The right of the citizens to bear arms in defense of themselves and the State …
Keyboard and a .45 talks about the growing momentum of HR1022. What we’re seeing here is that the gun hating faction of the Democratic party growing bolder, as polls show that the 2008 election is likely to be a bloodbath for Republicans. While the national candidates are stilll pretending to be gun shy, a lot of anti-gun Democrats are feeling brave enough to “come out,” so to speak.
If we don’t halt the Democratic momentum this fall, we’re looking at dark days for our gun rights ahead.
He has signed onto HR1022, the McCarthy Gun Ban, which bans a number of common sporting and target rifles, in addition to many common shotguns:
Congressman Patrick Murphy, D-8, a co-sponsor of a bill to reinstitute the assault weapons ban and son of a former Philadelphia police officer, said the government needs to be “proactive†to quell gun violence.
“While I support the right of gun ownership and I believe in the Second Amendment, I strongly believe that if someone wants to fire an assault rifle they should join the military,†Murphy said.
The congressman’s opponents in this year’s House race, however, said reinstating the assault weapons ban would do little, if anything, to stop gun violence.
Tom Manion, a Republican from Doylestown Township, said the focus should be on stricter law enforcement, not on enacting more gun laws.
“I really don’t think a ban on assault weapons is going to do anything to keep the criminals from getting their hands on guns,†Manion said.
Concealed weapons permit or not, Congressman Murphy, I can promise you that Mr. Manion will be getting my vote this fall, and I will do everything in my power to make sure the 1200 person club I belong to, and my many thousands of readers know why.
The Bill Congressman Murphy has signed on to, does not merely ban “assault weapons” , whatever they are, it bans two of the most common target rifles being sold today, including the AR-15, and many models of the Ruger 10/22. It is so badly worded, that it would, in effect, ban all semi-automatic shotguns, and many common semi-automatic rifles like the M1A, and the M1 Garand. The Ruger Ranch Rifle would also be banned under this bill. It give the attorney general authority to ban any firearm, so long as the attorney general makes a judgement that they are not sufficiently “sporting” guns, by whatever definition the attorney general chooses to use.
This is a bad law for hunters and shooters, and voters in Pennsylvania’s 8th district should be aware their congressman has signed onto it.
Newt Gingrich thinks the GOP is in a lot of trouble come fall. Eric ponders that if Newt’s outlook is right, it might mean voting Hillary is the best move for the country. I do think Obama is the easier candidate to beat, but that’s not to say I think McCain is sure to beat him. Newt wants to restore the GOP brand, but I think that’s going to be difficult as long as Iraq is an issue. Iraq is the bull in the china shop for the GOP.
I am not optimistic about our prospects this fall, especially for gun owners. The pendulum is swinging around, and I can promise you that an increased Democratic majority will put our gun rights in serious jeopardy, no matter how Heller turns out. A Democratic sweep in the fall may very well make Heller completely irrelevant.
h/t to Rachel Lucas.
Hillary apparently plans on getting rid of the gas tax by imposing a gas tax. Gas taxes are basically a tax on oil company profits. Proposing to get rid of the gas tax by renaming it a windfall profit tax will accomplish about as much as McCain’s gas tax holiday.
I think this development switches my vote in November for McCain from ho hum to actually somewhat enthusiastic.  Seriously, the most important thing McCain is going to do is select Supreme Court justices, and other federal judges, and if this is his team, you can count me on board. On his advisory team, for those not inclined to follow the link:
I hope this pushes Robb off the fence. This is a great panel of people to have selecting federal judges. This is making me feel a lot better about McCain.
So far it’s looks like Obama handily won North Carolina, with Hillary barely ekeing out a victory in Indiana. I think it’s safe to say, barring any very seriously dirty tricks on the part of the Clintons (which I wouldn’t rule out), the nominee is going to be Barack H-a-double-r-i-g-a-n spells Harrigan Obama. I can’t say I’m unhappy about this, since if Obama can’t take Pennsylvania, which I think he has a good chance of not taking, he can’t win. This is either candidates’ election to lose, and I’m sure both will put fourth great effort on this front.
I was talking to Peter, of Firearms and Freedom last night, about the Hillary gun thing. I have to admit this registers pretty low on my give-a-shit-o-meter. The real issue is that Hillary is running on guns at all. It’s like David Duke running on a platform of racial unity. But the fact that the person who designed her flyer took a stock photo of a European rifle, reversed it, and sent it out to the wilds of Indiana, doesn’t rank very high on my list of sins against gun owners. Especially by someone like Hillary Clinton.
I couldn’t agree more with this.  I would also add, as someone who still supports what we’re doing in Iraq, Bush has been an unmitigated disaster for that policy. He did not lead the country to war. If a Democrat is elected, and we pull out, with all the horrible consequences that will entail for the region, Bush will share much of a blame for that because of his mismanagement.
Attacking Obama on the gun issue, pretty directly. Via Instapundit, who got it from SayUncle. I find this whole thing rather laughable, since Hillary is really no better on guns than Obama, but it’s interesting that she’s willing to attack him on it. Hillary is a shameless chameleon. She is willing to say or do anything in order go get power. If making you think she’s better on guns than he is is what it takes, so be it.
I do not want Obama to be President, but to some degree, I can respect that he has been unable to escape what he is, which is a solid man of the left. Hillary is not a woman of the left, she’s a woman of power, in that she wants it, no matter the cost. I have no doubt that Barack Obama would be a disaster for America, but no person who lusts for power to such a deagree that she’s willing to throw her belief in gun control overboard should be trusted to wield it.