Free Republic

Fidelity’s Edward “Ned” Johnson jumped into the controversial debate over President Obama’s “New Deal II” and what Johnson called government “make-work projects.” Without naming names, Johnson praised the administration’s effort to make economic recovery its top priority, saying it was “admirable.” But Johnson, sounding like he’s never been a big fan of the original New Dealers from the 1930s, warned of too much government involvement in the economy and indicated Fidelity is beefing up its government-affairs unit to fend off possibly burdensome new regulations. “We can only hope that the government’s cure doesn’t further sicken the patient,” Johnson wrote in...

Iran's new leaders built their state on foundations of violence and corruption, making millions of us refugees Nazenin Ansari / 14 January 2009 Life for me as I had come to understand it ended on 15 November 1977. Standing next to a group of young elementary school children from one of Washington DC's inner-city schools on the Ellipse facing the South Lawn of the White House, I was one of a thousand greeting the visit of Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi and his Queen to the United States. The children were waving the US flag and I, a university student, the...

WASHINGTON – In his preparation to become president, Barack Obama said Friday that he has had discussions with all former presidents — or almost all of them. "I've spoken to all of them that are living," the president-elect said in a lighter moment during his first press conference since his victory. "I didn't want to get into a Nancy Reagan thing about, you know, doing any seances," he joked.

Remember shortly before Election Day 2006 when Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) suggested that if you don't get a good education, "you get stuck in Iraq" (video available here)? Well, last month, famed horror author Stephen King was speaking in front of a group of high school students at the Library of Congress, and he virtually made the exact same statement. For those that can bear it, what follows is another in a long line of liberal media members bashing the military (embedded right, h/t Terry Ann): I don't want to sound like an ad, a public service ad on TV,...

McCain slams Obama as deceptive, inexperienced Columbus, OH — Taking dead aim at the Democratic frontrunner, Sen. John McCain rebuked Barack Obama as an “inexperienced candidate” who is making empty promises to the American people of a “holiday from history.” “Will we make the right changes…or will we heed the appeals for change that ignore the lessons of history and lack confidence in the intelligence and ideals of free people?” McCain said before about 500 supporters after declaring victory Tuesday in the Wisconsin Primary. “I will fight every moment of every day in this campaign to make sure Americans are...

(IsraelNN.com) Members of Knesset and ministers slammed Rabbi Shalom Dov Wolpe on Thursday following Wolpe’s harsh criticism of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert during an “SOS Israel” session on Tuesday. During the session Rabbi Wolpe called Olmert a traitor, and accused Olmert his helpers of aiding the “Nazi” terrorists by giving them weapons and releasing terrorist killers from prison. According to Israeli law, he said, Olmert, Vice Premier Chaim Ramon, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, and others should be hung for granting assistance to Nazis. MK Chaim Oron (Meretz) called on the government to ban Chabad activities on IDF bases, while minister...

A conference of Christian church leaders on the "threat" of Islam to New Zealand is being condemned as a "conference of bigots" by senior New Zealand Muslims.The organiser of the Mosque and Miracles conferences, national director of Middle East Christian Outreach Murray Dillner, said the conference would address the threat posed by Islam to New Zealand society – a threat he likened to the terrorist attacks in the United States of September 11, 2001. "It's an underlying threat, but it's like the twin towers – they imploded. Islam does the same thing to a society – it makes it...

DALLAS (Reuters) - A major U.S. association of evangelical Christians has condemned torture by the U.S. military and reaffirmed its commitment to environmental activism, positions that highlight broader splits in a movement associated with conservative causes. "United States law and military doctrine has banned the resort to torture or cruel and degrading treatment. Tragically, documented cases of torture and inhumane and cruel behavior have occurred at various sites in the war on terror," the National Association of Evangelicals said in a statement. "Current law opens procedural loopholes for more to continue," said the statement endorsed by the association's board of...

WASHINGTON - Democrats blistered President Bush's war policy Tuesday night, challenging him to redeem the nation's credibility — and his own — with an immediate shift toward a diplomatic end to the bloody conflict in Iraq. "The president took us into this war recklessly," the Democrats' chosen messenger, Sen. Jim Webb of Virginia, said in response to Bush's State of the Union address Tuesday evening. "We are now, as a nation, held hostage to the predictable — and predicted — disarray that has followed." Webb, a Vietnam veteran who was Navy secretary during Republican President Reagan's administration, called for a...

he problem of Muslim radicalization has been on the agenda of all nations since 9/11. But Canada faces a unique dilemma because the doctrine of multiculturalism is seen as intrinsic to our national identity. The recent disruption of an alleged homegrown Islamist terror plot has caused many Canadians to ask: How can multiculturalism -- which preaches tolerance above all else -- be squared with a militant, intolerant creed that demonizes non-believers? This week, the National Post presents a week-long series of articles examining this question. In today's second instalment, Gordon Nickel examines the claim that Islam is inherently a 'religion...

