Posted on 07/21/2009 4:34:59 PM PDT by neverdem
Reid green-lights controversial gun vote
Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is supposed to be the protector of the Senate’s skittish Democratic flock — the guy who soothes intraparty spats and shields his 60-member majority from dangerous, career-threatening votes.
Yet Reid — whose low approval ratings in Nevada make him a tempting GOP target in next year’s midterms — put many of his members in a sticky situation when he OK’d a floor vote on a controversial GOP amendment that could significantly alter the nation’s gun control laws.
Reid says the bill deserves a hearing and reflects his commitment to supporting gun rights in a state that sanctifies the Second Amendment. Other Democrats say he approved the vote out of personal political necessity — to avoid the ire of the National Rifle Association during the 2010 elections.
“Nobody’s angry at Harry, but it’s created a problem for us,” says a Democratic aide, speaking on condition of anonymity. “There’s a huge level of sympathy for him, because we don’t want to have another Daschle situation.”
That was, of course, a reference to Tom Daschle, the last Democratic majority leader who was knocked off in 2004, by Republican John Thune.
By astounding coincidence (not), Thune, now the No. 4 man in the Senate, just happens to be the guy who authored the current amendment to allow licensed gun owners to transport their weapons across state lines.
“This has nothing to do with electoral politics,” said Reid spokesman Jim Manley, who emphasized that the amendment has the support of many other Democrats besides Reid.
Two previous NRA-backed measures, one loosening D.C. handgun restrictions and another allowing guns in national parks, passed by comfortable 60-plus vote margins in the Senate earlier this year.
“Harry Reid has always supported gun rights and intends to do so in the future,” Manley added.
Still, Reid’s decision prompted a mini-uprising among two top lieutenants — Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) — who are considering a filibuster to kill the measure before it comes to a vote, as expected on Wednesday.
In the meantime, gun control groups were working with Durbin, Schumer and New Jersey Democrat Frank Lautenberg to craft an alternative amendment that would put the GOP on the defensive — one that would impose tough new federal restrictions on interstate transport or even insert a provision closing the so-called gun-show loophole.
Reid is “likely” to vote in favor of the Thune amendment, an aide said.
Maloney apologizes for using the N-word
Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) has apologized for using the N-word in a long, long profile posted on the website City Hall.
The context is confusing, but the East Side lawmaker was apparently referring to a comment made by a Puerto Rican pol who called her up to complain about Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.
The story: “There is Carolyn Maloney, ripping into Kirsten Gillibrand, broad and hard, for voting against the two stimulus bills and for changing her positions on several core Democratic issues, sounding out her case on the fly as, ‘It’s the NRA; it’s immigration; it’s all these other things. In fact, I got a call from someone from Puerto Rico [who] said [Gillibrand] went to Puerto Rico and came out for English-only [education]. And he said, “It was like saying n----- to a Puerto Rican,”’ she said, using the full racial slur. ‘I don’t know — I don’t know if that’s true or not. I just called. I’m just throwing that out. All of her — well, what does she stand for?’”
Later, after the Rev. Al Sharpton questioned the statement, Maloney’s office offered a mea culpa.
“I apologize for having repeated a word I find disgusting,” Maloney said. “It’s no excuse, but I was so caught up in relaying the story exactly as it was told to me that, in doing so, I repeated a word that should never be repeated.”
Franken unleashes first bill
Minnesota freshman Al Franken has pumped out his first bill, a measure allocating funds to buy and train service dogs for wounded Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.
Franken, writing in a Star-Tribune op-ed, says he got the idea when he met Iraq war vet Luis Carlos Montalvan and his golden retriever Tuesday at one of the Inauguration events:
“Service dogs raise their masters’ sense of well-being,” Franken wrote. “Unfortunately, few of these service dogs are available to veterans. ... It costs, on average, about $20,000 to train a service dog and another $5,000 to place the dog with the veteran.”
Franken is 1) a major USO booster dedicated to entertaining the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and 2) a dog lover whose black Lab, Kirby, (named after the late Twins superstar Kirby Puckett) died of bone cancer at the age of 8 during the campaign.
