Free Republic

The Virginia Senate on Monday passed the House bill that repeals the state’s longstanding law limiting handgun purchases to one per month, sending the legislation to the desk of Gov. Bob McDonnell, who has said he would sign it. Opponents of the law, put in place in 1993 to prevent gun-runners from shuttling firearms from Virginia to other states along the East Coast, say that the technology related to background checks and the numerous exemptions in the law has rendered it obsolete.

Delegate Mark Cole of Virginia is seeking to end the requirement that individuals who carry concealed weapons obtain a permit to do so. Currently there are four states that allow a person to carry a concealed weapon without a permit: Vermont, Wyoming, Arizona and Alaska. Concealed Carry laws vary among the states, with only a few not allowing for the practice in any circumstances. The trend has been for ever more liberal concealed carry laws in the United States and with recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings upholding an individual right to keep and bear arms under Second Amendment the trend...

“For Bob McDonnell, VP Talk Won’t Go Away,” a November Roll Call headline declares. “GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney…may choose Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell…as his running mate if he secures the nomination next year,” the accompanying photo caption reads. But why settle for Number Two? There’s a “Draft McConnell” website (the site owner behind the move is masked by proxy domain registration) claiming: We Don't Have to Settle A recent report by Rhodes Cook, Senior Columnist at the Center for Politics, shows that it's not too late for a Republican to enter the 2012 Presidential race. Bob McDonnell has a...

National Rifle Association President David Keene is predicting a Mitt Romney victory in the 2012 Republican presidential nominating process , and working to burnish the credentials of the liberal former Governor of Massachusetts. Here's the problem: As Governor, Mitt Romney banned guns. From July, 2004: Governor Mitt Romney has signed into law a permanent assault weapons ban that he says will make it harder for criminals to get their hands on these guns. "Deadly assault weapons have no place in Massachusetts," Romney said, at a bill signing ceremony on July 1 with legislators, sportsmen's groups and gun safety advocates. "These guns...

LAQUEY, Mo. (Oct. 30, 2010) — With the major exception of the Missouri Farm Bureau, many organizations which typically endorse conservative Republican candidates for office have endorsed Congressman Ike Skelton for years despite him being a Democrat. That includes right to life and veterans organizations, as well as the National Rifle Association; the Farm Bureau had endorsed Skelton for 14 years until this election. However, the NRA endorsement of Skelton over his Republican challenger, Vicky Hartzler, has become a point of controversy this year. Skelton has severely attacked Hartzler for opposing a 1998 proposal to place concealed carry permits on...

OK, I've had a dose of ibuprofin, my nap, more ibuprofin, a light supper, more ibuprofin, a peaceful night's sleep dreaming of a restored constititional republic where public offices are filled only by people who refuse to take pay for their service, refuse to spend a penny of taxes unless there is a constitutional authority to do so that does not devolve back to the Commerce Clause, and get no medical care coverage or pension they did not purchase/invest in out of their personal funds. And more ibuprofin. Both Friday & Saturday started off with breakfast at the 3rd Street...

The political arms of the National Rifle Association and Veterans of Foreign Wars have weighed in on the hotly-contested congressional race in northern Virginia’s 11th District, splitting their support between Republican Keith Fimian and Democratic incumbent Gerald Connolly. The VFW Political Action Committee, which represents roughly 2.2 million VFW members, auxiliaries and military families, recently endorsed Connolly, while the NRA’s Political Victory Fund has thrown its support behind Fimian.

Sen. Harry's Reid's support for President Barack Obama's Supreme Court nominees has cost him the endorsement of the National Rifle Association in his re-election bid. The NRA is a force in rural states like Nevada where many voters own guns and hunt. The absence of the NRA's blessing represents a setback that Reid's campaign was quick to address Friday by noting that NRA executive Wayne LaPierre once called him a "true champion of the Second Amendment." Christopher W. Cox, chairman of the NRA's Political Victory Fund, said Friday that the organization strongly opposed the confirmation of Elena Kagan to the...

