Free Republic

I love federalism. Which is to say, really, that I love competition. When states, like businesses, compete for their desired goals in a free-market scenario, everybody wins in the long run, because the policies that really work and appeal to the most people will come out on top.Texas and California are often compared as polar opposites in terms of their business-friendly policies; i.e., Texas is reliably ranked number one and California usually comes in around dead last. There are plenty of traditional and cultural factors that keep California an attractive place for venture capital investment, but an incoming raft of...

Police arrested a 39-year-old man Monday night after a homeowner shot and wounded him while he was trying to break into a house in north Houston, officials said. Kenneth Wayne Shepherd is charged with attempted burglary of a home in connection with the shooting about 9:40 p.m. in the 200 block of Janisch near Werner, said Jodi Silva, a spokeswoman for the Houston Police Department.

The Boy Scouts of America board has deferred any decision on its controversial membership policy that bans gays and lesbians from Scouting. Daron Smith, a spokesman for organization’s national headquarters in Irving, released a statement this morning saying that the national board won’t make a decision today on altering the policy. Instead, he said, the Boy Scouts will gather more information and opinions from its stakeholders around the nation and then reconsider the membership policy at its annual meeting in May.

Ronald Reagan was born Feb 6, 1911. This week marks the 102nd anniversary of Ronald Reagan’s birthday. It provides a time to reflect on the leader and on his vision for America. A former Democrat turned Republican, he had led a labor union and as an actor was an unlikely Presidential candidate when he first ran for President in 1976 against then-President Ford. He was not the typical Republican and frankly rocked the Republican establishment. But he eloquently articulated optimism for our country and a vision which garnered the support of voters from both parties as well as citizens who...

February 5, 2013 at 7:52 PM Cowboys Stadium to host Chris Kyle memorial service Credit: WFAA Former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, left, and his friend Chad Littlefield were murdered at an Erath County gun range on February 2, 2013. DALLAS, Texas -- A memorial service for former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle has been set for 1 p.m. Monday, February 11 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, according to Kyle's Facebook page.Kyle, 38, and a friend, Chad Littlefield, were shot and killed at an Erath County gun range on Saturday afternoon.A veteran they were trying to help, 25-year-old Eddie Routh, has been...

You know America’s changing when leftists have even infiltrated Texas schools, EAGnews.org finds. According to the website txcscopereview.com, a lesson plan for 6th graders in government schools reads as follows: Notice socialist/communist nations use symbolism on their flags representing various aspects of their economic system. Imagine a new socialist nation is creating a flag and you have been put in charge of creating a flag. Use symbolism to represent aspects of socialism/communism on your flag. What kind of symbolism/colors would you use? Texas legislators looked none too kindly on this revelation as they questioned the curriculum’s creators at a recent...

Chung Kim, a Texas man, was charged with capital murder Monday after he allegedly shot and killed a couple who lived upstairs from his northwest Dallas apartment in an argument over dog feces.

Ted Cruz (R., Texas) has been a United States senator for only 34 days, but already he is making his mark on national politics. His conspicuous presence and aggressive tone have thrilled his conservative cheerleaders, while inducing fits of rage in liberal detractors and Joe Scarborough. In the past week alone, Cruz has tangled with veteran Democratic spin-master Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) on Meet the Press, sent a tongue-in-cheek letter to Mayor Rahm Emanuel of Chicago, introduced legislation to fully repeal Obamacare, and recorded “no” votes on major items, including Hurricane Sandy relief, raising the debt ceiling, filibuster reform, and...

Sixth-grade children in many Texas public schools are being tasked with designing flags for a new socialist nation as part of the state's curriculum, EAG News reported Monday. "Notice socialist/communist nations use symbolism on their flags representing various aspects of their economic system. Imagine a new socialist nation is creating a flag and you have been put in charge of creating a flag," says a lesson plan being used as part of CSCOPE, the curriculum being used by over 70 percent of Texas school districts. "Use symbolism to represent aspects of socialism/communism on your flag. What kind of symbolism/colors would...

AUSTIN – You know America is changing when leftists have even infiltrated Texas schools. According to the website txcscopereview.com, a lesson plan for 6th graders in government schools reads as follows: Notice socialist/communist nations use symbolism on their flags representing various aspects of their economic system. Imagine a new socialist nation is creating a flag and you have been put in charge of creating a flag. Use symbolism to represent aspects of socialism/communism on your flag. What kind of symbolism/colors would you use?

Eddie Routh, the double murder suspect who allegedly killed retired Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle and his friend Chad Littlefield, might have committed the crimes to steal Kyle’s truck, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by News 8. Routh confessed to his sister and her husband about the crime on Saturday night, the document says. When they asked whose black truck he was driving, Routh told them “he traded his soul for a new truck,” according to the affidavit. Arrest affidavit page one.Page two.Page three.

