Free Republic

As the merry-go-round of the GOP primary continues, the present darling of fickle voters is Newt Gingrich, Like a phoenix he’s risen from the ashes to claim, with typical humility, “I’m going to be the nominee,” dismissing all other candidates as a trifling irrelevancy. Unfortunately the belated choice of Gingrich is no choice at all, for there can be little doubt how the questionably conservative and enormously polarizing Gingrich would fare against a personally popular Obama in the General Election. There is, at present only one real choice to make regarding the next president. It’s either Romney or Obama. A...

The word “troll” no longer conjures up a dumpy little plastic figure with brightly coloured hair: nor a monster from The Lord of the Rings. If you live even a part of your life online, you’ll know that trolls today are better known as the angry and usually anonymous commenters on web forums, whose aim is to shock, offend, annoy or upset fellow users. Trolling made headlines this week when Sean Duffy, a young man from Reading, was given 18 weeks’ imprisonment for defacing Facebook tributes to four dead teenagers whom he had never met. The abuse was vile: on...

This site is broken when people like me are blocked for stating the obvious. What is the obvious? ask me privately because the "free" "republic" will keep us from discussin it in the "forum"

<p>I'm a whiny Romney retard who knows nothing about the First Amendment and even less about the Sixth. That's why my revised graphic got pulled by the mods, this post was inane and stupid enough without it.</p>

I know I’m going to garner a lot of bitter reactions, but I just have to question this devotion to Sarah Palin as our candidate for 2012. Am I the only one that thinks conservatives are falling into the whole cult of personality with regard to Sarah Palin much the same way the Left did with Obama? I’m not comfortable with her just bailing on Alaska, she’s the one that allowed Levi Johnston to knock up her daughter, and I don’t want a reality TV. candidate - I want a serious conservative thinker with the stomach for policy. I’d much...

Let Me Push Certain Individuals Buttons Fox News will air a Oliver North special on Special Ops, probably because of the Osama bin Laden operation in Pakistan. Part of the program will cover the U.S. DEA in Afghanistan and a mission to go after the Opium drug profits used by the Taliban. The Poppy Fields of Afghanistan supply the raw materials used to make Opium. How ironic. Oliver North is one of the principals involved in Drug Running during the Iran / Contra operations in Central America. The profits from those drugs illegally funded the weapons smuggling for that war...

A Cleveland man was attacked by a housecat Friday afternoon and the man's injuries are so severe that he had to be taken by air ambulance to Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston. The altercation between the man and the animal occurred at a home on CR 3182 a few miles south of Cleveland in Liberty County. At some point during the attack, the man and the cat reportedly were injured by a knife the man was holding. The man was taken to Cleveland Regional Medical Center before being transported to Houston. Game wardens Danny Diaz and Adam Broll captured the...

A pet cat has been summoned for jury duty - and has been told by courts he 'must attend' Despite owner Anna Esposito's protestations that a mistake has been made, a jury commissioner has ruled that Sal must attend the court. She wrote that Sal was 'unable to speak and understand English' - and included a letter from her vet saying that the animal was a 'domestic short-haired neutered feline'.

They are normally used to catching the odd mouse and avoiding the neighbours' dog.But this cat doesn't seem to be at all bothered by his latest foes -  two huge alligators. Reportedly filmed on a farm in Louisiana, this black cat stalked and stared out his enemies before successfully forcing them to both return to the lake. Ready for battle: The cat gets set to attack the alligator at the Louisiana farm Take that! Realising his chance, the cat lashes out at the alligator with his left paw  On the retreat: Facing up against the brave cat is too much...

This is my first vanity piece, so let me know if I did something wrong. Republicans seem to think they will sweep the upcoming elections. I disagree. I tend to think any Republican candidate that does not have a MINIMUM 5 point lead on their Democratic challenger by Tuesday, will lose. I say this because Democrats have this huge apparatus in place to facilitate voter fraud, intimidation and outright manipulation and Republicans need an average 5 points and that is a conservative estimate, (probably needs to be higher) to help overcome these deficiencies. If you don't believe me, just look...

