Firearms is the Issue Hillary Backers Choose to Sink Bernie

It's been said before that Bernie Sanders is no friend to gun owners, having voted to criminalize private sales of firearms and for a ban on modern sporting rifles in 2013.  But because he voted for the Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, and is not willing to go along with every gun control scheme with no questions asked, his is not pure enough for those on the left who strongly support taking away our rights.
Sanders continues to be hammered on the issue.  Late last week, the Christian Science Monitor had a post on it's web site by Matthew Dickinson, a blogger and professor of political science at Middlebury College, titled "Bernie Sanders Gun Control Record Gives Hillary Clinton an Opening":

And while it certainly does not represent a shift in presidential politics (contrary to this Washington Post article), Hillary Clinton has been sure to include a reference to strengthening gun control laws in her stump speech, albeit without mentioning Bernie by name.

Dickinson refers to Sanders' position on the issue as "ambivalent" several times.  The piece also brought out the fact that it's not just Clinton's supporters who think Sanders is vulnerable on the gun issue.  The same article linked back to a previous post by Dickinson that included a link to an ad paid for by a superpac supporting Martin O'Malley:
There is one Democrat who is much more pro-rights than Sanders, but that candidate (Jim Webb) gets no attention for his position because he is no threat to Clinton.  The fact that Bernie is getting so much attention must be an indication that he at least has taken away the sense of coronation that once surrounded Clinton.

Jim Shepherd: Hillary Gives NRA Last Word

The Shooting Wire's Jim Shepherd ended today's edition with a wrap-up of the NRA Annual Meeting and started with a pronouncement that something that happened hundreds of miles away from Nashville may do more to unite the NRA's membership than the upbeat positive event that just ended:

As the one hundred and forty-fourth annual meeting of the National Rifle Association wrapped up in Nashville, Tennessee's Music City Center yesterday, one of the most galvanizing actions for the NRA's membership took place hundreds of miles away.

With Hillary Clinton's virtual announcement of her formal candidacy for president, the NRA and the many Second Amendment groups in attendance finally have the face of the anti-gun movement firmly fixed in their political sights. As the parade of potential Republican presidential candidates rolled (slowly) across the stage on Friday, many of them took pointed shots at President Obama's record, but others took advantage of the opportunity to let the NRA faithful in attendance know they were ready for "Madame Clinton" when her apparently inevitable other shoe was once again digitally tossed into the ring with considerably less invective than a rumored ashtray was passed to her husband in the White House.

We've been down this road before where we focus on defeating Hillary Clinton and ended up with someone as bad if not worse.  In 2008 most anyone would have said that Clinton was going to be the Democrat nominee. She had the early start, the popular (among Democrats at least) former president husband, and it looked like she could not be beat.  Sound familiar?  So you can excuse me when I heard a focus on Hillary at Friday's NRA-ILA Leadership Conference as maybe just a little bit of déjà vu.


With no other announced candidate on the Democratic side of the race, it makes sense to focus on the known.  There is talk however that former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley may jump in an that he would possibly run to Hillary's left (as if that is possible).  His record on Second Amendment issues are just as bad.  Let's hope this year, if there ends up being a competitive Democratic primary race, we will get the word out on how each of the candidates stand on our issue.  Because, as more than one person has noted, the more people who see Hillary, the less they like her.

No Firearms at McAuliffe Inauguration

The Virinian Pilot has the story here.

Virginia legislators who lawfully carry concealed handguns at the state Capitol can't bring them to Virginia's inauguration Saturday due to stricter U.S. Secret Service security protocols due to the attendance of Bill and Hillary Clinton.

There will also be a restriction on umbrellas, but depending on the weather (rain is forecast as of today), that restriction may be lifted.

Do You Need Another Reason to Support Cuccinelli?

Jim Geraghty's Morning Jolt led off with "Why the Cuccinelli vs. McAuliffe Race Matters to You, Even If You Don't Live in Virginia."  You can also find the piece here on NRO's Campaign Spot.  The basic thrust is, if you believe that the GOP need only nominate a true conservative candidate instead of a "squish," to win, the Virginia campaign for Governor is your opportunity to prove it.

If Ken Cuccinelli – Mr. Conservative Record – loses against a flawed competitor like Terry McAuliffe, in a purple state like Virginia . . . and simultaneously, Governor Hug-Obama-After-a-Hurricane-and-Move-Left wins in a landslide up in New Jersey . . . the message to the rest of the Republican party will be pretty clear. What you fervently believe – conservatives win, moderate squishes lose – will be refuted in the eyes of many Republicans.

