Posted on 12/25/2010 4:25:00 AM PST by marktwain
The Senate evaded taking a stand on the controversial nomination of Andrew Traver to head up ATF. From Main Justice:
The Senate did not vote on whether to confirm Andrew Traver as the next leader of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives this Congress, sending his nomination back to the White House on Wednesday.
The main reason cited was “strong opposition from the National Rifle Association.” NRA did take a lead in the opposition, and as the largest of the “gun lobby” groups was no doubt the most influential in prompting telephone calls, letters and emails opposing Traver’s confirmation. That said, the grassroots coalition of gun owners joining in was broader than just one group, but it serves the purposes of the media to focus on one target and present NRA as a monolithic bugaboo.
Also bear in mind behind-the-scenes machinations and infighting. As reported in this column on Monday, an insider source relayed to me:
“Traver will not be confirmed. The EXPECTED result is that ATF, an agency already victimized by vicious politics, is going to become even MORE political and vicious.”
And:
“The vast majority of Americans are really hurting economically right now. For the Obama Administration to do a bunch of stupid, needless political f***ing around with gun issues isn't something the American people are going to tolerate.“
While this latest setback for the administration is being celebrated in many gun rights circles, and I hesitate throwing too much water on that, a couple opportunities have been missed, and those may yet have consequences. I called on NRA, in addition to opposing Traver, to pledge that a confirmation vote would be scored against senators.
Had they done that—and had a vote occurred—it could have widened fractures in Democrat solidarity and further weakened the administration’s influence.
Gun owners dodged a bullet—but only one. Without individual senators, including nominally “pro-gun” Democrats, taking a stand and publicly opposing Traver, and without them pledging further opposition and consequences if Obama attempts a recess appointment end run, we’re not out of the woods yet.
I’m going to go out on a limb here and guess that traver is probably a communist, but is there anything especially egregious in his past?
The whole damn department is a study in waste fraud and abuse.
Dang, got me there, guess we need to give barney a few more bullets and some play army gear. Wait we already do that stupid thing.
Traver is an extreme anti-second amendment nut from Chicago.”””
Who is betting that NObama makes a recess appointment & ignores the Congress???
I would bet he will. ATF is useless and not needed. We should abolish it.
I agree.
Q: What do these three things have in common: Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms?
A: They are all things which free autonomous individuals can purchase, own, and use.
The BATFE has no one but themselves to blame for their situation. If they’d stick to revenue collection (their statutory purpose, if anyone remembers), they’d be merely despised. Since they willingly allow themselves to be used as the stormtroopers of the anti-gun conspiracy, they are now hated and feared by gunowners everywhere.
I am unsympathetic.
I have heard that all my life, I am 72 years old, yet here we are taking every piece of cr@p that they hand us. I won't hold my breath until we don't tolerate the Marxists among us.
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