Posted on 06/10/2007 8:30:55 PM PDT by JCEccles
1. Anti-gun terror bill (S. 735 )
On June 7, 1995, the Senate passed an anti-gun terror bill (S. 735) by a vote of 91-8. This version of the terror bill included: a BATF pay increase of $100 million; a provision authorizing "roving wiretaps" allowing government officials to wiretap one's home if a person under investigation visits the home -- even if one had no knowledge the person was a suspect; a weakening of the Posse Commitatus law to give the military more authority to get involved in law enforcement in certain circumstances; a grant of power to the FBI to conduct "fishing expeditions" and secure one's financial and travel records in certain circumstances without any evidence one has committed a crime; and finally, the "Randy Weaver entrapment provision" which extends the statute of limitations for violations under the National Firearms Act of 1934 from three to five years. Thompson voted in favor of the bill.
2. Anti-gun terror bill -- final passage
On April 17, 1996, the Senate passed the conference version of the anti-terrorism bill by a vote of 91-8. The final version of the bill (S. 735) contained several problems, including ones that will: order an "anti-hunter" rifle and ammo study; authorize a $40 million pay increase for the BATF (through the Treasury Department); potentially punish gun dealers (and individuals) for selling ammunition to someone they should have known would commit a violent crime; federalize many state crimes, thus tremendously increasing the scope and jurisdiction of the BATF; restrict the right of habeas corpus in such a way as to severely damage the ability of the courts to rescue honest gun owners who are unjustly incarcerated; allow the government to use "secret evidence" against certain individuals; remove protections against wiretapping wireless data; and require banks to freeze the assets of domestic groups in certain situations. Thompson once again voted in favor of the bill.
3. Taggants in gunpowder
On September 12, 1996, the Senate voted (57-42) to keep an anti-gun amendment off of the Treasury-Postal appropriations bill (H.R. 3756). The Kerry amendment -- which Thompson voted for-- would have made funds available for a study of tagging explosive materials, including black and smokeless powders (thus setting the stage for registering ammunition). The amendment also sought to further demonize firearms by selectively examining the misuse of firearms by criminals. The study would not examine the number of times firearms are used to save the lives of decent citizens.
4. Lautenberg Domestic Confiscation gun ban
On September 12, 1996, the Senate passed the Lautenberg gun ban as an amendment to the Treasury-Postal appropriations bill (H.R. 3756). The Lautenberg Domestic Confiscation Gun Ban disarms gun owners for small (misdemeanor) offenses in the home -- "offenses" as slight as spanking a child or grabbing a spouse. This lifetime ban, in certain cases, can even be imposed without a trial by jury. It is also retroactive, so it does not matter if the offense occurred 20 years ago. Thompson voted in favor of the amendment.
5. Free Speech restrictions
On October 7, 1997, the Senate defeated an "Incumbent Protection Bill" (S. 25) which would have resulted in the government regulation of GOA's newsletters and other communications with its members, while expanding the relative political power of the liberal media and other anti-gun forces. Senators failed in their effort, 53 to 47, to shut down a filibuster of the bill that was ostensibly aimed at reforming campaign finance laws.
6. Smith "Anti-Brady" Amendment
On July 21, 1998, pro-gun Senator Bob Smith (R-NH) introduced an "Anti-Brady" amendment that passed by a vote of 69-31. The Smith amendment would prohibit the FBI from using Brady background checks to tax or register gun owners. Further, the amendment requires the "immediate destruction of all [gun buyer] information, in any form whatsoever." Finally, if the FBI disregards this latter provision, the Smith language will allow private citizens to sue the agency and collect monetary damages, including attorney's fees. Thompson, in keeping with his tendency to usually vote for expanded federal police power, voted against this limitation of FBI registration of gun owners.
7. Anti-gun Clinton judge appointment
On February 11, 1998, the Senate voted 67-28 to confirm Margaret Morrow to the Federal bench. GOA vigorously opposed this Clinton-appointed judge, as she has not only taken strident anti-gun positions, she has showed herself to be a gun control activist.
8. Anti-gun Surgeon General
Having nominated anti-gun David Satcher for Surgeon General, President Bill Clinton was forced to wait several months as debate raged over his controversial pick. But on February 10, 1998, the President finally realized victory. By a vote of 75-23, anti-gun Republicans teamed up with the Democrats to kill the filibuster over the Satcher nomination. Mr. Satcher was later confirmed by a vote of 63-35. Since the key vote was to end the filibuster, that is the one that was rated by GOA.
9. Ending the filibuster of a major anti-gun crime bill
On July 28, 1999, the Senate ended a filibuster led by Senator Bob Smith (I-NH) -- a filibuster intended to keep anti-gun crime legislation from progressing any further. After the 77-22 vote, the Senate moved to send the language of the anti-gun Senate crime bill (S. 254) to a House-Senate conference committee. Thompson voted to break the pro-gun filibuster.
