[Don Joe]

Don Joe, the GOP is toast if they cross the gunowners and they know it.

I take it you haven't seen the polling data lately.

Here's a hint: it ain't looing good, and it's looking worse by the day. And another thing -- it's not just the gun owners they're crossing. It's pretty much every traditional conservative.

Even the Dims don't want to try gungrabbing this year.

LOL! They won't have to try it. GWB is all for it, he'll do it for them.

I don't believe for one second that AWB will be renewed. And I give DeLay and Hostettler (Liberty Caucus) most of the credit.

I don't for one second believe it won't be renewed -- probably permanently this time, no bogus "sunset" included. And I give Karl Rove all the credit. He hasn't even weighed in yet on the matter. When he did weigh in on CFR and Medifraud "reform", the Big Brave Congressmen folded like a cheap suit. It's amazing the way these guys'll vote when they're getting their arms twisted clean out of the socket.

Even the Brady Bunch has been forced to adopt more 'reasonable' tactics

Yeah -- like "maintaining the status quo."

AWB just doesn't prove much about Patriot. Except perhaps that determined grassroots activism can win against considerable odds.

LOL! Just like it did when it passed?

I wasted my time and money calling Dole's office. They said the calls were coming in fast and furious, pretty much all against. Viagradole himself said that the calls were something like 2000 to 1 against.

He voted for it.

And we still have strong allies in Congress who do merit our unreserved support.

I can't really challenge that statement, because I don't know what you mean by "we". Me, I can barely make ends meet. NWIH can I afford to send the multi-figure $$$ amounts to "my" representatives to get them to listen to what I'd like. I can just shut up and take it. Maybe you and your circle of "we" have deeper pockets than me.

[George W. Bush]

Don, you're too defeatist.

We have won this one. We just need to keep the pressure on.

Let's just keep watching this one. You flag me to any AWB renewal news. I think you'll find that we can't lose on every conservative issue.

Go look around the gun sites. They don't seem all that worried, not even the militant RKBA and GOA.

I'm on the GOA mail list and there are no alerts on the AWB. Nothing on the horizon yet. We may be disappointed that our bills to protect gun manufacturers from frivolous litigation hasn't moved forward and that immunity for self-defense from zealous anti-gun prosecutors hasn't passed yet.

Those are sins of omission. The AWB would be a direct attack on the grass roots gunowerners, many of whom live in the 37 states with recent CCW legislation. Actually, I think Bush would lose at least several crucial Southern states if it passed. And I think Rove knows it.

No. I'm not worried about the AWB. But there are plenty of other things we need to watch.