Month: July 2017

#NY22 campaign is going to be ugly

On: By: admin

If this article in the Press & Sun-Bulletin is any indication, next year’s race for the 22nd Congressional District is going to be very ugly:

“… Rep. Claudia Tenney is already launching a character attack against her new opponent, Assemblyman Anthony Brindisi, by making an issue of his father’s “notorious” background as a lawyer who decades ago represented defendants with ties to organized crime …”

Savage!

“… While Democrats are pushing his moderate record and “A” rating from the National Rifle Association, she called him a liberal progressive who is part of “the machine in Albany.” …”

I’d say both are true.

If it is this nasty now, what is this race going to look like six months down the road?

Republican challenger for Collins

On: By: admin

A slew of potential Democrats have announced their intentions to challenge upstate Republican Congressmen.

In CD-27, Rep. Chris Collins has a Republican challenger Frank C. Smierciak II.

According to The Daily News he’s big on guns:

“… Well I think, first off, the (NY SAFE Act) needs to be repealed completely. Same with the pistol permitting process. I believe strongly in constitutional carry nationwide, and that’s because it’s your right to own whatever firearm you want, to have one for protection — personal protection, for home defense, whatever you want to have it for …”

To be fair, Collins does co-sponsor H.R.38 which supports both licenses to carry and constitutional carry.

“… Well, Collins hasn’t done all that much regarding the Second Amendment. He has voiced his support saying that the SAFE Act should be repealed but he hasn’t really done much for that. In terms of pistol permitting, he has gotten behind the concealed carry reciprocity bill … The flaw with the concealed reciprocity bill is it has this little caveat in it that says states must recognize permits from other states as long as they allow their own residents to carry. Well that’s pretty easily opening the door for states like New York or California to just outright deny people the right to carry …”

Collins cannot do anything about the SAFE Act because it is a state law.

Smierciak concerns about the reciprocity bill are unfounded.  New York will never outlaw concealed carry because politicians use may-issue to shake down people for money and favors.

It remains to be seen whether or not Smierciak can put together the resources to seriously challenge Collins.

Ask @NYGovCuomo to comment

On: By: admin

Mainstream media is now reporting that the Bronx hospital shooter used a SAFE-compliant rifle.

I cannot find my mention of this by Governor Cuomo nor anybody from the LCA asking his office for a comment.

Kennedy to retire next year?

On: By: admin

SCOTUS not taking Peruta was a disappointment.

However, that disappointment may be short-lived because according to the Washington Post:

“… it is unlikely that Kennedy will remain on the court for the full four years of the Trump presidency. While he long ago hired his law clerks for the coming term, he has not done so for the following term (beginning Oct. 2018), and has let applicants for those positions know he is considering retirement … It’s not terribly surprising that Kennedy would consider retirement … but this looks like a pretty good indicator that it will come at some point in President Trump’s first term …”

It’s been only 9 years since Heller and 7 since McDonald.  Considering NRA started working on changing judicial opinion on gun rights back in the 70s, it really has not been that long since the Court took up a major gun issue.  I would rather wait another 5 years for a good decision from a new court then get a half-assed one written by Kennedy on his way out the door.

SAFE didn’t work

On: By: admin

A disgruntled former employee shot and killed one person and wounded six more at a Bronx hospital yesterday.

Local Moms issued this statement:

“… While we do not yet know much about the man who committed this crime or how he got his gun, it’s clear that we must do more to keep guns out of the hands of people with dangerous intentions …”

Media reports indicate a AR-15 was used, which may have been modified to be SAFE Act compliant.

Does this mean that MDA is admitting Governor Cuomo’s signature law does not work as advertised? Cuomo himself has so far been silent about it as has Mayor de Blasio.