But it seems that conservatives are not engaged yet if you use Cuccinelli's fundraising as the baseline. Geraghty points to this Bloomberg News article for the numbers:

Cuccinelli, 44, had $2.7 million in cash as of the end of June, compared with $6 million for McAuliffe, 56, the former national Democratic Party chairman and fundraiser. While McAuliffe had been expected to out-raise Cuccinelli, the Republican is lagging behind where McDonnell was at this point in his 2009 race, when he had $4.9 million in cash on hand. 

It's true that Erick Erickson of Red State cranked up his fundraising efforts last week but much more it needed.  While money does not necessarily win campaigns, it's not helpful to be out gunned two to one in fundraising.  So, if you don't want to see this in Virginia after 2013:

Please give a little time to the Cuccinelli effort beginning today. And if you can afford it, give a little money too.

Change... for the Worse

Well, about an hour ago, the most anti-gun candidate to seek the presidency took the oath of office and became our nation's most anti-gun president. What will this mean for the nation's 80 million gun owners? At this point we can only judge by his record but his cabinet appointments do not give us much cause for comfort. Much of the attention in media articles on the up-tick in gun sales has focused on what kind of legislation the new president might propose. But a lot of damage can be done with the stroke of a regulatory pin without any input from our elected representatives.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton can play a role in the United Nations' continuing attack on individual gun ownership. Attorney General Eric Holder has the power to limit the import of whole classes of firearms. Cass Sunstein, Obama's "Regulatory Czar" has ties to the animal rights crowd and supports outlawing hunting. According to the Center for Consumer Freedom, Sunstein said in a 2007 speech at Harvard University, "We ought to ban hunting, I suggest, if there isn't a purpose other than sport and fun. That should be against the law. It's time now."

Yes, today is an historic day, as is every inauguration where power is peacefully transferred from one leader to the next. But now is the time for gun owners to renew their determination to protect our rights. Join or renew your membership to the NRA. Join VSSA. If you do not live in Virginia and are reading this blog, join the state firearms association in your state.

Astro-turf Gun Group Endorses Obama

On Wednesday, the astro-turf gun group known as American Hunters and Shooters Association endorsed Presidential Candidate Barrack Obama saying "he gets it" when it comes to gun rights. This is the same candidate who just last weekend told high dollar donors at a San Francisco fundraiser that middle America "clings" to its guns.

AHSA President Ray Schoenke said that claims about Obama's earlier comments proving he takes an elitist view of gun ownership are "patently ridiculous." He sited the fact that Obama supported the "Vitter Amendment" baring use of government funds to confiscate firearms during a natural disaster as proof that the candidate supports gun rights.

Hillary Clinton's campaign was ready with a list of Obama's past positions on gun control and asked whether AHSA had considered those positions when making their endorsement decision. She especially pointed out Obama's past support for a total ban on the manufacture and ownership of handguns. Obama claims the questionnaire from which that talking point is taken was not filled out by him but by a staffer that totally misrepresented his position. Never mind the fact that the Politico did an investigation of the survey in question and published a copy of an amended version of the questionnaire, which appears to contain Obama’s own handwritten notes added to one answer putting into question the claim that he never saw it.

ABC News anchor Charlie Gibson mentioned the questionnaire last night during the debate in Philadelphia , and once again, Obama said he wasn't the one who filled it out.

But, consider this, Illinois resident Hale DeMar was prosecuted by the town of Wilmette for using a handgun to defend his home in 2003. Wilmette had imposed a ban on the possession of handguns, in effect making the town a gun-free zone. To correct the situation, several Illinois state legislators introduced SB 2165 (known as the Wilmette bill) to protect the right of self-defense for residents like DeMar. Obama voted against the bill. That self-defense bill protecting the right to bear arms for law-abiding citizens such as DeMar passed the Illinois state Senate and was enacted into law over the governor's veto. Obama voted against the bill.

Given his stated position that he opposes concealed carry, it appears if he does not oppose the possession of handguns, he certainly opposes the use of them.

Hat tip to Jim Geraghty.

Obama's Disdain for the Middle America

Much has been written in the blogosphere about Obama's "Bitter" comments (some have said the more appropriate title for the comments is "Clingy") so I will try not to rehash what has already been said. For those who have not read his comments, he said to a group of wealthy contributors in San Francisco that:

"You go into these small towns in Pennsylvania and, like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing's replaced them," Obama said. "And they fell through the Clinton Administration, and the Bush Administration, and each successive administration has said that somehow these communities are gonna regenerate and they have not. And it's not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."