The National Rifle Association has puzzled many observers as well as angered its conservative members by remaining neutral in the contest for Nevada’s seat in the US Senate in November. In that race, Sharron Angle is challenging incumbent Harry Reid, running on the Republican ticket as a Tea Party conservative. Her own campaign site notes as follows her position on the right to bear arms.

Multiple sources tell me the National Rifle Association is planning to endorse liberal Harry Reid against pro-gun champion Sharron Angle. Two weeks ago, I told you about the carveout the NRA received in exchange for their support for the DISCLOSE ACT deal. Then this week, RedState broke the story of the “gag order” the NRA issued to members of its Board on the Kagan nomination. Now, I’m getting credible reports that the NRA is leaning toward endorsing Harry Reid, even though the NRA is finally saying it will score a vote on Kagan — something that was not a sure...

The National Rifle Association is suffering a sudden onset of amnesia this week, as the gun lobby cuts a deal to exempt itself from the latest Congressional attempt to repeal the First Amendment. NRA members may soon regret the organization's bid to ingratiate itself with Democrats at the expense of its longtime free-speech allies. The campaign finance bill, sponsored by Senator Chuck Schumer and Representative Chris Van Hollen, is the Democratic response to the Supreme Court's January decision in Citizens United v. FEC, which restored the First Amendment right of corporations, unions and nonprofits to make independent campaign expenditures. At...

Speakers at the National Rifle Association's annual leadership forum on Friday touted Second Amendment rights and also set their sights on the upcoming midterm elections. Sarah Palin told the crowd in Charlotte, North Carolina, that the "lamestream media" is using propaganda to make guns seem more dangerous -- and not the criminals behind them. "Criminals, of course, are to blame for crimes. It's the bad guys, not the piece of metal, that's to blame," she told the crowd. "Anti-Second Amendment gun laws don't offend them [criminals] -- they don't care what kind of gun laws are passed." When politicians attempt...

The National Rifle Association sent this postcard to its California Republican members, making it the latest conservative force, along with Sarah Palin and much of the organized pro-life movement, to swing behind Carly Fiorina. The card describes Fiorina and Chuck Devote as strong pro-gun candidates, but makes its preference clear, writing effusively of Fiorina, "a gun owner, proud NRA Member, and strong Second Amendment Supporter." The mailer attacks the third candidate, Tom Campbell, at length as having cast "anti-gun votes."

Voters went to the polls on May 4 to cast ballots in their respective primaries and selected a large number of pro-gun candidates as their party nominees for the general election. U.S. Senate Republican Rob Portman was unopposed, but the outcome of the Democrat contest ensured that, come November, the pro-gun Portman will face the most anti-gun candidate the Democrats have to offer. Former Handgun Control Inc. board member Lee Fisher, the BFA F-rated Lieutenant Governor who once said he'd never met a gun control law he didn't like, defeated Jennifer Bruner, who received a C- grade from BFA. U.S....

National Rifle Association of America Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre snuggles up to Harry Reid. Will you continue to part with your HARD EARNED $$$$$$ to support the National Rifle Association now that the NRA has shown that it aligns itself (more than likely politically as well) with Harry Reid? I would think that the big tuff NRA would align itself with a REAL HUNTER and Marksman such as Sarah Palin. After all, they were all in Nevada at the same time. Oh so very telling, isn't it? "With Tea Party in town, Harry Reid helps open shooting park"

I can't vote for anyone like this.

Arizona - John McCain has gone out of his way to earn the ire of conservatives and gun owners in his 20-plus years as a U.S. Senator from Arizona. Perhaps his crowning legislative achievement was so-called campaign finance reform, or the McCain-Feingold law. This law put the muzzle on organizations such as GOA, prohibiting any broadcast advertisements within 30 days of a primary election and 60 days of a general election that even mention the name of a candidate for federal office. Not surprisingly, there is frequently a flurry of activity in Congress in the months right before an election,...

