The Thune Amendment failed of passage failed by two votes. To my disgust, one of those votes was Indiana's perpetual Republican Senator, the Honorable Richard G. Lugar (it says right here in my style book to address 'em that way, which reminds me of the punchline from the old charm school joke: "...I learned to say 'the Honorable' instead of 'you pathetic, puling weasel.'").
I wrote The Honorable Richard a nice note (charm school!) expressing my disappointment. If you are Hoosier and would like to write the man, go here.
Meanwhile, across the aisle, Democrat the Honorable Evan Bayh voted for the Thune Amendment. Cynical decision by a Dem who knew it would auger in? Maybe. Maybe not. I think not: he has his faults but Senator Bayh can and will actually read and if he read the amendment in question, he knew it left holders of a carry permit subject to the laws of the state in which they were -- not their home state, as victim-disarmament organizations and self-panickers in the press claimed. I'll give the man the benefit of the doubt; he's a Democrat but not an idiot. I wrote to thank him and you can too, if you'd like.
I was surprised the Thune Amendment did as well as it did. I think it will be back and we need to remind our Senators that this issue matters.
BUILDING A 1:1 BALUN
4 years ago
11 comments:
We need to kick Dick Lugar out on his ass, is what we need to do.
That's what we call "A Very Good Start," indeed.
Term limits.
I was surprised and delighted that the Thune Amendment did as well as it did. I'm pleased to report that both Virginia Senators voted for it. They are both Democrats. Sen. Warner is wishy-washy on the subject, but Sen. Webb is one of us, a committed advocate of the Bill of Rights in General and the Second Amendment in particular.
In the meantime, the VCDL suggests a more modest approach: a bill to require CCW reciprocity in Federal enclaves. This would compel DC, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, etc. to recognize state CCW permits. Good idea! I would LOVE to carry in the District! I would spend a lot more time there!
The voting booth can be a term limit -- if we will use it.
Friends don't let friends vote for Dick Lugar.
Schumer and Boxer/Feinstein's bleating arguments against it are so vacuous as to defy belief by rational people. Fortunately among the rational states, most are now offering reciprocity. Thune's proposal would have cleared up the maze a bit.
Lugar has also said he'll vote to confirm Sotomayer.
Just sayin'
It has been suggested that this was never expected or intended to pass--except perhaps by it's sponsors--but rather to provide cover for Democrats who can read the writing on the wall, and are already planning to cover themselves for reelection.
A lot of senators voted for it with Schumer's blessing. A Democratic senator needs the financial support of the party to run for re-election, plus the party can do a lot to discourage primary challengers, which is hugely important to incumbents. For example, the party directors can call for a nominating convention instead of an open primary, which is an almost insurmountable barrier to primary challengers.
But the same senators know that there are a lot of Second Amendment voters out there who are one-issue voters. In a tight race, if the winning margin is less than the number of licensed hunters, then the pro-2A voters will provide the margin of victory.
So they need to genuflect in both directions.
Except Virginia's Jim Webb, who made a point of giving Schumer's side the finger! Ha!
We have been too relaxed, too long. We need to get back to 1970 again. The shooting community retired Dodd, Tydings, and a dozen more pro-crime Congress Creatures that year.
It should be George Voinovich next year and Richard Lugar in 2012. Along with any other Creature who has ever cast an anti-gun vote.
Sadly, Western Union is out of business - so I cannot send the defeated anti-gunners another congratulatory telegram. But I sure would like to.
Stranger
Voinovich (from the Serbian, meaning "pale green pants with no one inside them") was indeed the other vote.
He's already announced he isn't running again in 2010. I would hazard a guess it's because the testing-the-waters-fundraising/New Year's note he sent around in early January mostly ended up lining bird cages, where it wasn't marked "return to sender, wrapped around a brick."
Never fear, though! The Ohio GOP has a bottomless RINO mine, right next to the Blue Hole in Castalia; we can trot 'em out there until the Second Coming. They've already got Zombie Mike DeWine running (well, lurching, sort of) for Attorney General; maybe Bob "Papiere, bitte<" Taft will decide he wants another tax-funded satrapy and run for Senate.
Assuming I bother to vote at all, I'll vote Richard Cordray for Attorney General, just as a reward for signing the amicus brief.
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