Free Republic

Hazleton Mayor Louis Barletta and Gov. Ed Rendell traded barbs over a new city ordinance that cracks down on illegal immigrants, with Rendell saying during a Thursday stop in Scranton that it had been drafted by “mean-spirited” politicians who “feed off hate and divisiveness.” Barletta disagreed, saying the ordinance simply upholds the law. The only mean-spirited remarks that Barletta said he could recall were made by two members of the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Latino Affairs, who publicly called Hazleton a “Nazi city” and said that Latinos would never assimilate into American culture. The Associated Press and The (Scranton) Times-Tribune...

From the Rathskeller's website: END OF AN ERA! Rolling Rock, owned by Labatt's, has stopped making our popular pony bottles....we have only several hundred cases to sell!! Send a message to Labatt's and let them know just how much they suck!

Gallagher 'humbled' by huge turnout By Nichole Dobo ndobo@centredaily.com UNIVERSITY PARK - Deafening applause and shouts of "four more years" greeted Mike Gallagher as he walked into the Thomas Building at Penn State on Friday evening. He briefly left the auditorium as flags, prayers and patriotic music filled the hall and photos showing images of Sept. 11, 2001, were shown. Then, the talk-show host re-entered the room, shortly after 9 p.m. "I'm gonna start weeping," Gallagher said to more than 750 people in the audience. "I can't believe the feeling in this room tonight." Gallagher said he was "humbled" by...

NEW YORK - The former president of a defunct Hackensack brokerage firm was sentenced to nine months in prison Monday for making illegal campaign contributions to Sen. Robert G. Torricelli and former President Bill Clinton, as well as manipulating the prices of stocks. Lawrence Penna, 58, of Edgewater pleaded guilty in October 1999 to illegally funneling $20,000 to Torricelli's 1996 campaign and up to $12,000 to Clinton's reelection campaign by reimbursing "straw donors" after personally contributing the maximum. Federal election laws limit individuals to donating no more than $1,000 per election, and prohibit one donor from reimbursing another. Torricelli...