A pitched fight over handguns takes place in the Senate this week as gun control advocates move to block an amendment to the defense authorization bill that would allow armed citizens with state-approved concealed-carry permits to cross into another state that also allows the carrying of concealed weapons. The reciprocity amendment is being offered by South Dakota Sen. John Thune, who says it would require those crossing into a neighboring state to follow the rules governing concealed weapons in those localities. "My legislation enables citizens to protect themselves while respecting individual state firearms laws," said Thune. He should know: Thune has his South Dakota carry permit. His amendment is backed by the NRA, Gun Owners of America, and six other gun groups.
Opposition, however, is fierce. Already groups opposed to the amendment have begun running ads and penning letters to lawmakers urging a "No" vote. Sen. Frank Lautenberg, the New Jersey Democrat who has long fought gun groups, tomorrow is planning to launch his retaliation at a press conference. "Trumping state laws to allow concealed weapons to be carried by almost anybody in any state is an egregious threat to communities all across the country," he told us today. "This amendment is just another attempt by the gun lobby to put its radical agenda ahead of safety and security in our communities." His office released a letter from the International Association of Chiefs of Police opposing the legislation, claiming that it might override different state laws that limit who can carry a concealed weapon. He also released a letter from the mayors of more than 400 cities and towns that claims the Thune "concealed-carry amendment" would infringe on state laws.
Thune, however, chairman of the Republican Policy Conference, said that his amendment won't do that. Said spokesman Kyle Downey: "Senator Thune doesn't believe your constitutional rights should cease to exist when you cross the state border." Thune also said that he's pushing the amendment because it could cut crime and save lives.
Beware of RED-HERRINGS that attempt to make the DemoRats appear to have an interest in preserving Constitutional rights and anything similar....we know better.
Yeah, a whole bunch of puffery.
2A Bump.
27 rats in the Senate voted for concealed carry in the national parks. Starting in 2006 they started running social conservatives as needed to win. Before the 2006 election, the pubbies had 55 senators.
The rats also promised also to be fiscal conservatives. That's the only way to attack many of them next year.
Frank Lautenberg is the Senate’s #1 POS when it comes to gun rights. He authored the infamous law that stripped people, military and law enforcement people included, of their right to own a gun if they had ANY domestic violence convictions in their past. He needs the award for Supreme POS.
Vote these a$$hats out of office. They are a discrace to the country and law abiding gun owners .
Despite the fact that Reid’s name was in it, I figured it must be a good vote because the Politico used the word “divisive.”
I see this as a bone Harry’s throwing out. Emanuels strategy the last two elections was to run pro-gun conservative Dems in conservative districts.
It’s left the liberals on a tightrope because they know gun control is a loser and losing control of the House is what will happen if they go left on guns.
Take him out like Daschel!
Yes, I know who that scumbag is. I think Henry Bowman had the right idea on how to deal with his ilk!
By definition, any statute, regulation, or other rule which contradicts the Supreme Law of the Land, is not law. The Lautenberg Abomination is an "infamous statute", not a law.
The world is indeed a strange place.
Needless to say we should get our Senators and representatives to support this bill and bring some sanity into the gun license picture.
You got it, the gun issue is a goner for the rats, they need the seats so the do anything say anything Democrats will do just that ... Take Conservative seats with the lie, just what they did in 2008.
The gun issue died for the rats when CCW went national, what something like 40 States now have shall issue laws.
It’s why we Conservatives need a new issue in 2010. Protecting health care might be it ...
Yet Harry Reid called for a quagmire and surrender everytime we lost a solider in Iraq.
Pro gun-rights indeed.
If this passes, Obama will just veto it.
A question to readers: how many of you have shot an email to the appropriate Senator advocating passage?
Ha, ha, yes, why is it that nothing the Dems want to do is ever called divisive? They are always doing “good”. Barf.
THESE SENATORS ARE UP FOR RE-ELECTION IN 2010 (if they choose)- Please let them know that you are aware of this when you communicate with them. MANY scumbags are up for re-election in 2010. You can contact any of them, and even give an in-state address if you want to get proactive.
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