No More “Mr. Nice Guy” It’s time for Congressmen to get off the pot

GOA has been issuing multiple alerts recently because of the imminent danger that is facing us – as the Senate will soon be taking up gun control legislation.

Much of the focus has been on the Senate. But if anyone thinks that the House – and specifically Speaker John Boehner – is our fail-safe to killing gun control in the Congress, they had better think again.

Speaking on Meet the Press on March 10, Speaker Boehner said that he has “made clear if the Senate acts on gun control legislation, the House will consider it.”

Quite simply, that means that House Speaker John Boehner will allow the House to consider votes on gun control legislation.

Not only that, in an article entitled “House GOP Leaders: We can pass gun control, immigration, without Republican support,” Breitbart.com reported that on issues like guns, Speaker Boehner was open to “taking rogue Republicans across the aisle to work with Democrats.” The House leadership quickly backtracked from this position once the Breitbart article was published.

Regardless, this just underscores how we can’t forget about the House, and how we need to keep the pressure on congressmen – especially the Republicans.

Sadly, at a time when the House leadership announces that they support universal gun registry legislation – only to quickly backtrack – we get nothing but excuses, excuses, excuses about why many GOP congressmen have not signed onto the Stockman-Broun letter.

Representatives Steve Stockman (R-TX) and Paul Broun (R-GA) are doing a bang-up job in the House. They are two of the most active leaders working to defeat gun control in Congress.

And to that end, the Stockman-Broun letter uses precedent to call upon Speaker Boehner to reject all gun control legislation unless it has the support of 117 Republicans. This is called the “Hastert Rule.” And, if Boehner follows it, virtually no gun control can come to the floor of the House. Virtually none.

So far, more than 25 pro-gun Representatives have signed onto the Stockman-Broun letter – and they should be thanked. But there should be lots more.

It’s very frustrating, however, when we have asked pro-gun Congressmen to sign onto the Stockman-Broun letter to tell Speaker Boehner NOT to bring up gun control, but we hear all kinds of excuses as to why they can’t.

Here are the types of excuses that GOA is getting as to why congressmen won’t sign onto the letter, and our answers to their lame excuses:

• EXCUSE #1: One office said it had signed other gun control letters.
  ANSWER: There’s no quota on your support for the Second Amendment.
• EXCUSE #2: Another office said they were afraid of Boehner’s wrath.
  ANSWER: You may want to consider your constituents’ wrath instead.
• EXCUSE #3: A third office said that gun control was never coming to the House.
  ANSWER: Are you going to do nothing until the anvil actually falls on your head? Boehner has publicly stated that Senate-passed gun control would be “considered” by the House.
• EXCUSE #4: A fourth office said the congressman had promised to be bipartisan.
  ANSWER: Obama’s ruthless pursuit of his political goals, at the same time he mouthed words of “bipartisanship” is the reason why he controls the White House and you don’t.
• EXCUSE #5: A few offices have said they fear this letter is challenging Boehner’s authority.
  ANSWER: The Stockman-Broun letter does nothing of the sort. It simply asks the Speaker to follow a rule that was established by a former Republican Speaker of the House. No sanctions are stated or implied – it is only a request asking the Speaker to use the Hastert Rule to kill gun control.

Click here to see the list of Republican congressmen who SHOULD BE on the Stockman-Broun letter, but are not.

ACTION: If your congressman has NOT cosigned the Stockman-Broun letter, then please contact him or her immediately. You may click here to send them a prewritten email. Demand that your Representative sign the letter invoking the Hastert Rule to kill gun control in the House.

 

Related articles

• GOP’s far-right flank demands ‘Hastert Rule’ fealty (maddowblog.msnbc.com)
• Boehner Pledges to Stick to Hastert Rule (politicalwire.com)
• McCarthy won’t rule out passage of bills lacking majority GOP support (thehill.com)

Reid & McConnell are reportedly about to change the Senate rules

It’s probably a harbinger of sell-outs to come.  But Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell is apparently about to conclude an agreement with Majority Leader Harry Reid which would sell out pro-gunners and decimate minority rights under the Senate rules.

This change could occur as early as Wednesday.  If enacted, it could handcuff pro-gun forces and keep them from defeating the most radical initiatives aimed at restricting our Second Amendment rights.

The first of two changes would allow Harry Reid -– and only Harry Reid –- to circumvent the hurdles that the minority could use to slow down a controversial gun control bill.

