More Clues on Miers

Warren Burger was one of her favorite judges:

In another sign that Miers's supporters may be worried about perceptions of her Supreme Court knowledge, the Republican National Committee last weekend rebutted reports that Miers had told a senator that her favorite Supreme Court justice was former chief justice Warren Burger...In its press release, the RNC clarified that Miers had just named Burger as one among several favorites, and that she only meant Burger was important "in terms of his role in the administration of justice."

A quote from Warren Burger on the Second Amendment:

"[The Second Amendment] has been the subject of one of the greatest pieces of fraud, I repeat the word 'fraud,' on the American public by special interest groups that I have ever seen in my lifetime."

Miers Foes See Law Questions as Way to Derail Nomination

"We are trying to establish that there are thousands of questions that law students routinely deal with...and if she can't get to that level, it doesn't matter if you're for the left or the right, at that point it's a fait accompli that she is not fit for the office."

[Thanks to Dan Gifford for the link.]

Publicola on Hugh Hewitt

Just got in from my after-work commute. I was going through the dial when Hugh Hewitt said he was going to talk about Harriet Miers and the Second Amendment, and that he would be speaking with Publicola, no doubt due to this post.

Hewitt doesn't think we'll ever get to a standard of strict scrutiny on 2A, and thinks intermediate scrutiny is the best we can hope for, particularly because the voters would never go for uninfringed rkba.

Newsflash to Hugh--some of us will accept nothing less. We don't need a majority--all we need is the critical mass of voters to deny victory. And no, we will not lose our gun rights if the Democrats are elected--that is, not unless we surrender them. Some of us--I pray a critical mass--won't do that, either.

Congratulations, Publicola, on getting national radio exposure.

"Politically Charged"

So Harriet Miers wouldn't join the Federalist Society because it was "politically charged"? But she had no problem joining the Democratic Progressive Voters League and did not consider the NAACP to be "politically charged"?

That wouldn't be the same non-"politically charged" NAACP that sued gun manufacturers, would it?

More Racine Follies--and Unreported "Gun Crimes"?

When WarOnGuns last visited the beautiful city of Racine, WI, we found an alderman so hysterically against the right to keep and bear arms that he wanted to keep coloring books out of the local schools.

Now we have the story of Project New Life, a "gun buyback" program designed to get guns "off the street" and out of the hands of everyone except the criminal predators.

We're evidently supposed to be inspired by the story of a 17-year-old former gang member who turned in his "protection" gun. But funny thing--he doesn't want the gangs to find out he's unarmed now. That's another way of saying he feels safer if they think he's armed.

Nope, no disconnect there.

Nor is there cause for pause when we learn "some as young as 15, turned in guns, rifles and grenades to the church."

15-year-olds? With grenades? Live ones? And the church was qualified and equipped to handle those without clearing the place out, closing the place down and calling in the bomb squad? And BATFU wasn't notified?

And apparently, when they guarantee "no questions asked," they mean it.

The program ran into a snag in the first week of September when some of the weapons collected were stolen by a person or persons close to the buyback organizers. Cohen said the last of the guns taken from Project New Life's office were returned last week.

So much for keeping them safely locked and secured. But what can you do when the thieves are part of the "buyback" team? Still, this opens so many questions:

Who stole the guns?

Were they returned because the thieves had a sudden attack of conscience, or did the church make it known they were going to be reported if they didn't?

Was a police report filed?

Can we expect an investigation, arrest and prosecution? Or was--as this sounds--a deal made to just turn a blind eye to everything after the weapons were returned?

Again--was BATFU notified of these multiple federal felonies, and are they going to do anything about them?

I wouldn't hold my breath on that one. I asked them years ago about a sawed-off shotgun transfer at another "buyback" and got nothing but the runaround.

And here's one last question--why is the only place highlighting this a relatively obscure gun rights blog? Where are the government-recognized "real journalists"?

FEMA "Reconsidering"

They aren't actually doing anything about the gun ban at their refugee trailer kamp, but their attorney is looking into it. That oughtta stall things for a while.

I love the Sheriff's spokeshole saying the reason they need a ban is because trailer walls are so thin.

No thinner than that argument, if you ask me...

Of COURSE He Hasn't Been Fired Yet. Of COURSE there Was a Plea.

A Covington police officer admitted he threatened his wife with a handgun while drunk.

But that's OK, because "Ken Easterling, chief prosecutor for the Kenton County Attorney's Office, said that while the gun was loaded, its safety was on and there was no bullet in the chamber."

So, see? There were mitigating circumstances.

Senator Shrugs Off Gun Incident

And why not? He appears to have been slipping out of controversies for years.

I wonder, if this was you or me, if we'd be able to shrug it off?

US Mulls Federal Troops for Bird Flu Quarantine

The Pentagon is looking at the possibility of using federal troops to enforce a quarantine in the event of an outbreak of pandemic bird flu in the United States, a senior official said on Wednesday.

President George W. Bush said last week he would consider using the military to "effect a quarantine" in response to any outbreak of avian influenza, but provided few details.

This won't require citizens being sent to quarantine facilities, though, will it? And he'll let us keep our guns, right?

"Independence" Day

In response to "A Victim of WHAT?", Aaron Krowne, Head of Digital Library Research,Emory University General Libraries, and Director of PlanetMath.org, shares his own experiences with overzealous law enforcement.

I guess it's easier and less dangerous than going after criminals.

