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Many U.S. troops serving overseas are effectively excluded from voting because they are not given enough time to cast absentee ballots, according to a report released on Tuesday. Sixteen U.S. states and the District of Columbia do not send out their absentee ballots early enough to allow those serving in conflicts like Iraq and Afghanistan to fill them out and return them before their voting deadline, the Pew Center on the States found. Another six states force soldiers, sailors and marines to return their ballots by fax or e-mail to meet the deadline, risking the privacy and security of their...

American Thinker has begun a valuable conversation discussing the Census 2010. Is that census going to be the next huge fraud? Here's how the Census is applied to state legislative districts and how you can get involved.

How long do we have before we as a nation become a true second rate enterprise? We have all watched the financial panic unfold over the past few weeks and most of us have taken a big hit in our investments. 401K plans are now 201Ks. My wife asked me to please put our money where it is safe. The bad news, nothing and nowhere is safe. Even the government faces a serious risk of technical bankruptcy even though it has a "secret weapon" available to use in an emergency to tax even the most deeply held wealth. The fact...

Though not widely reported, rumors slowly began circulating last month that former GOP presidential nominee John McCain may face a primary challenge in 2010 from former Congressman J.D. Hayworth. (Rep. Jeff Flake and Rep. John Shadegg were both likely candidates for the open seat if McCain were to win the presidency, but it appears unlikely either would challenge McCain.) McCain, of course, would be hard to beat. He garnered close to 54 percent of the vote in Arizona's general election. More importantly, he easily won the state's primary, garnering more than 47 percent of the vote (though exit polls show...

Each successful Black person in the USA world marketplace deserves a trophy because each has had to deal with daily career aspects, daily living aspects, and daily racism. Racism coping includes being harshly judged about every little thing (including that which the critics know nothing about); walking a tightrope between what opposing White people think the Black person should do and what Blacks have to do; and getting around the obstacles that racists deliberately throw. Although individuals think uniquely, they can be classified based upon the brain’s thinking “centers” (e.g. rational, emotional, self preservation). Ancient Africans used both sides of...

Okay, I'll start: 1) Blagojevich walks scott free 2) My salary continues to remain stagnate 3) The bailout results in a massive debt to taxpayers with zero benefit to them 4) Iran aquires nuclear weapons and we (including Bush) failed to do anything about it 5) Jamie Gertz continue's to become even more attractive as she ages

The bully pulpit has long been one of the most potent weapons in any president's arsenal—but its potency is often a function of technology, from the radio broadcasts that brought FDR's fireside chats into American homes to the YouTube videos now issuing from the office of the president-elect. But the sophisticated online operation of Barack Obama's campaign may position him to mobilize his hyperconnected supporters in novel ways and at unprecedented scale. Judging by a new survey from the Pew Internet & American Life Project, he may already be off to a healthy start. The weeks after an election are...

Candidates for bench now can mention party Tuesday, December 30, 2008 9:05 PM By James Nash THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH The Ohio Supreme Court has lifted the gag order prohibiting candidates for judicial offices from mentioning their political party. The state's highest court yesterday issued a set of rules governing judges and judicial candidates that loosens some restrictions and tightens others. The rules take effect March 1. Most notably, candidates for judicial offices will be able to mention their party affiliations. Although they currently run in partisan primary elections, judicial candidates have been prohibited from pointing out their parties during the...

What made the Democrats hate Sarah Palin may be the key to future Republican success. My recent participation in several Conservative on-line networks has led me to some interesting questions regarding the future of American politics, along with what has happened to the Republican Party and why. Of particular interest to some of the people I have contacted has been the question of why the Left hates Sarah Palin so much. Others were more focused on possibilities for the future and were concentrating on organizing within the Party. After some consideration of a number of issues, it occurred to me...

I have often written about the ignorance that has resulted from decades of pathetic, dumbed-down parenting and schooling, and, sadly, there's no shortage of material on this subject. There is often a profound difference between morality and legality, and, if this were a just world, a good percentage of the American Left would be tried for treason. If that seems a radical statement, I ask you: What price should be paid for sowing the seeds of your nation's destruction? What should be the punishment for creating millions of people so ignorant, so effete, so corrupted in judgment that they are...

Proposal For 2012 GOP Primary Puts Big States LastBy WILLIAM MARCH The Tampa Tribune Published: April 5, 2008 TAMPA - Even as Florida Democrats struggle over the results of the state's early presidential primary, Florida Republicans may be fighting for the right to vote early again in 2012. This week, a key national Republican Party committee gave preliminary approval to a 2012 primary schedule that puts big states including Florida at the back of the pack, with later primaries. The committee's approval of what's called the "Ohio plan" for primary dates is tentative, only the first step in a long...