As you may remember from the fight over the anti-gun ObamaCare bill, the filibuster of the “motion to proceed” is the last point where pro-gunners can delay a bill before Harry Reid can bribe Senators and buy votes with deals like the infamous Cornhusker Kickback.

If Reid follows this procedure, McConnell could offer two “germane” amendments on behalf of Republicans.  But given the willingness of Democrats to destroy the Senate rules by brute force, you can expect them to drastically limit what amendments would be considered “germane,” thus restricting the ability of the minority to effectively filibuster an anti-gun bill.

The second Reid-McConnell amendment would make it virtually impossible to stop a bill from going to House-Senate conference committee.

Currently, if pro-gunners suspect that Democrats intend to take a tiny bill and write comprehensive gun control in a House-Senate conference, they can stop the bill from going to conference and require that it be bounced back-and-forth in an amendable form — what is known as ping-ponging — between the two houses.

But this Reid-McConnell change would allow Reid to force a conference to prevent the minority from, once again, stopping gun control legislation from being written in a conference committee and crammed down Senators’ throats on a take-it-or-leave it basis.

The bottom line?  Given that Harry Reid has consistently abused the Senate rules and locked Republicans out of the amendment process, why should McConnell reward him with this massive expansion of his powers?

And what does this say about the likelihood that McConnell will show any courage on the gun issue when it comes before the U.S. Senate?

The President and his allies in the Congress want to impose Universal Background Checks, among other things, upon every gun purchaser in America.  This would finally give gun grabbers the information they need to identify and register every gun buyer (whether the purchase was completed as a private sale or through a gun dealer).

Given that the Democrats in New York are trying to CONFISCATE guns from law-abiding gun owners, gun owners should rise with ONE VOICE in opposing any legislation or rules changes that would allow federal bureaucrats to register gun owners.

And more to the point, gun owners need to contact their Senators immediately and demand that they leave the Senate rules alone!

At the rate that Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is going — if he concludes a deal limiting the use of the filibuster — it would not be surprising if a number of primary opponents emerge to challenge him.

ACTION:  Click here to contact your U.S. Senators immediately.  While you can contact them here through CapWiz, we would strongly encourage you to call your Senators and DEMAND that they leave the filibuster alone!

You can reach them by calling the U.S. Senate switchboard at 202-224-3121.  And, please call Sen. Mitch McConnell (202-224-2541) and tell him to make NO DEALS to limit the use of the filibuster.

Harry Reid Prepares to Annihilate Second Amendment, what next freedom of expression..?

“Our Founders intended the Senate to be a body where legislation was slowed down and subject to improvement through extended debate and amendment. [Harry] Reid’s proposed ‘reforms’ would remove two of the most fundamental rights traditionally reserved to all Senators — to freely debate and amend legislation. I shall not stand for that.” — Senator Rand Paul (R-KY)

On Election Day last November, several Democrat Senators were campaigning for reelection in pro-gun states.  And in order to get their constituents’ votes, they promised fealty to the Second Amendment.

Patrick, on November 6, Democrat Senators Joe Manchin (WV), Bob Casey (PA) and Jon Tester (MT) all won their respective elections.  These seats, among others, were crucial to helping Harry Reid return to the top post in the Senate.

But only a month after the election returns were tallied, the Senate — under Majority Leader Harry Reid’s control — is now crusading to implement:

* Gun bans on semiautomatic firearms and magazines;

* An effective ban on gun shows;

* A ban on private gun sales, without going through a gun dealer; and,

* Changes in the Senate rules which would allow them to ban guns with a mere 50 Senate votes.

This last proposal is particularly insidious.  Gun grabbers are not going to be able to get 60 votes to break a Senate filibuster of gun control.  But, with the help of fake “pro-gun” Senate Democrats, they may be able to get 50.

So the question of whether Senate Democrats will need 50 votes or 60 votes will determine whether gun control -– and much of Obama’s agenda -– will be slammed through and passed into law.

This brings us to the “nuclear option.”

This is a trick which anti-gun Democrats intend to use the first day of the Senate session in order to obliterate the Senate rules and clear the way for 50-vote passage of gun control.

Your senator’s vote on the “nuclear option” may be the most important gun-related vote he casts during the 113^th Congress.  It may be the difference between whether Obama can secure Senate passage of gun bans, magazine bans, gun show bans, and bans on private gun sales.

Anti-gun Democrats will try to tell you that the Senate is just following its precedents.

