Bitter – Page 106 – Shall Not Be Questioned

Brady Campaign on Hunt for New President

It looks like the board of the Brady Campaign is shaking things up. Paul Helmke’s contract wasn’t extended, and he doesn’t have any future plans for work. Dennis Henigan will be the acting president while the search is conducted, which indicates they don’t even have anyone in mind. It would seem that means they just wanted Helmke gone.

So, any nominations to suggest for the Brady family? They recruited a Republican in 2006 thinking that they could somehow appeal to more GOP leaders in switching over to the dark side. That didn’t work, and the Democrats haven’t done them any favors, either. If they follow the same strategy, maybe they will try to find a far left leader to try and earn back the attention of the party in the White House.

Joyce Brady Mayors and Moms Against Illegal Gun Coalitions on Violence Policy Campaign

Did I leave anyone out?

It seems like Max Nacheman is out to rebrand the anti-gun movement into one big happy family – or at least laugh all the way to the bank on every group’s dime. First, he was on the payroll of MAIG while also speaking to policymakers as a representative of the Brady Campaign. Now, Max has taken over the head of CeaseFirePA since its leader decided to throw in the towel and make a run for local office.

His group is now merged with Moms Against Guns which scammed Clear Channel’s outdoor advertising department by misrepresenting their tax status to get free billboard space that they used for political advocacy when it was slotted for charitable organizations. Only he found their name to be a liability. On their site, the text references to Moms Against Guns have been changed to Moms Against (Illegal) Guns. Not that a name change should matter since Moms Against Guns was never legally registered as a charitable organization. I also find it funny that in taking over the Moms Against Guns website, they Photoshopped the word “illegal” onto the logo and, I guess, hope that no one notices that they never made the distinction between illegal and legal guns before.

CeaseFirePA has also recently donated some of their front page space to promote the MAIG petition for ~~growing their email list~~ restricting gun shows. The same front page also touts the group’s recent Joyce grant to ~~pay Max’s salary~~ grow their “grassroots.”

I guess when the folks in charge of the finances finally find someone who is willing to throw their entire career to a cause that continues to lose at nearly every turn, all the groups will jump up to pay him to keep on trying for something.

(Photo courtesy of reader Adam Z.)

Castle Doctrine Heads to Governor’s Office

The Pennsylvania Senate just voted on Castle Doctrine this evening. PA Independent says the vote was 45-5, but the state website hasn’t yet updated with the roll call.

It now goes for the Governor’s signature.

Massachusetts Gun Control Leaders Ousted from Other Groups

Hey, when it comes to gay rights groups who hire former Massachusetts senators who partially made gun control a huge part of their political careers, well, they are 2 for 2 in being ousted amid “management differences.”

In the first case of Cheryl Jacques, she lasted a whooping 11 months after considering it “a difference in management philosophy” that Human Rights Campaign went 0-11 on gay rights ballot initiatives under her watch. In the second case of Jarrett Barrios, he just resigned after it came out that he cut a deal with AT&T for GLAAD to advocate for policies completely unrelated to their mission in exchange for donations. He must have been going for a record since he doubled Cheryl’s time with clocking an entire 22 months with the organization before scandal erupted.

So might I suggest to the boards of these organizations that former politicians who make their political careers on low hanging fruit (like gun control in Massachusetts) may not be the best folks to lead national organizations that actually have to consider real strategy and not piss off grassroots members. Just a suggestion.

Vintage Shooting Gear & Books

Consider this the “non-shiny” edition of my Esty search for random cool gun-related items. It’s a good thing that ordering online with the need to pay for shipping makes me stop to think twice before breaking out plastic. Otherwise, the vase would totally be on our mantel. Not everything in this gallery is vintage, but some of it dates back to the 1920s.

Stores featured in this gallery include: GransTreasures, Six Pack Vintage, The Hunter’s Treasure, Vintage Vinyl and Books, JOOL-AHOLIC, Fine Old Things, Eternal Art, Take Flyte Farm, Mikesalvage, Bullet Designs, Yonks, Dragstrip Dolly and Cluttered Mind.

“Good” Gun Safety or “Bad” Gun Safety?