A character like Christine O'Donnell presents a unique problem for a humorist. Few elaborations are called for since the caricature is self-embodied. All that is needed is a dead-pan Jack Benny look. You know, the one where he just stares blankly at the audience without saying a word and eventually someone titters and before you know it the whole place is in hysterics? Her very existence as a major party candidate for US Senate is the kind of comedy which arrives ready-written and would only be spoiled by embellishment. I mean, what can you add to rabidantimasturbationtarianism, rats with fully-functioning...

It is hard to imagine that anything has gone unsaid about the so-called Ground Zero mosque, but an important point seems to be missing. The mosque should be built precisely because we don't like the idea very much. We don't need constitutional protections to be agreeable, after all. This point surpasses even all the obvious reasons for allowing the mosque, principally that there's no law against it. Precluding any such law, we let people worship when and where they please. That it hurts some people's feelings is, well, irrelevant in a nation of laws. And, really, don't we want to...

Just a final update for those of you had have kept my 14 y/o cat Moose (recently diagnosed with end stage renal failure just after we returned from a 5 week trip to India 3 weeks ago) in your thoughts and prayers after my vanity request a few weeks ago. Our beloved furbaby Moose peacefully took his last breath Monday night, 8-9-10, cradled gently in my 9 y/o daughter Maya's arms, at 11:15 pm. God lent Moose to us for 14 years, the longest I've ever had a pet, and for all of Maya's life. We were greatly blessed by...

Obama isn't my President. ...The statement isn't offensive because the man in charge happened to be from my political party, but it offends me as an American. To disagree or even hate a President is one thing, but to declare that he isn't your President is something else entirely.... Obama is a Kenyan!/Where's the Birth Certificate? ...Initially I was open to the suggestion that Obama wasn't a natural born citizen and thus wasn't eligible for the Presidency, but as time went on I became less and less impressed with Birthers and their arguments.... Conservatives should treat Birthers for what they...

I know there is a lot of speculation on what will happen in the next few years, but I would really like to know if anyone has a real good sense of what will be going on in a few years. I would like to be prepared, but don't want to over prepare. Is there a real good sense of what is coming in the next few years? I have the ammunition I need, but is it really necessary to stockpile food. Just curious as to what other here are doing. Thanks

Here are my positions on key issues. What are yours? life -- 100% pro life, no exceptions ever guns -- 2nd amendment guarantees gun owenership rights gays -- I'm for gay marriage taxes -- cut taxes for all and cut wasteful government spending military -- I fully support the Iraq and Afghanistan wars religion -- atheist war on terror -- we must tereat terrorists like terrorists including waterboarding them health care -- repeal disasterous obama bill asap, we need tort reform immigartion -- close borders and deport all illegals environment -- no cap and trade and global warming is a...

During his first court appearance, the man who police say caused a SkyWest plane to make an emergency landing asked the judge if he was a "normal person." Matthew Kleindorfer, 32 years-old from Las Vegas, seemed unresponsive and confused during Tuesday's arraignment. The judge had to read Kleindorfer his rights twice, since he wasn't sure if he heard him. Kleindorfer is accused of trying to storm the cockpit during Sunday's flight from Helena, MT to Salt Lake City, ID. He allegedly told flight crews he was a space alien and needed to fly the plane. Police say Kleindorfer was still...

<p>Want to zot such trolls into next week?</p> <p>Sick of the DUmmies not taking on the their own corrupt leaders? Visit the Troll Lemonade Party today!</p> <p>We are a Fresno Based Activist group [yeah, right], soon to be affiliated with TEA PARty groups [more like Coffee Party astroturf groups], to spread our message of [ANTI-]CHRIST VALUES.</p>

An Italian TV chef has been suspended after he horrified animal lovers and station chiefs by praising the delights of cat meat during a show. Beppe Bigazzi, enraged animal rights experts around the country when he gave advice on preparing 'tender, white cat meat' in a section of the show usually reserved for advice about nutrition. Mr Bigazzi is co-presenter on Italy's version of Ready Steady Cook - called La Prova del Cuoco (The Cooks' Challenge).