Note that he is not only speaking about folks in the Keystone state but small towns all over the Midwest (and I would suggest all over America). His explanations for his comments have made them sound worse than they did originally. I also think that the comments about how these "bitter" people cling to religion will come back to bite him more than the comment about guns.

I have to give him credit though. Hillary Clinton pounced on the comments and started sounding like the best friend of gun owners. Obama's retort was pretty good. Obama noted that Clinton seemed much more interested in guns since he made his comments than she had in the past.

"She is running around talking about how this is an insult to sportsmen, how she values the Second Amendment. She's talking like she's Annie Oakley. Hillary Clinton is out there like she's on the duck blind every Sunday. She's packing a six-shooter. Come on, she knows better. That's some politics being played by Hillary Clinton."

Clinton has responded with a TV ad.



Rush Limbaugh suggested on his program today that for most of the last couple of months, Obama has been on cruise control but with Clinton picking up steam in Ohio and Texas and at one time leading big in Pennsylvania, he has had to campaign again. And, he has started saying what he really thinks, and he has a very elitist view (similar to what the last two Ivy League graduates that the Democrats nominated) - thus his comments about God, guns, and small town America.

I think it is particularly striking that he made these comments on "Billionaire Avenue" in San Francisco.

Obama Against Concealed Carry

So, while Obama is reaching out to gun owners in PA and using NRA "A" rated Democratic elected officials in the state to do so, he tells the Pittsburgh Tribune that he is "not in favor of concealed weapons. I think that creates a potential atmosphere where more innocent people could (get shot during) altercations."

Townhall.com's Amanda Carpenter writes that this new emphasis on gun control may be prompted by Philadelphia-based Democratic leaders who are pressuring Clinton and Obama to adopt harder stances on gun control. This issue is expected to come up in ABC News’ Democratic debate on April 16 in Philadelphia, which happens to be the one year anniversary of the shooting of 32 students at Virginia Tech.

A close look at Obama's Illinois legislative voting record shows that he has long backed gun-control measures, including a ban on semiautomatic weapons and concealed weapons, and a limit on handgun purchases to one a month. He has declined to take a stance on the legality of the handgun prohibition in Washington, D.C., which the U.S. Supreme Court is reviewing, although Obama has voiced support for the right of state and local governments to regulate guns. Obama also failed to sign on to the Congressional amicus brief supporting Richard Heller which 55 of his senate colleagues and 250 congressmen signed.

The only pro-gun vote he has cast in the Senate was for the Vitter Amendment in July 2006 which prohibits the confiscation of firearms during an emergency or natural disaster. Clinton was one of 16 senators to oppose the amendment.

A two-page white paper on Obama’s website doesn’t mention his voting record. Instead, he introduces himself as a former constitutional law professor who “believes the Second Amendment creates an individual right, and he greatly respects the constitutional rights of Americans to bear arms.”

“He will protect the rights of hunters and other law-abiding Americans to purchase, own, transport, and use guns for the purposes of hunting and target shooting,” the paper states.

It also states “He also believes that the right is subject to reasonable and common sense regulation.”

Melody Zullinger, the executive director of the Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmen's
Clubs who received the Obama campaign e-mail on his gun record, said Obama sounds
Obama aims for pro-gun vote - like he is “speaking out of both sides of his mouth.”

I agree.

Get more on Obama's record here.

Hat tip to Cam Edwards for the Obama/concealed carry news.

More on Presidential Candidates and Guns

Reuters news service printed the following information on Tuesday:

Following are the positions of the leading U.S. presidential candidates on gun control.

DEMOCRATS
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON
She has said law-abiding citizens should be able to own guns but laws are needed to keep guns out of the hands of criminals. She co-sponsored legislation to reinstate for 10 years a ban on assault weapons.

The National Rifle Association gives her a failing grade of "F" for her position on guns.

SEN. BARACK OBAMA
Wants tighter background checks on gun buyers, making gun locks mandatory and holding parents criminally responsible for children who injure someone with a gun found at home. Supports reinstating assault-weapons ban.

The National Rifle Association gives him a failing grade of "F" for his position on guns.



REPUBLICAN
SEN. JOHN McCAIN
Opposes gun control, calling it "a proven failure in fighting crime." Opposes waiting periods to buy firearms. Has supported legislation requiring gun makers to include trigger locks with their products. Opposes reinstating assault-weapons ban. Has supported mandating background checks on gun buyers at gun shows.

The National Rifle Association gives him an average grade of "C" for his position on guns but says he has a perfect voting record since 2007 and his grade may be revised.