LISTEN TO SONG IN MP3 PLAYER ON SITE BEST ANTI-GUN CONTROL SONG EVER: COME AND TAKE IT (If Ya Think You Can) by Steve Vaus ***CLICK THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE PLAYER BELOW*** “COME AND TAKE IT IF YOU WANT IT, COME AND TAKE IT IF YOU THINK YOU CAN, COME AND TAKE IT IF YOU WANT IT, BUT YOU’LL HAVE TO PRY IT FORM MY COLD DEAD HANDS” WHAT CAN I SAY ABOUT THIS SONG EXCEPT THAT I WISH I WROTE IT? Well allot actually. But to say a whole lot with a few words I’ll just say,,, OBAMA,...

The US shale boom has led some to predict that it will overtake Saudi Arabia as world’s largest oil and gas producer by 2020, thanks to the massive reserves found in plays such as the Bakken Shale of North Dakota, the Marcellus Shale in New York, and the Eagle Ford Shale in Texas; even the newly discovered Tuscaloosa Shale formation in Louisiana holds large potential. However there is a new shale formation that has been discovered in West Texas which could dwarf all others being drilled in the US at the moment. The play is known as the Cline Shale...

By DEAN SCHABNER Feb. 3, 2013 A man is under arrest in connection with the killing of two men at an Erath County, Texas, gun range, police said. One of the victims is former Navy SEAL and "American Sniper" author Chris Kyle. "We have lost more than we can replace. Chris was a patriot, a great father, and a true supporter of this country and its ideals. This is a tragedy for all of us. I send my deepest prayers and thoughts to his wife and two children," "American Sniper" co-author Scott McEwen said in a statement to ABC News....

Texas Gov. Rick Perry said emphatically Saturday that the Boy Scouts of America shouldn’t soften its strict no-gays membership policy, and dismissed the idea of bending the organization to the whims of “popular culture.” Perry is an Eagle Scout and in 2008 he authored the book “On My Honor: Why the American Values of the Boy Scouts Are Worth Fighting For.” It detailed the governor’s deep love for the organization and explained why it should continue to embrace traditional, conservative values—including excluding openly gay members and Scout leaders. … Even though the Boy Scouts reaffirmed the no-gays policy just seven...

University of Texas offensive coordinator Major Applewhite and the school's athletic director released a joint statement on Friday night acknowledging that Applewhite had an "inappropriate" relationship with a student during the team's trip to the 2009 Fiesta Bowl. Beyond the cheating on his wife while she was apparently nine months pregnant*, the timing of this announcement raises a lot of questions for the University of Texas and how it handled the affair.

NEW YORK — Hostess has picked a lead bidder for its famous Twinkies. The bankrupt Irving company said late Wednesday that it has selected a joint offer from two investment firms — C. Dean Metropoulos & Co. and Apollo Global Management LLC — as the lead bid for its Twinkies and other snack cakes. Hostess says the two are offering to pay $410 million for the snack-cake business and five bakeries. The "stalking horse" bid would set the floor for an auction process that lets competitors make better offers. A judge would have to approve any final sale. After years...

Authorities are on alert after a shootout was reported across the border from Falcon State Park. It all started with reports of a gunfire coming from Nueva Ciudad Guerrero just after 9 a.m. Friday. Mexican authorities have not released any information but Border Patrol, sheriff's deputies, customs officers and others are on alert. The law enforcement agencies have increased patrols on the American side of the border. Falcon State Park Manager Carlos Rivas told Action 4 News that there is heightened security at the park but it remains open.

February 1, 2013 Democratic presidential candidate already running campaign ads for 2016 by Laura Byrne Look out Joe Biden, another Democrat has already thrown his hat in the ring for the 2016 presidential race, and he’s already running campaign ads on TV.Lee L. Mercer, Jr. of Texas has reportedly started running a TV commercial spreading his campaign promise to create “a new computerized government that will run the office of the President of the United States with a computer.”According to the ad, “Lee L. Mercer, Jr. of Houston, Texas is announcing his campaign for President of the United States in...

Texas Senator Ted Cruz wants Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel to back of gun manufacturers. The Republican senator issued a response to Emanuel’s letter to banks which do business with gun makers. The Lone Star politician considers the former Obama administration official a bully. Cruz told gun companies that Texas banks would welcome their business and offered to personally introduce them to leading lenders. Senator Cruz’s response to Rahm Emanuel stated: “Your city’s longstanding policies stripping citizens of their Constitutional rights to keep and bear arms have, in turn, produced some of the very highest murder rates in the nation. Regardless,...