Free Republic

Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.) thinks that President Bush is "absolutely radioactive" and that any Republicans close to the him will suffer electoral consequences. Davis, who made waves for a shockingly bleak memo about the electoral outlook for the GOP this fall, tells Bloomberg TV in an interview that will air tonight that GOP members have "got to get some separation from the president." "Republicans, I think, have time to turn it around to some extent," Davis tells the network. "But, if they don't, we're cruising for a bruising." Davis is not seeking reelection.

WASHINGTON, May 16, 2008 – For the 38 grassroots groups who took up a temporary home in the Pentagon’s center courtyard today, the mission was clear: show support for the troops and share information about just how they do that. Tennessee's Helping Hearts table at the America Supports You Salute to Our Military Men and Women concert May 16, 2008, was staffed by the group’s pageant winners. From left, Paige Wilson, 12, 2007 Ms. Tennessee Helping Hearts; Shay Salmon, 16, 2008 Tennessee Helping Hearts Queen runner up; Amanda Britt, 18, 2008 Ms. Tennessee Helping Hearts; and Summer Salmon, 14,...

In an interview to air later tonight on Bloomberg TV, Rep. Tom Davis (R-VA) said President Bush is "absolutely radioactive" and Republicans "will suffer widespread election losses in November unless they distance themselves from him." Said Davis: "They've got to get some separation from the president." Davis also said his party "would lose 20 to 25 House seats if the election were held today." And if Sen. John McCain is seen by voters as "Bush III" he will lose by 20 percentage points.

WASHINGTON, May 16, 2008 – Award-winning actor and part-time rocker Gary Sinise and the "Lt. Dan Band” jammed for a standing-room-only crowd in the courtyard of the Pentagon today. Hollywood actor and part-time rocker Gary Sinise performs at the 4th Annual America Supports You Military Tribute Concert as part of the Military Appreciation Month celebrations. Sinise and “The Lt. Dan Band” jammed for a standing-room-only crowd packed into the courtyard of the Pentagon. Defense Dept. photo by Fred W. Baker III  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. “Rocking at the Pentagon,” Sinise exclaimed mid-set for a much-appreciative audience. The...

WASHINGTON, May 16, 2008 – America needs dedicated public servants now more than ever, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told graduates at the Virginia Military Institute, in Lexington, Va., today. Gates congratulated the 246 graduates of the state military college on their accomplishments and said the institute has taught them lessons on the importance of public service and duty to their fellow citizens. “For generations, VMI has graduated young people ready to raise their right hands and defend their homeland,” the secretary said. “This is something to be grateful for in any time period, but never more so than in...

NEWPORT NEWS - When owner Jeffrey Thompson found signs Sunday of a break-in at his military surplus store in Newport News, he decided to sleep at work with his gun nearby and catch the thieves red-handed. Early Thursday morning his long nights at the office paid off when Thompson confronted three burglars. He was surprised to find out later that the men were members of Security Forces at Langley Air Force Base in Hampton.

WASHINGTON, May 15, 2008 – For the rest of this year, sitting in Shamu the killer whale’s “splash zone” or talking turkey with a big yellow bird are just two activities servicemembers and their families can enjoy for free at Anheuser-Busch Adventure Parks. Through its “Here’s to the Heroes” program, which began in 2005, the brewing company is offering free tickets to its theme parks for servicemembers and up to three family members to thank them for all they do in service to the country. “It’s important to us for all the reasons you can probably predict,” said Fred...

FAMILY RESEARCH COUNCIL ADVOCACY ARM ENDORSES MARSALL FOR SENATE May 6, 2008 Organization Cites ‘Clear, Significant Difference’ Between Marshall and Gilmore on Human Life FRC Action, the legislative advocacy arm of the Family Research Council founded by Dr. James Dobson in 1983 to promote marriage and family and the sanctity of human life in national policy, on Tuesday endorsed Del. Bob Marshall for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate. “Delegate Marshall is the conservative candidate in this race,” Connie Mackey, FRC Action’s senior vice president said in a statement released from its headquarters in Washington, D.C. “There is a...

