A Shot in the Arm for the GOP

WP ^ | 18 MARCH 2007 | George F. Will

[rdb3]

We shall see if it is.

[mainepatsfan]

Heck it'd have an impact on the GOP primaries as well.

[James W. Fannin]

...a federal appeals court may have revived gun control as a political issue.

In other words, the press and party bosses are forced to reckon with it yet again.

[BMIC]

What I'm wondering is if all of those who were wrongly prosecuted by D.C. for violating their unconstitutional gun law are going to get fair restitution for the damages they suffered!

[Beagle8U]

" It has been mostly dormant since autumn 2000, when Al Gore decided he was less interested in it than in carrying states such as Michigan and Pennsylvania: "Gore Tables Gun Issue as He Courts Midwest" [New York Times, Sept. 20, 2000]."

If that is the case then Al Gore, the NYT, and/or George Will are morons.

Michigan is about as pro-gun as a state could possibly get.

[Condor51]

The appeals court ruling appalls advocates of gun control laws and should alarm the Democratic Party ... That is not in the interest of the Democratic Party, which is supported by most ardent supporters of gun control.

Hey Georgie, don't forget gun grabbing 'republican' Rudy Julie-Annie.

This ruling 'prolly' gave him nightmares. Heck he's likely still on heavy doses of Prozac. This naturally goes double Rudy's gun grabbing butt buddy, 'republican', Bloomberg.

[Emmett McCarthy]

I wonder if there has been any comment on this ruling from Guiliani? He not only thinks that individual citizens shouldn't be allowed firearms, but also thinks that manufacturers should be sued to force them to only produce in quantities required for "sporting purposes and legitimate law enforcement needs". And, of course, he would be the one to decide what those quantities would be.

[mainepatsfan]

I think that was his and the Times point. Gore dropped the issue because he feared losing Michigan and Pennsylvania because of it.

[mainepatsfan]

Mitt Romney joined the NRA last August just to try to get ahead of this issue.

[Beagle8U]

I read it as they were saying guns shouldn't be an issue because they thought that Michigan was for gun control.

[mainepatsfan]

Nah even the Times isn't that out of touch. I remember it got so bad for Gore that unions had to assure their members that he wasn't going to take their guns away.

[Buckeye Battle Cry]

If the Supremes take this on, it will be a huge issue in `08.

[neverdem]

This was a surprise, George Will writing about the Second Amendment without making me cringe. Reading the decision was quite enjoyable.

[coloradan]

He wasn't less interested in gun control, he just wasn't interested in harping on it while campaigning there. He's still all for it, as far as I can tell.

[Neu Pragmatist]

Exactly , if Giuliani was elected , one can only imagine who he would pick for AG . Bloomberg perhaps ?

[Beagle8U]

If you check history you will find that NO candidate has been elected as POTUS that was openly hostile to gun rights.

That includes the RATS. Clinton was reelected after signing the AWB but he was never anti-gun before his first election.

After the RAT slaughter in Congress 1994 they vowed to shut-up about guns. Hillary is on the record now as anti-gun and the only way she could win is if that issue is off the table.
Rudy has a worse record and is the only one she could beat.

[Firefigher NC]

I doubt this decision will hurt the GOP any. It should only embolden 2nd Amendment advocates.

[Neu Pragmatist]

With the current make up of the SCOTUS , i'm not comfortable with the idea of the issue going before them . We really need one or two more Constructionists on that court before it gets heard , if at all .
The way the court has been trying to ride fences in the past few years , I could see a ruling affirming the right , but then also stating that Semi-autos don't fall under said right .

[mainepatsfan]

Heck even the lib pols in Maine know not to touch the gun issue.

[mainepatsfan]

Agreed.