The NRA endorsement comes just days after the Perry Camp announced that fellow conservative and Republican Party mega-star Sarah Palin will campaign with Perry in February.

A political unknown has thrown nearly $2.1 million of his own cash into his bid to become governor, a move that could change the landscape of the race. Owen Buz Mills, a member of the National Rifle Association board of directors, filed a report with the Secretary of State's Office this week detailing the funding. Templar: Gov. candidate pumping personal wealth into race Mills apparently was anxious to make his financing known. He submitted his campaign report on Saturday; it is not due until the end of the month. But Camilla Strongin, who is managing his campaign, said that wasn't...

A few weeks ago seven of the eight incumbent Democrats in the Virginia House of Delegates who lost their seat to a Republican had one other thing in common - a lower National Rifle Association (NRA) rating that their opponent . . . [and] the disparity in support for gun rights between the parties seems to have sharpened.

Last Tuesday’s election in Virginia has been reported by some as a vote of no confidence in the Obama administration. Maybe it was – but a closer look indicates that seven of the nine incumbents who lost were caught flat footed on gun rights. . . . Philip Van Cleave, President of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. feels that "the results show that this election was open season on anti-gun incumbents. The antis have lost at least five reliable anti-gun votes in the already pro-gun House of Delegates, and their perennial bill to restrict private firearm sales at gun...

Both past Attornies General, along with the current Republican nominee for Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, have all opposed banning private sales of guns at gun shows while supporting repeal of the Virginia ban on concealed carry in restaurants serving alcohol. But not Democratic AG nominee Steve Shannon – this Northern Virginia lawyer is sticking to his gun control. . . . But what irks gun rights organizers the most is Shannon’s lack of any articulable policy rationale for his positions. “Insisting that we need to fix something that doesn’t exist does not stir gun owners to support candidates” said Philip...

GOA-PVF Supports Doug Hoffman in New York Special Election October 27, 2009 Dear Friend of the Second Amendment, You may have heard about a special Congressional election taking place next week in upstate New York. The race features a Nancy Pelosi Democrat and a Republican with long-standing ties to ACORN against a genuine pro-gun leader named Doug Hoffman. Gun Owners of America Political Victory Fund is proud to endorse Doug Hoffman in this race. Doug Hoffman is a 100% gun rights supporter who will be a leader in the battle to defend the Second Amendment. Doug Hoffman Mr. Hoffman believes...

It is surely one of the most unusual pitches in this year's gubernatorial elections -- a Tony Soprano-like figure defending New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's recent efforts to close the gun show loophole and warning Virginians not to get too attached to their Second Amendment freedoms "if ya know what's good for ya." Bloomberg underwrote a commercial in April that attacked former Virginia Atty. Gen. Bob McDonnell for his pro-gun positions and pushed for the closure of the state's "gun show loophole." Now Bloomberg is running for re-election, McDonnell is running for governor and the nation's larger gun lobby --...

A national gun–rights organization was as good as its executive director’s word when it threw its support to GOP House of Delegates nominee Catherine Crabill last week.Gun Owners of America’s executive director, Larry Pratt, had come to a Northumberland County Republican County Committee meeting Sept. 10 and voiced his support for Crabill. A week later, his organization officially came on board. Pratt, who came from Springfield to support Crabill , told the crowd that Crabill’s now-famous “ballot box/bullet box” speech inspired his organization and that the state GOP, which has shunned Crabill, would pay a price if it didn’t reverse...

RICHMOND, Va. - Republican and Democratic operatives say the National Rifle Association will endorse Republican Bob McDonnell for governor. The gun rights group plans to announce its endorsement in a Monday afternoon conference call for reporters. Operatives with knowledge of the NRA's decision confirmed the endorsement on the condition of anonymity because no official announcement had been made. Four years ago, the NRA endorsed Democrat R. Creigh Deeds over McDonnell in their race for attorney general.

