Free Republic

Vice President Mike Pence says he fully expects billionaire GOP donor Betsy DeVos will be confirmed as education secretary with his tie-breaking vote. […] Last week, two Republican senators, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, said they would vote against DeVos’ nomination, citing concerns from parents and teachers. …

Week 16 Thursday, Dec. 18 Tennessee Titans vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, 8:25 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 20 San Diego Chargers vs. San Francisco 49ers, TBD Philadelphia Eagles vs. Washington Redskins, TBD Sunday, Dec. 21 Cleveland Browns vs. Carolina Panthers, 1 p.m. Detroit Lions vs. Chicago Bears, 1 p.m. Baltimore Ravens vs. Houston Texans, 1 p.m. Minnesota Vikings vs. Miami Dolphins, 1 p.m. Atlanta Falcons vs. New Orleans Saints, 1 p.m. New England Patriots vs. New York Jets, 1 p.m. Kansas City Chiefs vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, 1 p.m Green Bay Packers vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1 p.m. New York Giants vs. St. Louis...

There was widespread confusion following the announcement of Istanbul's victory over Madrid to decide the first round of voting here in the race to host the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games as many presumed that Istanbul had won, not the first round, but the whole competition. Istanbul defeated Madrid in an elimination decider after the pair had initially tied behind first round winners Tokyo But, as Madrid's fate was sealed, a huge chant of "Istanbul, Istanbul" erupted around the media room as a large Turkish press contingent celebrated what they believed to be the countries first victory at the fifth...

AFC for a bye: Hous has head-to-head over DEN, giving them Current hold on #1 seed and bye NE PATS have head-to-head OVER HOUS and DEN and BALT HAS head-to-head victory over PATS in fight for #3 seed. BALT has clinched tiebreaker over CINN (div record) TIEBREAKERS FOR INDY VS CINCY AT 10-6: CONFERENCE WILL BE 7-5 IND VS. CIN, COMMON GAMES, INDY IS 4-1, CINCY IS 3-2 therefore, INDY HAS CLINCHED THE #5 SEED. NFC Giants: WASH AND DAL have tiebreaker over NYG (DIV REC), NYG CAN only be wildcard. NYG have tiebreakers vs MN and CHI and SEA...

AFC for a bye: Hous has head-to-head over DEN, giving them stronghold on #1 seed and bye NE has head-to-head OVER HOUS and DEN MI has tiebreaker over CIN/PT, still kickin' with an 8-8 finish. Their 6-6 conf record will give them tiebreaker. NYJ has tiebreaker over CIN, IND, but not PT. They have a shot at 9-7, but eliminated at 8-8. cin/pt uncommon games is 1=1, so common games will be tied. Winner of head-to-head in week 16 clinches tiebreaker. BALT-CINN-PITT all went 1-1 in uncommon, so common amoungst the 3 is clinched to be a tie and therefore...

What if the Electoral College ended up tied, 269-269, prolonging this Alice-in-Wonderland campaign? That's what would happen if Barack Obama won every state that went for Al Gore in 2000 plus Colorado, or if Obama carried every state that John Kerry won in 2004 plus Iowa, New Mexico, and fast-changing Nevada. If the electoral vote is tied, the Constitution's 12th Amendment requires that the election be thrown into the newly elected House. There, each state, regardless of population, would have one vote. The votes of 26 states would be required to elect a president. Otherwise, the Senate-elected vice president would...

WASHINGTON - A Senate vote on a deficit-reduction bill looks to be so tight that Vice President Dick Cheney was rushing home from an overseas diplomatic mission to be the tiebreaker for saving one of the Bush administration's top priorities. The showdown vote loomed on the bill, which would cut some federal benefits and trim budget deficits by $40 billion through the end of the decade. Cheney was in Pakistan Tuesday to check on U.S. aid to victims of an October earthquake that killed as estimated 75,000 people. He also met with President Pervez Musharraf. The budget vote is expected...