All about guns, legislation and politics in New York
I have been told Mayor Bloomberg has scheduled a press conference today at 1:00pm to rail about his latest antigun bugaboo: online gun sales.
UPDATE: Yep. It’s online gun sales. See ABC News, “New York Probe Finds 62 Percent of Private Gun Sellers Sell to Prohibited Individuals.”
UPDATE 2: Bloomberg’s press release.
UPDATE 3: MAIG press release.
Glenn Beck has officially jumped the shark.
“As Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich campaigned in New Hampshire today, the National Association for Gun Rights sent out robo-calls in New Hampshire accusing the former House speaker of being “anti-gun.” The calls say Gingrich has not returned the organization’s survey, adding, “Maybe it’s because of his past support for gun control.” …”
Maybe. Maybe it’s because he doesn’t believe NAGR has any creditability and just does not take them seriously. Given they have a proven history of opposing pro-gun legislation, I believe it is the later.
Arizona Congressman Paul Gosar has submitted a resolution of no confidence in A.G. Eric Holder over his handling of the “Fast and Furious” scandal. Rep. Michael Grimm is the only area co-sponsor so far.
Councilwoman Inez Dickens has pre-filed a resolution in support of Sen. Gillibrand’s bill S-1973, the so-called “Gun Trafficking Prevention Act”, which I believe would make private firearms transfers illegal. The text of S-1973 is not available yet.
Dickens’ resolution isn’t going to help get S-1973 passed. It’s just the Clown Council making noise. It is on the Public Safety Committee’s agenda for the 19th.
Carolyn McCarthy and Frank Lautenberg ave started a petition website asking for President Obama to veto H.R. 822.
All this desperation move shows is that they don’t have the votes in the Senate to block it.
Fresh off the defeat of Caitlin Halligan’s court nomination comes this report on another noted antigunner returning to the White House:
“The White House press shop will soon have a new edition: Jennifer Palmieri, who will be the deputy communications director. Palmieri is a veteran of the Clinton White House, where she worked for eight years, including a stint as the deputy press secretary … she was also listed as a lobbyist in 2001 for the advocacy group Americans for Gun Safety …”
AGS was a phony front group that tried masking itself as a “moderate” antigun group more concerned with “gun safety” than “gun control.” They folded into the far left Third Way group and have largely left public gun control activism to groups like the Bradys and CSGV.
Update to my previous Guns and the courts post: Senate Republicans successfully filibustered Caitlin Halligan’s nomination to the D.C. circuit.
“… Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said in remarks on the Senate floor that Halligan’s representation of New York in a case against gun manufacturers and her membership on a New York City Bar Association panel that issued a report criticizing Bush administration detainee policy had given him concerns about Halligan’s “judicial philosophy and her approach to interpreting the Constitution.” “Based on her record, I simply do not believe she will be able to put aside her long record of liberal advocacy and be a fair and impartial jurist,” Grassley said …”
While guns weren’t the only objection, this is a good sign for our side and demonstrates just how weak the antigun position has become. It further supports my belief that the Senate will take up and pass H.R. 822.
Following on the heals of Schneiderman’s gun bust, Charles Schumer will be reintroducing Mayor Bloomberg’s proposal to ban the private transfer of firearms in the Senate via his butt monkey Kirsten Gillibrand. The Capital reports:
“… Schumer made guns a defining issue of his tenure in the House, but, as he’s ascended the Senate leadership, and gun control has disappeared from the agenda of the national party, the senior senator has mostly ceded the issue to Gillibrand …”
Yeah and there’s a reason for him doing that: Schumer knows the issue is bad for Democrats. He does not want to give the public the impression the Democrat party is pushing for gun control. If he were serious about this bill, he would intro the bill himself. All the major bills in Albany are sponsored by legislative leaders, not the rank and file.
“… The last time Gillibrand introduced the bill, it garnered only two co-sponsors—Schumer and New Jersey Senator Frank Lautenberg—before stalling in committee. …”
Which it will likely do again and Schumer knows it. This dog and pony show is nothing more than an attempt to delay passage of H.R. 822 in the Senate.
Mitt Romney has joined the chorus of Congressmen calling for Attorney General Eric Holder’s resignation over the “Fast and Furious” scandal:
“… Romney tells reporters after a rally in New Hampshire that Eric Holder has misled Congress and has “brought shame” on the Justice Department through his handling of Operation Fast and Furious …”
Romney is absolutely correct in calling out Holder. Yes, I’m sure the gun politics aspects of the case weighed in on his decision, but it was still the right thing to do.