Courtesy DannyTarkanian.org Related Articles * Make politicians prove they support the Second Amendment I introduced my traditional WarOnGuns Political Candidate Questionnaire to Gun Rights Examiner readers in July. In August, we saw Republican congressional candidate Chris Bunch give us the unequivocal answers we were looking for. That race has been decided, and David Harmer (who incidentally, has a scholarly understanding of the Second Amendment) secured the spot on the November ticket. That was not unexpected, the demographics of California's Tenth Congressional District being what they are, and Mr. Harmer has an uphill fight against the odds on his hands. I'll...

National Rifle Association Virginia - -(AmmoLand.com)- As I noted in last month’s column, the 2009 Virginia elections will be ground zero for our grassroots activities this year. Not only will these elections determine the future our of our gun rights in Virginia, but they will also be used as a barometer for the 2010 elections. If two recent events I attended in Virginia Beach are any indication, we are well positioned this year in Virginia to remind politicians running in 2010 that those who oppose the Second Amendment do so at their own political peril! On July 16, my Virginia...

Walking the jam-packed aisles of Virginia's biggest gun show, Richard Begay carried a .30-06 Sauer hunting rifle and a hand-lettered cardboard sign on his back asking $1,199. < snip > The question of how much to regulate the sale and possession of guns has always been a dividing line in Virginia political contests. This year's gubernatorial candidates -- former attorney general Robert F. McDonnell (R) and state Sen. R. Creigh Deeds (D) -- both have extensive pro-gun records. But the campaign is unfolding at a turbulent and uncertain time in the nation's debate over guns. One unresolved issue in Virginia,...

The National Rifle Association said Thursday it will count the Senate vote to confirm Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor as part of its influential legislative score card on how members of Congress stand on gun-rights issues. The NRA opposes her, but the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, another powerful lobby not prone to siding with the White House on every issue, endorsed Judge Sotomayor Thursday. The politically potent gun-rights group said it is concerned about Judge Sotomayor's stance on Second Amendment rights and her rulings as an appellate judge, including one upholding a New York law that barred a man from...

·11250 Waples Mill Road ·   Fairfax, Virginia 22030    ·800-392-8683   New York: Status of Anti-Gun Bills Uncertain as Balance of Power Changes in Albany   Monday, June 08, 2009   Please Continue Checking Your Email and www.NRAILA.org for UpdatesOn Monday, June 8 two Democrats, State Senators Hiram Monserrate (D-Queens) and Pedro Espada (D-Bronx), switched parties to caucus with the Republicans.  This change allows the Republicans to take control of the New York State Senate.  As of now, the legislature is in upheaval and we are unsure of the status of firearm related bills, including the micro-stamping bill (Senate Bill 4397A). Please hold your calls and...

With congressional Democrats divided on gun issues and the Obama administration steering clear of the topic, gun rights advocates have bagged new legislative trophies this year and are taking aim at additional targets. The National Rifle Association (NRA) and Gun Owners of America have an ambitious to-do list. They are preparing to: •Weigh in on Obama’s nomination of federal appellate court Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court. •Advance a proposal by Sen. Richard M. Burr , R-N.C., to ensure that veterans are not wrongfully denied the right to bear arms. •Stave off attempts to close the so-called gun show...

Virginia State Senator Creigh DeedsOn Tuesday June 9th, 2009, the Democratic Primary will be held in the great Commonwealth of Virginia. The Democratic candidates vying for their party’s nomination to run for governor are former Democratic National Committee chairman and Clinton insider Terry McAuliffe, State Delegate Brian Moran and State Senator Creigh (pronounced CREE) Deeds. Because of the significant gun rights issues raised by these particular candidates, OpenCarry.org has taken the unprecedented step of endorsing Delegate Moran in the Democratic primary and encouraging Republicans, Libertarians and Independents to cross the aisle and vote in the Democratic primary. How is this...