At the dawn of the atomic age, scientists began work on what might have been the nastiest weapon ever conceived.Those who came of age during the era of Three Mile Island and Chernobyl are probably too young to remember the happy days when "our friend the atom" promised electricity too cheap to meter and cars that would run forever without a fill-up. With atom-powered subs like the Nautilus cruising under the polar icecap in the mid-1950s, could anyone doubt that atom-powered rocketships, airplanes, and even automobiles would be far behind? A funny thing happened to that dream on its way...

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison slams a fan to the turf after he ran onto the field during the fourth quarter of the Steelers' 41-0 NFL win over the Cleveland Browns Saturday, Dec. 24, 2005, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) has long been rumored as desperately seeking the democratic nomination for president in 2008. And while many political observers fully expect the power hungry former First Lady to hit the campaign trail within only a few months of being re-elected as a US Senator in 2006, US News & World report claims to have a confirmation of sorts. From USNews.Com's Washington Whispers: Hillary's in… You don't have to take it from us about Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton 's desire to run for president. Her brothers, Hugh and Tony Rodham, say it's true. Friends...

Cheney scores: "You're not credible on Iraq because of the enormous inconsistencies that John Kerry and you have cited time after time after time." "Whatever the political pressures of the moment requires, that's where you're at. But you've not been consistent and there's no indication at all that John Kerry has the conviction to successfully carry through on the war on terror." "So they [Kerry, Edwards], in effect, decided they would cast an anti-war vote and they voted against the troops. Now if they couldn't stand up to the pressures that Howard Dean represented, how can we expect them...

Democratic Party dismay has been mounting since Kerry ____ (fill in the blank with your favorite of any of a dozen things). Stoked by a constant barrage of well documented inconvenient facts coming out about Kerry's background and the ever-increasing popularity of President Bush and Vice President Cheney, the heated arguments between the Kerry campaign and the DNC leadership increase. Add in, too, the rousing success of the GOP convention and it appears we can stick a fork in the Democratic Party now because that goose is just about fully cooked. Another good barometer, of course, is the mania displayed...

Attention: Members, Staff, Press Viewing of Robert Greenwald’s New Documentary Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch’s War on Journalism Dear Colleague: Please join us in viewing the new Robert Greenwald documentary film, Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch’s War on Journalism, on Wednesday, July 21, at 6:30PM in HC-5. The film was co-sponsored by the Center for American Progress and MoveOn.org. At 6:00PM there will be a Q&A session with Mr. Greenwald, John Podesta from American Progress, Clara Frenk, a former Fox News employee, and Members of Congress. At 6:30, there will be a screening of Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch’s War on Journalism. The media have been...

Mayor: Don't like it? Go GOPBrothers & sisters are 'in charge'By RON GOLDWYNgoldwyr@phillynews.comAN UNREPENTENT Mayor Street wants to update the NAACP convention with some hot old news:In Philadelphia, the brothers and sisters are still in charge.Street, in welcoming remarks yesterday to the 8,000-delegate gathering at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, recalled how he "got myself in trouble" in 2002."I said in the city of Philadelphia the brothers and sisters are in charge," he declared. "They never let me forget it."Street apologized at the time. But yesterday he brought delegates to their feet roaring approval when he said he "will never apologize"...

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Google Inc. hails its new e-mail service as a breakthrough in online communication, but consumer watchdogs are attacking it as a creepy invasion of privacy that threatens to set a troubling precedent. Although Google's free "Gmail" service isn't even available yet, critics already are pressuring the popular search engine maker to drop its plans to electronically scan e-mail content so it can distribute relevant ads alongside incoming messages. Privacy activists worry that Gmail will comb through e-mail more intensively than the filters widely used to weed out potential viruses and spam. Gmail opponents also want Google...

<p>WASHINGTON — Democratic congressional leaders criticized President Bush's policies on the economy and the war on terrorism on Friday in a "pre-buttal" to Tuesday's State of the Union (search) address, the president's annual opportunity to assess the nation's progress and propose new ideas.</p>