Free Republic

While the United States Senate tries to decide what to do about proposed global warming legislation (the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act), Connecticut's attorney general and Democratic nominee for the Senate, Richard Blumenthal, is working to get courts to declare "cap and trade" regulations the law of the land. Blumenthal's suit, Connecticut v. American Electric Power, is the most prominent of a handful of "climate change" lawsuits filed by environmental activists, state attorneys general and trial lawyers. These suits threaten to impose a steep tax on the American economy, with no input from our national elected representatives. In...

WASHINGTON - Capping an epic struggle, Democrats completed the final touches Thursday to an historic fight for a nationwide health care overhaul; a process that ended with the the House approving Senate-cleared changes to the legislation the president signed into law Tuesday. Republicans vowed to campaign for repeal in the fall election season, drawing a quick retort from Barack Obama: "I welcome that fight." Earlier, the Senate voted 56-43 to approve the fixes, clearing the way for the House's final 220-207 confirmation vote later in the evening.

Let's not pretend anymore that the Tea Party movement is harmless. The right to protest is one of our cherished American freedoms. But there is no right to vandalism, no right to threaten our elected officials' lives. Someone is going to get hurt unless those who lead the movement — and those who exploit it — start acting like responsible adults. What are the chances of that? It was Sarah Palin, the Eva Peron of the Tea Party crowd, who used Facebook to target 20 Democrats who voted for health care reform, indicating their districts' locations on a map with...

Washington (CNN) – Sen. John McCain called for a more civilized political discourse on Monday after members of Congress who voted for health care reform reported incidents of harassment and threats of violence. "There is a lot of anger and passion out there," McCain said on CNN's "John King USA." "Let's change that into a spirited and healthy respectful campaign season between Republicans and Democrats, liberals and conservatives. Let's really go at it, but let's do it with respect, that's the key to it." McCain noted that he has held thousands of town hall meetings during his long political career....

Republicans took to the House floor Thursday to plead with those who oppose the Democratic health care overhaul to refrain from violence and threats. Opposition to the health care bill that President Barack Obama signed into law Wednesday is "no excuse for bigotry, threats or acts of vandalism and I condemn such things in the strongest possible terms," said Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana, the House's third-ranked Republican. "Some of our colleagues have received threatening phone calls. A brick has been thrown, a window has been smashed. This is not the right way to respond," added Rep. Joseph Pitts, R-Pa.,...

The pitched battle over health care has unleashed a rash of vandalism and attacks directed at politicians, with at least 10 House Democrats reporting death threats or incidents of harassment or vandalism at their district offices over the past week. More than 100 House Democrats met behind closed doors Wednesday afternoon with representatives of the FBI and the U.S. Capitol Police. The lawmakers voiced what one senior aide who was present described as "serious concern" about their security in Washington and in their home districts when they return this weekend for the spring recess. Usually only the congressional leadership has...

Threats Linked To Health Votes Prompt Security At least 10 Dems receive threats; gas line cut at Perriello brother's home. At least 10 House Democrats are receiving access to increased security after receiving threats linked to their votes on the health care overhaul bill signed into law on Tuesday. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said at a Capitol Hill press conference that he is concerned by a rash of at least four incidents of vandalism targeting lawmakers who voted to approve the legislation, which did not receive any Republican votes. Concern about possible violence escalated Wednesday after a severed gas...

Today, Shep Smith reported (over-sensationally, as always) that our Congress members are receiving death threats because of their health care "yes" vote. While I am by no means condoning death threats, in typical Shep Smith fashion, he joined in the Democrat's pity party by stating, "Why would anyone do such a thing over just a vote?" Excuse me, Shep.. JUST A VOTE? Has Shep been following the UNdemocratic process by which this health care bill was passed? The meetings CLOSED to Republicans, the outright ignoring of American citizens anger about this bill while labeling them as Unamerican, astro-turf, Nazi fanatics?...

After Democratic lawmakers were targeted by death threats and vandalism, House Democrats met with members of the Capitol Police today to discuss security concerns. Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and Majority Whip James Clyburn held a press conference this afternoon on Capitol Hill, saying members had raised concerns and that Capitol Police told them to address any suspicious activity around the Capitol. "Any member who feels themselves at risk is getting attention from the proper authorities," Hoyer said. At least 10 Democratic lawmakers have complained of threats or other security concerns.

House Democrats are expressing concerns about their personal safety following protests over health care legislation. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said Wednesday that officials from the FBI and Capitol Police briefed Democrats on how to handle perceived security threats.

Pelosi: Getting health bill more important than bipartisanship By Jordan Fabian - 03/24/10 02:34 PM ET Getting healthcare reform done was more important than getting Republican votes for the measure, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Wednesday. The top House Democrat said that despite the Democrats best efforts to attract GOP support for the overhaul, Democratic leaders thought it best to forge ahead with existing legislation without Republican votes instead of making more changes to get Republican votes. In an interview set to air on PBS' "Newshour" Wednesday night, host Jim Lehrer asked Pelosi if she was comfortable with a...

Q: After having read many accounts of the Civil War, I still don’t understand why South Carolina fired on Ft. Sumter, galvanizing the North into war.  What do you think might have happened had the South continued to let these coastal forts be manned by the Union for a longer time? Hanson: I think conflict was inevitable, because the South had little appreciation of Northern industrial power nor of the competence of a number of formerly nondescript Union officers. The best officers of the Mexican War had joined the Confederacy and there was an erroneous general impression that all superior...