Obama already is in over his head concerning his own country. He has not brought hope and change as he promised. He has been discovered as the inept individual many knew him to be before he walked into the White House.

DUDLEY, Mass., Nov. 4 (UPI) -- A Massachusetts town outlawed owning three cats without a kennel license after a man complained his neighbor's felines were hurting his lawn. Voters at a Dudley town meeting Tuesday night approved the addition of the new language to a town bylaw, which will impose a $100 per day fine for violations, after a local man complained that some of the 15 cats owned by Mary Ellen Richards had destroyed his grass, the Worcester (Mass.) Telegram & Gazette reported Wednesday. Richards said at the town meeting that she now plans to put her house up...

It's a publicity stunt Roger Goodell should've shut down within minutes of its launch. Rush Limbaugh as NFL owner is an unfunny joke. But the kingpin of talk radio counted on the sarcasm to fly over most of our heads and for television executives to ignore the absurdity and milk the controversy for ratings. What he didn't know is how the NFL commissioner would react. Well, now we have our disappointing answer. Given an opportunity to add equal-opportunity credibility to his clean-up-the-image-of-the-league campaign, Goodell has stood motionless on a busy airport runway. And here come the Left Brothers — Al...

The weekend edition of Norway's largest newspaper contained a very interesting interview with a female IFV-gunner this week. The CV-9030 gunner, witch has the somewhat fitting name of Tone Gunnes, was just 20 years old when she went to Afghanistan in the fall of 2007. She took part in the active fighting in operation Herekate Yolo II, where she (wo)manned the 30mm gun of the CV9030 IFV. She was credited with 20-25 confirmed kills during the battle of November 5. In the interview she tells her story about the battle and how she experienced it.

Why are forum replies reviewed and posting delayed? Makes it kinda tough to carry on a conversation when it takes hours to communicate.

And the Democrats have won. President Obama will use the emotional capital of the Senator's passing to push through--via reconciliation--legislation that SHALL include the public option that the Pelosi wing of the party wants. Any Republicans who dare to speak against this will be portrayed as heartless demagogues, spitting on the grave of a liberal legend.

Apparently there have been some 'Snake-Oil' salespersons selling Jesus as a cure-all. For instance I am acquainted with two individuals who profess to be Christians. One is a confessed thief and the other a habitual liar (people pleaser). These two expect God to 'fix' them. So if God chose to take on that responsibility then the next morning the thief wakes and reaches up to scratch his nose only to discover his hands are missing and the liar is unable to speak as his tongue is missing. I don't know anything but I'm pretty sure we're still responsible for our...

The enemy you know is way worse than the enemy that acts like your friend only to stab you in the back. Once Republicans have the numbers again in the future they're not going to reduce the size of government in any meaningful way, ever. THAT'S A PROMISE. We're on a one way path to larger and larger government. The way Republicans talk you'd think when they're in power they'd put half the federal government and spending on the chopping block. Surely that's what the republican constituents want, right? I think politicians of both parties forget that they are not...

“... Those who claim to be “conservative” are either for regulation and government intervention, or against it. If our leaders continue to claim they are “conservative” but argue for government intervention in the hiring of persons (legal or not), the permits for working, the classification of jobs, etc - then they are not conservative (or are, and are just racist).”

I believe that non-violent drug offenders in this country should be decriminalized and released from jails and prisons immediately. Along with my mentor, the late William F. Buckley, Jr., I believe that the so-called 'war on drugs' has been a failure and has actually fueled the crime associated with drug war lords in countries to our south.

Residents Say They're Terrorized By Pit Bulls Posted: 6:16 pm EDT May 1, 2009Updated: 6:33 pm EDT May 1, 2009 SANFORD, Fla. -- Some Sanford homeowners say they're being terrorized by their neighbor's pit bulls. One of the dogs has already attacked a neighbor near Lily Court in Sanford. Eyewitness News has learned the dogs' owners are not keeping their fence secure. Some of the breaks in the fence are big enough for an adult to easily climb through. After many calls to animal control, neighbors say they want the fence fixed once and for all. "Chasing children, attacking children....

