Maximum Mike is Out

U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan has officially resigned from his job as acting director of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Sullivan, a Republican, has been doing both jobs since August 2006. His resignation from the ATF is effective Jan. 20, the day of President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration.

He was nominated for the permanent position in March 2007, but his confirmation was held up by several Republican senators...[More]

So holds on nominees can work.

But some would have us believe we're unrealistic to expect just one of the 14 senators endorsed by NRA--Heaven forbid, even John McCain, who the Association went to bat for despite any merit--would be principled enough to put a hold on Eric Holder, easily the most anti-gun AG since Janet Reno.

Yeah, right.

[Via John Richardson]

GOA Enters Holder Fray

Gun Owners of America has issued an alert to its members to oppose confirmation of Eric Holder as attorney general. [More]

Go read about it at Gun Rights Examiner. And then take the requested action.

Tell a friend?

More on Eric Holder from Gun Rights Examiner:

• Holder: 'To-be' or not to be
• How to hold Holder without 'using guns'
• How you can help hold Holder
• Another reason to hold Holder
• Holder first squall in an approaching storm

'Qualifying Fireams'

It has begun. Despite assurances to the contrary, some democrats are champing at the bit to institute citizen disarmament, and like impulsive children, can't even wait for their guy to be inaugurated... This is nothing less than a declaration of war on American gun owners. [More]

Today's Gun Rights Examiner column discusses an anti-gun bill introduced last week that would make us all criminals. Well, not all of us...

As always, please share links to these with your friends, post on forums...

The thought strikes: I'm going to start making a pest of myself by asking you to send these links to newspaper editors, talk radio hosts...

UPDATE: Some guy who calls himself "Rifleman" gave me a great gift in "Comments"--a Fudd's perspective that the proposed law is "reasonable" and I'm being "loony." Naturally, the switchboard is lit up. Go on over and participate.

Also, as of right now, Gun Rights Examiner is #1 in the Politics category and #3 in overall National for traffic for today. That has never happened before. Please help me reach the top.

We're the Only Ones Disarming Enough

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has a simple, blunt message for hunters in Wisconsin: When a DNR warden asks you to give up your legal firearm, do so, plain and simple, no matter what.

What's more, that goes for all citizens, the agency has asserted. Citizens with firearms, the DNR argues, should always do exactly what law enforcement officers tell them to do, regardless of the circumstances of the situation. [More]

Huh. You don't say.

I can think of a few "circumstances" and "situations" where I might not want someone else to be the "Only One" armed simply because he works for the state.

How about you?

You might want to tell them that.


[Via SameNoKami]

The Enemy in Black

The Indiana Supreme Court today declined to get involved again with the city of Gary’s 10-year-old lawsuit against several gun makers, allowing the case to proceed to trial. [More]

Make no mistake: They know the law. They hate the law. So they will use all powers at their disposal to subvert the law.

Make no mistake: These are nothing less than domestic enemies.

[Via M.R. Jarrell]

We're the Only Ones "Behold, We Stand at the Door and Knock" Enough

“We’re going to start knocking on doors at the end of January,” said state police Detective Sgt. Eric Barlow. [More]

"Dave's not here."

Yeah, right. The "Only Ones" will knock if they suspect armed criminals are on the other side of the door.

Good one.

Hey--so much for no door-to-door confiscation, now that they've got their foot in the door...

[Via Brian F]

Stopping Gun Runners

Bipartisan Rodriguez Bill Takes Aim at Violence on Border...

Senators Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) and Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) introduced matching legislation in the Senate today. [More]

Despite all evidence to the contrary that gun control does not work to reduce violent crime, apparently we can get it to finally work if we just throw $15 million at it and "enable the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) to hire, train and deploy an additional 80 special agents."

Oh, and we'll also need "$9.5 million in fiscal years 2010 and 2011 to enhance cooperation between the United States and Mexico."

Hey, it could work. I mean, A+rated Kay Bailey Hutchison wouldn't steer us wrong about the desirability of strengthening BATFU, would she...?


