Free Republic

With job losses mounting and Detroit’s Big Three automakers facing a battle on Capitol Hill over emergency federal aid, President-elect Barack Obama on Sunday predicted more hard times for the U.S. economy before it starts to turn around, and Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) threatened a potential filibuster of any attempt to bail out the automakers. ”This is a big problem. It’s gonna get worse,” Obama warned on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “Things are going to get worse before they get better,” he added. Obama’s comments came on a busy Sunday morning that saw Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice making stops on...

Shelby: ‘Somebody has to speak for the taxpayer’ By Klaus Marre Posted: 11/19/08 11:13 AM [ET] Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) said Wednesday that U.S. carmakers should file for bankruptcy and get rid of their management. Shelby, the ranking Republican on the Banking Committee, said the money Democratic leaders want to give to the auto industry would be “life support.” “I don’t believe that they have immediate plans to change their model, which is a model of failure,” Shelby said on CBS’s “Early Show.” “I wish that they would. I know they’re in dire circumstances.” The senator argued that the best...

SHELBY PROPOSES ALTERNATIVE September 25, 2008 Washington, D.C. - Senator Richard C. Shelby, ranking Republican on the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, today issued the following statement: “Last Saturday Secretary Paulson presented Congress with draft legislation that would grant him sweeping authority to spend up to $700 billion in taxpayer money to buy illiquid securities. The stated goal of this scheme is to return confidence and liquidity to our credit markets. “I do not believe this is the right approach. We did not get into this situation in a matters of days, and we are not...

During his opening statement at a hearing on Capitol Hill Tuesday, Republican Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama expressed his displeasure with the government's massive financial bailout. From Shelby's prepared remarks: Unfortunately, the Treasury Department's latest proposal continues its ad hoc approach, but on a much grander scale. The plan contemplates the purchase of up to $700 billion in troubled mortgage-related assets from financial institutions. Treasury expects, but is not required, to purchase most assets through a type of reverse auction process. There are very few details in this legislation. In fact, Treasury officials admit that they will have to figure...

Alabama Republican Sen. Richard Shelby on Tuesday sharply criticized the Bush administration's massive Wall Street bailout plan and urged rapid work in days ahead to develop a better package to calm markets "before we waste $700 billion of taxpayer money." Shelby, the top Republican on the Senate Banking Committee, said at the beginning of a committee hearing that the administration's plan "merely codifies (the Treasury Department's) ad hoc approach" taken so far to tackling the worst U.S. financial crisis since the Great Depression. He said the plan, as initially drafted, aims to rescue "the same financial institutions that created this...

The Talk Shows Sunday, September 21st, 2008 Guests to be interviewed today on major television talk shows: FOX NEWS SUNDAY (Fox Network): Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson; Sens. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., and Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.; Bonnie McElveen-Hunter, chair of the American Red Cross. MEET THE PRESS (NBC): Paulson; New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. FACE THE NATION (CBS): Paulson; Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass.; Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala.THIS WEEK (ABC): Paulson; Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn.; Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio.LATE EDITION (CNN) : Douglas Holtz Eakin, adviser to John McCain; Austan Goolsbee, adviser to Barack Obama; former Rep. Rob Portman, R-Ohio.; Gene Sperling,...

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Senate Banking Committee leaders said Monday that they have come to a deal on a housing bill that would prevent foreclosures, create affordable housing and revamp oversight of two of the mortgage market's biggest players: Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. A major part of the legislation would allow the Federal Housing Administration to insure $300 billion in new loans for at-risk borrowers if lenders agree to write down loan balances below the appraised value of borrowers' homes. The deal was struck between the top Democrat and Republican on the Banking Committee: Chairman Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., and...

Many entertainment and sport icons are known by one name: Cher, Madonna, Bono, Pele and Bond ... James Bond, to name a few. But for muscle-car enthusiasts, one name stands out as an icon: Shelby ... Carroll Shelby. Carroll Shelby is a well-known designer of muscle cars. Provided to the Tribune Browse and Buy Nevada Appeal Photos Shelby, as many people know, was a race-car driver and still designs and builds high-performance automobiles. And here’s the especially interesting part for South Lake Tahoe: In 1968, the man of muscle built and owned the first Ford dealership on the South Shore....

CAMP SHELBY JOINT FORCES TRAINING CENTER, Miss., March 4, 2008 – Fourteen soldiers with the Arkansas National Guard's 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team were injured last night when severe weather passed through Camp Shelby. Army Lt. Col. James Treece, commander of 217th Brigade Support Battalion, stands next to wreckage of a barracks at Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center, Miss., March 3, 2008. Severe weather damaged the barracks and injured 14 soldiers with the Arkansas National Guard's 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. Photo by Maj. Craig Heathscott, USA  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Injuries were mainly limited to...

The Obama Phenomenon On a recent show, Rush Limbaugh opined that the Obama phenomenon was a “cult” and would shortly wear off as people really examined his record and positions. Perhaps, but this debunking will not happen without an awareness of how Senator Obama has achieved so much in so short a time. The phenomenon is obvious. A few examples are: Lisa Lerer from Politico: "This is not a campaign for president of the United States, this is a movement to change the world," he said as he introduced Obama last week in Baltimore. "You do not get 13,000 people...