But that’s a bald-faced lie.  As Democrats made clear during the Bush administration when the Republicans were contemplating the “nuclear option,” the nuclear option has been threatened, but the trigger has never been pulled.

Anti-gun Democrats will try to tell you that the “nuclear option” can only be invoked on the first day.

That’s a lie.  Senate Rule 5, Paragraph 2, provides that the Senate rules continue from one Congress to the next, unless changed by 67 votes (needed to break a filibuster of rules changes).  If the Senate can use brute force to obliterate Rule 5 by 50 votes, it can use brute force to obliterate any rule at any time by 50 votes.

This is a major vote that will have huge ramifications for our republic.  Our gun rights are just one of the many freedoms that are on the chopping block right now.  And if Harry Reid can squelch his opposition by nuking the filibuster, it will be the first step towards completely obliterating our Constitution.

ACTION: Click here to contact your Senators and tell them that the vote on the “nuclear option” will be the most important gun control vote of the 113th Congress.  Urge them to vote AGAINST changing the Senate rules.  Tell them to vote AGAINST the “nuclear option.”

 You may also phone the United States Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121. A switchboard operator will connect you directly with the Senate office you request.

SOURCE

 

It’s the Economy Stupid!

From far and wide it seems that all we hear is the hue and cry about how to fix the economy. I read about how we should be “fair” about taxing the “rich.”

That’s all fine and good if you are simply stuck on stupid. Think about it people. Who pays the lions share already when it comes to taxes? The upper middle class and the truly wealthy, that’s who. If everyone paid taxes at the same rate, yes, even welfare recipients, there would be no budget crisis. In fact though, taxes would probably drop to levels unheard of in modern times. Even on those of us that really are much better off than the rest of us.

But no, we would rather sit around and play the class warfare game. Answer me this socialist pundits. When was the last time that a poor person gave you a job? Any job, even a poor paying job? It’s called trickle down, or yes, up, economics. The system works, and yes, it is part and parcel of free market economic models. Before the lefty’s jump all over me about how we got into this mess through free market policies just remember that there has never, in all history been a true full economic system. From the Soviet Unions official Black Market to the unofficial black market there was a degree of capitalism at work there. Here in the United States we have onerous regulation that destroys most of what would be described as a free market. Leftest lawmakers dabbled in the free market, and guess what happened? You are living through it! Not to mention that we do indeed have a black market at work here as well. Drugs, weapons, and even tobacco products thrive in the era of taxation beyond the pale.

So what do we do? Turning over our own responsibilities to a bunch of elected officials that really are clueless is not the answer. Revolution, while quite attractive to many, would take generations to achieve the standard of living that we now enjoy to be achieved once again. Compromise, when addressing ones deepest held values is no virtue. In a nation so diverse as The United States those values may indeed be just as diverse. How do we address that Pandora’s box?

I submit that we should look to our own history for the answers to this all. Restore the original intent of The Declaration of Independence, The Constitution, and The Bill of Rights.

Here are just a few things that would get us headed back on the road to prosperity.

• Reign in The Supreme Court. Rulings that serve only the interests of government and cronies have destroyed the actual owning of private property. The taking of civil rights for much less than true mental deficiency or felonious behaviors. Forcing the purchase of anything that is a private product that does not involve the safety of others are just a few examples.
• End the drug war, period. All drugs, period. We could still have purity and efficiency laws for medicinals. Plus we would not be party to making thugs and murderers into millionaires. There will always be alcoholics and drug abusers and gangsters will always find some vehicle of prey but we will not be enablers to that on a national scale.
• Develop a system whereby elected officials are subject to a performance evaluation that is more than simply winning an election.
• End the barriers to new political persuasions entering the market of ideas. The Republicans and Democrats have had a free ride for way to long and have done little for anyone but themselves. As in the politicians themselves. Just look at how the Democrat Party has used and abused people of color, and how the Republicans have done the same to the working man.
• Overhaul the education system here from top to bottom. I should not even begin to have to go into that issue!
• Community Service: All people, unless gravely disabled, should be required to have spent some time in service to the nation. Be that as a volunteer in EMS, Firefighting, or Armed Forces or Police work. All persons I should reemphasize, no getting out of it because you are the son or daughter of a Senator such as happened all to often during the draft. I myself would like to see a two year mandatory period of service in the armed forces. Right out of High school, no deferments, no straight into any Officers program that includes basic training in Infantry skills. The national bonus to that is obvious. But that is just me.

