"Major Blow" to Major Blowhard

A key Congressional committee dealt a major blow to Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s campaign against illegal firearms yesterday, refusing to allow police departments broader access to data that tracks guns sales.

The bill restricting release of the information, approved by the House Appropriations Committee, must still be passed by the full House and reconciled with a similar Senate measure. But since the Senate bill is considered even more beneficial to the gun industry, the Bloomberg administration appeared resigned to defeat.

Note Paul Helmke's "I'll be back" threat. I half expect him to twirl his moustache and go "Nya-ha-ha" while saying it.

We're the Only Ones Bringing Closure Enough

A grand jury Wednesday declined to indict a former sheriff's deputy in the shooting death of a teenager accused of stealing video game consoles...

"We're very pleased and we hope this will bring closure to a very difficult and tragic set of circumstance..."

I'm sure we'd be seeing the same "closure" and all parties would be "very pleased" had Peyton Strickland been the one to shoot an unarmed "Only One" through a door...

[Via ChareltonHest]

Fincher Denied Appeal Bond

A Washington County man convicted of having illegal machine guns won't be allowed out of jail while his conviction and sentencing are on appeal, a
judge ruled Friday...Fincher is being allowed to remain free on $100,000 bond until he reports to federal prison July 24.

Most outrageous line:

The defense tried to make a case of the Constitution versus gun laws; the government kept the case more simple...

Close runner-up:

A second issue planned on appeal is whether Fincher should have been given more prison time for being an organizer or leader of a criminal activity that involved more than five people.

[More about Wayne Fincher from WarOnGuns]

This Day in History: July 13

A Speech to the Six Confederate Nations, Mohawks, Oneidas, Tusscaroras,Onondagas, Cayugas, Senekas, from the Twelve United Colonies, convened in
Council at Philadelphia.

BROTHERS, SACHEMS, AND WARRIORS,

We, the Delegates from the Twelve United Provinces, viz. New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, the three lower counties of New Castle, Kent, and Sussex, on Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, now sitting in general Congress at Philadelphia, send this talk to you our brothers.