Free Republic

Excerpts - Forty-six states — including Sessions' home state of Alabama — have legalized some form of medical marijuana in recent years, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Eight of those states also allow recreational marijuana. The only legal protection now for medical marijuana growers, processors, sellers and users is a temporary measure sponsored by Republican California Rep. Dana Rohrabacher and Democratic Oregon Rep. Earl Blumenauer prohibiting the U.S. Department of Justice from using government funds to target them.

Rhode Island is poised to join nine other states and the District of Columbia in allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry. Gov. Lincoln Chafee planned to sign gay marriage legislation into law Thursday evening, immediately following a final procedural vote in the state’s General Assembly. The outcome of the vote is not in doubt. Hundreds are expected to gather at the Statehouse to celebrate the new law, which has already passed the House and Senate once. The first weddings could take place Aug. 1, when the new law would take effect. …

Within the next few months, Justice Anthony Kennedy will likely rule that same-sex marriage is mandated by the Constitution of the United States. The ruling will offend both common sense and Constitutional law. But it will nonetheless become the law of the land. With it, states will be forced to recognize same-sex marriages; same-sex marriage will enter the public school lexicon; religious institutions will be forced to recognize same-sex marriages or lose their tax-exempt status. Religious Americans will be forced into violating their beliefs or facing legal consequences by the government. The First Amendment's guarantee of religious liberty will largely...

Even though I agreed with much of what Ron Paul had to say, all I could ever think is 'this isn't my guy' for president -too odd a demeanor/un-electable- not to mention foreign policy positions that were appalling to a peace-through-strength Republican like myself, particularly statements made re. Iran and Israel. But lo-and-behold, now we have fervent offspring Rand Paul who -while libertarian in his views- apparently saw wisdom in distancing himself from his father's take re. the volatile Muddled East.. and that's when I started listening to him. Maybe I've changed in my hawkishness too- I'd rather have not been involved...

Privatization’s the only way to handle the issue  and get this off the GOP’s back- we don’t need it. My conservative/libertarian friends, imho it is time for government on both the federal and state levels to remove marriage from the tax-code and walk away from the term completely- two adults of any sort can register a household as legal entity for the purpose of benefits, hospital visitations, agreed inheritance contracts, etc, but let us be married by the church of our own choosing. Marriage was created as a religious ceremony/bond anyway- maybe that's where it belongs. Being a church-going Catholic, I’m confident...

Breitbart News has learned exclusively that Clint Eastwood has signed an amicus brief to the Supreme Court, supporting the right of same-sex couples to marry. The brief, which will be released later this evening, has signatures from more than 100 Republican and conservative activists. It involves the case before the Supreme Court, seeking to overturn CA's Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage in the state. A well-placed GOP source provided Breitbart News with an early glimpse of the brief.

Alana Goodman, at the conservative site Hot Air, is quoted as saying the following about anti-pursuit of happiness candidate Rick Santorum: “Where’s the conservative outrage? If Santorum’s comments aren’t nanny state-ism in its purest form, then what is?… If you’re a conservative and you give Santorum a pass on this, you forego any future right to complain about liberals taking away your Happy Meals and trans fats.” Goodman is referring to Santorum’s recent and past comments that freedom as specified in the U.S. Constitution is not absolute, and that government policy must take a position on birth control, abortion, and...

LIMA, Ohio (AP) -- Rick Santorum sees an America in need of more than economic recovery, warning Saturday that the nation's inattention to conservative social values is "damning people." "Folks if we know what works, why don't we talk about what works? Why don't we encourage it in our schools? Why don't we encourage it in our culture?" the Republican presidential candidate asked hundreds of people gathered at the Allen County Lincoln Day dinner. "Why are we damning people? Why are we condemning them to a life just because we won't talk about - we'll talk about childhood obesity until...

Peggy Noonan makes some interesting observations about Iowa's Republican primary results, and Mitt Romney's bruising victory. [quote] The Iowa results almost perfectly reflect the Republican Party, which, roughly speaking, is split into three parts—libertarians, social conservatives and moderate conservatives, who went for Ron Paul, Mr. Santorum and Mr. Romney respectively. The three parts of the party have been held together by agreement on three big issues: spending (which must be cut), taxing (which must be reformed), and President Obama (who must be removed). These three issues have force. Taxes and spending are the ties that bind, the top and bottom...

As Newt Gingrich​ and Mitt Romney​ are emerging and distancing themselves from the pack of Republican presidential candidates, according to more than ten national and state polls conducted over the past week. However, social conservative voters in Iowa, which holds its caucus on Jan. 3, and kicks off the election season, seem agnostic about which candidate can best represent them. This week, two important social conservative groups in Iowa, The Faith and Freedom Coalition and Iowa Right to Life, opted not to endorse any candidate. And a focus group of Evangelical voters conducted by influential Iowa radio host Steve Deace...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush and congressional Republicans are aiming the political spotlight this week on efforts to ban gay marriage, with events at both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue - all for a constitutional amendment with scant chance of passage but wide appeal among social conservatives. "Ages of experience have taught us that the commitment of a husband and wife to love and to serve one another promotes the welfare of children and the stability of society," Bush said in his weekly radio address. "Government, by recognizing and protecting marriage, serves the interests of all." The president was to make...

Will Schwarzenegger terminate the GOP? Posted: September 9, 2003 1:00 a.m. Eastern © 2003 WorldNetDaily.com The candidacy of Arnold Schwarzenegger to become the next governor of California appears to be heading toward victory. But Republican elephants would be wise to consider that if they allow this RINO (Republican In Name Only) to win, he may also be responsible for permanently terminating their precious GOP. What has apparently evaded the thinking of conservative pundits all over America is the long-term impact of Schwarzenegger on the Republican Party's national platform. In particular, there has been an ongoing battle for many years inside...

Gays Force The Issue Republicans and Democrats are discovering they can't avoid homosexual politics. The question is, where are the votes? By Dan Gilgoff At a congressional fundraiser last summer, Bob Kabel got the chance to do what most Republicans only dream of: pose for a photo with George W. Bush. Then Kabel, a former chairman of the Log Cabin Republicans--the country's biggest gay GOP group--won an even rarer prize: a personal message from the president. "I know exactly who y'all are," Bush told Kabel. "I'm working so that people don't have heartburn over your issues." Kabel was moved, but...