Free Republic

The move comes about a month after Melendez resigned as assistant leader of the Assembly Republican Caucus. Melendez said she could no longer work with Assembly Republican Leader Chad Mayes of Yucca Valley after he voted in favor of extending California’s Cap-and-Trade Program to 2030. Mayes’ vote outraged conservatives who argue that cap-and-trade boosts already-high gas prices. He is facing calls from two Republican National Committee members and Assemblyman Travis Allen, R-Huntington Beach, among others, to step down as leader of the Assembly’s GOP minority.

A sprawling housing complex in the Bronx has been fined $85,000 for not allowing residents to keep emotional-support dogs. The Daily News reports that the company that manages Co-op City was fined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for denying two clinically depressed residents their pets. Co-op City has a strict no-dog policy, but federal law requires housing providers to make accommodations . . .

I do something the media has failed to do--use logic to smack down the various allegations against Herman Cain of unsavory conduct, by raising a combination of facts, including some things that have not been mentioned--even by the conservative pundits trying to defend him.

Cain Accuser, Despite Glare Of Public Scrutiny, Has No Regrets Sharon Bialek, who has accused presidential candidate Herman Cain of groping her 14 years ago, has seen her personal failures make headlines. But, she says, 'it was imperative that I come forward.' Sharon Bialek poses in her Glenview, Ill., home. (Pic in URL) She went public last month with her accusation that GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain had groped her during a meeting in 1997. By Robin Abcarian December 1, 2011 Reporting from Glenview, Ill.— A month ago, Sharon Bialek stood with her attorney Gloria Allred before a bank of...

At the end of last month the Los Angeles Times reported on yet another display of Al Gore telegraphing how not sorry he must be in failing to steal the 2000 presidential election. Former Vice President Al Gore and his wife, Tipper, have added a Montecito-area property to their real estate holdings, reports the Montecito Journal. The couple spent $8,875,000 on an ocean-view villa on 1.5 acres with a swimming pool, spa and fountains, a real estate source familiar with the deal confirms. The Italian-style house has six fireplaces, five bedrooms and nine bathrooms. Clearly the cooler weather and...

A Washington County woman is accused of locking her 10-year-old grandson in a feces-filled dog crate for about 90 minutes. Police said 51-year-old Rhonda Lehman, of Washington, put the boy in the crate Saturday because the boy laced the family's drinks with lamp oil and household cleaner called "Bam." Lehman has custody of the boy, who told police he did it because "he was angry because he didn't get to go on a trip" last year, said Washington police Officer James Markley. It is possible the boy had been spiking the drinks for a while, authorities said. Family members became...

Fido's digs these days are as high-end as his masters' house. (Illustration by Monica Seaberry) Housing Boom Reaches Its Tail End: The DoghouseBY SAM ALIc.2006 Newhouse News Service \ [Newark, NJ] -- The housing market is going to the dogs. Literally. As real estate agents struggle with a slowdown in home sales, a new source of income has surfaced: selling doghouses to pampered pooches. Wipe that smirk off your face. The commissions are to die for. On a typical "human" house, commissions amount to about 5 percent of the sale price, with half the commission paid to the seller's...

Okay, FReepers, I really did it this time. I have been sick and hacking away for a few weeks. Mrs. DFU went to her knitting class tonight and gave me instructions to tape Channel 11 at 8pm. I screwed up and woke up at quarter to 9. At least I'll be able to tape 24. She got home and was p*ssed. Oh, man, did any of you record tonight's AMERICAN IDOL? If you can get me a tape, I owe you big time. Hey, you Hawaii FReepers haven't seen it yet. Can you help?

Hi all - pardon the vanity but I'm needing some help from my Freeper friends. Tomorrow is my wife's birthday and all week I had been planning on taking her and some friends out. Unfortunately I'm having a hard time getting any solid recommendations. We are not interested in really dancing or karaoke or anything like that. We are mostly interested in a good atmosphere where we can socialize and see something interesting. Someone recommended Julian's downtown and that's a definite possibility as it offers many options. Any other recommendations along those lines would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your...

John Kerry calls Hillary and asks her to speak at the Democrat Convention... is he out of the doghouse now?

NEW YORK (AP) -- Bill Clinton says in his new autobiography that his wife looked as if he had punched her in the gut when he finally confessed to his affair with Monica Lewinsky, and he slept on the couch for at least two months after that. Access Rest of Arrticle Here: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CLINTON_BOOK?SITE=NYNYP&SECTION=ENTERTAINMENT

Olmsted Falls passes law requiring waterproof protection for pooches 02/11/04 Donna Iacoboni Plain Dealer Reporter Olmsted Falls, Ohio: Dogs had their day here Tuesday, when City Council approved a one-of-kind doghouse law before a standing-room-only crowd of people. The law, which will take effect within 10 days, requires dog owners to provide waterproof doghouses lined with bedding that resists dampness and equipped with self-closing doors or flaps. An earlier provision that required dog owners to bring their pooches inside if the temperature dips below 20 degrees was removed from the final law. Violators can lose their dogs and face 90...