Anti-Romney candidates

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Here is a good article by syndicated columnist Victor Davis Hanson, “GOP running out of anti-Romneys.”  The opening paragraph sums everything up nicely:

“Nominating Mitt Romney is sort of like taking grandma’s castor oil.  Republicans are dreading the thought of downing their unpleasant-tasting medicine but worry that sooner or later they will have to.”

Unfortunately, I think he’s right.  From a RKBA standpoint, the very slight edge Romney has over Obama on the issue is that he realizes that he needs to at least appear pro-gun in order to win, while Obama seems to be going for not looking openly hostile to 2A rights.  That gives our side some leverage over Romney.

What H.R. 822 does for NY/NJ

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I came across this blog where the author says that H.R. 822 does nothing for him in New Jersey as CCWs are next to impossible to obtain.  Ditto for many New Yorkers.

While it is true that H.R. 822 does nothing directly for either states with regard to the discretionary authority of pistol licensing agents, the bill does offer indirect benefits to residents of both our states:

  1. It will increase the number of citizens legally carrying firearms in each state.  As per John Lott, More Guns = Less Crime.  This will take away a primary argument used by the antigunners to justify their position.
  2. It will put pressure on the state legislatures to reform our laws.  Why should non-residents be allowed to legally carry and not residents?
  3. The antigunners are shitting themselves over the possibility it will become law and it is damn funny to watch.

While H.R. 822 is not the end-all, be-all piece of legislation some people want it to be, it is a positive step forward.

More good news from the Brady’s

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More good news from the Brady Campaign via their Facebook page:

“H.R. 822, the “Packing Heat in Your Street Bill” passed in the U.S. House 🙁 When we come back from Thanksgiving, the gun lobby’s pawns want to “amend” the bill, which would skip the normal process of open debate and hearings.”

Translation: They don’t have the votes to block it.

Brady’s coming up short

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In the latest notice from the Brady Campaign, they admit they don’t have the votes to block H.R. 822 in the Senate:

“I just wanted to update you on the “Packing Heat on Your Street” bill that is moving through Congress. Last Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed this deadly bill. The bill now moves to the Senate and we are very close to securing the votes needed to defeat it …”

That means they don’t have it now.  This is why Chuck Schumer hasn’t been his usual smug self lately.

 

 

Not so smug

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Chuck Schumer has a really annoying smugness whenever he gets the best of his opposition.  He’s not sounding that way over H.R. 822.

From the Watertown Daily Times:

“… The bill passed the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, 272-154, but its future in the Democratic-controlled Senate is in doubt. Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., has pledged to do what he can to stop the bill in the chamber, according to a report in the New York Daily News …”

From the Daily News:

“… Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) has vowed to work to stop its passage in the Senate …”

From the Post-Standard:

“… “It seems perverse that the first gun-related measure that this Congress plans to take up since the Tucson shooting is one that seeks to dismantle states’ ability to protect their own citizens,” Schumer said. “It’s like a bad dream.” …”

He didn’t sound this way last time around.  He was a lot more confident and full of himself.  Schumer lost a lot of support after the ’10 elections and both he and the the antis know it.  Nobody was asking Obama to veto the measure last year.

As of now Harry Reid has not commented on the bill nor has the Whitehouse, adding to the anti’s hysteria.

McCarthy’s defeat

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Reaction to H.R. 822

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Reaction from our Congressional delegation to House passage of HR. 822:

Here’s our press release, “NYSRPA Congratulates House of Representatives on Passage of H.R. 822.”

H.R. 822 vote sheet

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Here’s the vote sheet for H.R. 822.  Those voting in favor were:

Yes it is

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The House finished debates on amendments to H.R. 822.  Best quote comes from Chris Gibson when he said “This bill is about freedom.”

Obama’s position on H.R. 822

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In this Washington Post story on H.R. 822 is this nugget:

“… The administration has not yet taken an official position on the bill …”

This is important because I’m sure they know about it.  Obama could have called the bill D.O.A., but he hasn’t.  He could have criticized Congress for talking up guns instead of jobs like Jim McGovern did during yesterdays debates, but he hasn’t done that either.  While he might not personally like the idea I suspect he would sign the bill out of political expediency.   Doing so would blunt upcoming attacks by the NRA over his re-election campaign.  Plus the antigun organizations do not bring anything useful to the table so they cannot really help or hurt him either way.