Dear American liberals, leftists, social progressives, socialists, Marxists, Obama supporters, et al: We have stuck together since the late 1950's, but the whole of this latest election process has made me realize that I want a divorce. I know we tolerated each other for many years for the sake of future generations, but sadly, this relationship has run its course. Our two ideological sides of America cannot and will not ever agree on what is right, so let's just end it on friendly terms. We can smile, slate it up to irreconcilable differences, and go our own ways. Here is...

It would seem that in recent years conservative candidates in both Israel and the U.S. have forgotten how to win an election. To win an election, a political party needs to identify and satisfy its political base. It needs to identify and attract potential swing voters. It accomplishes the latter by identifying the strengths and weaknesses of their opponents and co-opting their strengths while highlighting their weaknesses. One of the most difficult challenges of running a campaign is figuring out how to attract undecided voters without alienating or demoralizing a party's base. On the face of it, doing so should...

President-elect Barack Obama's transition office said in a report released Tuesday that its staff had no inappropriate communications with the office of Democratic Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who is at the center of a corruption probe. The five-page report identified incoming White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel as the only aide who had direct contact with Mr. Blagojevich. Mr. Emanuel "had one or two" telephone conversations with the governor between Nov. 6 and Nov. 8 to discuss his own resignation from the U.S. House as well as potential nominees to fill the Illinois Senate seat being vacated by Mr....

LITTLE ROCK—Former Gov. Mike Huckabee said Monday that President-elect Barack Obama’s Cabinet choices have been brilliant, especially his choice of Hillary Rodham Clinton as secretary of state. Huckabee spoke at the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service, and signed copies of his latest book, “Do the Right Thing.” He made his comments about Obama’s Cabinet selections in talking with reporters after delivering remarks to an audience of about 200 that filled Sturgis Hall. The former governor and candidate for the GOP presidential nomination said New York Sen. Hillary Clinton will have instant credibility as secretary of state —...

The news had several separate reports regarding concerns over elections in 2009. Following are excerpts from four. - The national leader of Mexico’s PRD party called for the other major parties, PAN and PRI, to quickly form an accord to prevent the infiltration of narcotraffic into next year’s political campaigns. - By the end of the year there will be no “Christmas truce” agreement by political parties to avoid the dirty fight and low blows in the political contests in 2009. The Federal Electoral Institute (IFE) will have to apply the law to prevent the entry of illicit money into...

Wailing and gnashing of teeth are all the rage in Washington as wannabe plunderers warn us of dire consequences unless the government acts as the middleman in their attempts to raid the taxpayers' bank accounts. Turned away by the Senate, the Big Three auto makers have resorted to begging the Bush administration to rescue them from the plight in which they now find themselves as a result of decades of poor management. Wailing and gnashing of teeth are all the rage in Washington as these wannabe plunderers warn us of dire consequences unless the government acts as the middleman in...

Gov. Sarah Palin's next act on the national stage could come as early as February, at a major conservative convention in Washington, D.C. The annual event is called the Conservative Political Action Conference, and Palin was supposed to be the keynote speaker last February, long before she became a household name as the Republican choice for vice president. When Palin couldn't make it, Vice President Dick Cheney took her place. The convention isn't affiliated with the Republican Party, but big-name Republicans make a point of stopping by. It's where presidential candidate Mitt Romney conceded to John McCain this year, and...

There is some good news. First and foremost, to the extent that California's dismal financial condition makes the news, then more people are learning that in the state Capitol, Republican legislators are actually sticking to their guns, and to their principles. I would submit to you that if our Republicans in Congress had the resolve of our GOP state legislators, we would still have a majority in both the Senate and the House, and we would be swearing a Republican president into office next month. In looking to the future for my party, the answer isn't an easy one. Because...

Sen. Charles Schumer, arguably New York's most outspoken politician, has publicly pledged not to take sides as Caroline Kennedy and others seek appointment to the U.S. Senate. It's an unusual stance for the man who has picked or backed Senate candidates in every other state in the union. Schumer recently relinquished his role as head of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, where he spent the past two elections hand-picking some candidates, and strategizing with others on how to win. Even his critics concede he was masterful at guiding Senate campaigns, helping the Democrats go from a minority party to a...

*snip* It's a sign that the battle for Iran's presidency has already begun, with Ghalibaf - who has advocated better ties with the West - hoping to be Ahmadinejad's main rival in the June 12 elections.