Sources: Reuters, campaign Web sites, Detroit Free Press, the National Rifle Association

Today is the Day

This morning, both sides will have their day in court in District of Columbia vs. Heller, also known as the D.C. gun ban case. As Randy Barnett points out in this mornings' Wall Street Journal, because "the District of Columbia is a federal entity, Heller provides a clean application of the Second Amendment which, like the rest of the Bill of Rights, originally applied only to the federal government." Barnett continues that in order for a state or local gun law can be challenged, the Supreme Court must decide that the right to keep and bear arms is also protected by the 14th Amendment, which limits state powers. So, while it is not likely that the Court will issue such a broad ruling in this case, even a decision upholding an unqualified individual right in Heller would still be a significant victory for individual rights. The Court will likely issue their ruling in June at the end of the term, setting up a renewed emphasis on guns in the Presidential election no matter what the ruling.

You can hear the oral arguments at 11:30 AM on C-SPAN and at the C-SPAN web site. C-SPAN will also archive the audio if you can not hear it when it airs live.

UPDATE: The Presidential Candidates on today's historic case according the Washington Times:

Sen. John McCain: The McCain campaign issued this press release today -

Statement By John McCain On The DC Gun Ban Case Before The Supreme Court
ARLINGTON, VA -- U.S. Senator John McCain today issued the following statement on District of Columbia v. Heller:

"Today, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on District of Columbia v. Heller, a landmark case for all Americans who believe as I do that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual right to keep and bear arms. I am proud to have joined in an amicus brief to the Court calling for a ruling in keeping with the clear intent of our Founding Fathers, which ensures the Second Amendment rights of the residents of District of Columbia are reaffirmed."

Sen. Barack Obama: Jen Psaki, a spokeswoman for Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, said Mr. Obama "believes the Second Amendment creates an individual right, and he greatly respects the constitutional rights of Americans to bear arms."

"He also believes that the Constitution permits state and local governments to adopt reasonable and common-sense gun safety measures," she said, but would not elaborate on the whether the senator supports the D.C. gun ban. (Note: Mr. Obama did not join 55 of his Senate colleagues in signing the congressional amicus brief supporting Heller.)

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton: did not respond to repeated requests from the Washington Times for comment on the Heller case. (Note: Mrs. Clinton did not join 55 of her senate colleagues in signing the congressional amicus brief supporting Heller.)

More on Obama and Guns

On this Super Tuesday 2.o, it is only fitting that courtesy of the LA Times, we learn where Barrack Obama may hang his hat to prove his support for the Second Amendment. According to a February 29th post on the LA Times Blog , his vote for the Vitter Amendment that bans local governments from confiscating firearms during a natural disaster is the only distinction between Obama and Clinton on the issue.

LA Times blogger Tim Cavanaugh writes that trying to differentiate the views of the two Democratic frontrunners is not so easy, even when it comes to gun control. Does Obama support individual ownership or a universal ban (he has said it is an individual right yet he did not sign on the the congressional amicus supporting Richard Heller in the D.C. gun ban case)? Does Clinton really believe law-abiding citzens should be allowed to own guns (she also did not sign on to the congressional amicus brief)? He also poses the question "Are Second Amendment stalwarts right to view this as a choice between on gun grabber and another?"

Cavanaugh writes:

I give you Vitter Amdendment No. 4615, which was voted on in the U.S. Senate at 6:13 PM on July 13, 2006. Here's the text:

To prohibit the confiscation of a firearm during an emergency or major disaster if the possession of such firearm is not prohibited under Federal or State law.

The amendment, which was attached to a Homeland Security appropriations package, was approved 84-16. The bill itself was signed into law in October 2006.

Canvanaugh then goes on to refresh our memory going back to post-Hurricane Katrina period, when stories of mostly inaccurate disaster-area pillage gave way to revelations about how "incompetent police chief Eddie Compass and other authorities eventually tried to deal with these non-existent incidents.

In particular, some footage of cops manhandling Patty Konie — an elderly resident seen holding (by the barrel) a revolver that looked like something that would have blown up in Wild Bill Hickock's tiny hands — provided a shock even to those who don't normally get excited about such matters.

This was the context in which the Vitter amendment was introduced. Here is how the Democratic front-runners voted:

Clinton (D-NY), Nay
Obama (D-IL), Yea

For this gun owner, one lone vote does not make one a supporter of the individual right to keep and bear arms.

Hat tip to Cam Edwards for mentioning this on Cam and Company.