I am sure that many will argue against what I just offered. Feel free to defend your positions. But, being a Marine Corps Brat, you had better have a better alternative to offer, and not just say that you don’t like this or that.

Keep the shiny side up!

 

Senate’s Most Anti-gun Republican in Trouble in Indiana: It’s about time!

The political world is about to experience a major shakeup in Indiana.

The most anti-gun Republican in the U.S. Senate, Dick Lugar, recently fell ten points behind in the polls to 100% gun rights supporter Richard Mourdock.

For more than a year, GOA has broadcast Lugar’s gun-hating record throughout the state, highlighting why the 36-year incumbent is Obama’s favorite Republican.

Lugar voted for all of Obama’s anti-gun nominees, including Supreme Court Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, and Attorney General Eric Holder – none of whom believe that the Second Amendment protects an individual right.

He supports a ban on semi-automatic firearms, and waiting periods for handgun purchases. Lugar also supports an international, UN small arms treaty that will undermine U.S. sovereignty and the Second Amendment.

Mourdock, the current State Treasurer, has Lugar on the ropes in the May 8 election. In fact, Lugar is so desperate he’s even pleading with Democrats and Independents to cross over and vote in the Republican primary this coming Tuesday.

Gun Owners of America is reaching out to as many Indiana gun owners as possible to make sure they have the facts about Obama’s favorite Republican.

Click here if you would like to contribute to GOA’s effort to educate more gun owners about Sen. Lugar’s horrendous anti-Second Amendment voting record.

Related articles

• The Senate’s wolf in elephant’s clothing (wnd.com)
• Big Money, Free-Marketers, And The Fight Of Sen. Lugar’s Career (wnyc.org)

470 Nitro (TEA PARTY) Express: A proven RINO KILLER

Some four years ago, in a chat forum, the now deceased John Basti said we need another Tea Party, and things went wild from there. All of us knew, and myself as well as Texas Fred even said that it would end up co-opted by the big hitters. Just as all really good ideas do…

The Taxed Enough Already movement grew beyond simply addressing tax issues. Eventually holding local politicians feet to the fire about all the assaults that governments large and small have been directing squarely at the Bill of Rights. From Private property rights, to tax issues, to politicians utterly ignoring their oaths to uphold the Constitution TEA Party activist’s have been there.

First we were called racist and gun nuts. Then the pictures of the TEA Party activist spread over the internet. A Black Man, with an AR 15. Then we were called women haters. At least until the pictures, and statements of the females within the movement started showing up. That is until those very same women were told that they were in fact simply too stupid to even know that they were being abused… But then? Those women’s credentials just blew the forces of big government authoritarianism apart... So then, who really are the sexist’s? The absolute misandry of the left is hypocritical to the extreme. The anti Freedom and personal Liberty of the left is much the same…

The forces present this day in these not so United States are bringing us again close to an actual civil war. Be they neo-nazi groups, La Raza, New Black Panthers, and a host of others that, I believe that another not so civil war is about to unfold here. That’s not even counting the various religious groups that want to impose their version of sharia upon us…

Back in the day, there was on the darkest continent, one single weapon caliber that was always in the forefront when it came to this worlds most dangerous animals. It was the double rifle, chambered in 470 Nitro Express. It took absolute courage to take on a Rino or Jumbo with one. We the people of America will, one and all, need to summon up that same type of fortitude and courage if we are to save our nation.

Representative Tom Lubnau (R-Gillette) Speaks with forked tongue

In an interview on Glenn Woods radio show (AM1270 in Gillette) Representative Tom Lubnau (R-Gillette) stated that HB-60 preemption reform legislationwas a “crazy gun bill”.

Of course Lubnau says he didn’t shoot down the bill –Reality Check– the bill failed 2 votes shy of the 2/3rds majority – 38-21. And YES Lubnau was a no vote!

Click here to listen Glenn Woods AM1270 — Tom Lubnau

In a stupendous reach he also said- “I’m not going to place police officers in jeopardy of being fired for going up to a suicidal person and saying, ‘Why don’t you put that gun down’”.

Using scare tactics regularly echoed by the gun control crowd, Lubnau has now reached a new plateau as he untruthfully suggested that all common sense would be thrown out the window if this bill advanced.

HB-60 is virtually identical to a bill that was signed into law by Florida’s governor — putting an end to three decades of local government crushing the citizen’s right to keep and bear arms.