Equality Virginia Celebrates with California (May 15) In response to the 4-3 California Supreme Court ruling overturning that state's marriage ban, Equality Virginia released the following statement from Dyana Mason, Executive Director: "All Americans should celebrate the California Supreme Court Decision today. Interpreting that state's constitution, the Court ruled that their same-sex marriage ban was unconstitutional and that all couples, gay and straight, have a right to marry the person they love." The California marriage decision will affect over 36 million people - well over 10% of the total population of America. Unfortunately in Virginia, we took a different path...

The Virginia Citizens Defense League joined in the discussion over whether to bring firearms into town hall. A recently posted sign requesting that guns not be brought into Boones Mill town hall sparked controversy at a town council meeting Tuesday night -- and drew the attention of the Virginia Citizens Defense League. But, in the end, debate over the Second Amendment paled in comparison to other, more personal issues, the likes of which have repeatedly plagued the council's notoriously volatile meetings. Last week, incumbent mayor E.V. "Ben" Flora won re-election over challenger Robert Hogan by a vote of 40 to...

Pictures are worth a thousand words, so the pic below says it all. Trash truck is waiting for the green light and the reporter get out of the way, before trucking the moonbats away. And since I mentioned the reporter (in yellow jacket), she represents the Greater Olney Civic Association (GOCA). GOCA is a community organization representing over 30 Homeowner's Associations in the Olney area. GOCA has received emails about who we are, among other questions about goings on in Olney. So GOCA has decided to answer the emails by video taping answers to various email questions and posting the...

WASHINGTON, May 14, 2008 – Oscar-nominated actor and director Gary Sinise and his Lt. Dan Band will perform a concert in the Pentagon Courtyard Friday, May 16 at noon as part of Military Appreciation Month. Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. James Cartwright, and Department of Defense's 'America Supports You' program will be hosting the event. Military Appreciation Month is a nationwide observance honoring current and former members of the armed forces, including those who have died in service of our nation. Sinise is renowned for his role as Lt. Dan in the movie "Forrest Gump," and...

WASHINGTON, May 14, 2008 – Through three military conflicts, beginning with the Civil War, a group of women contributed to the war effort by making bandages for the troops. While they no longer make bandages, the Virginia-based United Daughters of the Confederacy strives to support the country’s servicemembers through historical, educational, benevolent, memorial and patriotic means. “Since we are a country at war against terrorism, the patriotic objective is the one being focused upon at the present time,” said Sherry Davis, chairman of patriotic activities for the general, or national, organization. The organization meets its goals of patriotic outreach...

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in Virginia finds John McCain leading Barack Obama by just three percentage points, 47% to 44%. That’s a significant improvement for Obama after trailing the presumptive Republican nominee by eleven points a month ago.

RICHMOND-The State Corporation Commission has scheduled a public hearing for June 24 to receive comments on a request by Dominion Virginia Power to increase the company’s fuel rate on July 1. Dominion says the increase is necessary to cover the higher costs of fuel used to generate electricity. The company is seeking to raise its current fuel factor from 2.232 cents per kilowatt-hour to 3.893 cents. An average residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt hours in a month would see an increase of $16.61 on a monthly bill, or 18.3 percent. A public hearing on the request is scheduled for 10...

WASHINGTON, May 13, 2008 – Servicemembers transiting through Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, near Washington, D.C., now have a new area to spend time between flights after the recent dedication of a new United Service Organizations lounge. Military and government leaders participate in a ribbing-cutting ceremony to officially open the new United Service Organizations lounge at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on May 8, 2008. From left are: Bill Fairl, of CACI; Paul Maladrino, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport manager; David Speck, of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority; Jon Love, with Pitney Bowes; Virginia Sen. Patsy Ticer; Ned Powell, with...