This illustrates how everyone in our society is affected by the assault on liberty--and the more people caught in the net, the more they will become radicalized to resist. We could all stand a reminder that personal liberty comes in different forms, and it's only appropriately defined by the individual who wants to exercise it.

In the meantime, squeeze, baby, squeeze.

Arrested for Carrying a Fanny Pack?

This is one of the more absurd manifestations of the police state I have come across.

A Victim of WHAT?

"If you don't know about it, then you're a victim of your own ignorance."

So says Washington DC police officer Dennis Fair, who cuffed, searched, arrested and jailed a woman who had one glass of wine.

Why would he do that?

Fair, who said he does not comment on individual arrests, noted in his report that Bolton's attitude was "excited," "carefree" and "cocky."

I hope they throw the book at her. She wantonly broke the cardinal rule of subjects in the presence of law enforcement heroes of the state:

"You WILL respect my authoritah!"

Nicki Reviews EFAD

Bracken skillfully combines this set of circumstances and shows us a frightening, and all too realistic, glimpse into what could happen when ordinary, freedom-loving Americans are pushed too far by a band of would-be tyrants set on furthering their own power and agenda.

Go read.

Comments on Senator Hinojosa Caught with Gun

Isn't this the second time Juan has been caught carrying a gun in the airport. Kinda strange since is he such a leading proponent of strict gun control, voted with Ann Richards against the Right to Carry in Texas. Wanted to add a $1.00 tax on each bullet sold in the state. Guess he will lie out of this one like he did las time "I was in a hurry and forgot about the gun" - Floyd Kolander

So much for being a gun owner making a politician--or judicial nominee--pro-Second Amendment...

Gun Sales Up Since Hurricanes

Nothing like a little reality to show people what they can expect in an emergency--if the hurricanes had a silver lining, it was to wake people up to the fact that they'll need to be able to protect themselves when disaster strikes.

The Brady's have lost the "You should rely on the police to protect you" sound bite from their arsenal of lies.

Laura Bush Says Sexism Possible in Miers Criticism

Right.

SHE's the one who pushed for the nominee being a woman--as if that should have anything to do with anything.

Arnold Returns AB 996

In explaining why he didn't sign Mark Ridley-Thomas' gun store harassment bill that would have required all ammo to be kept behind the counter, Schwarzenegger explained "I have just signed SB 48 by
Senator Scott into law which will ensure those underage will no longer be purchasing ammunition."

No, it won't. That's like saying signing a bill binding on Rite-Aid and Sav-On will ensure those underage will no longer be purchasing drugs.

What SB 48 does is take away affirmative defense that a seller did not know a handgun ammunition purchaser was under 21. And isn't it curious that someone old enough to be trusted in Iraq is deemed too young to be trusted in California.

What did Mr. Coxe say?

THE POWERS OF THE SWORD ARE IN THE HANDS OF THE YEOMANRY OF AMERICA FROM SIXTEEN TO SIXTY.

It's good that Arnold didn't sign AB 996. But the "good news" seems to be all we're hearing about from the lobbyists. He should have returned SB 48 unsigned as well.

UPDATE: David Hardy reports one further bit of gun control The Hessian signed:

[It] authorizes arraignment judges to forbid domestic violence defendants to own arms (i.e., to forbid possession by a person charged with, but not found guilty of, the offense. So much for innocent until proven guilty).

Is groping considered violence?

Why the Silence, Mr. LaPierre?

"The Supreme Court is going to be crucial to the future of the Second Amendment, and President Bush will appoint justices that respect the Bill of Rights," NRA chief executive Wayne LaPierre told The Associated Press...

Why did NRA not issue an announcement to gun owners during the confirmation process for new Chief Justice John Roberts concerning his stand on the Second Amendment? Why have they been silent on Harriet Miers?

Mr. LaPierre is right--this is crucial to the future of the Second Amendment. Gun owners deserve better at this time than silence from an organization that takes such pride in its "enormous clout in Washington."

LA Citizen Disarmament Continues

According to a report that aired on the Lehrer News Hour on Thursday, displaced New Orleans residents are being allowed to move into a trailer and RV compound called "FEMA City," but the conditions for residency include a ban on firearms.

The head of FEMA, of course, is appointed by "pro-gun" George Bush.
[KABA Newslinks]

Lugar to Press: "We Only Recognize Establishment Lapdogs"

Bloggers would "probably not" be considered journalists under the proposed federal shield law, the bill's co-sponsor, U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar (R.-Ind.), told the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) Monday afternoon.

I've written before about the dangers of government assuming it gets to decide who an authorized journalist is.

We've seen a politically disfavored newspaper publisher denied entry to a Homeland Secury press conference.

We've explored instances where bloggers have covered vital liberty-related stories ignored by the "official" press.

We've seen judges presume to weigh in.

At the federal and state level.

I personally have been subjected to police harassment for asking Sarah Brady a question at my neighborhood park. And I personally have shielded the identity of a source in order to protect him from reprisal for information about the inner-workings of a government agency. On more than one occasion. (In the interest of full disclosure, I now have a press pass issued by my magazine publisher--but the majority of my writing was done before this, and I don't believe a card should give me privileges and immunities over other bloggers--plus there's no guarantee the government would consider writing for a gun magazine to be "legitimate" journalism.)

And we've seen how "establishment" media, like Reuters, are little more than propaganda outlets.

Dick Lugar can go to hell.