Month: January 2010

Who are these people?

On: By: admin

There’s a new Sienna poll out that shows George Pataki with a 55-34% approval rating.  According to The Hill:

“… Pataki, the former two-term [typo: three-term] governor of the Empire State, would beat incumbent Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D) by 13 points if the election were held today, and maintains a larger, 22-point lead over former Rep. Harold Ford (D-Tenn.), who’s mulling a run for the New York Senate seat …”

My question is, who are these 55% of the people with warm feelings for Pataki?  He was terrible.  He wrecked the economy and the state Republican party and drove thousands of people and countless businesses out of the state.  Who out there is actually saying they’re craving more of G. Elmer?

Nobody loves the Brady’s

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Nobody loves the Brady’s, least of all the Obama administration.  According to The Hill:

“President Barack Obama received a failing grade from the a gun control advocacy group on Monday …”

Does it look as if he cares what they think?

“… “This year they ran away from the issue, and actually signed two repeals of good gun legislation.”  Those changes, which would allow guns in national parks and on Amtrak trains, were attached as amendments to larger pieces of legislation the president generally supported …”

Nope.  Is that likely to change anytime soon?

“… [Paul] Helmke said the Obama administration hadn’t yet reached out to the gun control group, and that he doesn’t expect the White House to do so anytime soon …”

So, the biggest socialist/statist in American history wants nothing to with their anti-freedom agenda?  That says a lot about how unpopular gun control really is.

Blakeman campaign announcement

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Republican Bruce Blakeman officially announced his candidacy for Senate against incumbent Kirsten Gillibrand.  Other than the fact that he ran for Comptroller back in ’98, what do we know about him?

“… Blakeman made no mention in his 20-minute speech of his positions on hot-button issues like abortion, gun control, immigration reform or gay marriage, although he did voice opposition to Obama on health care reform and national security …”

Pretty much nothing.  No campaign website yet, but here is his bio at the law firm where he is a partner.

Expect chaos

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With the Senate getting ready to throw out Hiram Monserrate and Andrew Cuomo to indict Pedro Espada, expect a lot of chaos in the upper house which should help keep antigun legislation bottled up for the rest of the session.

Lazio: the liberal conservative

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The Post-Star reports, “Lazio gets local endorsements“:

“Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Lazio on Friday announced the executive committee of the Saratoga County Conservative party endorsed his candidacy. “Rick Lazio shares our vision for smaller government and lower taxes,” said Saratoga County Conservative Chairman Bob Roe, in a press release …”

Hotline On Call reports, “Lazio Praises Paterson, Pitches Moderate Stands“:

“… Lazio calls himself a moderate, pro-choice GOPer with a good environmental record …”

And he’s antigun.

Rick Lazio, the liberal conservative.

Feld declines

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Antigun RINO Liz Feld has decided not to challenge Kirsten Gillibrand:

“… New York needs an energetic and fiscally conservative candidate …”

And that criteria rules her out.

NYAGV press release on microstamping

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New Yorkers Against Gun Violence did sent out a press release in response to lobby day on the 12th. They posted it as a comment on Capitol Confidential’s morning entry for that day.  It’s the only place I have found it.

For Immediate Release
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Contact: Jackie Hilly 212-679-2345

Learn the Truth About Protecting the Police
LaPierre Woefully Out of Touch with Most Americans and Gun Owners!

The truth is common sense gun laws save lives, especially the lives of law enforcement officers. But when the gun lobby descends on Albany today the only thing on display will be aggravated rhetoric, platitudes, and false accusations.

In 2009, with the weakest gun laws in the industrialized world, the United States experienced a 26% increase in law enforcement deaths from gunshots. As police officers are killed and violence from guns continues to devastate communities, the gun lobby, locked in its rhetoric and loaded with lies, opposes sensible legislation like Microstamping (A6864/S4397). Law enforcement needs help to solve gun crimes, reduce illegal firearm trafficking, and get dangerous people off the streets. Microstamping legislation to help trace crime guns is supported by law enforcement throughout the state, the New York State Association of Sheriffs and Chiefs of Police, all 62 New York District Attorneys, and Mayors from cities all over the state. The gun lobby opposes it.

“Microstamping is a great investigative tool. Cartridges left at a crime scene could easily be traced to a specific weapon. This will help to create leads and help police investigators make arrests, take criminals off our streets and keep our communities safe,” said William J. Kilfoil, President of the NYS Association of Chiefs of Police.

NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre has said “the guys with the guns make the rules.” Mr. La Pierre is woefully out of touch with most Americans and out of touch with his own membership as a recent poll demonstrated American gun owners’ overwhelming support of sensible gun laws. “Right now too many bad guys have guns from states with weak gun laws,” said Jackie Hilly, Executive Director of New Yorkers Against Gun Violence. “We need leaders who will help us create safer streets in America, where our Police Officers and families don’t have to dodge bullets from illegal guns.”

When will the gun lobby stop protecting criminals, start listening to their own members and recognize the truth in Justice Scalia’s words: “The 2nd Amendment is not unlimited…the right was not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose.”

Sincerely,

Jackie Hilly, Executive Director
New Yorkers Against Gun Violence
212-679-2345
http://www.nyagv.org
nyagv@nyagv.org

What was on display was vastly more people than NYAGV has ever been able to muster in one place. NYAGV looks weak and they know it.

Schimel’s microstamping letter

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As I said Michelle Schimel was not happy all those people showed up in Albany on Tuesday.  Here is a copy of the letter she sent around the legislature in support of her microstamping bill, A-6468B.

Lobby day aftermath

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About 1500 people showed up in Albany to lobby their legislators in the LOB/CAP yesterday.  Here is some of the media coverage we got:

Shelly didn’t like this.  The Assembly usually goes into session mid-afternoon, but he called it in the morning so as to keep gunnies away from their Assemblymen.  He also booked all the conference rooms so there was no place to gather other than the Well and the reps. offices.

Michelle Schimel (who is on the NYAGV Board) didn’t like it either, which probably had to do with her having to walk through all those gunnies in order to get to her office.  She passed around a letter attacking the NRA on microstamping.  It was lame.

Schneiderman v. Rice

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Liz Benjamin writes:

“… Insiders believe the fight for the Democratic AG nomination will likely come down to a battle between [Eric] Schneiderman on the left with support from labor unions and so-called “progressives,” and Nassau County DA Kathleen Rice running from a more centrist base (suburban, tough on crime etc.) …”

Both are antis, but Schneiderman is a movement antigunner.  He promotes their agenda in the legislature.   The only good thing about him running for AG is that he would have to give up his Senate seat to do that.