Italy's Finmeccanica to buy DRS Technologies for $5.2BBusiness Courier of Cincinnati DRS Technologies Inc., which has several Cincinnati-area operations, is being bought by Finmeccanica SpA, an Italian aerospace and defense supplier, for $5.2 billion. Finmeccanica said the deal, expected to close in the fourth quarter this year, allows the company to enter the U.S. market and enables DRS to better compete in the global military and security market. DRS (NYSE: DRS) will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary, maintaining its current management and headquarters. The company will lead Finmeccanica's defense electronics efforts in the United States and it is expected...

An Arlington attorney was arrested and accused of soliciting a minor for sex on the Internet. Ronald Cohen, 57, was arrested Thursday and charged with soliciting sex on the Internet with a girl under the age of 15, but the girl was really a police officer. "They decided that they would set up a meeting. Mr. Cohen went through with the meeting and that's where he was met with detectives and state troopers," said Crystal Nosal, of the Arlington County Police. Cohen is a prominent attorney in Arlington, working largely in real estate. He is one of five directors of...

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in Virginia finds John McCain leading Barack Obama by just three percentage points, 47% to 44%. That’s a significant improvement for Obama after trailing the presumptive Republican nominee by eleven points a month ago. The current survey was conducted just two days after Obama’s strong performance in the North Carolina and Indiana Primaries. Following those primaries, Rasmussen Reports stated that the Democratic race is over and that Obama will be the nominee of his Party. Nationally, McCain and Obama are quite competitive in the Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll. In Virginia, McCain leads...

RICHMOND (AP) — Gov. Tim Kaine is expected today to announce a tax package to pay for highway construction and the upkeep and repair of state roads and bridges. Mr. Kaine scheduled a news conference at the state capitol to outline details of the bill that he will ask legislators to consider next month. He has called the General Assembly to Richmond beginning June 23 for the second special session on transportation funding in two years. Mr. Kaine, a Democrat, wants regional funding plans to pay for new projects in Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia, the state's most populous, fastest-growing...

The patrons at Champps in Reston, an upscale restaurant and bar chain, were eating ribs and drinking beer on a recent Saturday when customer Bruce Jackson stood up and made an announcement: He was armed, and so were dozens of other patrons. The armed customers stood up in unison, showing off holstered pistols. Mr. Jackson said a word or two about the rights of gun owners to carry firearms in Virginia, then thanked everyone for his or her attention and sat down. And the diners returned to their burgers and Budweisers. The Virginia Citizens Defense League (VCDL) organized the dinner...

KUDOS TO THE firearms debate at Bridgewater College ("Bridgewater College to Host Firearms Debate," April 9). This debate was excellent, informative, thought provoking. I publicly thank the college for bringing two such outstanding individuals in their fields to our community. The auditorium was filled largely with students. Prior to the debate, my companion and I expected the audience to be strongly biased against Second Amendment rights, handgun ownership, concealed-carry permits, etc. At no time could we detect any bias, either pro or con, by the level of courteous, enthusiastic applause given to both gentlemen after each of their statements and...

Ever since my congressman, Vito Fossella, was arrested on a DWI last Thursday, the local papers were spreading gossip about Fossella's love child with the woman who bailed him out of jail.

The Metropolitan Police Department has joined other major U.S. cities in arming patrol officers with assault rifles to protect them against criminals with high-powered weapons, weeks after being released from a federal program that monitors the use of excessive force. "We want to be as accurate as possible and have more stopping power," Assistant Chief Patrick Burke said yesterday. The department already has 500 semiautomatic AR-15 rifles, which were converted from fully automatic rifles, and has trained 340 officers to use them.

McLean, Va. (AP) -- Convicted sniper John Allen Muhammad has changed his mind again and now wants to go forward with a federal appeal of his conviction and death sentence, according to his lawyers. In a handwritten letter from death row made public this week, Muhammad told the Virginia attorney general that he wanted to suspend all appeals on his 2003 death sentence and that appeals filed on his behalf were not authorized. But Muhammad's lawyer, James Connell, wrote a letter Thursday to a U.S. District judge saying Muhammad now wants to go forward with his appeal. "Mr. Muhammad expressly...