Incredibly during his interview Lubnau also defended his “so-called” pro-gun position while adding he is in Cheyenne to read the bills. But don’t be fooled!

Because soon afterwards, the “Republican Floor Leader” slithered back to his previous mode of operation.

Here it comes. Wait for it…

The “Republican” floor leader is now supporting one of the largest expansions of gun free zones in Wyoming.

HB-70 a bill that is disguised as a court security measure — when in fact it specifies a change to current statute making “All COUNTY BUILDINGS containing a district or circuit court” a gun free zone or better named “criminal safe zone”.

This legislation will relocate the “secured area” of the court room to the “front door of the county building”. Please forgive me for being redundant…If HB-70 passes it will be one of the largest expansions of gun free zones in Wyoming ever witnessed.

So much for Tom Lubnau “reading the bills in our best interest” and being (in his own words) an “ardent supporter of your gun rights” — Since he now is advancing legislation that goes hand in hand with a proposal by anti-gun Gillette Mayor who wants a similar gun ban on all city property.

By the way, when I confronted anti-gun Mayor Tom Murphy about his gun ban, he responded by boiling over and sticking his finger in my face.

It appears that Lubnau is working for his local government officials in “Gillette” instead of defending the rights of the voters that elected him to office.

Wyoming Gun Owners is the ONLY gun rights organization working at this level — Exposing anti-gun politicians, lobbying to pass pro gun legislation and working to stop all gun control in Wyoming.

I stand by my statement — Representative Tom Lubnau the “Republican floor leader” should step down and let someone else take the helm.

 Anthony Bouchard
Executive Director
Wyoming Gun Owners

SOURCE

Used by permission.

Yet another politician wants to change our state into a Free Fire Zone for criminals! His stated reasons, are as usual, illogical and based upon some distorted sense of political correctness. We, the people of Wyoming need better from our leaders. Think about it folks. The gang bangers are not just in Cheyenne where there is a tremendous amount of law enforcement. They have spread out all across our state, and it is only a matter of time before something disastrous happens.

Courts only..? Just how long will that last? Not to mention that the man literally insults the intelligence of our Police Officers. Even a dumb Paramedic like me knows better than to just walk up to a suicidal person with a gun… Blue suicide..? The steps leading up to the Courthouse work just as well for that.

Will the next Columbine or Virginia State happen here? Don’t think for one second that this will remain only a Court building thing. If so will only the criminals be lawfully armed until the Police arrive? Two or three minutes is a VERY long time when some misfit is armed with a full auto weapon that is practicing the spray and pray method of marksmanship.

We, the people of Wyoming need to hold our leaders feet to the fire whenever they practice the politics of political correctness, and I call upon every single member of  Mr. Lubnau’s district to give him an earful over this. Then, come next election cycle, send him back home and remind him about why he is there at home at every opportunity!

Related articles

• The Student’s Empirical Case for the Second Amendment (thecollegeconservative.com)

Lugar “Obama’s favorite Republican.”

 

Obama‘s Favorite Republican

Dear Second Amendment Supporter,

We told you about the most anti-gun Republican in the U.S. Senate, Dick Lugar of Indiana.

MSNBC calls Lugar “Obama’s favorite Republican.”

And it’s no wonder; Lugar voted for Obama’s anti-gun Supreme Court nominees, and both the President and the Senator support banning guns.

But don’t take our word for it – listen to what Lugar said when he was running for president in 1996 about his support for the Clinton gun ban.

In this YouTube video, Lugar brags about his vote and implies that supporters of the Second Amendment lack “common sense.” The year the so-call “assault weapons” ban passed, Lugar also received a contribution from leftist George Soros.

Even worse, Lugar supports the global, UN small arms treaty. And if Republicans take back control of the Senate – which is likely in 2012 – Lugar will become chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee. You can bet Lugar will pull out all the stops to cram that treaty through the Senate.

Thankfully, this year we have a tremendous opportunity to defeat Lugar.

Richard Mourdock, Indiana’s current State Treasurer, is battling Obama’s favorite Republican in the state’s May 8th Republican primary.

Mourdock is a genuine gun rights supporter. He will oppose the anti-gun agendas of Obama, the UN, and the leaders of either political party. Richard Mourdock has the pro-gun community and grassroots conservatives on his side.