Vice President Dick Cheney says he's confident Republicans will rebound from this year's election defeats. But he doesn't know if Sarah Palin will be the candidate to lead the comeback. Cheney said the Alaska governor who was John McCain's running mate this year is no lock to be the Republican nominee for president in 2012. Cheney says Palin will have to "earn it," just like anybody else would. Besides capturing the White House, Democrats widened their majorities in the House and Senate in this year's elections. Cheney likens the current political cycle to the 1970s, when Republicans lost the White...

Top Government officials have declined to meet representatives of a US poll body caught in controversy over the 2007 General Election. The Standard On Sunday has exclusively learnt that key officials of the International Republican Institute (IRI) are in the country and have been pleading with Government authorities to "put in a good word" for them. The group is chaired by Arizona Senator John McCain, the Republican presidential candidate in the November election against Barack Obama, and it is fighting to salvage its credibility. The IRI team pitched tent at Prime Minister Raila Odinga's office at Treasury House last Wednesday...

WASHINGTON -- No strollers near the U.S. Capitol. No tents on the National Mall. None of that Silly String on the parade route. That's just a sample of the items forbidden from President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration for security reasons. And while many say the inconvenience is a small price to pay to witness history, others are trying to figure out how they'll sit, snack, carry diapers or transport tired tots. Some seniors are backing out of their inaugural plans, partly because of a no-chair rule for the parade route. Parenting blogs are abuzz with complaints about the less-than-kid-friendly restrictions. Thermoses,...

I was reading in the net like I always do and I came across something really disturbing.As someone born in Ecuador with friends and relatives in Latin America, I’m terrified watching how people in the United States are being manipulated just like people in Cuba, Venezuela, Bolivia and Ecuador to put a Marxist in power. The similarities between Rafael Correa’s campaign for president of Ecuador and that of Obama for U.S. president are amazing. Correa had no experience but was young, charismatic and had good speaking skills. Correa’s slogans were the same as Obama’s: CHANGE, YES WE CAN, etc. Once...

A religion columnist and journalism professor says the mainstream media's coverage of the fire that gutted Alaska Governor Sarah Palin's home church has been thin, but it's hard to say exactly why it's been underplayed. Investigators say the fire that destroyed Wasilla Bible Church in Alaska on December 12 was likely the work of an arsonist, but the mainstream news media, with the exception of The Associated Press, has largely ignored the story. Terry Mattingly is the editor of the website GetReligion.org, a Scripps Howard columnist, and director of the Washington Journalism Center. He says because the fire occurred in...

Sarah Palin may be at home in Alaska right this moment, sitting in perpetual darkness, skinning a moose by candlelight, and wondering why in the hell everyone is being so supportive of Caroline Kennedy's campaign for a Senate appointment. She was never mayor, she was never governor, she was never a beauty-pageant runner-up. And yet she's facing a minuscule fraction of the outcry from the left that Palin faced only a couple of months ago. Palin wouldn't be alone in this sentiment, as a number of conservative voices are speaking up about the double standard of the Kennedy backers. Of...

WASHINGTON - Sherry Jones was driving son Malcolm, 13, to school recently when he mentioned something about some kid he didn't like. Something about the kid being a jerk. Jones told him that wasn't kind. When you speak of people, she said, always speak well of them. "Look at Barack! During the campaign, no matter what, Obama always took the high road," she told him. "During the debates when John McCain would say a dig, Barack would never react. He was always positive." Malcolm, who likes a good debate, was, for that moment, quiet. In that silence, Jones realized that...

Does the mere fact of being a Kennedy qualify Caroline Kennedy to be anointed to the United States Senate? If New York Gov. David Paterson wants to appoint a senator distinguished by global star appeal, a long family tradition of public service, royal bloodlines and obvious availability, it's easy to think of the perfect candidate. Caroline Kennedy? That's setting his sights too low. If I were him, I'd put in a call to the Prince of Wales. Really, what assets does Jack Kennedy's daughter have that the son of Elizabeth II doesn't? Both owe their prominence entirely to their ancestry....

Some of us were raised to believe that reality is inescapable. But that just shows how far behind the times we are. Today, reality is optional. At the very least, it can be postponed. Kids in school are not learning? Not a problem. Just promote them on to the next grade anyway. Call it "compassion," so as not to hurt their "self-esteem." Can't meet college admissions standards after they graduate from high school? Denounce those standards as just arbitrary barriers to favor the privileged, and demand that exceptions be made. Can't do math or science after they are in college?...

