Free Republic

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.

Standing Guard: Vote For The Second Amendment Tuesday, October 14, 2008 In just a few days, on November 4, gun owners will be presented with a very clear choice of a pro-Second Amendment versus an anti-Second Amendment Presidential ticket. John McCain and Sarah Palin versus Barack Obama and Joe Biden represents a stark contrast for the future of our freedom.In that choice, one fact is foremost:The next president, by filling inevitable vacancies on the U.S. Supreme Court, will determine the continued existence of our Right To Keep and Bear Arms.The landmark Heller decision by the U.S. Supreme Court--which struck down...

Barack Obama has voted for or supported some of the most extreme gun control measures ever attempted in our nation. And yet, with the help of his media accomplices, the Democrat has managed to lull some gun owners into complacency, just as he has managed to lull many hard-working, red-blooded American workers into complacency by obscuring his socialist economic agenda. Thanks to one simple question from Joe the Plumber on the campaign trail, Americans now know about Obama's plan for wealth redistribution. And thanks to one simple answer to an interview question, Obama has given "Joe the Hunter" all he...

Over the past 30 years, I've been paid to write almost two million words, every one of which, sooner or later, came back to the issue of guns and gun-ownership. Naturally, I've thought about the issue a lot, and it has always determined the way I vote. People accuse me of being a single-issue writer, a single- issue thinker, and a single- issue voter, but it isn't true. What I've chosen, in a world where there's never enough time and energy, is to focus on the one political issue which most clearly and unmistakably demonstrates what any politician—or political philosophy—is...

GARLAND – With nine days left until the election, people aren't only lining up to vote early; they are also apparently heading to sporting goods stores and gun shops as owners have reported an increase in business. Gun owners have expressed concern that Barack Obama, if elected, will not only renew the ban on assault weapons, but also make it permanent. "Not that people are fear-buying,” said John Mannewitz, a manager at Target Master. “But, if there's something cool you want to get, people are saying sooner is better than later." Target Master, a gun store in Garland, used to...

Dear BellStar: ,BR. As a Second Amendment supporter, you know there are two kinds of politicians -- those who truly support our freedom, and those who just talk about it. Now, in this final critical week of this campaign, we have an American patriot with a vital message for all of us. Award winning movie and TV legend Chuck Norris has stepped up to the plate to warn gun owners about politicians who pay the Second Amendment lip service when they want YOUR vote -- but oppose our rights once they're safely in office. Click here to see an important...

The NRA is going up in 10 battleground states with an featuring a tough-talking Chuck Norris touting the Second Amendment and warning against those unnamed politicians who have not supported gun rights. "He’s an American badass," said Chris Cox, the NRA's chief lobbyist, of Norris. Cox wouldn't say how much they were spending on the ad, but that it would be on broadcast and cable, cycled into a seven-figure buy they have up now. They'll air the spot in Colorado, Nevada, Missouri, North Carolina, Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida, Minnesota and Wisconsin. The NRA has spent millions going after Barack Obama...

Gun Sales Thriving Despite Tough Economy Oct. 27, 2008 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Washington Post) This story was written by Fredrick Kunkle. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 the presidency, he will join with...

ST. PAUL — Al Franken suggested he and Republican Sen. Norm Coleman agree on gun rights. “I support the 2nd Amendment,” Franken said. “I don’t think we’re any different on this.” Coleman shot that down. “That is a stunning statement,” he told the Democrat during a Friday night debate among Minnesota’s three major candidates for U.S. Senate. Coleman, locked in a tight battle with Franken, said his main opponent got a failing grade from the National Rifle Association and has suggested limiting gun ownership. “There’s no question that there’s significant differences,” Coleman said, touting his “A” rating from the NRA....

Letters to the editor Obama's gun record Barack Obama's high-profile surrogates are asking gun owners and hunters to trust Sen. Obama with their guns. But he has not earned that trust. As state senator, Mr. Obama advocated handgun bans and 500 percent tax increases on all firearms and ammunition. He voted to ban single-shot 20-gauge shotguns, calling them "assault weapons." He even voted four times to allow the prosecution of a father who defended his family in his own home with a handgun. --snip-- These surrogates support Mr. Obama because they share a political party. That's understandable. However, it is...

Brilliantly, Democrats have kept the issue of guns out of the presidential campaign. Guns have barely been mentioned, with the exception of Barack Obama's gaffe about rubes clinging to Bibles and guns, his cautious support of the Supreme Court's Heller decision, and pop culture references to GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin killing moose. Democrats have long been on the losing end of the gun-rights debate, which has cost them countless elections. Quietly, on Oct. 13, The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence - one of the most radical gun control organization in the United States - endorsed Obama. It's...