Where Lugar has an advantage is in money, which is pouring in from his liberal allies across the country. In fact, he is already up on TV misleading voters about his record, and he will stay on the air through the primary.

But if gun owners and sportsmen from across the country all chip in a few bucks, while we might not be able to out raise Lugar, we can ensure that Mourdock will have enough to get his message out to the voters.

So check out this 31-second commercial, and then please visit www.richardmourdock.com and click the “Donate Now” button.

Working together, we can send Lugar packing, before he does even more damage to our gun rights.

Thank you for standing with GOA, and for your support of Richard Mourdock.

Sincerely,

Tim Macy

Vice Chairman

PS Let’s not let Dick Lugar get away with further eroding our gun rights. Check out this video and then visit www.richardmourdock.com today to make a contribution.

Paid for by Gun Owners of America Political Victory Fund. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.

We, the people, have a duty to get rid of phony conservatives…

Related articles

• Banks boost Dick Lugar rival (politico.com)

Comparision / Contrast: AKA holding your nose when you vote

We Americans are about to yet again have to hold our collective noses when we vote in the coming election.

One thing is clear, and that is that Obama must go. His attempts at undermining American sovereignty. His just plain lousy choices for advisers and people in high office such as Hillary Clinton and Eric Holder being the best examples. His idiotic handling of energy and economic issues, crony capitalism, and the list just goes on forever make his removal from office a no brainer. His inexcusable use of the military as an election tool just tops off the cake.

So, what are we left with? Yet another chorus of decidedly poor choices. Let’s take an observation  them through the looking glass of the Bill of Rights.

Mitt Romney

In the recent Presidential debate, Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann said America’s voters did not need to “settle” for the moderate candidate. Amen to that.

And gun owners do NOT want candidates who talk out of both sides of their mouths.

As the Gun Owners of America’s Board of Directors looks at the Republican candidates running to unseat radical anti-gun President Obama, we see several who have strong pro-gun backgrounds. Ron Paul, Rick Perry, Michelle Bachman all have solid pro-gun records and deserve a hard look from pro-gunners.

At least one frontrunner candidate stands in contrast with a decidedly mixed record on the gun issue. While Mitt Romney likes to “talk the pro-gun talk,” he has not always walked the walk.

“The Second Amendment protects the individual right of lawful citizens to keep and bear arms. I strongly support this essential freedom,” Romney assures gun owners these days.

But this is the same Mitt Romney who, as governor, promised not to do anything to “chip away” at Massachusetts’ extremely restrictive gun laws.

“We do have tough gun laws in Massachusetts; I support them,” he said during a gubernatorial debate. “I won’t chip away at them; I believe they protect us and provide for our safety.”[1]

Even worse, Romney signed a law to permanently ban many semi-automatic firearms. “These guns are not made for recreation or self-defense,” Romney said in 2004. “They are instruments of destruction with the sole purpose of hunting down and killing people.”[2]

Romney also spoke in favor of the Brady law’s five day waiting period on handguns. The Boston Herald quotes Romney saying, “I don’t think (the waiting period) will have a massive effect on crime but I think it will have a positive effect.”[3]

Mitt Romney doesn’t seem to understand the meaning of “SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED.”

And that makes it all the more troubling that Romney refuses to answer GOA’s simple candidate questionnaire. In our more than 36 years of experience, a candidate is usually hiding anti-gun views if he or she refuses to come clean in writing with specific commitments to the Second Amendment.

Today, Romney may be a favorite “Republican Establishment” candidate of the national press corps. But that is exactly what gun owners DON’T need in a new President. We need someone who will stand by true constitutional principles and protect the Second Amendment.

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[1] Mitt Romney in the 2002 Massachusetts Gubernatorial debate.  Part of the quote can be read in this article at Scot Lehigh, “Romney vs. Romney,” Boston Globe (January 19, 2007) at:

http://mittromney4potus.blogspot.com/2007/01/context.html

“Romney signs off on permanent assault weapons ban,” July 8, 2004, at: http://www.iberkshires.com/story.php?story_id=14812

[3] Mitt Romney, quoted by Joe Battenfeld in the Boston Herald, Aug. 1, 1994.

Newt Gingrich

Prior to the “Republican Revolution” of 1994, Rep. Newt Gingrich of Georgia had earned an A rating with Gun Owners of America.  But that all changed in 1995, after Republicans were swept to power and Gingrich became Speaker of the House.