Now if we can only do something about those damned American gun shows, BATFU's main scapegoat in the Mexican cartel wars, and which nonsense like this ought to prime the pump nicely for...

BREAKING

National Rifle Association Wusses Out On Holder [More]

I signed up so I could enter this comment, but for some reason I get a message telling me it's too soon. I guess you need to be a "member" for a while...?

Anyway, here's what I wanted to tell them:

"NRA will send out a letter in opposition to Holder"

I read it and linked to it here:
http://waronguns.blogspot.com/2009/01/leading-charge.html

Some "opposition."

One of their major complaints was he is not a strong enough proponent of federal gun control.

I kid you not.

As for breaking news, some of us have been reporting on this for over a week.

One other observation: I still see excuse-making for the Lairds of Fairfax being presented in some corners, but see absolutely none of the apologists addressing my contention that a key stated reason they expressed concern was because they think Holder hasn't been supportive enough of federal infringements.

I'd like to see one of them make their case and defend that--and not forget to show us what wonders have been worked in Richmond and Philadelphia, as Chris Cox is so proud to credit his favorite gun control program with.

The Coin of the Realm

Yuri Orlov warns us about the value of some metal currencies. [More]

Crime-Fighting's Future

...merely a guy with a gun... [More]

No argument here.

Except it's also crime-fighting's past and present, if you think about it.

[Via W-3]

Mysterious

I swear, as Charlie Quintard is my witness, I had nothing to do with it. [More]

Mike Vanderboegh points us to an interesting cold case.

Skepticism About Second Amendment Support

The disarmers of the Brady group no doubt are also offended by the rhetoric of past extremists such as Thomas Jefferson, who said that "No free man shall be debarred the use of arms," and Patrick Henry, who maintained that "The great object is that every man be armed." [More]

A summary on the state of the gun rights movement from The New American.

It's a good magazine. I know some try to marginalize the "Birchers," but understand the source of that comes from the same neocons who've replaced the elephants from the center ring of the Big Tent with RINOS.

I just wish TNA management would pull their heads out of their hind ends and hire this guy back.

The Indy Gun and Knife Show

I was there this past weekend, hangin' out with Chris (aka "DN") and Vanderboegh and Concerned American.

I also met Mike H and M.R. Jarrell.

I understand I just missed Caleb by a few minutes.

One neat thing, at least for me: I stopped and chatted with the guys manning the Appleseed table. They had literature on their table including a copy of GUNS Magazine opened to display this article.

Common Sense Gunn Control

The increase worries Steve Gunn, a member of the board of directors of the Gun Violence Prevention Center of Utah.

"People who carry guns or who even own guns should understand that a gun is far more likely to be misused than be for the protection of the individual," Gunn said in an interview. "People ought not to be buying or carrying guns." [More]

Aww, don't worry, Steve. Here. This ought to make you feel better.

Assuming it doesn't pop out.

[Via Mama Liberty]

This Day in History: January 13

I am sorry that I am under the disagreeable necessity of troubling your Lordship with a Letter, almost wholly on the Subject of the cruel Treatment, which our Officers and Men in the naval Department, who are unhappy enough to fall into your hands, receive on board the Prison Ships in the Harbour of New York. Without descending to particulars, I shall ground my complaint upon the matter contained in the inclosed paper, which is an exact Copy of an Account of the usage of the Prisoners, delivered to Congress by a Captain Gamble, lately a Prisoner himself in New York. [More]

I trust all understand I post the history feature every day for a reason...?

I believe it's important we learn from those who have gone before, particularly the hardships they endured, and the sacrifices that were required. This feature's primary purpose is to give us a look into what it takes to win, and what to expect along the way.

And no, I'm not calling special attention to today's post. I just thought I'd take a moment to ask visitors here not to gloss over these entries, to follow the links and perhaps learn something new, or gain a valuable insight by glimpsing into the minds of giants.