http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/rat/ en-us Sun, 27 Dec 2009 20:52:31 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2415891/posts Easley Scandal Budget Woes Top N.C. Story ListBY SCOTT MOONEYHAM: CAPITOL PRESS ASSOCIATION Updated: December 26, 2009 at 15:54 pm Two governors -- one leaving office, the other beginning -- probably couldn't imagine the troubles that they would see as 2009 began. **SNIP** Plenty of Scandal Helping that cause may be a year filled with political scandal. Mike Easley left office already having squandered the political capital built as an outsider and anti-politician. The image began crumbling when his wife, Mary, landed a $170,000 job at N.C. State University. By spring, published reports about Mike Easley flying around on private... The Pilot http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2415891/posts#comment Sun, 27 Dec 2009 20:52:31 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2413190/posts <p>The White House on Tuesday warned Iran to take seriously a year-end deadline over its nuclear program, saying the international community is prepared to take the "next steps" if Iran does not accept a U.N.-drafted deal.</p> <p>The White House on Tuesday warned Iran to take seriously a year-end deadline over its nuclear program, saying the international community is prepared to take the "next steps" if Iran does not accept a U.N.-drafted deal.</p> FoxNews.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2413190/posts#comment Tue, 22 Dec 2009 19:23:12 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2405672/posts Dear Friend, You know me. I am not a “Born Fundraiser.” In fact, this is the first such letter I have sent out in my entire three years as a United States Senator. But the time has come for me to begin thinking seriously about what it will take if I decide to run for re-election in 2012. And it is important for me to know the extent to which you and others are willing to help. I began my 2006 campaign on February 8th of that very year, only nine months before Election Day. On that day I had... http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2405672/posts#comment Fri, 11 Dec 2009 20:52:32 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2401710/posts Two stars of the reality TV show "I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here" have been charged with animal cruelty after allegedly killing and cooking a rat to eat during filming. Chef Gino D'Acampo who won the viewer-feedback contest series, and actor Stuart Manning were charged after animal welfare activists lodged a complaint about a segment for the British TV program, which was filmed in Australia, the activists and British media reported Sunday. In a statement to The Associated Press, New South Wales state police said Sunday that two men, aged 33 and 30, were charged with animal... Daily News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2401710/posts#comment Sun, 6 Dec 2009 23:23:09 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2401327/posts Six Candidates Seek Ted Kennedy’s SeatBy JIM HICKEY Islanders go the polls in the state primary on Tuesday to cast votes that will help choose Democratic and Republican candidates to run for the Massachusetts seat in the U.S. Senate left vacant in August when longtime Sen. Edward M. Kennedy — who held the seat for 46 years — died after a 14-month battle with brain cancer. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. in every town. The four Democratic candidates are Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley, Stephen Pagliuca, a managing partner of the Boston Celtics, U.S. Rep. Mike... MV Gazette http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2401327/posts#comment Sun, 6 Dec 2009 03:32:28 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2392808/posts BREAKING: San Diego ACORN Document Dump Scandalby Derrick Roach On October 1st, 2009 California Attorney General Jerry Brown announced that an investigation had been opened into ACORN’s activities in California, resulting from undercover videos showing employees seemingly offering to assist the undercover film makers with human smuggling, child prostitution and even tax advice to boot. Although ACORN has denied any wrongdoing, some of the employees involved were terminated, and ACORN has publicly stated that they would fully cooperate with any investigations that followed. Interestingly, the local head ACORN organizer in California, David Lagstein was caught on tape earlier this month... Breitbart http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2392808/posts#comment Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:52:58 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2386404/posts Jefferson's former constiuents react to his sentencingAssociated Press - November 13, 2009 9:04 PM ET NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Louisiana residents had mixed reactions about former Congressman William Jefferson's 13-year sentence handed down Friday in federal court in Virginia. Jefferson was sentenced for taking bribes and given the longest term ever imposed on a congressman for such a crime. Thirty-6-year-old James Womack of Gretna says he was satisfied with the length of the sentence but says a longer term would have set a good example for other politicians who think of doing something wrong while in office. Songy Turner, a... KPLC TV http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2386404/posts#comment Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:03:52 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2381503/posts William Jefferson sentencing of 27-33 years recommendedBy Jonathan Tilove November 06, 2009, 9:04PM Prosecutors on Friday night issued a memorandum recommending that former U.S. Rep. William Jefferson be sentenced to between 27 and 33 years in prison. Jefferson, 62, will be sentenced by federal Judge T.S. Ellis III on Nov. 13. The prosecution's sentencing memorandum suggests that Jefferson, who served 18 years in Congress, may have hidden resources and "poses a significant risk of flight,'' and ought to be immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service after sentencing at the Alexandria, Va., courthouse. If Ellis follows the... NOLA http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2381503/posts#comment Sun, 8 Nov 2009 15:16:49 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2376108/posts Republican Dede Scozzafava endorsed her former Democratic opponent Sunday in the race for an upstate New York congressional seat, shaking up the contest for the second day in a row after exiting the race Saturday. Foxnews.