Tag: gun control

Some good post-mortems of Barack Obama’s utter failure to pass gun control.

Adam Winkler:

Congressional consideration was also delayed by gun control proponents’ insistence on a ban on assault weapons. This was a nonstarter to begin with; nearly everyone familiar with gun politics recognized that such a ban would never pass the House even if it made it through the less conservative Senate. Even if the law could be passed, it wouldn’t have made any dent in gun violence statistics because these guns are rarely used in crime. There was only one certain outcome from proposing to ban assault weapons: It was guaranteed to stimulate the fiercest opposition.

Focusing on assault weapons played right into the hands of the NRA, which has for years been saying that Obama wanted to ban guns. Gun control advocates ridiculed that idea—then proposed to ban the most popular rifle in America.

Continue reading Some good post-mortems of Barack Obama’s utter failure to pass gun control.

The most important thing about yesterday’s vote: national reciprocal concealed-carry is doable.

Senator John Cornyn’s (R, Texas) common-sense proposal that states with concealed-carry permits recognize other states’ concealed-carry permits was up for a vote yesterday as an amendment to Reid’s otherwise-useless “gun control” bill; and it came close to passing.  Pretty freaking close, in fact (57/43).  Flip South Dakota, New Hampshire, and West Virginia next year, and that’s sixty for cloture and let’s-see-what-bill-Obama-won’t-dare-veto.

Here’s Sen. Cornyn’s description of the bill.

Continue reading The most important thing about yesterday’s vote: national reciprocal concealed-carry is doable.

TWEET of the Day, The Democrats Miss Bribery Something Fierce! edition.

Indeed, this is true:

 

Here’s the paragraph in question:

“Bribery isn’t what it once was,” said an official with one of the major gun-control groups. “The government has no money. Once upon a time you would throw somebody a post office or a research facility in times like this. Frankly, there’s not a lot of leverage.”

Good. Also: …yeah, my side was the one with the Good Guys, thanks.

Moe Lane

QotD, That Was The Verbal Equivalent Of A Poisoned Dagger Between The Ribs edition.

From the Free Beacon comes this time-delayed, epic slam:

A GOP Senate aide told the Free Beacon [Democratic Senator Kay] Hagan’s decision to jump out early in support of Manchin-Toomey was “a testament to her skills” as a politician.

I assume that we all understand why, yes? – Because I have to go pick up my kid, now.

Moe Lane

Via:

Sic transit gloria Toomey-Manchin?

They apparently don’t have the votes for a ‘compromise’ amendment extending background checks for firearm purchases.

NBC’s Kelly O’Donnell tweeted this morning “Sen. Joe Manchin tells me ‘ we will not get the votes today.'”

The Senate had been expected to vote Tuesday on the deal Manchin unveiled last week with Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., but Democrats late Tuesday were still scrambling to find the 60 votes the amendment will need to pass.

…Which means that Chuck Schumer’s original, quite comprehensively bad, restrictive background check language will likely be in the final bill*. I certainly hope that every Democrat up for reelection in 2014 in a Red state enjoys voting for it, particularly since John Boehner and Bob Goodlatte are already patiently waiting for the legislation over at the House.  Complete with a brazier, a can of gasoline, and a match.

Continue reading Sic transit gloria Toomey-Manchin?

The NRA goofs on that goofy Bloomberg gun-grabbing ad.

For some reason, when that now-infamous Bloomberg ad of the quote-unquote ‘responsible gun owner who happens to think that Bloomberg’s right on the money, yes-siree, no fooling’ came out, I didn’t publish a post on the subject that thoroughly mocked the probably-actor with his finger maybe-on the trigger and the muzzle pointed far too close to his putative kids.  I mildly regret that; turns out my instincts were sound, but what’s the point of having sound instincts if you don’t hit the Publish button?

Ach, well.  It’s only a mild regret: everybody else ripped apart the ad.  Including, now, the NRA.

Via Powerline.

On why gun control is still Senate Kabuki theater.

(H/T: Instapundit) Let me translate this:

For a second straight day, [Speaker of the House John] Boehner refused Thursday to commit to holding a full House vote on Senate-passed gun legislation. But he said the House would not ignore an issue thrust into the spotlight by the December shooting of 20 schoolchildren in Newtown, Conn.

[snip]

Any Senate bill, he said, would be referred first to the Judiciary Committee for hearings.

Translation: anything that the Senate passes will be sent to Judiciary, where it will be quietly strangled with a silken bowstring. Continue reading On why gun control is still Senate Kabuki theater.

Ted Cruz reaches out to grieving daughter of Sandy Hook victim.

(Via Hot Air) A couple points about this…

The daughter of the Sandy Hook Elementary School principal who died in the mass killing in December could not join others from her community this week to lobby for gun control.

So she turned to Twitter to reach out to the 15 senators who indicated they would engage in a filibuster to block legislation on gun control. She said she just wanted them to vote, not put roadblocks in the way of debate and voting.

Only one of the senators called Erica Lafferty after her tweet – Ted Cruz.

…in no particular order: Continue reading Ted Cruz reaches out to grieving daughter of Sandy Hook victim.

Washington Post: Mark Begich (D) is terrified of the NRA.

The poltroon.

Well, that’s what the WaPo wanted to say:

Sen Mark Begich declared a “sea change” in the politics of gun control immediately after the school shooting in Newtown, Conn., telling his local newspaper that he would not hesitate to buck the powerful National Rifle Association.

But in the months since, the gun rights group has made itself impossible for the Alaska Democrat, and many other lawmakers, to resist.

Begich has signed on as a co-sponsor of a bill, drafted in consultation with the NRA, that would change the way mental illness is reported in the background check system… [And it descends into agitprop at this point. – ML]

Continue reading Washington Post: Mark Begich (D) is terrified of the NRA.

Jake Tapper politely calls Barack Obama, Mike Bloomberg pig-ignorant about guns.

Before you watch the video below, I invite you to first get a glass of something nice – why not? It’s Friday afternoon; the sun is over the yardarm somewhere – so that you may properly enjoy this next bit from Jake Tapper. He’s reporting on the strange inability of Barack Obama and Mike Bloomberg to publicly understand the difference between an automatic and a semi-automatic weapon:

But it might help the advocates of gun control if – in their advocacy for stricter measures – they seemed more familiar with what, exactly, they’re trying to ban. – Jake Tapper, CNN.

The funny part is? Jake’s not even a conservative. For all I know, he’s an advocate for more gun control. It’s just that he’s just not an idiot.

Moe Lane (crosspost)

PS: Yes, Mike Bloomberg actually made gun sound effects with his mouth. This is, sadly, not the most puerile thing that a gun control advocate has ever done.