Pennsylvania – Page 67 – Shall Not Be Questioned

Ed Rendell is Nuts

Fast Eddie took to the airwaves to call all gun owners who own semi-automatic rifles “nuts.”Â If you own one of these firearms, you also hate police.Â The anchors of CNBC didn’t challenge him on anything at all, they agreed that there’s no reason at not to ban guns.

Ed Rendell says these guns have zero purpose because you wouldn’t use a black rifle in a duck blind.Â (Actually, Governor, if that is your new standard, no American could own anything other than a shotgun.)Â The “fact” that they have no purpose might come as a surprise to all of these people.

Eddie also seems to have missed out on the latest talking points – he’s about three months behind. The argument that NRA is worthless was only the popular meme after the election up until Inauguration Day. After that, the NRA suddenly became so powerful that even Dianne Feinstein is afraid to introduce a gun ban.

UPDATE: From the comments:

So the police have need of weapons whose only purpose is to kill and to maim? Has â€œTo kill and maimâ€ replaced â€œTo protect and serveâ€?

Heh.

Toomey Announces

He has formally entered the race:

“We can stop the bailouts and the spending stampede; we can reduce the burdens on taxpayers; and we can unlock the ingenuity and job creation potential of our great nation once again,” Toomey said in his remarks. “I am running for the U.S. Senate because I believe the economic stakes for our country have never been higher. The people of Pennsylvania deserve the very best from their leaders in Washington â€“ but that’s not what they are receiving.”

It’s change I can believe in.Â I anxiously await Alren Specter’s next attack ad, which will no doubt inform Pennsylvania voters that Pat Toomey’s involvement with the Second Bank of the United States lead directly to the real estate bubble and, eventual panic of 1819.

Hat Tip Instapundit

Specter Begging Dems to Register as GOP

Our favorite Senator from Pennsylvania was in Philadelphia on Monday begging Democrats to switch registrations so they can vote for less conservative candidates in the GOP primary.

Facing a tough primary rematch against conservative Pat Toomey, Specter stumped with a House Democrat in Darby, Pa., and told one group in Philadelphia: “I don’t know if there are any Democrats in this room. If there are, I’m going to need you to become Republicans, Republicans at least for a day.”

Drop the Pie!

Pennsylvania health authorities are busy fighting a massive threat to public health: Lenten fish-fry dinners:

On the first Friday of Lent, an elderly female parishioner of St. Cecilia Catholic Church began unwrapping pies at the church. That’s when the trouble started.

A state inspector, there for an annual checkup on the church’s kitchen, spied the desserts. After it was determined that the pies were home-baked, the inspector decreed they couldn’t be sold.

“Everyone was devastated,” says Josie Reed, a 69-year-old former teacher known for her pumpkin and berry pies.

Sold for $1 a slice, homemade pies have always been part of the Lenten fish-fry dinners at St. Cecilia’s, located in this tiny city near Pittsburgh. Similar dinners are held in church basements and other venues across the country this time of year.

Look at them!Â Bloody Catholics filling the bloody world up with bloody pies they can’t bloody sell! Clearly these marauders are going to kill us all if it weren’t for the fine people at the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

This is apparently what caused the recent bills that are meant to exempt non-profits from these insane requirements.

Good News for Gun Clubs

Some politicians in Pennsylvania are looking to exempt non-profit food preparation from our state’s onerous health laws:

A law that has been on the books in Pennsylvania since 1945 says food that is sold at fish fries, spaghetti dinners, bake sales or any other church or community organization fundraiser, has to be made in a commercial kitchen that passes federal inspection. None of the food for sale can be made in parishioners’ homes. According to Sen. Rich Kasunic, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture never enforced the rule until recently.

Being able to serve food is an important part of running a successful match.Â Competitors are there all day, and it’s good to be able to feed them.Â This is something clubs, and I would argue even NRA, should consider getting behind.Â Especially to make sure shooting clubs are exempted as well as churches.Â Many clubs in our state are taking a chance serving food to members.Â We shouldn’t have to worry about that.

Court Upholds Lancaster Discharge Ordinance

Looks like the courts are giving this the OK.Â We covered this issue previously here.Â Apparently the ordinance does have exceptions for self-defense and other activities.Â I should note that whether Mr. Swinton acted in self-defense or not is a question of fact, rather than of law, and is something for a jury to decide at trial.

What the judge here is saying is that, as a matter of law, the ordinance is in accordance with state law.Â Pennsylvania’s preemption statute does not explicitly prohibit the regulation of firearms discharge.Â Obviously state law has to preempt some aspects of firearms discharge, otherwise what’s to stop cities from making the discharge of a firearm unlawful under any circumstance?

Luksik to Enter GOP Senate Primary

I wish she would have stayed out.Â Toomey is the best chance to get rid of Arlen in the primary.Â Specter barely eeked by Toomey in 2004, and I think this time he could be in real trouble.Â But if the Specter hating GOP vote is split between two candidates, it can only help Arlen win his primary.

A Good Pennsylvania Politics Blog

I’m pretty impressed by Capitol Ideas, which is run by The Allentown Morning Call state house reporter, John L. Micek.Â Micek doesn’t pull any punches, and Democrat or Republican is no matter.Â It’s equal opportunity criticism.Â Check out this recent post on an effort by state Democrats to promote phony journalism.Â Good stuff.Â To me, this is what political journalism is supposed to be about; holding those who hold the public trust to account.

Unions Wooing Specter on Card Check

Looks like they are pulling out all the stops:

Pennsylvania AFL-CIO President William M. George said he pledged Mr. Specter “all kinds of help from the union” in a series of meetings to woo the Republican senator’s support for the bill, which would ease rules favoring secret-ballot elections to unionize workplaces.

“We are pushing to give him help in the primary, including changing Democrats to Republicans for the primary,” Mr. George told The Times. “It’s hard to do because of other races in the state … but we’ll do it for ‘card check.’ “

I don’t think they can honestly deliver on their promises.Â Clearly Specter must think that, or there wouldn’t be talk of him switching parties if the state refuses to open up its primary system.Â I hope he does it, to be honest.Â Republicans have endured this abusive relationship with Specter far too long.

It’s Raining Canadian Geese in Pennsylvania

As if we don’t have enough of them, we don’t really need the sky to open up, and Canadian Geese fall from it.Â Next thing you know, it’ll rain fish.