Politics – Page 177 – Shall Not Be Questioned

Can We Have a Bipartisan Gun Rights Movement?

That’s the big question I think is going to be answered tomorrow. I’m hoping after tomorrow, the answer will still be yes, even though a great many pro-gun Democrats are going to go down to defeat because of pissing off the voting populace on other issues. They will be replaced by pro-gun Republicans, but there are more than a few pro-gun Dems in Pennsylvania who are polling well, namely Tim Holden and Jason Altmire (both of whom conveniently bucked Pelosi on the health care bill).

But will a bipartisan consensus on this issue last? That’s probably going to hinge on whether there’s enough of a pro-gun movement within the Democratic Party to make it work, or whether there are enough true single-issue voters out there to help pro-gun Democrats. If the answer is no, we’re going back to being the crazy Uncle in the GOP attic. If our issue only finds a home in one party, the only thing that party has to be concerned with is not being as bad as the other guy.

There are definitely a lot of folks out there who are insisting the pro-gun movement stay squarely within a conservative framework. Those people may very well get their wish after Tuesday. But I don’t think that’s going to be a healthy thing when it comes to winning this issue decisively and quickly. The battle will go on.

Dangerous Tea Party Extremists

Before there was Sarah Palin, there was Ronald Reagan. Dave Kopel covers trying to smear Reagan as a dangerous tea party extremist, before there were tea parties.

More Electoral History

Somewhat related to Bitter’s last post, Clayton Cramer has part of Andrew Jackson’s farewell speech. Clearly he was a dangerous tea party fanatic, aligned with those extremist Republicans.

Attack Ads

I have a huge pet peeve: People who complain about attack ads.

First, they work. I hate it, but they do work. It sucks, and it makes for a miserable campaign season. But, if they didn’t work, they wouldn’t be the fine American tradition that they are today.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_zTN4BXvYI[/youtube]

Voting While Armed

A few days ago, we saw the beginning of a controversy brewing in Pennsylvania when it comes to the election – and not just the voter fraud accusations already flying. Rep. Bryan Cutler posted a link to the debate in his area when Lancaster County commissioners considered a ban on firearms in polling places. According to local news, is was either a directive or “suggestion” from the state on how towns can ban guns:

Stehman said she made the recommendation to the commissioners at the direction of the Pennsylvania Department of State.

The good news for the folks in Lancaster County is that a) you have a gun owning lawmaker who is looking into why the Department of State is trying to push an illegal resolution in all of the counties, and b) the commissioners recognized that the ban would be a legal and logistical nightmare and opted to follow the law.

But it’s a fair question to ask why someone at the Department of State would ask all 67 counties to break state law and pass these bans on possession?

[The directive/”suggestion” from the Department of State] then lists several sections of the Pennsylvania Elections Code that could be cited to justify such resolutions.

But [Commissioner Craig] Lehman said state and federal law are pretty clear that counties can’t legislate gun possession.

“I would hope the Department of State would have provided the legal justification for its direction, but it clearly doesn’t address the Uniform Firearms Act at all,” he said.

Once contacted by Rep. Cutler, the Department of State appears to have discovered the Uniform Firearms Act and fully agreed that local bans on lawful carry in polling places is completely illegal – even though they tried to push all the counties to pass those illegal bans.

NRA isn’t taking any chances and warned its members here to contact their local county offices to demand they say no to gun bans. I’d still like to know who exactly was responsible for the directive/”suggestion” because it seems like a very targeted group to keep away from the polls in a year that will no likely help the currently administration & House leaders.

UPDATE: Good news via Rep. Cutler:

Victory in the gun in polling places debate. Dept of State sent a clarifying memo verifying that counties are preempted from regulating guns. … However, note if polling places are in a area that is already regulated such as a courthouse or school that regulation must be followed.

I’m still not happy that the Department of State felt it could send an instruction packet on how to ban guns to the counties. I’d call for a little accountability since they spent serious time (looking through all of the state laws – except the one that actually matters) and some money on this fiasco. But, at least it is resolved. I vote at a school, but I think I’ll be standing at the polls at a different location, so this does impact my right to carry. Especially since Sebastian will be in another area working for a different candidate.

Party First. Your Rights, Second.

This ABC News article hints that we may have some trouble in an upcoming Republican Congress:

National Republicans are furious with the National Rifle Association, their natural ally, for endorsing 58 incumbent Democrats who support gun rights. And with Republicans aiming to win control of the House, some are promising retribution for the NRA next year.

â€œIn about a week, the NRA will find themselves on the bad sides of a few dozen new Republican members of congress. They have put their credibility â€“ and also that of their members â€“ on the line for the sake of ingratiating themselves with a bunch of liberal Democrats who are about to lose, and lose badly,â€ said one senior GOP operative who requested anonymity to speak freely.

So these “dozen new Republican members of congress” are willing to put their party affiliation ahead of the Second Amendment and the Constitution? Looks like we may be headed back to the days with Republican majorities that weren’t really willing to do much for us. Remember folks that the last Republican Congress got us Lautenberg, the Gun Free School Zones Act, a ban on purchasing of handguns by those 18-20, and oh yeah, PLCAA. Gotta throw at least one bone to the gun nuts.

Now it would seem some want us to go back into an abusive relationship with the GOP. If any of the new freshman GOP critters want to hold a grudge against NRA, I sincerely hope NRA will be willing to involve itself in primaries to get them out.

Understatement of the Year

From a writer to the Allentown Morning Call: “Callahan, Dent differ on gun control laws.” I’m glad someone is getting the word out about this race. PA-15 is one I’ve been keeping a nervous eye on, because Callahan is the first MAIG mayor to run for Congress, as far as I know, and he hasn’t left the group or denounced it. Fortunately, Dent is leading Callahan, and I couldn’t be any happier about that. Still, the poll next Tuesday is the only one that matters, and this race isn’t one to take for granted. Callahan has been the first serious challenger Dent has faced for a while. Here’s hoping Callahan has to go back to being a MAIG mayor instead of an anti-gun Congressman.

New Campaign Tactic

Dave Adams is pointing to a tactic similar to the one I inadvertently stumbled upon earlier in the week. It seems that the DCCC and Democrats across the country, are busily attacking third party candidates in their races as dangerous tea party conservatives. This obviously raises the profile of the third party candidate, and, if the plan works out, draws enough die-hards over to the candidate to split the vote sufficiently to allow the Democrat to come out on top.

I’d put this in the category of a dirty trick, but if it works, I can promise you’ll see more of it, on both sides.

Patrick Murphy Tied to Voter Fraud

The Courier Times is doing a story about Patrick Murphy’s campaign allegedly engaging in voter fraud. Will 8th District voters be able to overcome the margin of fraud? This kind of election year accusation is common, but I would point out that the Courier Times is hardly a friend of the GOP or the right.

Category: Politics