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2376108/posts#comment Sun, 1 Nov 2009 23:01:58 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2374129/posts EDITORIAL: Easley Performance Not Very ConvincingUpdated: October 29, 2009 at 18:43 pm Larry Leake, chairman of the State Board of Elections, asked a pretty good question Wednesday. A couple of days earlier, on the first day of this week's explosive hearings on alleged campaign spending abuses, former Easley friend and supporter McQueen Campbell had testified in great and dismaying detail. Among other damning allegations, he said he and Easley were part of a bogus scheme to hide the cost of repairs to Easley's private residence by listing them as being for air travel. When a campaign aide expressed concern that... The Pilot http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2374129/posts#comment Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:02:36 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2373939/posts Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia endorses Steve Shannon for Virginia attorney general. Women are counting on you — don't forget to vote on November 3! Dear xxxx, The stakes are high in this election. As a trusted advocate for tens of thousands of women and young adults who need critical health care and education, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia has a strong interest in electing an attorney general who supports women's health and reproductive rights. This fall, there is only one candidate that fits that description: Steve Shannon. Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia (PPAV) enthusiastically endorses Steve Shannon for the... http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2373939/posts#comment Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:20:55 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2372952/posts Reader Wayne sent us this photograph and explains, "I was walking along and texting. Not really paying that much attention. Then something caught my eye. I thought I was about to step in dog shit, but quickly realized it was a rat stuck in the sidewalk. A big rat. It had tried to squeeze through a crack in the sidewalk and failed." Update: Another reader created the second photograph in the gallery, adding, "hopefully this makes it a little better!" We are still awaiting a reply from Wayne to ask if he tried to help the little guy (or gal)... Gothamist http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2372952/posts#comment Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:50:50 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2370493/posts Sentencing for ex-Rep. Jefferson delayed 2 weeksUpdated: Oct 19, 2009 6:28 AM EDT ALEXANDRIA, VA (AP) - A judge has postponed for two weeks the scheduled sentencing of a former Louisiana congressman convicted of taking bribes and racketeering. A jury in northern Virginia convicted William Jefferson, a Democrat who represented parts of New Orleans, on 11 of 16 counts. Prosecutors said he received more than $500,000 in bribes and solicited millions more in exchange for using his influence to broker business deals in Africa. The sentencing had been scheduled for Oct. 30. It's now set for Nov. 13 because defense... WAFB http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2370493/posts#comment Sun, 25 Oct 2009 14:48:28 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2344508/posts Insane killer caught after 3 days on loose in Wash An insane killer who slipped away from the staff of a mental institution on a field trip Thursday to the Spokane County Interstate Fair was recaptured Sunday without injury more than 180 miles away in south-central Washington state. With a helicopter overhead and dozens of federal, state and local law enforcement officers swarming around Goldendale, Phillip Arnold Paul, 47, seemed ready to surrender when he walked out to the Goldendale-Bickleton road about 22 miles east of town shortly after 4 p.m., just as search personnel arrived at the scene, Klickitat... My Mother Lode http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2344508/posts#comment Mon, 21 Sep 2009 03:03:19 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2338236/posts It may look like a ferocious mutant from the city sewer. But this newfound species of giant woolly rat is a docile denizen of the forests of Papua New Guinea. On a chilly night earlier this year, biologists Kristofer Helgen and Muse Opiang were trekking through high-elevation rain forests on the inactive volcano Mount Bosavi when a local tracker pointed out a cat-size rodent walking on the forest floor. nationalgeographic http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2338236/posts#comment Sat, 12 Sep 2009 22:07:10 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2334372/posts (CNN) — Former Rep. James Traficant had a triumphant homecoming Sunday night, his first public appearance since being released from federal prison, a local paper reports. The Youngstown Vindicator said Monday a supporter-organized welcome home dinner for the former Democratic congressman, which drew the capacity crowd of roughly 1,200 Sunday, included performances by an Elvis impersonator and a polka band, as well as a speech from Traficant himself. The newspaper reported that Traficant was defiant, telling listeners that he'd "been hounded by some government people for a long time" and that the government "had to cheat to convict me." CNN http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2334372/posts#comment Tue, 8 Sep 2009 04:40:22 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2333761/posts A new species of giant rat has been discovered deep in the jungle of Papua New Guinea. The rat, which has no fear of humans, measures 82cm long, placing it among the