May Day, the communists' day of celebration is a day that the moonbats look forward to every year. This year they were especially thrilled with a flashback to their early days. Fraxinus (BELOW) wore a different style t-shirt this Saturday but from across the intersection, it was a flashbcak to the psychedelic, intoxicating, 60s. Bringing this thread back to reality, we had another great visitor to our FReep. Frank is a marshall from the Gathering of Eagles events. While not loggin to GoE, he was at the WWII Memorial during that bitter cold, windy March 17, 2007 day. And he...

Virginia Senator James Webb should be the Democratic candidate for vice-president. Senator Barack Obama is close to winning the Democratic nomination for president. His overwhelming victory in North Carolina and virtual tie in Indiana, with a forthcoming tide of superdelegates, will bring him within a hundred votes of the nomination. Obama has victory in sight, unless the iron laws of arithmetic are repealed by superdelegates meeting in "smoke-filled rooms" in an age of "no smoking" edicts in air-conditioned retreats. Obama must soon turn to the choice of a running mate. The best choice, in my opinion, would be Senator Webb....

A Giles County man paroled from prison after serving 14 years for killing two hikers on the Appalachian Trail in 1981 now is suspected of shooting two campers just off the trail in Giles on Tuesday. Randall Lee Smith, 54, was in a Roanoke hospital yesterday after crashing a pickup truck in Giles, Sgt. Michael Conroy of the Virginia State Police said.

WASHINGTON, May 7, 2008 – The names of four U.S. servicemembers were etched into the glossy black walls of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial this week alongside more than 58,000 of their fallen comrades. Finishing the addition today was the name of Raymond C. Mason, a Marine lance corporal who died a year ago as a result of ailing health stemming from a bullet wound that paralyzed him in February 1968 during the Tet Offensive. In a ceremony at the wall here, Mason’s widow, Priscilla Mason, watched as an engraver inched a sandblaster over the Marine’s stenciled name with surgeonlike precision....

Small earthquake reported in Washington D.C.

WASHINGTON -- Talk about hush-hush wedding planning. First daughter Jenna Bush was the last in the family to know she was getting married. Months ago, her fiancé, Henry Hager, told Jenna's twin sister that he wanted to propose. Then, at the Camp David presidential retreat, Hager asked President Bush and first lady Laura Bush for their daughter's hand in marriage. Click here to find out more! For weeks, the president and Mrs. Bush kept their lips zipped. Then on Aug. 15, 2007, Hager rousted Jenna at 4 a.m. to go hiking on Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park in Maine....

My friend who works at the University says they are in lockdown mode because there is a gunman on the loose in the library. Anyone have more info?

Va. —  The University of Richmond was placed on lockdown Tuesday afternoon while police searched for a man who was reportedly seen carrying a gun. University spokeswoman Linda Evans and police said no shots were fired. Evans said witnesses reported seeing a man with a handgun in Boatwright Memorial Library at about 2:50 p.m.. She said the man was wearing a dark-colored shirt or jacket with the word "Sheriff" on the back, and maybe a fake beard. Evans said the man refused to identify himself to library workers.

Convicted sniper John Allen Muhammad asks prosecutors in a letter for help to put an end to his legal appeals from death row. Muhammad says in the letter released Tuesday that he is waiving all rights to appeal his 2003 conviction and death sentence for the sniper killings in 2002 that terrorized the Washington, D.C., region. Muhammad says he has tried without success to stop efforts by his defense lawyers,

The U.S. Geological Survey has confirmed an earthquake shook parts of Northern Virginia Tuesday afternoon. A magnitude 1.8 "micro" earthquake occurred one mile WSW of Annandale, Va. at 1:30 p.m approximately 6.2 miles below ground.