I recently ordered a gun (long rifle). Went down to pick it up today and was turned down. Puzzled - I purchased a new hand gun in December 08. Any thoughts??

There has always been a desire to maintain credibility and integrity on Free Republic. That is eroding with each new, Obama, birth certificate story. Many of those creating this ruckus claim are flying a false flag of Constitutionality when it is actually an effort to paint all Conservatives with the broad brush of conspiratorialism of the most dangerous kind. Thank you.

I’m not trying to hide, you may know right up front that I am a very liberal democratic. I know of your site from DU. If your policy requires deleting this post, then it will only be a small waste of my time. I have had a rough eight years. Not financially, I do OK. Not in personal loss, I have lost no one I know or love to either of these tragic costly wars. No, I’m not someone who can claim a direct path between my misery and W. My disdain for this president, his inner circle, Republicans on...

Help fellow cat-loving Freepers! Our Persian girl became terribly matted and had to have a lion cut. She is not taking it well - she is spazzing out, jumping around, crying, compulsively licking herself. It is so sad as she is usally a calm, happy cat. She can't seem to relax at all and now we are worried about her. Has anyone had a similar experience? I am kicking myself for not keeping up with her grooming!

  Officers' tribute to hero cat   Simon ... 'able seaman'  ROYAL Navy officers who survived a siege that killed 17 of their comrades nearly 60 years ago will pay tribute to the cat credited with saving their lives. Simon the cat received the “animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross” for gallantry after he protected food stores on the HMS Amethyst from an infestation of rats, despite being badly injured in shelling by Chinese Communist forces during the country’s civil war. One of the survivors, Commander Stuart Hett, who was appointed “Cat Officer” with the duty of sorting hundreds...

A 4ft leopard for your living room (if you've got £12,000 in the kitty)By BETH HALE - More by this author » Last updated at 21:02pm on 29th October 2007  It is a sight to strike terror into the bravest of mice ... not to mention most breeds of dog. The Ashera is billed as the world's "largest, rarest and most exotic" domestic cat. The large pointed ears and eye-catching coat come from two wild bloodlines, the African serval and Asian leopard cat, crossed with an undisclosed domestic breed.  Scroll down for more... 4ft feline: The Ashera stands 4ft...

A must see video of 130 cats being fed! Reminds me of FR when a juicy post has just been put up!...........

Anyone who doesn't move in lockstep with the most extreme voices is savaged and ridiculed—especially people like me who often agree with the liberal position but sometimes disagree and are therefore considered traitorously unreliable. The left-liberals in the blogosphere are merely aping the odious, disdainful—and politically successful—tone that right-wing radio talk-show hosts like Rush Limbaugh pioneered. ... Poison from the right-wing talk shows seeped into the Republican Party's bloodstream and sent that party off the deep end. Limbaugh's show—where Dick Cheney frequently expatiates—has become the voice of the Republican establishment.

In what Bill O’Reilly refers to as the “Culture War” between Conservatives and Liberals, there are those on both sides of the fence that stray so far to the left or the right, they actually help the “enemy”. On the left we have Rosie O’Donnell with her anti-American rants which give Conservatives ammunition to shoot back at all liberals by associating them with Rosie. On the right, we Conservatives have our own villains which supply ammunition to the enemy. They are commonly referred to as the religious right...

Mystery cat takes regular bus to the shops Last updated at 17:08pm on 9th April 2007 Bus drivers have nicknamed a white cat Macavity after it has started using the No 331 several mornings a week. The feline, which has a purple collar, gets onto the busy Walsall to Wolverhampton bus at the same stop most mornings - he then jumps off at the next stop 400m down the road, near a fish and chip shop. The cat was nicknamed Macavity after the mystery cat in T.S Elliot's poem. He gets on the bus in front of a row of...