largest species of rat known anywhere in the world. BBC http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2333761/posts#comment Mon, 7 Sep 2009 06:03:01 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2326252/posts Is Barack Obama like the Nazis or Adolf Hitler? Does even asking the question make you a right-wing nut or a partisan hack? Is it distasteful to mention Hitler or the Nazis to make a point? Let's take a sober look at the answers to these questions below: Godwin's Law Adolf Hitler seems to appear frequently in political debates. Reference to Hitler or Nazism is so commonplace that in 1990, U.S. attorney and author Mike Godwin coined an adage that has become well known on Internet discussion forums as Godwin's Law: "As a Usenet discussion grows longer, the probability of... The Humble Libertarian http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2326252/posts#comment Fri, 28 Aug 2009 02:57:56 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2323578/posts Mark D. Obenshain I just received a call from a constituent who called to alert me that one of our United States Senators is having an unannounced "telephone town hall"about Health Care RIGHT NOW. That's right, at 5:30 on Monday night. The link below ...Read More Telephone Town Hall - Events - Mark R. Warner Source: warner.senate.gov As part of his ongoing conversation with Virginians about health care, Senator Warner will host another telephone town hall on Monday, August 24 at 5:30 p.m. More that 60,000 households across the Commonwealth will be invited to join the discussion and ask Senator... http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2323578/posts#comment Mon, 24 Aug 2009 22:35:31 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2320653/posts VSHL PAC 6767 Forest Hill Avenue • Suite 270 Richmond, Virginia 23225 804/560-8745 www.vshlpac.org August 20, 2009 Dear friends, VSHLPAC has today launched www.deedsisforabortion.com, a new website dedicated to getting out the truth about just how pro-abortion Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Creigh Deeds actually is. Pro-life Virginians have a clear decision to make in the voting booth this year between Pro-life Bob McDonnell and Pro-abortion Creigh Deeds. Please visit www.deedsisforabortion.com and share with your pro-life family and friends as well! Please check out the new site as well as the main home page of VSHLPAC, www.vshlpac.org for more info and continued... Click here for website http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2320653/posts#comment Thu, 20 Aug 2009 19:24:27 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2318249/posts Explorers have discovered a new species of giant rodent-eating carnivorous plant and have named it after legendary TV naturalist Sir David Attenborough. Nepenthes attenboroughii, a previously unknown variety of pitcher plant discovered on a remote mountain in the Philippines, is so big that small rodents could be trapped inside and slowly dissolved by flesh-eating enzymes. It is thought that only a few hundred of the plants exist, growing only on one mountain on the island of Palawan. The species was discovered by a team of scientists who had heard reports from missionaries who got lost in the dense jungle. Stewart... Fox News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2318249/posts#comment Mon, 17 Aug 2009 23:10:54 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2309075/posts ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- Former U.S. Rep. William Jefferson has been found guilty of 11 of the 16 charges against him in a federal bribery and conspiracy trial. Jefferson was accused of accepting more than $400,000 in bribes and seeking millions more in exchange for brokering business deals in Africa. WDSU.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2309075/posts#comment Wed, 5 Aug 2009 21:42:59 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2295291/posts William Jefferson trial about to enter final lapby Jonathan Tilove and Bruce Alpert, The Times-Picayune Friday July 17, 2009, 9:17 PM ALEXANDRIA, VA. -- The end is in sight for the corruption trial of former Democratic Congressman William Jefferson. **SNIP** After polling the jury, Ellis said that if testimony ends Wednesday, they would break until the following Tuesday, July 28. The break would enable the attorneys to prepare and for the court to resolve any remaining legal issues before the case goes to the jury. 'Explicit conflict of interest' Friday's session began with testimony from Thomas Hardy, an official of... NOLA http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2295291/posts#comment Sat, 18 Jul 2009 02:45:35 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2282464/posts The bronze rat A Tourist walked into a Chinese curio shop in San Francisco. While looking around at the exotic merchandise, he noticed a very lifelike, life-sized, bronze statue of a rat. It had no price tag, but was so incredibly striking the tourist decided he must have it. He took it to the old shop owner and asked, "How much for the bronze rat?" "Ahhh, you have chosen wisely! It is $12 for the rat, $100 for the story," said the wise old Chinaman. The tourist quickly pulled out twelve dollars. "I'll just take the rat, you can keep... patriotpost http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2282464/posts#comment Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:22:33 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2277264/posts Judge impatient with pace in trial of former Rep. William Jeffersonby Bruce Alpert, The Times-Picayune Monday June 22, 2009, 12:13 PM ALEXANDRIA, VA. -- The judge expressed some impatience this morning with the pace of the public corruption trial of former Rep. William Jefferson. **SNIP** Trout said the personal service agreement would show why Mody was unhappy with Jackson and Pfeffer, who also has pleaded guilty to paying bribes to Jefferson. He said it was significant that Mody initially made no allegations about Jefferson. Ellis appeared to disagree. "So what?" the judge said after the jury had been dismissed for... NOLA http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2277264/posts#comment Tue, 23 Jun 2009 02:20:55 GMT