On Tuesday June 9th, 2009, the Democratic Primary will be held in the great Commonwealth of Virginia. The Democratic candidates vying for their party’s nomination to run for governor are former Democratic National Committee chairman and Clinton insider Terry McAuliffe, State Delegate Brian Moran and State Senator Creigh (pronounced CREE) Deeds. Because of the significant gun rights issues raised by these particular candidates, OpenCarry.org has taken the unprecedented step of endorsing Delegate Moran in the Democratic primary and encouraging Republicans, Libertarians and Independents to cross the aisle and vote in the Democratic primary.

According to some authors, in 1940 when Prime Minister Winston Churchill learned through radio intercepts that the Germans planned to bomb the city of Coventry, Churchill is believed to have disallowed advanced scrambling British fighters because it might tip off the Germans that the Allies had broken their codes. Churchill's alleged behavior in this instance was strategic - more concerned about winning the war than winning any immediate battle. . . . Ask yourself: How would Churchill vote on Tuesday?

Virginia's Democratic Primary is five days away, and the three-way race for the party's governor nomination is tight. Gun rights advocates don't typically engage in democratic politics. However, Northern Virginia-based "opencarry.org" is encouraging its members, republican, independent, and libertarian, to go vote in the Democratic primary and cast their vote for Brian Moran. During his time in the House of Delegates, the website says Moran had what they call a pro-gun record. That includes votes to allow concealed handguns in school parking lots and to preempt all local gun control laws. They say that "pretty good" record is far superior...

Did you know Virginia is an open primary state? Yup, it is - you can vote in anybody's primary you want. That means that since the Republican party is handling their state office party candidate nominations this year by convention, every registered voter in Virginia might as well crash the Democratic party primary on June 9th! . . . A vote for Moran is therefore the best strategic vote for gun owners for two reasons. First, because a Moran vote is more likely to defeat McAuliffe than a vote for Deeds. And second, a vote for Moran sends traditionally pro-gun...

For those of you who are delegates to the GOP Convention this weekend I would like to remind you who VCDL PAC has endorsed for statewide office. GOVERNOR ----------------- We have not made an endorsement for Governor as there is no competition at this time for that race. LT GOVERNOR ---------------------- VCDL PAC Strongly Endorses Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling as the GOP nominee for reelection as Lt. Governor ATTORNEY GENERAL -------------------------------- VCDL PAC Strongly Endorses Sen. Ken Cuccinelli as the GOP nominee for Attorney General VCDL members have always been strong supporters of the election process in the Commonwealth of...

In politics, conventional wisdom can be slow to die, even when the so-called wisdom is neither true nor wise. So I was reminded on a recent visit to Capitol Hill, when I asked several lawmakers and senior members of their staffs to explain the Democrats’ timidity about standing up to the National Rifle Association by pressing needed measures to curb gun violence. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and President Obama tossed cold water a few weeks back on Attorney General Eric Holder’s well-founded enthusiasm for reviving the assault weapons ban that Congress and the Bush White House let expire in 2004....

The strong Election Day showing for Democrats signals stronger support for “sensible gun laws” in this country and a “significant setback” for the National Rifle Association, a gun control group said Tuesday night. The Brady Campaign issued a statement even before Sen. Barack Obama was declared the winner, saying the political environment is better than it’s been in years for “progress on gun violence prevention.” The NRA spent millions on ads during the campaign, warning that Sen. Barack Obama would be the most anti-gun president in American history. But according to the Brady Campaign, the NRA failed to deliver its...

Nelson Rising, chairman of Tom Bradley’s 1982 campaign for California governor, still remembers the phone call. Bradley called him shortly after 4 a.m. on a long Election Night, when it was clear Bradley had lost to Republican George Deukmejian. “You were right,” Bradley told Rising a bit wearily. With those words, Bradley, the Democratic mayor of Los Angeles, acknowledged that a political mistake had cost him the governorship. And, despite all the theories that the election produced a “Bradley effect” that could hurt black candidates such as Bradley — and, a quarter-century later, Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama — the...