Baby tiger's birth adds to rare species   Last Edited: Friday, 09 Mar 2007, 7:41 PM EST Created: Friday, 09 Mar 2007, 6:54 PM EST     A rare tabby tiger has been born in Polk County. Related Items Videos DAVENPORT - Sounds of life fill the air at Horseshoe Creek Wildlife Foundation.  Spring is dawning, and that means babies being born.All the births are a joy for Horseshoe Creek founder Darryl Atkinson. "It's like being a father all over again.  I can't explain -- they are my children," Atkinson said.   He is especially thrilled by the recent birth...

First video (same as post link) Home comforts for rare white tiger cub Reuters.com Jan. 28 - A rare white tiger cub is being raised in a German home until he is big enough to join other large cats in a safari park.There are about 250 white tigers living in captivity -- 80 of them are owned by the German entertainers Siegfried and Roy in Los Angeles. When he's old enough, Pipo will live at the Serengeti Park in Hodenhagen. Tom Metcalfe reports. Video: Rare white tiger cub lives in German home ***************************************************Second Video: Reuters QuickCut Kiss me, I'm cute...

A lucky feline may have eight lives left but he lost his nose and his tail during a recent run-in with lightning, according to a Salida couple. Rod and Cheri Schleicher told the Mountain Mail that 6-year-old Hamlin was struck by lightning or some other electrical source about six weeks ago. On the night of the accident, the couple noticed that their orange tabby was wheezing a lot, and saw that his nose was swollen and discolored. Cheri Schleicher said she simply thought Hamlin ran into something but when he didn't eat for a couple of days, they took him...

<p>This cool cat has traded in his catnip for some bling. Sebastian, a one-year-old Persian with long black hair, sports gold crowns on his two bottom canines, which grew sticking out from his lips in an underbite similar to a bulldog's.</p

LEWIS, a black-and-white cat in the Connecticut town of Fairfield whose attacks on passers-by nearly sent his owner to jail, was spared a death sentence on Tuesday when a judge ordered home confinement. He will also keep his claws, despite a victim's request that they be removed.

A black bear clings to a backyard tree in West Milford, N.J., Sunday, June 4, 2006. Jack, a 15-pound orange-and-white cat, chased the bear up another nearby tree after it climbed down from the one it first was in. SUZANNE GIOVANETTI WEST MILFORD, N.J. - A black bear picked the wrong New Jersey yard for a jaunt earlier this week, running into a territorial tabby who ran the furry beast up a tree - twice. Jack, a 15-pound orange-and-white cat, keeps a close vigil on his property, chasing small animals when he can, but his owners and neighbors say his...

Cat proves size doesn't always matter in his neck of the woods. To his neighbors, he's a loner, a sometimes-friendly, sometimes- surly senior who spends his days wandering through the woods. He is particular about his yard. Strang ers are not always welcomed. But last week, Jack the cat be came a hero when he chased a black bear out of his neighbors' yard and up a tree. Twice. Last Sunday afternoon Suzanne Giovanetti was reading at the kitchen table when her husband Dean cried out from the TV room at the back of the house: A black bear had...

Suck on this Exxon-Mobil!! This seem plausible . . .   GAS WAR - an idea that WILL work This was originally sent by a retired Coca Cola executive. It came from one of his engineer buddies who retired from Halliburton. It ' s worth your consideration. Join the resistance!!!! I hear we are going to hit close to $4.00 a gallon by next summer and it might go higher!! Want gasoline prices to come down? We need to take some intelligent, united action. Phillip Hollsworth offered this good idea. This makes MUCH MORE SENSE than the "don't buy gas...

The way that president Bush should handle the war is he should use poeple that like to deer hunt and send them to fight the war over seas and tell them that hunting season is open boys that means send us native okies over there we can do some serious damage

How the hell did we get into this mess?'"          The War on Drugs is nothing more than alcohol Prohibition dressed up for the 1990s. It certainly can't stop people from making, selling, or using drugs, any more than the Volstead Act ever stopped them from making, selling, or using alcohol, but it has succeeded in boosting the price of drugs from mere pennies a pound to hundreds of dollars an ounce -- which anyone who knows anything about economics will immediately recognize enormously increases the incentive to enter the illegal drug market.          It's driven the weakest competition out of...