NORFOLK At the end of this semester, Steven Aird will lose his job as an associate professor of biology at Norfolk State University for giving out too many F's. He is not going quietly. Aird says his termination is part of a dumbing-down of academic standards at NSU - a move by administrators to intimidate faculty members into passing undeserving students and rewarding inferior work. Other faculty members in NSU's School of Science and Technology say they, too, have experienced pressure to bend their standards to pass more students, and more than a dozen current and former students in the...

    ~The FReeper Canteen Presents~ Road Trip: Langley Air Force Base, Virginia Langley Air Force Base (IATA: LFI, ICAO: KLFI) is the home of the United States Air Force's 1st Fighter Wing (1 FW) and the 480th Intelligence Wing (480 IW). It also hosts Headquarters, Air Combat Command (ACC).As the host unit at Langley Air Force Base, Va., the 1st Fighter Wing operates and maintains one of the largest fighter bases in Air Combat Command. Throughout its history, the 1st FW has led the way, wherever and whenever called upon. The 192nd Fighter Wing is an Air National...

TAMPA, Fla. -- Deborah Jean Palfrey, the woman known as the "D.C. Madam," apologized to her mother and sister in suicide notes, saying she couldn't bear going to prison and saw killing herself as the only "exit strategy." Palfrey, convicted last month of running an elite Washington prostitution ring, wrote to her mother that she could not "live the next 6-8 years behind bars for what you and I have come to regard as this 'modern day lynching,' only to come out of prison in my late '50s a broken, penniless and very much alone woman." The notes were released...

The race for the Virginia 8th District congressional seat has seen two candidates vying for the Republican nomination and the opportunity to unseat nine-term Democratic Congressman Jim Moran. This week, I interview one of the candidates, Mark Ellmore. My interview with his opponent, Amit Singh, was published last Monday. The primary is on June 10. Paul Ibrahim (P.I.): Mr. Ellmore, thank you for doing this interview. Can you, in one sentence, explain why you are running for Congress? Mark Ellmore (M.E.): I am running for Congress because our community is in desperate need for new invigorated leadership, and I feel...

The linked video attempts to portray the dire consequences of Prince William County's anti-illegal immigration ordinance, and it includes pans of the inside of two empty restaurants in the area. I'm trying to "bust" the filmmakers; see my earlier discussion of the video here. Note that they've been promoted by both the Washington Post and Youtube. Could someone in the area look into whether these restaurants are really as empty as claimed, or whether this was a setup, and then post their findings here? The restaurants are El Portal Restaurant in Woodbridge and the Casablanca restaurant/dance club on Route 28...

*** WELCOME - FREE REPUBLIC NASCAR RACING FANS Blue Angels to do the fly-by after the anthem at Richmond International Raceway Saturday, May 3. *** Cup Series practice [Speed TV] Live: 11 a.m. ET Friday TV Delay: 1:30 p.m. ET Cup Series qualifying 5:30 p.m. ET Friday Race begins at 7 p.m. ET Saturday on FOX In memory of Lt Cmdr Kevin Davis Nationwide Series race at Richmond International Raceway on Friday, May 2, 2008 - ESPN2/7 p.m. MRN/7:30 p.m. THIS IS AN IMPOUND RACE - YOUR FANTASY PICKS SHOULD STILL BE LOCKED IN THURSDAY NIGHT. Yesterday was Dale...

BATON ROUGE -- All college students 21 or older who have qualified for concealed handgun permits would be able to carry firearms to class and other parts of campus under a bill approved 11-3 by a House committee Thursday. The Committee on the Administration of Criminal Justice sent to the House floor House Bill 199 by Rep. Ernest Wooton, R-Belle Chasse, its chairman. Wooton said he expects lengthy debate on the bill's merits when it hits the floor. The bill drew support from college students who say they feel unsafe and inadequately protected when leaving campus late at night. Student...