NRA hopes to seal election by painting Obama as no friend of the firearm The National Rifle Association is pouring money and manpower into Nevada — the state’s 3rd Congressional District in particular — in hopes of defeating Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama and carrying Republican Rep. Jon Porter to a fourth term in Congress. The group is spending $40 million nationwide this election season to tell its 4 million members — and tens of millions more gun owners — Obama would be the most anti-gun president in history. In Southern Nevada, the NRA has organized 60 volunteers to promote...

The following is from an interview of John Lott by Dave Bose, substituting for Michael Medved on the Michael Medved radio show. Lott is currently a professor at the University of Maryland and is the author of "More Guns, Less Crime" and "Freedomonics." Lott taught at the University of Chicago the same time Obama was an instructor at Chicago. The transcript picks up approximately half way through the audio file... Dave Bose: Just before the break, Professor Lott, I was mentioning that actually know Barack Obama. You met at the college. John Lott: We were both at the University of...

I was shocked to find that the NRA has endorsed Baron Hill for IN-9. This is insane, with a good Republican (Sodrel) who could have been endorsed in a very close election. Granted, Hill has only a 36% rating from the Brady Campaign, but our solid Republican representatives all are down in the single digits (with Pence leading the way with a 0% rating -- way to go Mike!). GOA gave Hill a D- in their 2007 rating, but apparently the NRA thought he was good for an A in 2008. I've always been in the "NRA is one of...

WASHINGTON - The National Rifle Association is spending more than $10 million to keep Barack Obama from occupying the White House. The formidable gun-rights group is waging a full-court press against the Illinois senator and Democratic nominee for president, claiming that Obama would be the "most anti-gun president in American history." Chris W. Cox, executive director of the NRA's Institute for Legislative Action, the political and lobbying arm of the group, said Obama's talk of supporting the Second Amendment does not match his record. "It's shameless at best for a candidate like Barack Obama, who has a lifetime of support...

·11250 Waples Mill Road ·   Fairfax, Virginia 22030    ·800-392-8683   NRA And Brady Campaign AGREE: Barack Obama Is Anti-Gun   Friday, October 17, 2008   In a rare occurrence, NRA and the Brady Campaign (formerly Handgun Control, Incorporated) agree on something.    Four years ago, the Brady Campaign endorsed an anti-gun senator by the name of John Kerry for President, and NRA thought that decision made sense—for an anti-gun group.  This week, in a testament to his anti-gun record, Barack Obama also received a presidential endorsement from the Brady Campaign. So, once again, the Brady Campaign and NRA are in total agreement—Barack Obama is, by...

Obama is talking to gun owners -- and they're listening By Ray Schoenke at October 14, 2008 - 11:00am I was in Florida over the weekend campaigning for Obama. I'm impressed with the way the Obama campaign will not cede any vote to McCain. This is the first time any Democratic presidential campaign has so aggressively fought for gun owners. I think it's working - and it's throwing the GOP-controlled NRA for a loop. I like this headline from the Daytona Beach News-Journal: "Obama, McCain lining up gun groups" Obama is actually lining up gun voters, which is most important....

420 E. Locust, P.O. Box 637, Chatsworth, IL 60921 Phone: (815) 635-3198 or (815) 635-3166 Fax: (815) 635-3723 Website: www.isra.org Dedicated to education, safety training and support of Illinois firearm owners October 10, 2008 Fellow Sportsman, Hello, my name is Rich Pearson and I have been active in the firearm rights movement for over 40 years. For the past 15 years, I have served in the Illinois state capitol as the chief lobbyist for the Illinois State Rifle Association. I lobbied Barack Obama extensively while he was an Illinois State Senator. As a result of that experience, I know Obama’s...

The Obama campaign goes up in Virginia with its first ad featuring Senator Jim Webb, who offers a strong and personal defense of Barack Obama on guns and assures Virginians that Obama will protect our country's "greatness." We obtained the radio spot, and it's a strong one, starting off with an "important message to Virginia sportsmen and working families": Click To Play In the ad, Webb, a Vietnam vet and gun enthusiast, recounts his own gun history -- his dad gave him his first rifle when he was eight -- and goes on to explain that gun-love runs in his...

Barack Obama’s presidential campaign has worked to assure uneasy gun owners that he believes the Constitution protects their rights and that he doesn’t want to take away their guns. But before he became a national political figure, he sat on the board of a Chicago-based foundation that doled out at least nine grants totaling nearly $2.7 million to groups that advocated the opposite positions. The foundation funded legal scholarship advancing the theory that the Second Amendment does not protect individual gun owners’ rights, as well as two groups that advocated handgun bans. And it paid to support a book called...