10. Young adult gun ban
The young adult gun ban could severely punish parents who allow their kids to even touch a so-called semi-automatic "assault weapon." While the amendment allows for certain exemptions, there are some imponderable questions which NO senator could answer, but which a parent would have to answer in order to avoid incarceration. For example: What is a "semiautomatic assault weapon"? The definition, plus exemptions, takes up six pages of fine print in the U.S. Code. Second, a child can handle a banned semi-auto if he is in the "immediate and supervisory presence" of a parent or if he possess a written permission slip from the parent. But what happens when, during a target practice session, the parent walks to the car to retrieve his lunch and the juvenile is no longer in the parents "immediate" presence and does not have a permission slip? A parent can receive jail time for this infraction. The provision passed the Senate on May 13, 1999, with Thompson voting in the majority.
11. Adopting the "Gun Control Lite" strategy
On May 13, 1999, a majority of Senators -- including Thompson -- defeated a motion to table (or kill) an anti-gun amendment introduced by Senators Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Larry Craig (R-WY). This amendment was offered as an alternative to gun control proposals being pushed by Sen. Frank Lautenberg.
12. McCain's Incumbent Protection (2000 version)
By 59 to 41, the Senate passed S. 27, to amend the Federal Election Campaign Act to include Incumbent Protection provisions. The bill severely curtails the ability of outside groups such as GOA to communicate the actions of incumbent politicians to members and supporters prior to an election.
13. Incumbent Protection (2002 failed filibuster)
This was the key vote in the Senate regarding the odious Incumbent Protection bill in 2002 (H.R. 2356). The legislation (see note 35 above) finally became law that year. As he had on previous occasions, Thompson voted in favor of the bill.
Valuable insights may won by studying FDT’s anti-gun votes, insights that are not apparent when his voting history is viewed through the lens of conventional wisdom.
First of all, Fred’s support of the McCain-Feingold assault on the First Amendment (items 5, 12, and 13) was not an isolated one-time brain f*rt. It took a full half-decade to move that odious football the length of the field for a touchdown. And Fred was laying key blocks for John “Whizzer” McCain the entire drive!
In fact, he authored THE amendment that finally cracked the goal line. So when he says, “I’m sorry, I didn’t know what I was doing,” ask him “How in the world could a smart man like you NOT know what you were doing? You had FIVE YEARS to understand what you were doing!” (Note: GOA rightly includes McCain-Feingold as a piece of anti-gun legislation because it gags organizations like GOA from speaking out against anti-gun legislators in the last 60 days before an election).
Second, Fred was on the anti-gun side of several votes where he could have voted pro-gun without affecting the outcome. That is, he could have taken a principled stand but did not. He gratuitously stuck his thumb in the eye of gun owners.
Fred is not the ideological purist that FRedheads vainly imagine him to be.
So just what is it you are afraid of? Whose your dog?
So just what is it you are afraid of? Who’s your dog?
Strike the word “Amendment” from the Title. It should read “Anti-Gun”
In Thompon's defense, he probably didn't know he would one day be auditioning for President when he cast these votes.
save
I can't speak for JCEccles, but perhaps he's afraid of getting saddled with another moderate Republican nominee.
Are you a gun owner, political mom?
Are you a gun owner, Petronski?
Note the support Fred gave to anti-gun amendments authored by uber-liberals Lautenberg and Kerry.
* Supports Second Amendment rights but also assault weapon ban. (May 2007)
* Will support assault weapons bill and Brady Bill. (Aug 1994)
http://www.ontheissues.org/Mitt_Romney.htm
``(I) except when a parent or guardian of the juvenile is in the immediate and supervisory presence of the juvenile, the juvenile shall have in the juvenile's possession at all times when a handgun, ammunition, large capacity ammunition feeding device or semiautomatic assault weapon is in the possession of the juvenile, the prior written consent of the juvenile's parent or guardian who is not prohibited by Federal, State, or local law from possessing a firearm or ammunition; and
Ashcroft Amdt. No. 342; To amend chapter 44 of Title 18, United States Code, to enhance penalties for the unlawful use by or transfer to juveniles of a handgun, ammunition, large capacity ammunition feeding devices, or semiautomatic assault weapons, and for other purposes.
Craig is from ID, not WY. WHat else did GOA get wrong?
He's a Romney supporter.
Supporters of Romney or Rudy who drag conservative candidates down to their liberal candidate's gutter is against the rules here.
Bump
I don't see anything in this amendment that is "against the Second Amendment". Have you actually read it? And yes, I have lots of firearms.
Clarification: Thompson voted against S.254 but voted in favor of harsher penalties for parents of young people carrying firearms without notes from their parents (S.Amdt. 342). ...doesn’t make much sense, does it.
I’ll be giving fred sharper scrutiny and perhaps just passing him over
In favor of whom? Rudy McRomney are too liberal, Hunter/Paul/Tancredo are Congressmen, and the other guys are all washed up. That's why you're seeing a huge groundswell of support for Fred. Thompson is a solid conservative who gets it, misleading posts, past votes & statements taken out of context, and the usual ad-hominem attacks against him notwithstanding.
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