Bloomberg's Gun Show Sting: Off Target as Usual (Blame Arizona as usual)

American Thinker ^ | 02/01/2011 | Mark Browning

[SeekAndFind]

When New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg wants to get tough on crime in the Big Apple, where does he turn? Naturally, he goes to Arizona. We learn this from an ABC News report about an undercover investigation at an Arizona gun show. This report ominously states that "despite the mass murder" in Tucson in January, people "who likely wouldn't pass a background check can still easily purchase similar weapons." You can take ABC's text or on-air report's word for this since they show none of the undercover footage mentioned.

They do link to two videos of an undercover investigator buying handguns. The investigator brings up the issue of a background check himself, something I'm sure criminals commonly do, and in both cases, when told, correctly, by the seller that no check is required, he replies, "That's good, because I probably couldn't pass one." His tone could reasonably be taken for slightly sarcastic or joking. He certainly does not sound ominous. Had the guy said, "That's good, because I just got out of the penitentiary" or "That's good, because my wife had me declared mentally incompetent," I'd be a great deal more impressed.

The truly off-target thing about this report, however, comes at the very end. After mentioning the Tucson shooting specifically and then spending considerable time worrying about the so-called gunshow loophole, the story's final paragraph presents this:

Jared Loughner, the man accused of killing six people and wounding 13 others, in the apparent assassination attempt on U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., on Jan. 8 legally purchased a similar Glock semi-automatic pistol from a gun store in Tucson months before the shooting.

Loughner passed an FBI background check, despite teachers, friends and students repeatedly claiming the 22-year-old displayed erratic, disturbing behavior.

In other words, the supposed loophole is utterly irrelevant in the case of Jared Loughner. Loughner passed his background check. He purchased his pistol-a semi-automatic, ABC repeatedly mentions, so that we know he didn't buy a muzzle-loader-at a gun store.

Mayor Bloomberg sent his investigators west and ABC willingly connected the semi-visible dots. Perhaps all parties should seek the source of New York and national crime a little closer to home.

[Para-Ord.45]

Memo to Sheriff Arpaio:

Issue arrest warrant for Mayor of NYC

[mancini]

Why doesn’t he clean up the mess that is New York City and let those of us in AZ worry about what goes on here. Frackin’ buttinsky pol

[Fishtalk]

Bloomberg and Mubarak....two peas in a pod.

[Tupelo]

“Bloomberg and Mubarak....two peas in a pod”

You did not have to insult Mubarak.

[Stosh]

I hear that Bloomberg’s crack investigative team has a hot lead on a Mexican restaurant in Scottsdale that’s using trans fat.

They’re pretty sure the miscreants are lining their Margarita glasses with excess salt as well.

[RobinOfKingston]

Like all dictators, bloomberg well knows the value of having an enemy he can point toward, and strike. It is how dictators deflect attention from themselves.

[SeekAndFind]

Here’s an interesting question ( a theoretical one ).

Let’s say for the sake of argument, GUN OWNERSHIP WERE TOTALLY BANNED in Arizona...

Would Jared Loughner still have acquired his gun? If so, where?

[Fishtalk]

;)

[Psalm 144]

I think Arizona and other states targeted by this poseur should investigate NYC for racketeering, corruption and organized crime.

I wonder who will return with the more numerous results and more interesting cases?

[pallis]

Liberals want the background check to become so restrictive and ambiguous that no one can pass it. The problem isn’t crazies slipping through the background check. The problem is that citizens depend on the authorities for their safety and protection. A parking lot full of armed, trained people makes for a hard target. People have to take responsibility for their own self-defense.

The real question people should be asking is why Deputy Dupenuts didn’t have people present at the parking lot for security, given the times and possibilities for dangerous nuts to do what Loughner did. This pop culture, fueled by leftest hate, is going to produce violence. Where was Gabby’s security?

[Liberty Valance]

Bloomberg's Napoleon complex is showing.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Bloomberg is the quintessential Liberal: EVERYTHING is somebody else's fault.

[drpix]

"{If}... GUN OWNERSHIP WERE TOTALLY BANNED in Arizona...Would Jared Loughner still have acquired his gun? If so, where?"

You mean "banned" as in illegal, as are cocaine, pot, meth, heroine....?

As the question is easily answered by the quickest reality check, it is neither interesting nor theoretical.

[SWAMPSNIPER]

New Yorkers should stay in their cesspool and leave the free world alone.

[Brownie63]

I wonder how New Yorkers and Bloomberg would react if an Arizona mayor conducted undercover operations in NYC?

[Carley]

If Bloomers thinks this is going to resonate with the citizens of his city who have snow and garbage piling up in unmanageable amounts, he’s mistaken.

Maybe he’s the stalking horse for Obama but that too is doomed.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

***You can take ABC’s text or on-air report’s word for this since they show none of the undercover footage mentioned. ****

Years ago oneof the national news channels did an expose on the “gun show loophole”

They sent in people, with cash, to buy as many firearms as possible from private individuals without paperwork.

At the end of the show they held up a box of fine quality firearms and the reporter smuggly said...”These guns will be turned over to the police-where they will be destroyed!”

I was sick seeing some fine new Berettas going to be torched.

[Sun]

“Issue arrest warrant for Mayor of NYC”

When Bloomberg tried the gun sting in Virginia, the A.G. threatened him, and others involved, with a felony, and Bloomers backed off.

I hope the AZ A.G. does the same thing.

[Vermont Lt]

If NYC had the same gun rules as AZ, two things would be almost certain to happen:

1. My Smith and Wesson stock would soar.
2. Gun related murders would drop.

I would really love to have the Police Departments release where the guns related to criminal acts originate. My guess is that very few of them were purchased by the person using them to commit the crime.