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(AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
Hearings are starting on president-elect Barack Obama's cabinet selections. Of particular interest to gun owners:
U.S. Attorney General to-be Eric Holder will be before the Senate Judiciary Committee on January 15th.
"To-be..."
That's a heck of an assumption from the "authorized journalists" at MSNBC. It's like it's a done deal--all that's needed is the rubber stamp.
Some of us are demanding Holder not be confirmed, and leading that charge is Jeff Knox of The Firearms Coalition:
Gunowners need to be pushing members of the [Senate Judiciary] committee very hard to delay and block the confirmation.
Why? Among other things:
Earlier this year, Eric Holder--along with Janet Reno and several other former officials from the Clinton Department of Justice--co-signed an amicus brief in District of Columbia v. Heller. The brief was filed in support of DC's ban on all handguns, and ban on the use of any firearm for self-defense in the home. The brief argued that the Second Amendment is a "collective" right, not an individual one, and asserted that belief in the collective right had been the consistent policy of the U.S. Department of Justice since the FDR administration.
Y'know, even the Supreme Court justices who ruled against Heller didn't go that far. This is the guy we want in charge of interpreting and enforcing federal gun laws? I don't think so.
What's needed in addition to contacting the Senate Judiciary Committee members is for all gun owners to contact their senators, demanding, not asking, that they put a hold on Holder. Again, per Knox:
Holder’s appointment to be AG must be approved by the Senate. While it is highly unlikely that opponents could muster the 51 votes needed to reject Holder’s appointment, a single Senator can place a “hold” on the confirmation and effectively lock up the system just as Democrats did with a number of President Bush’s judicial appointments and the appointment of John Bolton to be Ambassador to the UN. Once a “Hold” has been placed, a supermajority of 60 votes is required to break the hold. With enough vocal opposition to Holder’s confirmation, Obama could be forced to withdraw the nomination and select someone else to be his AG.
"But...but...but..." some naysayers (i.e., those who would rather make excuses than lift a finger) have told me, "My senators are anti-gun. It won't do any good to write them."
Good grief.
I'll talk about that wrong-headed attitude tomorrow.
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RNC Chair debate today
Those of you who were around over the weekend know I was trying to rally gun owners to press the RNC on including a substantive query on Second Amendment support to all candidates in today's Washington Press Club debate.
A few things:
We succeeded in turning the pre-debate poll around in favor of Ken Blackwell. Michael Steele had held a comfortable lead before we got involved.
Go vote in the poll. It's important that Steele, a guy who says "Society should draw lines. What do you need an assault weapon for, if you're going hunting?" be given a big "thumbs down."
Also, go the the RNC Debate website to ask your own question, to vote on questions to increase the likelihood of their being heard, and to view the debate today at 1:00 PM EST.
Two things to watch for: Will they ignore us, or if not, will they ask a softball question to allow a meaningless Obama-style "I support the Second Amendment" platitude that tells us nothing?
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Give me liberty
Blogonomicon has put together a very good pictorial summary of the 1936 short film, "Give Me Liberty," starring John Litel as Patrick Henry.
This is really cool. Go on over and have a look.
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And let's give a warm welcome...
To Daniel White, the new Cleveland Gun Rights Examiner.
In today's column, Daniel explores the concept of "common sense" gun control.
I can't tell you how thrilled I am about this new opportunity. I'll be linking to him regularly, and encourage you to bookmark his page and make it a regular place to visit.
Congratulations, Daniel! Go get 'em!
Comments
Living in California I have extremely liberal senators and even some somewhat liberal friends & family. I've taken a slightly different tack here; I've been able to convince several of them to write letters of opposition to the Holder nomination based on his anti-privacy positions:
news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10110922-38.html
I'm looking forward to your article tomorrow addressing the attitude of the naysayers whose Rep's are anti gun. I live in Jersey City NJ, a HOT BED of anti gun activity, and all my reps are anti's.
I know it's "politicky" and even though it makes me feel a dirty, we should be urging folks that are either anti-gun or ambivalent about gun rights issues to contact their reps and oppose Holder based on his track record and questionable dealings / involvement in the FALN and Mark Rich pardons.
I'm looking forward to your article tomorrow addressing the attitude of the naysayers whose Rep's are anti gun. I live in Jersey City NJ, a HOT BED of anti gun activity, and all my reps are anti's.
He should NOT be confirmed. He has the same smell on him as the rest of congress.
Unfortunately others turned the straw poll back around. Steele is ahead of Blackwell.
Ah, the famous gun owner apathy. If but a portion of the readers here and at WarOnGuns had taken a few seconds to do this, just a few lousy seconds, Blackwell would have had more votes than the total that ended up being cast--it looks like the poll is gone from their site now, which makes sense, since it was billed as "pre-debate." Apathy really is a bigger enemy than the anti-gunners.
Anyway, the debate is now over--I wasn't able to watch because I had to take my folks to the airport--it looks like they plan on letting people see it "when it becomes available" if they "register and opt in."
The only firearm related question asked was "How many guns do you own?"
I e-mailed and snail mailed both Texas Senators, K.Baily-Hutchison and John Cornyn and requested both to reject Obama's Holder nomination. So far, all I've received is a form e-mail acknowledgment from Cornyn's office.
Thanks David, I will call & write my Senator immediately. Very informative. As well as inform friends,family, and clients.
Congrats David on your National status. I'll keep reading and you keep up with the Brownies. Best of luck and great material as always! Got you linked to my site for any sports readers who may be interested in your cause!
Thanks all who are doing this--be sure to tell your friends.
And thanks Aaron--I reciprocated in my "Examine More Examiners" link list and encourage all football fans to check it out!
You know you're talkin' to a guy who remembers "The Toe"...? :-)
I work in Iraq, It's a real pain in the hind quarters to call my senators (Hutchison, and Cornyn) but I'll make the time. If I can do it from the other side of the globe...
Hey you could have titled this article, "Holder on hold". Bad pun, I know. But I couldn't resist. ;)
Here is what is "common sense". If you unnecessarily have a weapon in your hand, so that a reasonable person fears for bodily harm, then you are prosecuted for assault. Pretty much universal across the 50 states. It does not matter what the weapon is - gun, knife, baseball bat, golf club, whatever. A holstered handgun or a golf club in a golf bag cannot be misinterpreted as "threatenaning" until a threat is uttered or the weapon is in hand. What should not occur is prosecution for mere possession of an object that COULD be used as a weapon. Simple common sense.
I went to GOA's revamped site, and, the "Take Action" Button is not working on their Legislative Action Page. I used their online Email form to alert them to the problem, and, there was a strange response there (like it wasn't going to post), but, the copy showed up in my Inbox, so maybe that got through.
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