Gun bills may trigger split

THE WASHINGTON TIMES ^ | Feb 23, 2004 | Brian DeBose

[neverdem]

The Senate will begin another debate on federal gun laws this week, and at least one issue may put it at odds with Republicans in the other chamber.

A Republican-led bill to immunize gun makers from wrongful-death claims is expected to hit the floor tomorrow, but Democrats and liberal Republicans will propose an amendment to extend the federal assault-weapons ban, possibly setting up a showdown with the House.

[looscnnn]

"The same people who are saying they won't vote for Bush are so politically ignorant they never noticed he said it before the 2000 election."

Some of us were told that he was just saying it to pander to the people in favor of it.

[HumbleButExceedinglyAccurate]

I was a republican PCO during the 2000 election year. I doorbelled for Bush. I worked phone banks. I stood on a busy streetcorner in the cold with my signs and wearing a bright orange monk costume the morning of the general election.

But as much as I like Bush and the way he's served as a military leader, I will do nothing to help him in the upcoming elections. And I won't vote for him.

There's one way and only one way to get my vote back. He needs to DO NOTHING, and let this bill die in the house. He shouldn't need to veto it. He shouldn't need to crusade against it. But at this point in time, I have no reason to believe that he's going to passively let this law sunset. Past experience leads me to believe that he's going to actively campaign to get votes in the house for an extension.

If he proves me wrong by DOING NOTHING and letting the law sunset, I'll vote for him again. I doubt that's going to happen, which is deeply dissapointing.

[neverdem]

Last time I checked http://thomas.loc.gov/ on S.659, the Senate bill in question regarding liability, probably at least a few months ago, the following RINOs had failed to co-sponsor: John McCain, Richard Lugar, John Warner, Mike DeWine, Lincoln Chafee and Peter Fitzgerald.

If all pubbies honestly supported the bill, then combined with the rats supporting it, we have the magic "60" and a filibuster can't happen according to the rules of the Senate, i.e. they have the mandated quorum and a vote can be taken, AFAIK.

Off the top of my head McCain is up for re-election this year, IIRC. I hope he retires. Fitzgerald is retiring this year, and the rats have been on a roll in Illinois. DeWine, Chafee and Warner are safe this year, IIRC. BTW, the last time Warner ran, he was unopposed by the rats. Lugar is a question mark. Google his name, and you'll find out.

[looscnnn]

"If the Dems win, then that will tell them that people, such as yourself, approve of their agenda including the AWB extension"

Then using that train of thought, Bush's getting elected would say that we approve of his agenda including the AWB, illegal immigrant proposal, etc.

[neverdem]

"BOHICA"

Please, I need an acronym translator.

[looscnnn]

"we have the magic "60" and a filibuster can't happen according to the rules of the Senate, i.e. they have the mandated quorum and a vote can be taken,"

The dems are looking to put riders on, so they most likely are not worried about not being able to filibuster.

[RockChucker]

me thinks right you are

[NRA2BFree]

Bush signs this bill, and I'll vote a straight Rat ticket. What the hell's the difference. 'Bout time those pretenders in the White House finds out there are consequences for betrayal.

Thanks for the ping! While I agree with much of what you say, I could NEVER bring myself to vote for Kerry. He has already made it known he would put our military under the UN before ever going after terrorists in another country.

President Bush has made a LOT of mistakes and I'm VERY angry about many things he has done, but I support the way he has been fighting the war on terror, i.e. fighting them in another country. I KNOW he will go after them in Syria or Iran when they hit us again, and you KNOW it's coming. It's just a matter of time.

IF Bush gets reelected, there's a 50-50 chance that one of more of the Supremes Court Justices will either retire or die in office, allowing him to appoint a Conservative Judge to take their place. With Kerry, there is a 100% guarantee that he will appoint more Liberal Judges. I'm sure you've noticed that the Liberal Judges in your state are legislating from the bench! As far as I'm concerned, the judges are the MOST important issue that we face right now. Their "ruling" on the gun issue could ultimately sink gun owners all the way around, should they vote that we have no right to own a gun!

I live out in the country so I'm personally not in danger of a terrorist attack but I believe with Bush as our President, Americans in the big cities will live a little while longer. I think he's slowed down terrorists in America. They've seen what happened to Saddam, et al. IF Bush signs the ban, I won't give up ANY of my guns under ANY circumstances anyway, and I don't know ANYONE who will. IF they want to come for my guns, then I'm not the only one who will die. I'm NOT giving them up. And NO, I'm not a Bush bot. lol. I'm just trying to look at the BIG PICTURE and what I believe is best for America down the road! :)

[HumbleButExceedinglyAccurate]

I should clarify that while I was aware of his statements regarding support of existing laws during the 2000 campaign, I didn't believe that he'd go out of his way to screw his base. Now I know better. I beleived that this would be a costly political move and one that he'd be crazy to make. I still do. But I think he's going to do it, and I think he'll probably still win re-election.

[AreaMan]

BOHICA

As far as I know it means:

Bend Over Here It Comes Again

[bc2]

"Assault is an action, not a device"

Can I use this as a new tag line? it's genius.

[CaptSkip]

Call your Congress Critters. Let them know how how feel!

Tell all like-minded friends (that SHOULD be everbody you call a friend) to do the same.

It's easy. Gov't pages in the phone books. It makes you feel good too!

[justshutupandtakeit]

You are misinformed about Chicago's gun laws.

[archy]

We need a constitutional amendment like the one in Tennessee that states that no amendment to a bill may be made that is not directly related to the original bill. This would stop a lot of these "poison pill" amendments that are designed to either kill a bill or sneak a law in that could never pass on its own.

No we don't. All we need is a law to that effect, with the proviso that the law is not subject to review by the supreme court:

U.S. Constitution, Article III, Section 2:

The judicial Power shall extend to all Cases, in Law and Equity, arising under this Constitution, the Laws of the United States, and Treaties made, or which shall be made, under their Authority; to all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls; to all Cases of admiralty and maritime Jurisdiction; to Controversies to which the United States shall be a Party; to Controversies between two or more States; between a State and Citizens of another State; between Citizens of different States; between Citizens of the same State claiming Lands under Grants of different States, and between a State, or the Citizens thereof, and foreign States, Citizens or Subjects.

In all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, and those in which a State shall be Party, the supreme Court shall have original Jurisdiction. In all the other Cases before mentioned, the supreme Court shall have appellate Jurisdiction, both as to Law and Fact, with such Exceptions, and under such Regulations as the Congress shall make.

[Dave Olson]

In fact, a dem president would have a lot harder time I bet getting it through.

I disagree. A Democrat Bill Clinton had no problem getting it enacted in 1994.

[neverdem]

Thanks for the link.

[Puppage]

I would be honored.

[ZULU]

You can rest assured, that, if given the opportunity, Chaffee, Hatch, Snow, McCain and those other feckless RINOs will kill the anti-suit bill and extend the4 assault rifle ban.

[archy]

FYI: see #94.

[archy]

I live out in the country so I'm personally not in danger of a terrorist attack

"We have Nicaragua, soon we will have El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, and Mexico. One day, tomorrow or five years or fifteen years from now, we're going to take 5 to 10 million Mexicans and they are going into Dallas, into El Paso, into Houston, into New Mexico, into San Diego, and each one will have embedded in his mind the idea of killing ten Americans."

--Thomas Borge, Nicaragua Interior Minister as quoted in the Washington Times, March 27, 1985