officials and reports, raising new questions about the 144-year-old agency’s overall mission. The Secret Service is tracking a far broader range of possible threats to the nation’s leaders, the officials said, even as it also investigates financial crimes such as counterfeiting as part of its original mandate. The new demands are leading some officials, both inside and outside the agency, to raise the possibility of the...

Attempts to lift the prices of particular commodities permanently above their natural market levels have failed so often, so disastrously and so notoriously that sophisticated pressure groups, and the bureaucrats upon whom they apply the pressure, seldom openly avow that aim. Their stated aims, particularly when they are first proposing that the government intervene, are usually more modest, and more plausible. They have no wish, they declare, to raise the price of commodity X permanently above its natural level. That, they concede, would be unfair to consumers. But it is now obviously selling far below its natural level. The producers...

Sacramento, Calif. (AP) -- A nonprofit group filed a federal lawsuit Thursday seeking a decision about whether to grant added protections for the delta smelt. The Council for Endangered Species Act Reliability alleges the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has failed to make a timely decision about the tiny silver fish. It filed suit in U.S. District Court in Sacramento. Executive director Craig Manson said the federal agency should classify the threatened smelt as endangered under the Endangered Species Act.

"This is certainly nothing to celebrate. The glorification of the incident online and around town belies the horror of the killing and its aftermath. Even if it ultimately is judged to have been legally justified, the question of whether the situation couldn't have been handled differently will remain."

Climate protection 'to cost more'By Richard Black Environment correspondent, BBC News website Page last updated at 17:50 GMT, Thursday, 27 August 2009 18:50 UK Protecting societies against the impacts of climate change will be much more expensive than previously believed, according to a new analysis. In 2007, the UN climate convention came up with a sum of $49-171bn per year. The new report says the UN sums omitted important factors and the true cost will be two to three times higher. Developing nations want rich countries to provide major sums for adaptation as part of the new UN climate deal...

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, Aug. 20, 2009 – When gearing up for a mission in Afghanistan, servicemembers don’t forget their helmet, gloves, weapon, eye protection or body armor. But what about hearing protection? Air Force Col. (Dr.) Joseph Brennan, the ear, nose and throat doctor at the Staff Sgt. Heath N. Craig Joint Theater Hospital at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, demonstrates a portable hearing test machine with the help of Air Force Staff Sgt. Lee Adams, an ear, nose and throat technician. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Opal Hood  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Air Force Staff Sgt. Lee Adams, an...

(CNSNews.com) – Less than a week after the Environmental Protection Agency restarted a controversial dredging project on the Hudson River, dredgers operated by the General Electric Company dislodged wooden beams that are the last remnants of one of the largest British forts in the American colonies. The EPA now says that the beams are contaminated with potential carcinogens known as PCBs and therefore must be buried in a landfill

WICHITA FALLS — One year ago, David Thweatt made a decision so controversial and groundbreaking the story about it sped around the world. The superintendent of the isolated Harrold Independent School District, about 30 miles northwest of here, made history last August when he and his school board decided to allow select teachers and staff members at the 110-student school to carry guns on campus — a first for Texas and the nation. For Thweatt and his board, the decision was pure mathematics. The school, which sits in the middle of a prairie, was too far from law enforcement for...

Conservation Groups Again Seek Endangered Species Protection For Giant, Spitting Worm In Wash. (AP) Fans of the giant Palouse earthworm are once again seeking federal protection for the rare, sweet-smelling species that spits at predators. They filed a petition Tuesday with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service requesting the worm be protected as an endangered species.

Monday June 29, 2009 Operation Rescue Office Security System Attacked - Group Complains of Police Apathy By Kathleen GilbertWICHITA, Kansas, June 29, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - An unidentified man has been caught on video attacking Operation Rescue's headquarters Friday afternoon. The man allegedly disabled one of the building's security cameras and attempted to assault Operation Rescue president Troy Newman before fleeing the scene. (Watch security camera footage of the attack here) Operation Rescue reports that Newman heard a suspicious noise outside his office and observed the suspect through the security cameras attempting to gain access to the roof. Newman rushed outside and...

WASHINGTON, June 11, 2009 – President Barack Obama’s latest efforts to look after home renters gives military members additional protection if the homes they rent are foreclosed, a Defense Department official said today. The president’s Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act of 2009 was signed into law on May 20. The legislation ensures that renters aren’t forced out of their homes if foreclosure occurs and a new landlord takes over. Renters in every state now have more time to find new homes. The new law greatly benefits the military, as the vast majority of active duty servicemembers rent homes throughout...

KABUL, June 4, 2009 – Following months of hard work by the people of Jalrez in Afghanistan’s Wardak province, security has improved to such a degree that development money is pouring into the district. Gov. Mohammad Halim Fidai of Afghanistan’s Wardak province, the Jalrez district sub-governor, members of administrative divisions, contractors and numerous district elders gather for a meeting to discuss future development projects in district, June 3, 2009. U.S. Army photo  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Wardak Gov. Mohammad Halim Fidai joined the Jalrez sub-governor, the president of the Jalrez community council, members from all of the...

The 67-29 roll call by which the Senate on Tuesday approved an amendment that would allow people to carry loaded guns in national parks and wildlife refuges. On this vote, a "yes" vote was a vote to support the amendment and a "no" vote was a vote against it. Voting "yes" were 27 Democrats, 39 Republicans and 1 independent. Voting "no" were 27 Democrats, 1 Republican and 1 independent.

Mission District rally for immigrant rights Marisa Lagos, Chronicle Staff Writer Thursday, February 26, 2009 Several hundred people packed a school auditorium in San Francisco's Mission District on Wednesday evening to decry the city's treatment of immigrants, making their case in front of a panel of city officials that included representatives from the Police Department, mayor's office, school board and Board of Supervisors. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/02/26/BANN165CUH.DTL&type=printable