Virginia Presidential Primary Thoughts

Note: This is not an endorsement for any particular candidate but information for voters to use in deciding for whom to vote on February 12th.The presidential race will come to Virginia one week after "Super Duper Tuesday" and just like in 2000, Virginia could play a significant role.

If Senator John McCain, who after winning in Florida, continues to role through the 21 states voting tomorrow, then next week may be all but academic. But, if Mitt Romney, who is running a close second in many of the states can keep McCain from picking up a majority of the delegates up for grabs, Virginia may have a say in the outcome.

Gun owners know that McCain has been a fair weather friend. While he has opposed the Clinton Gun Ban both times he had an opportunity to vote on it, in 2000 he supported ending gun shows as we know them by pushing for background checks on private sales at gun shows. The bills he supported did not just impose background checks but went as far as creating a gun owner registration list, registration of gun shows, and turn casual conversation at gun shows into gun sales. McCain's disdain for the First Amendment is even more egregious. The McCain/Feingold bill made it harder for groups like NRA to communicate with gun owners prior to an election. Clearly, if McCain was a conservative early in his political life, he strayed from that path in the last decade. When he spoke to the NRA's "Celebration of American Values" he highlighted those times that he has been with gun owners.

Former Governor Mitt Romney also has a spotted past when it comes to gun rights. Running for the U.S. Senate against Teddy Kennedy in 1994, Romney said he doesn’t line up with the NRA and favored waiting periods on gun sales. He also supported the Clinton Gun Ban in both 1994 and when he ran for Governor of Massachusetts in 2002. As a candidate for Governor, he said "We do have tough gun laws in Massachusetts; I support them. I won’t chip away at them; I believe they protect us and provide for our safety." Now that he is running for President he has joined the NRA and has had a well covered faux pas regarding his history as a "lifelong hunter." He told attendees at the NRA's "Celebration of American Values" meeting in September that he supports the federal appeals court decision in the D.C. gun ban case. He discussed the issue on Meet the Press as well. Is he a pandering politician or has he really had a change of heart?

Then there is Mike Huckabee. As Governor of Arkansas, he had an "A" rating from the NRA. But, is he really a viable candidate or is he just splitting the conservative votes with Romney allowing McCain to win. Huckabee pulled an upset in Iowa on January 3rd but has not won since. He is basically out of money and is hoping to win in southern states with a high number of evangelical Christian voters to keep his hopes alive. At this point he appears to be running for the number 2 spot on the ticket and may be helping to catapult McCain to the nomination.

For Virginia gun owners who are Democrats, you don't have a pro-gun choice. I can't decide who is worse - Obama or Clinton. Both guarantee that if the Democrats win the White House, gun owners could be in for at least four tough years.

So, what should gun owners do on February 12th? Think long a hard about your decision. The winner of the election will likely have at least one Supreme Court nomination and possibly two. Focusing on the two candidates considered to have the best shot at getting the nomination, McCain claims he would appoint judges like Roberts or Alito yet it has been reported in National Review that McCain might not be so warm to justices like Alito after all. Romney has pledged to appoint justices like Scalia, Thomas, Roberts and Alito. On the Democratic side, we can guarantee that both Obama and Clinton would appoint the likes of Stevens and Ginsberg.

Gun owners are urged to vote on February 12th and to "Vote Freedom First."

UPDATE: According to Instapundit Romney said today that he would "veto any gun control bills that cross his desk as President, including a renewal of the 'assault weapon' ban." This is different than what he said in December on Meet the Press. He also repeated the already disproven claim that the NRA endorsed him in 2002. Instapundit also includes this link on Romney's current position on 2nd Amendment issues.

And this from Jake Tapper on an ABC News blog post: Obama told a crowd in Idaho that he has "no intention of taking away folks' guns." However, it is widely reported that Obama does support gun control and has a record of voting for it in the Illinois Senate. He supported handgun rationing (limiting handgun purchases to one a month) and the Clinton campaign of all people has pointed out when Obama was running for the state legislature, he responded on a questionnaire that he "supported banning the manufacture, sale and possession of handguns.''

Tapper also mentions the recent mistep of both Romney on the gun issue.

Hillary - Shooter

Yes, that is what we are supposed to believe, that Hillary Clinton in her younger days first shot a gun at her family vacation property at Lake Winola. According to the article, this is where she "first shot a gun...learned to ride horses, to fish and swim." These vacations at the lake located in the Pocono Mountains helped form her family and working-class values.

Remember the slogan complete with a French Poodle that NRA-PVF used against John Kerry in 2004 - "That dog don't hunt." The same can be said for the Senator from New York.

Hat tip to Gun Law News.