On Sept. 13, 2007, the Shelby SuperCars' Ultimate Aero became the fastest production car in the world. The event took place on a temporarily closed, two-lane stretch of public highway in Washington State. In accordance with Guinness World Records' strict policies, the car had to drive down the highway, turn around, and make a second pass in the opposite direction within one hour. The Ultimate Aero posted 257.41 mph on the first pass and 254.88 mph on the second for an average of 256.18 mph. Official data were collected via a GPS tracking system from Austrian data acquisition company Dewetron....

I just got off the phone with Senator Shelby's office. Told the lady I was a'gin the DREAM Act. She said, and I quote, "Thank you, sir, so is the Senator". Good news, if true, and I think Richard Shelby is an honorable and honest man.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A military cargo plane carrying Florida Sen. Mel Martinez, two other senators and a House member was forced to take evasive maneuvers and dispatch flares to avoid ground fire after taking off from Baghdad. The lawmakers said their plane, a C-130, was under fire Thursday night from three rocket-propelled grenades over the course of several minutes as they left for Amman, Jordan. ``It was a scary moment,'' said Martinez, R-Fla., who said he had just taken off his body armor when he saw a bright flash outside the window. ``Our pilots were terrific. ... They banked in...

A C-130 aircraft carrying an Alabama senator and congressman was fired on this evening as it was flying from Baghdad to Amman, Jordan. The airplane was carrying Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., and Rep. Bud Cramer, D-Huntsville, and two other senators. Three rockets were shot at the plane and were "near misses," Shelby said in a telephone interview. He said the pilot took evasive maneuvers to avoid the rockets. The plane landed safely in Amman at about 4 p.m. central. "I was looking out the window, a little small window, and I saw a shell or something," Shelby said. "And then...

SHELBY FARMS, EAST MEMPHIS -- Investigators say they can't decide which is more outrageous... Two sheriff's deputies killing deer out of season while on duty in a public park... or the fact they took pictures of themselves doing it. Former Shelby County Sheriff's Deputy Thomas Braswell and suspended Shelby County Sheriff's Deputy Aaron Pretti have been charged in connection with an incident that happened at Shelby Farms last July. According to records from the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, one of its officers received a tip from the Shelby County Sheriff's Office's Internal Affairs division. The tip said someone was circulating...

Senator Shelby’s statement: “Although a bill has not yet been released, I have serious concerns about early reports of the legislation, including the status of illegal immigrants already in this country. Make no mistake about it -- I will continue to oppose any proposal that rewards those who have broken the law to enter this country.” --------- U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) made the following comments today regarding comprehensive immigration reform legislation in the Senate: "I will not vote for, and will actively oppose, immigration legislation that does not meet the expectations of the American people on important issues such...

Shelby County Schools' newest board member, Fred Johnson, wants to change "Christmas Break" to "Winter Break" on the school calendar. "I want to make it inclusive of every religious group," he said. Johnson's unexpected declaration, during a recent discussion of the 2007-08 and 2008-09 school calendars, did not sit well with all board members. "This is America. Since Day One, we've recognized Christmas as Christmas and Christmas Break as Christmas Break," said board member Joe Clayton, who said he would never support a change of the wording. The two-week break between December and January has captured the board's attention before....

MEMPHIS, Tenn. State Senator Kathryn Bowers is charged with driving under the influence after a traffic accident yesterday afternoon. W-M-C-T-V reports that the Memphis Democrat was treated for non-critical injuries at Regional Medical Center and released. Bowers is one of five current or former lawmakers charged in Tennessee Waltz. She said this week she was stepping down from office because of health problems. Police said a car driven by Bowers sideswiped a UPS truck. She was charged with driving under the influence, reckless driving and failure to maintain control. Her attorney says he was looking into whether recent changes to...

Under a spending bill passed Thursday by the Senate Appropriations Committee approximately $2.5million would be appropriated for public beach and wildlife habitat purchases on Dauphin Island out of the next federal budget. The bill was created by Republican Senator Richard Shelby of Alabama. Senator Shelby heads the subcommittee that crafted the spending bill. Why is this happening, you ask? Because Shelby knows Dauphin Island needs these things for its continued growth as a socio-economic entity. Because Dauphin Island officials don't have the resources to do this themselves. And because he's in a position to allocate a small portion of pork...

The United States should conduct military strikes against Hezbollah and Hamas facilities in the Middle East before engaging in any military action against Iraq, the leaders of an influential US Senate committee demanded Sunday. Democratic Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Bob Graham and his Republican counterpart, Richard Shelby, made their recommendation amid increasing concern among member of the US intelligence community that if faced with certain downfall, Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein could hand over weapons of mass destruction to regional terrorist groups. "Against those international terrorists such as Hezbollah and Hamas, we need to be launching attacks on their headquarters and...