The Republicans gained the majority, thanks in large part to gun owners outraged by the Clinton gun ban.  And upon taking the reins of the House, Speaker Gingrich said famously that, “As long as I am Speaker of this House, no gun control legislation is going to move in committee or on the floor of this House and there will be no further erosion of their rights.”

His promise didn’t hold up, however, and his GOA rating quickly dropped to well below the “C-level.”  In 1996, the Republican-led Congress passed the “gun free school zones act,” creating criminal safe zones like Virginia Tech, where the only person armed was a murderous criminal.  Speaker Newt Gingrich voted for the bill containing this ban.[1]

The same bill also contained the now infamous Lautenberg gun ban, which lowered the threshold for losing one’s Second Amendment rights to a mere misdemeanor.[2] Gun owners could, as a result of this ban, lose their gun rights forever for non-violent shouting matches that occurred in the home — and, in many cases, lose their rights without a jury trial.

While a legislator might sometimes vote for a spending bill which contains objectionable amendments, that was clearly NOT the case with Newt Gingrich in 1996.  Speaking on Meet the Press in September of that year, Speaker Gingrich said the Lautenberg gun ban was “a very reasonable position.”[3] He even refused to cosponsor a repeal of the gun ban during the next Congress — despite repeated requests to do so.[4]

Also in 1996, Speaker Gingrich cast his vote for an anti-gun terror bill which contained several harmful provisions.  For example, one of the versions he supported (in March of that year) contained a DeLauro amendment that would have severely punished gun owners for possessing a laser sighting device while committing an infraction as minor as speeding on a federal reservation.[5] (Not only would this provision have stigmatized laser sights, it would have served as a first step to banning these items.)  Another extremely harmful provision was the Schumer amendment to “centralize Federal, State and Local police.”[6]

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Final passage of H.R. 3610, Sept. 28, 1996 at:  http://clerk.house.gov/evs/1996/roll455.xml . Rep. Steve Stockman (R-TX) warned his colleagues about the hidden dangers in H.R. 3610, and in regard to the Kohl ban, noted that it would “prohibit most persons from carrying unloaded firearms in their automobiles.”

See Gingrich’s vote at: http://clerk.house.gov/evs/1996/roll455.xml .

[3] Associated Press, “Gingrich Favors Handgun Ban for Domestic Abuse Convicts,” Deseret News, Sept. 16, 1996.  The full quote reveals how much Speaker Gingrich had adopted the anti-gunners’ line of thinking:  “I’m very much in favor of stopping people who engage in violence against their spouses from having guns,” the Georgia Republican said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “I think that’s a very reasonable position.”  But the fact that this gun ban covers misdemeanors in the home is primary evidence that NON-violent people have been subjected to lifetime gun bans for things like:  shouting matches, throwing a set of keys in the direction of another person, spanking a child, etc.

[4] See H.R.1009, “States’ Rights and Second and Tenth Amendment Restoration Act of 1997,” introduced by Rep. Helen Chenoweth (R-ID).

H.R. 2703, March 14, 1996 at: http://clerk.house.gov/evs/1996/roll066.xml .

S. 735, April 18, 1996 at:  http://clerk.house.gov/evs/1996/roll126.xml .

Both the above assessments are from Gun Owners of America

Clearly, neither candidate is a real friend of the Bill of Rights, and especially of the Second Amendment. Both are hell on taxes after all the whitewash has been removed. Both support the taking of fundamental rights away from people forever for less than felonious behaviors. Both believe in government running your personal day to day lives. Both are supporters of big government authoritarianism. Both are unacceptable, period…

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Newtered; And the race tightens…

Newt Gingrich blew a hole completely through his foot. Again. Look candidates, illegal immigration is a major issue. Newt seems to think that pandering to a political correctness model that includes way too many people is an acceptable thing to do. I said it earlier this year that compromise with your fundamental values is not acceptable. This, combined with his half baked ideas about gun control, have made him an easy “NO” vote.

What will it take for these so-called “leaders” to figure out that we the people simply do not want a load of lawbreakers or their progeny here? Don’t we have enough home grown criminals?

What will it take for this same group of elites to figure out that we don’t want them messing with our fundamental and inalienable rights?

That is even when they, in their majesty, deem it to be for our very own good! We reserve certain things, such as the right to fail, unto our selves. Keep government out of our lives to the greatest extent possible while maintaining order and social discipline. Is that too much to ask..? It worked fairly well for most of our history.