By Sandy Froman Senator Barack Obama says he will respect gun owners, but campaign talk is cheap. What gun owners must know before they vote is that Obama promises to appoint a U.S. Supreme Court that will eradicate the Second Amendment from the Constitution. On June 26, in the case District of Columbia v. Heller, the Supreme Court held in a split 5-4 decision that the Second Amendment secures a right to keep and bear arms for private citizens, and struck down the D.C. law that banned all handguns and readily-usable firearms, even in your own home. That decision turned on a...

STEVENSVILLE, Mont., Oct. 31 (UPI) -- The namesake of Montana-based Cooper Firearms has been asked to resign as president of the company after he expressed support for Barack Obama. The company said it asked Dan Cooper, founder and part owner of Cooper Firearms, to resign as president after he voiced support for the Democratic Illinois senator's bid for president in a USA Today interview published Tuesday, USA Today reported Friday. "Although we all believe everyone has a right to vote and donate as they see fit, it has become apparent that the fallout may affect more than just Mr. Cooper,"...

In speech after speech, Barack Obama has claimed he would "uphold the Second Amendment." Mr. Obama, of course, is a polished speaker who says "words matter." But records matter more. And while Mr. Obama is short on experience on most issues, he's long on anti-gun votes and even longer on rhetoric. Now's a good time to review both. One of Mr. Obama's first statements on the issue really said it all. During his first run for the Illinois Senate in... --snip-- But in 2005, he voted for a ban on all but the smallest rifle ammunition used for hunting (or...

“Well I, I, I, I continue to, I continue to, uh, uh, support a ban on concealed carry laws.”I did not know that.Really, I didn’t know that Barack Obama wants to outlaw CCWs (concealed weapons permits). I thought that I’d followed this campaign closer than most, but this one got right by me. For the record, I myself hold a State of Florida Concealed Weapon or Firearm License, having subjected myself to a background check, paid the fee (and renewal fees) and demonstrated proficiency and responsibility with personal firearms. Hell, there was a time some years ago when I was...

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama speaks at a rally in Lancaster, Pa., on Sept. 4. He strongly denied that he had any intention of taking away anyone's shotguns, rifles or handguns. (Associated Press) The nation's gun owners have the presidential election in their sights. Some are up at arms about the prospect of future gun legislation should Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama win the White House. Others are beefing up their personal arsenals, skittish that firearms could become scarce or too expensive in the near future. "If the economy is down, and gun sales are up, it shows...

WAYNE COUNTY - The individual right to keep and bear arms, and whether that right deserves restrictions, has caught John McCain and Barack Obama paradoxically fighting for gun control laws in the past. Today, they are cheerleaders of the Second Amendment, according to public statements. Wayne County gun owners and the national gun lobbies, however, have mixed feelings - and some fears - on the day when either the Democrat or the Republican takes the White House. Will they take my guns, some of my guns, or no guns? Peter Snyder, a life-long Republican and hunter from Lake Ariel, does...

Warrenton gun shop owner Steve Clark said buyers fear restrictions on weapons that have been restricted before. (By John Mcdonnell -- The Washington Post) Buy Photo Americans have cut back on buying cars, furniture and clothes in a tough economy, but there's one consumer item that's still enjoying healthy sales: guns. Purchases of firearms and ammunition have risen 8 to 10 percent this year, according to state and federal data. Several variables drive sales, but many dealers, buyers and experts attribute the increase in part to concerns about the economy and fears that if Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois wins...

Cooper Arms owner Dan Cooper backs Obama. Can't post the article due to copy write infringement, But I thought you might want to know that a gun manufacturer is supporting a gun grabber. He said he was he was dazzled by Obama's speech at that year's Democratic National Convention.

This is the NRA site to educate people about Obama. Please view the videos and spread them to anyone you might know who owns guns. Obama, simply stated, is about as far removed from defending the 2nd Amendment as one could imagine. IMAGINE, TRUTH SQUAD, and WORDS are excellent videos. I am simply posting this for those who may not have seen this, as I want to get the word out.