Unlike many of my more tolerant fellow citizens, I possess no confidence in the ability of the American electorate to make sensible decisions. I have reached this conclusion based on an incontrovertible truth: You people will believe anything. This reality confronts me daily as I am bombarded with fiercely stupid conspiracy theories from the exceptionally unwell. Worse, even people I once respected — folks with intellects and accomplishments that soar above my own — will confidently explain that the economy is actually controlled by a half dozen shadowy individuals and Barack Obama has a Bangladeshi birth certificate stuffed in a...

Minnesota State Canvassing Board review of challenged ballots in the U.S. Senate race HERE

page 41 The White House wanted any applicant for citizenship to be naturalized in time to register for the November election, so the pressure on the INS was constant. On March 21 [1996]Elaine Kamarck in the Vice President's office sent an e-mail to Farbrother saying: "THE PRESIDENT IS SICK OF THIS AND WANTS ACTION. IF NOTHING MOVES TODAY WE'LL HAVE TO TAKE SOME PRETTY DRASTIC MEASURES." Farbrother responded, "I favor drastic measures." If he couldn't get what he wanted from the INS, he wrote, he would "call for heavy artillery." ..... In our investigation we developed sources inside the INS ...

Tomorrow the Canvassing Board presiding over the recount convenes to consider challenged ballots that were excluded because of their disputed status from the recount. At the urging of the Canvassing Board, both the Coleman and Franken campaigns are reducing the number of ballots they have challenged. The Canvassing Board consists of Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie -- the Man from ACORN and George Soros -- and four judges (including Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Eric Magnuson and Associate Justice G. Barry Anderson). Last week the Canvassing Board unanimously adopted Al Franken's playbook for the recount, taking action that threatens...

CHICAGO — When President-elect Barack Obama heads home for a break from the White House, he won’t go to a sprawling ranch or private seaside compound. Obama will come back to a crowded city neighborhood, creating different security challenges for the Secret Service and perhaps headaches for his neighbors. No other recent first family has lived in a city neighborhood like the Obamas. The $1.6 million mansion he and his wife, Michelle, share with their two young daughters sits just off a busy street — a stretch of which has been closed to traffic — and his closest neighbors are...

The latest scandal involving Barack Obama's senate seat and Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich threatens to erupt into something the likes of which has not been seen since the days of Watergate. The very fabric of this nation could be torn apart as Obama, who had promised open government but has given us anything but, tries to make us believe he had no direct discussions with Blagojevich over who would succeed him in the Senate. While this notion is ludicrous on the surface, even if it were true, someone in the Obama camp must have been negotiating with the governor over...

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal said Wednesday he's not interested in a 2012 Republican presidential bid and will seek a second term as governor in 2011. Jindal, who appeared at a news conference to back Virginia Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell, was asked if he was interested in being president. "No," he replied. Jindal's trip to Iowa last month fueled speculation that he was laying the groundwork for a presidential campaign, and he did not rule out changing his mind over the next few years. Instead, he said Americans are weary after the longest, most expensive election cycle in U.S. history....

Facing the loss of his seat, U.S. Rep. Virgil H. Goode Jr. said Thursday that all late-arriving absentee ballots cast by U.S. troops overseas should be counted as part of next week’s recount in his 5th District race. A federal judge in Richmond ruled Tuesday that Virginia’s State Board of Elections violated the law by mailing out absentee ballots to military voters too late for them to send back their ballot by Election Day. However, the judge added that the 4,750 such ballots across the state need not be counted, as they would not change the outcome of any race...

(English-language translation) Vote recounts in the municipalities of Vega Alta and Guánica ended with results similar to those on the night of the November 4 elections. Therefore, Guánica will remain under the control of incumbent [Mayor] Martín Vargas with the Popular Democratic Party (PPD), and Vega Alta under Isabelo Molina with the New Progressive Party (PNP). Vargas is currently facing charges of misuse of public funds for allegedly using his official credit card for personal purchases. PNP Elections Commissioner Edwin Mundo told the Associated Press that, following the recount process on Wednesday, all races were resolved, except one for Senator-at-Large...

I just got a press release from a liberal pressure group called America's Voice headlined "Anti-Immigration Ads Don't Add Up in 2008." The group tried to make the same point that I've heard over and over again from amnesty advocates: The voters won't go for candidates who support immigration restrictions. "A new analysis of immigration advertisements finds that the strategy of using immigration as a political wedge issue in the 2008 election cycle was an utter failure," the release stated. Nonsense. What the voters won't go for is candidates who try to work both sides of the issue, such John...