CHESTER, Va. (May 2) - Like many boys in the South, Sam White got hooked on the Civil War early, digging up rusting bullets and military buttons in the battle-scarred earth of his hometown As an adult, he crisscrossed the Virginia countryside in search of wartime relics -- weapons, battle flags, even artillery shells buried in the red clay. He sometimes put on diving gear to feel for treasures hidden in the black muck of river bottoms. But in February, White's hobby cost him his life: A cannonball he was restoring exploded, killing him in his driveway. More than 140...

Maryland Democratic Party Vice Chairman Lauren Glover is fielding calls from Sen. Barack Obama. Jim Leaman, executive director of the Virginia AFL-CIO, is being inundated with personal letters and e-mails from supporters of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. And D.C. Council member Harry Thomas Jr. just wants be left alone. Pressure is mounting on the 67 Democratic superdelegates from the District, Maryland and Virginia to choose between Obama and Clinton in the most heated presidential nomination fight in a generation. With neither Clinton nor Obama likely to win enough pledged delegates to secure the nomination, the 793 superdelegates nationwide will have...

WASHINGTON, May 2, 2008 – When he’s in Cincinnati tomorrow to receive an award from the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, a senior enlisted sailor will meet the girl whose life he saved with a bone marrow donation. Navy Chief Petty Officer Willie H. Corey, a submarine fire control technician, will be recognized for his participation in the National Marrow Donor Program. Corey, a native of Newport News, Va., has been a donor on the NMDP’s registry since fall 2006. "When I found out that the potential recipient was a little girl, it was a no-brainer to donate; I have a...

This week, Families United was invited from across the country to join the Iraq Ambassador at Arlington National Cemetery for a special salute to the soldiers they lost in the liberation of Iraq. They were honored with a dinner and a memorial plaque. While they were in DC, these very special people decided to join us out on the corners of the main entrance of Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) to support the soldiers who willingly sacrifice themselves for their country. You may not know about Families United, but it is an organization comprised of the families of members...

Virginia Man Killed In Civil War Cannonball Blast May 02, 2008 CHESTER, Va. — Like many boys in the South, Sam White got hooked on the Civil War early, digging up rusting bullets and military buttons in the battle-scarred earth of his hometown. As an adult, he crisscrossed the Virginia countryside in search of wartime relics — weapons, battle flags, even artillery shells buried in the red clay. He sometimes put on diving gear to feel for treasures hidden in the black muck of river bottoms. But in February, White's hobby cost him his life: A cannonball he was restoring...

The Washington Post Co. on Friday reported a 39 percent drop in first quarter profit, hurt by an early retirement program charge at Newsweek and a continued loss of revenue from its newspapers. The Washington-based corporation said earnings fell to $38.8 million, or $4.08 per share, compared with $63.9 million, or $6.70 per share, a year earlier. The company said revenue climbed 8 percent to $1.06 billion from $985.6 million. Quarterly results included a $15.3 million, or $1.60 per share, expense related to Newsweek's early retirement program. Even excluding the costs of the retirement program, earnings fell well below the...

May 1, 2008 Dear xxxxxx, The 2008 Legislative Session officially ended on April 23rd. A special session on transportation will follow. We will need to work in that session to protect the General Fund and make sure that dollars that should go to schools don't go to roads But, we can reflect and hopefully learn from the most difficult 2008 session. VEA bills fared poorly; in many cases because there was no money. There is new money for education, on a per-pupil basis 7.4% in 2008-09 and 1.5% in 2009-10. Considering the budget constraints, this is remarkable and reflective of...

Rep. Vito J. Fossella (R-N.Y.) was arrested overnight in Alexandria and charged with driving while intoxicated, court records showed today. Fossella is scheduled to appear in Alexandria General District Court on May 12 for an advisement hearing, the records said. No other details were immediately available. Reached by phone, Fossella's communication director had no immediate comment on the report. Fossella was elected to Congress in a special election to represent the 13th Congressional District of New York in November 1997, according to a biography on his Web site. The district includes Staten Island and the Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, and...