Pennsylvania Senate Democrats put out a press release about an event hosted by a state senator on “gun safety.” I immediately wondered whether this version of “gun safety” was about gun control or actually using firearms safely. It’s tough to say:

State Sen. Judy Schwank (D-Berks) joined with several law enforcement officials today to hold a gun safety event at her district office. The event was intended to promote safe handling and storing of personal firearms.

â€œProper storage and handling of firearms, especially in homes with small children, is crucial,â€ Schwank said. â€œIt is my hope that through this event and the information we provide here today, more gun owners can keep their families safe through proper gun storage.â€

At the event, Sen. Schwank and Berks County District Attorney John Adams discussed the importance of properly securing guns with a gun lock.

There’s nothing in there that indicates a call for more gun control. But, we also know that the last Democratic candidate for governor kept using vague talking points on “gun locks” that actually translated into mandatory locked storage that has already been ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court – so some of her colleagues do have a history of taking some rather extreme liberties with the topic of gun locks as a matter of policy. Hopefully, she meant this event as strictly education and outreach rather than endorsing any kind of further restrictions on how we use firearms.

Unfortunately, there’s no grade on an NRA questionnaire by which to guide any assumptions about policies that may have been discussed. Her district, while certainly home to many local anti-gun politicians, was previously held by an NRA A-rated lawmaker who won their endorsement. The other potential signal for us would be the previous Castle Doctrine vote in the Senate, but that was on March 8 and she wasn’t elected until March 15 and did not actually take office until April 5. The only vote on the bill since she’s been in office has only been in a committee.

UPDATE: From a reader who attended the event: “I was at this event, and spoke with the Senator afterwards. For disclosure let me state that I volunteered with Medagliaâ€™s campaign against her.

She supports HB40, and we should see her vote on that this week. She also thinks that current law is ‘sufficient’ when it comes to storage of firearms. So at this time at least she is not publicly calling for mandatory ‘safe storage’ laws.” Huge kudos for his efforts, and I’m glad that we know she appears to be ready to vote with us! To all of you who doubted in the comments based off nothing other than the press release or things you haven’t confirmed on your own, please let this be a reminder that getting involved is absolutely key to making a real difference on the issue.

Fast & Furious Updates

None of the higher ups knew about it? That’s funny since this morning, the House Oversight and Government Committee uploaded this video that highlights how ATF’s Acting Director was briefed on the program to knowingly run guns into Mexico weekly last year. Rep. Darrell Issa says that the ATF leadership was actually “excited” by the program to the point that they sat around watching these sales happen on video.

On Guns & the Presidential Race

We cut the cable at the beginning of the year and happened to be doing internet upgrades, so I didn’t catch last night’s debate. From what I read on Twitter, I didn’t miss much. But then, Paul Erhardt added this commentary on the role of guns – or lack thereof – in the debate:

Not a single question on guns in tonight’s CNN debate despite the fact that New Hampshire is home to 4 major gun/accessory manufacturers that employee 2K+ people. In the Granite State, the classic ‘red meat’ GOP issue is also a mainstream jobs issue. Not to mention two of those companies, HK and Sig Sauer, make guns for the Navy SEALs.

Meanwhile, Jim Geraghty gives us a clue about the really important issues in 2012: “Ah, CNN found the one New Hampshire Republican furious about the U.S. military presence in Germany and South Korea.”

To be clear, I don’t think that guns will be a huge issue in the next presidential race. But considering what an economic boost the gun industry and related outdoor industries provide on top of the civil rights debate surrounding the regulations on ownership and use, it’s probably something that people find a tad more relevant to the next presidential race than the military presence in Germany and South Korea.

Gun Jewelry & Other Vintage Finds

I can’t tell you why, but I was recently inspired to type “NRA” into the search function at Etsy. I know most of you have seen a few examples of gun-related jewelry online, but I have to say that the variety available from the sellers on Etsy is the best I’ve ever seen. It doesn’t stop at your typical bullet-shaped necklace or casing cufflinks. It’s gorgeous repurposed gems and uncommon vintage pieces.

The following items are found in these stores: The Key of A, Gallo Grotte, What Once Was, resellit, With Care, The Sea Change, Andrew Modern, victoriasponge, Black Bird Creative, and Little Gems by Jax.