Free Republic

NEW YORK - Republican presidential candidate John McCain good-naturedly sparred with David Letterman on Tuesday night's "Late Show." During his monologue, Letterman joked that the Arizona senator reminded him of "the guy at the hardware store who makes the keys" and "the guy who can't stop talking about how well his tomatoes are doing." After Letterman added that McCain looked like "the guy who points out the spots they missed at the car wash," the senator appeared on stage. "You think that stuff's pretty funny, don't you?" McCain asked, then added: "Well, you look like a guy whose laptop would...

PHOENIX (Reuters) - Supporters and opponents of liberalized immigration laws bellowed at each other through bullhorns at a rally in Phoenix on Monday as pressure on the U.S. Congress to break a deadlock over a proposed immigration overhaul gathered pace nationwide. About a thousand supporters of a Senate bill offering millions of illegal immigrants a path to citizenship gathered outside the Capitol building in downtown Phoenix on Labor Day, chanting, "We are America" and waving U.S. flags. They were met by scores of angry opponents of the measure, toting placards urging authorities to "stop the criminal alien invasion" and "secure...

Big-Name Journalists Spar Over Sources at NYC Gathering Wed Aug 17, 6:35 PM ET From l., panelists Richard Cohen (Washington Post), Nicholas Lemann (Columbia), First Amendment lawyer Floyd Abrams and Time honcho Norman Pearlstine NEW YORK This morning, Court TV gathered a group of columnists, editors, attorneys, and academics to discuss the rule of the law vs. the rule of journalism" at the popular media haunt Michael's in mid-town New York. With panelists Norman Pearlstine, Floyd Abrams, Nicholas Lemann, Richard Cohen, Michael Goodwin, Michael Wolff, Paul Holmes, and moderator Catherine Crier, the allotted hour was barely enough time to kick...

SACRAMENTO (AP) - A display of political artwork in the state Department of Justice sparked dueling protests and a culture clash Thursday. Rival protesters shouted "No to censors" and sang "God bless America" outside the Attorney General's building, where a painting of a star-spangled map of the United States being flushed down the toilet now hangs as part of an exhibition of art by lawyers on legal themes. The California Republican Party, along with conservative bloggers and a Sacramento talk radio host, have called on Attorney General Bill Lockyer to remove the painting from the exhibit. The piece, titled "T'anks...

GOP, Democrats Spar Over Retirement Age 2 hours, 9 minutes ago Politics - U. S. Congress By NEDRA PICKLER, Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON - A leading Republican senator is proposing to raise the Social Security retirement age from 67 to 68, while Democrats maintain their opposition to the president's plan to overhaul the retirement program with private investment accounts. Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel's plan would raise the age that retirees could receive full benefits, beginning in 2023. "We are living longer," Hagel said Sunday on CBS' "Face the Nation." "So when you look at the total universe of this, I...

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Battling for re-election, Mayor Jim Hahn will appear for the second time with his four major rivals Tuesday in a debate that will focus on air quality and other environmental issues facing the city. The first face-off on Dec. 2 turned into a roundtable on allegations of corruption in the Hahn administration, while the mayor promoted his record on public safety and declared, "I've always been about honesty." Tuesday's taped debate, sponsored by the Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters, could provide a respite for Hahn from questions about suspect fund-raising and other accusations of ethical...

WASHINGTON - President Bush (news - web sites) and Vice President Dick Cheney (news - web sites) have been sparring with mock-debate partners since midsummer, getting ready for Democrats John Kerry (news - web sites) and John Edwards (news - web sites). In late July, Bush began practicing with Sen. Judd Gregg (news, bio, voting record), R-N.H., inside the White House residence, officials said Monday. Gregg also played Al Gore (news - web sites) in debate preparation in 2000. Cheney started debate rehearsal in early August, jousting with Rep. Rob Portman (news, bio, voting record), an Ohio Republican and longtime...

Presidential candidates spar over Vietnam Wednesday, April 28, 2004 7:47PM EDT By LIZ MARLANTES, THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR WASHINGTON (CSM) - From the start, the 2004 campaign has seemed destined to pivot around questions of war, with the candidates battling over the direction of U.S. policy in Iraq and how best to defend against the threat of terrorism. But lately, it's another conflagration - Vietnam - that's dominating the campaign discourse. From the Bush team's raising questions about Sen. John Kerry's Purple Hearts and the ribbons or medals he threw at an anti-war protest, to Kerry's questioning whether the president...