ABC News Blogger: Guns Rule Congress

The anti-rights crowd can't believe that even with a President and well placed congressional leadership, the pro-freedom forces continue to notch wins.

Senator Barbara Boxer was quoted after the Senate passed the carry in national parks amendment to the credit card bill:

It is a shame. But you have to come to a realization around here that at this point in time, the N.R.A. gets the votes.

Either you are going to bring down the whole Senate and never do anything or you or going to swallow hard and say, I will just vote my conscience on those amendments and speak out until people get a hold of their senses.

Paul Helme said he believed law makers are over estimating the political might of the pro-rights activists:

I wish there could be more courage and leadership from our friends on the Hill.

Then there is Tom Shine, a blogger at the ABC News web site. You remember ABC News, the network that did a one sided 20/20 segment on gun shows that was nothing more than propaganda for the anti-rights side of the issue. In this blog post yesterday before the House took up the credit card bill, he wrote:

So when Senator Chris Dodd unveiled his tough credit card bill, which placed sweeping restrictions on what the banks could do to the consumers who use their plastic, Senator Tom Coburn knew he had found the perfect vehicle to attach his gun amendment to.

He reasoned, correctly, that he could get enough senators, frightened by the mighty NRA, to support his provision allowing loaded, concealed weapons in national parks and once it became part of the credit card bill, he knew there was no way senators would kill the entire bill just to kill his gun amendment. It worked perfectly in the Senate.

Maybe Senator Coburn reasoned there were enough Senators that would vote the way their constituents wanted. Setting aside the issue of the vehicle used (since this is a gun rights blog I won't get into the issue of whether the government should be telling banks how to run their credit card business), as the New York Times noted, timing is everything and Senator Coburn being the smart individual that he is, took advantage of the moment and freedom was the victor.

Coburn told the Times:

I don’t like guns necessarily. What I want is those constitutional rights to be protected.

How refreshing, an elected official that values the Constitution over his/her personal views. If we had a few more Tom Coburns this country's heritage of freedom would be safe for the next generation.

Hat tip to Cleveland Gun Rights Examiner.