The Reagan Coalition has been key to Republican victories for a generation. And although the issue of judges and the Supreme Court has been thought of as an issue for social conservatives, recent developments should now make it a top priority for the other major GOP constituencies. If effectively communicated, this issue may help fuel a Republican resurgence. Ever since 1980, politicos speak of the three-legged stool of the Reagan Coalition: social conservatives, economic conservatives and national security conservatives. This coalition has been the key to Republican victories for more than a quarter-century. When the coalition is mobilized by an...

Former top Democratic aide-turned journalist George Stephanopoulos appeared on Wednesday's "Good Morning America" to downplay the connection between Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, charged with trying to sell a U.S. Senate seat, and President-elect Barack Obama. He helpfully argued that the profane references to Obama on the FBI's tapes indicate that "Blagojevich himself is the President-elect's best character witness." Stephanopoulos and co-host Diane Sawyer did discuss the apparent contradiction between Obama's claim on Tuesday that he had "no contact" with the governor and chief spokesman David Axelrod's comments on November 23 in which he asserted, "I know he's talked to the...

The words 'Sarah Palin' have emerged as the fastest rising search query in Google's highly regarded end of year 'zeitgeist' rankings. The former vice-presidential candidate beat President-elect Barack Obama who ranks only sixth on the list. In the physical world too, Palin continues to drum up support. On Tuesday the Alaskan governor opened up her governor's mansion in Juneau to more than 3,000 members of the public. "Thanks for coming over. Merry Christmas to you," Palin repeated over and over again, accompanied by seven-month-old Trig Palin (pictured, during the campaign) dressed in a Santa suit. Visitors were offered their share...

I do not for a moment believe that President-Elect Barack Obama was directly involved in the corrupt behavior for which Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was arrested this morning. I even think it’s possible that he didn’t have first-hand knowledge of Gov. Blagojevich’s corrupt behavior. I find it very difficult to believe that he hadn’t heard of it from people who had reason to know. Jake Tapper outlines a timeline of Obama support for Blagojevich (and vice versa): According to Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., Mr. Obama’s incoming White House chief of staff, Emanuel, then-state senator Obama, a third Blagojevich aide, and...

King Bloomberg has decreed FR cannot post text of His material. Here's the link.

The United Auto Workers (UAW) wants Congress to bail out General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler to prevent their undergoing restructuring in bankruptcy proceedings. In bankruptcy, a judge could order union contracts to be renegotiated to reflect competitive realities. Many analysts have objected that hourly autoworkers at the Big Three are some of the most highly paid workers in America, costing the Big Three over $70 an hour in wages and current and future benefits. All taxpayers should not be taxed to preserve the affluence of a few. Some observers argue that UAW members do not actually earn this much.[1] They...

Today's Republican Party seeks to advance freedom through limited government, strong national security, personal responsibility and traditional family values. Although many Republicans generally adhere to all four of those elements, some do not; yet they remain allied because they are so strongly committed to one, two or three of those principles. Despite inner-party squabbles, most Republicans rationally accept that we must work together to form an electoral majority. Recently, some have grumbled that social conservatives - pro-lifers, opponents of same-sex marriage and the so-called "Religious Right" - are to blame for the party's recent set backs and should be muzzled....

Ahh, but wasn't it a party? America voted in her very first black president, not because he had new ideas or because he was the most experienced but because he was black. With all of his talk of change he has pretty much resurrected the Clinton administration, plans on holding a speech within his first 100 days in an Islamic capital to make them like us again. You would have thought that his first speech would be here in the good ole' USA to the people who voted for him but nope it will be in Islamic territory, wow I...

A young, idealistic Obama supporter emailed me (and others) this message soon after Election Day 2008: "Please read the information at this site and sign the petition opposing the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA). This is basically a piece of legislation that will wipe away EVERY restriction on abortion nationwide regarding parental consent, which trimester, partial birth abortions, etc. Thank you." That person (and millions of others) should have focused on the respective positions of the presidential candidates on the Freedom of Choice Act BEFORE they voted. Electing a black man was historic, but a candidate's color or race should...

(ABC 6 NEWS) -- We're nearing the end of the historic Senate recount between Senator Norm Coleman and challenger Al Franken. Election officials are now turning their focus to the absentee ballots. Starting this morning, volunteers will begin to count how many absentee ballots were wrongly rejected due to an administrative error. Then it will be up the state canvassing board to decide whether or not to include those ballots into the recount. The board is scheduled to meet on Friday. For the moment, Coleman leads Franken by 687 votes.