Scott Brown won the Massachusetts Senate seat and in doing so humiliates Obama, Democrats and the Brady Campaign who endorsed opponent Martha Coakley.
Oh, yes, it’s a Sunshine Day!
Laugh at Paul Helmke
Budget follies
Gov. Paterson’s budget proposal calls for $134 billion in spending, up 0.6% from last year. This is what passes for fiscal responsibility in New York. I don’t see anything about increasing pistol license fees or scrapping COBIS.
Awesome fictional firearms
16 Awesome Fictional Firearms. How could they have left off the BFG?
Lobby day aftermath #2
Still more media coverage from last week:
- Greg Ball press release, “Ball Welcomes Sportsmen to Albany, Calls on Legislature to Defend Second Amendment“
- Oneida County Courier, “Townsend Joins LaPierre and Friends for Sportsmen Event“
- Buffalo News, “Sportsmen rally the pro-gun troops“:
“… More than 2,000 of those concerned hunters, shooters, trappers, gun owners and collectors, and other outdoors-rights people gathered in the Legislative Office Building on Tuesday to view exhibits and hear leading gun-rights advocates address issues during a Sportsmen’s and Outdoor Recreation Legislative Awareness Albany Rally …”
- Post-Journal, “Giglio Co-Hosts Outdoor Recreation Legistlative Awareness Day“
- Legislative Gazette, “Assembly Republicans’ sportsmen awareness day draws New York hunters and gun rights advocates“
Plus an op-ed on how RACC tries to score some political points against Assemblywoman Addie Russell in the Watertown Daily Times, “The RACC and forth about Russell’s record.“
Who are these people?
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
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
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
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
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.