Free Republic

One problem is that the people on the no-fly list (as well as the broader terror watch list from which it is drawn) have not been convicted of doing anything wrong. They are merely suspected of having terror connections. And the United States doesn't generally punish or penalize people unless and until they have been charged and convicted of a crime. In this case, the government would be infringing on a right guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution — and yes, like it or not, the right to buy a gun is a constitutional right according to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The ranking Democratic member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform will hold a hearing on the flow of illegal guns between the U.S. and Mexico on Thursday in response to recent controversy over a botched gun-trafficking program. ... Speakers at the minority hearing will include Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), a former ATF agent and several gun control advocates.

Don't touch my brownies! A child nutrition bill on its way to President Barack Obama — and championed by the first lady — gives the government power to limit school bake sales and other fundraisers that health advocates say sometimes replace wholesome meals in the lunchroom. ... Public health groups pushed for the language on fundraisers, which encourages the secretary of Agriculture to allow them only if they are infrequent. The language is broad enough that a president's administration could even ban bake sales, but Secretary Tom Vilsack signaled in a letter to House Education and Labor Committee Chairman George...

In 2005 the Supreme Court said the federal government's power to "regulate commerce…among the several states" extends to the tiniest speck of marijuana wherever it may be found, even in the home of a patient who grows it for her own medical use in compliance with state law. "If Congress can regulate this under the Commerce Clause," Justice Clarence Thomas warned in his dissent, "then it can regulate virtually anything—and the Federal Government is no longer one of limited and enumerated powers." The Obama administration, which was in court this week defending the new federal requirement that every American obtain...

Q: Sir, about the Jones Act, has this been waived? And if so, where are the foreign vessels? ADMIRAL ALLEN: Oh, there are a lot of foreign vessels operating offshore, Carol. The Jones Act—we have had no request for Jones Act waivers. If the vessels are operating outside state waters, which is three miles and beyond, they don't require a waiver. All that we require is an Affirmation of Reciprocity, so if there ever was a spill in those countries and we want to send skimming equipment, that we would be allowed to do that, as well, and that hasn't...

Moments after voting to authorize the bill, the Democrat told the floor he had goofed. "I'd like to be recorded as a 'no' vote," he said, according to transcripts, adding that he had mistakenly voted in favor of the legislation. By claiming to have made an error, Obama's "intent" to vote against the measure was noted in the record. But his initial "yes" stood. Obama made six similar "mistakes" during his state Senate years, twice on hotly contested measures.

What do you think of the Ron Paul Blimp and the campaign finance laws? For those who don't know, I'll briefly summarize the history: A bunch of RP cultists decided to start an effort separate from the campaign to support RP, and came up with the idea of a blimp. They decided to start a website and accept pledges. People pledged wildly, and they quickly met their goal and started trying to collect the pledges. At that point, it occurred to someone that this is America, and you can't just do something like this without a platoon of lawyers, who...

I'm a Paul supporter, but was disappointed with his answer on machine guns. I expected the reporter to act as if privately owned machine guns don't exist and are a lunatic idea, but then Ron Paul acted the same way and tried to change the subject! He did wind up saying that if some hobbyist wants a machine gun he doesn't have a problem with it, but that's pretty weak, IMHO. It was a great opportunity to point out that there are almost a quarter million LEGAL privately owned machine guns in America today and then ask the reporter when...

This is a riot. They're trying to hire this blimp for a month. Looks like they may succeed. Too funny.

On November 5th we will see an interesting test of whether Ron Paul's internet buzz translates into real world events. It is said to be something that just sprung up online, without any help from the Paul campaign, who are certainly not complaining. They want to raise $10,000,000 in one day by getting 100,000 people to donate $100 each to Ron Paul on that day. Are internet spammers representing a few fringe kooks going to come along and spam his campaign with millions of dollars? Many of us have been on the internet since the 1990's, but think about how...

The Economic Report of the President is an annual report written by the Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors. It overviews the nation's economic progress using text and extensive data appendices.

In other words, the majority argues in effect that the private, purely intrastate possession of machine guns has a substantial effect on the interstate machine gun market. This theory, if accepted, would go far toward converting Congress's authority to regulate interstate commerce into "a plenary police power." Lopez, --- U.S. at ----, 115 S.Ct. at 1633. If there is any sort of interstate market for a commodity--and I think that it is safe to assume that there is some sort of interstate market for practically everything--then the purely intrastate possession of that item will have an effect on that market,...

In the nearly two weeks since Hurricane Katrina, the government of New Orleans has devolved from its traditional status as an elective kleptocracy into something far more dangerous: an anarcho-tyranny that refuses to protect the public from criminals while preventing people from protecting themselves. At the orders of New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, the New Orleans Police, the National Guard, the Oklahoma National Guard, and U.S. Marshals have begun breaking into homes at gunpoint, confiscating their lawfully-owned firearms, and evicting the residents. "No one is allowed to be armed. We're going to take all the guns," says P. Edwin Compass...

A New Jersey state assemblyman has introduced a bill that would allow the government to seize the home or car of anyone whose property contains an illegal firearm. The legislation, sponsored by Assemblyman Louis Manzo, D-Jersey City, authorizes the forfeiture of "motor vehicle, building or premise" if a firearm is found in it that is not possessed legally per state law – "even if the firearm was not possessed by the owner of the motor vehicle, building or premise," states a summary of the bill, A3998. The legislation was introduced Thursday. Manzo pointed out his bill extends government power now...

How many here believe in a strict interpretation of the text of the Constitution, and following the intent of the Founders with regard to its application? I'm wondering because Article 1, Section 8 says, in part: "The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes,... To regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states, and with the Indian tribes;... To make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers..." When the Congress decided they wanted to regulate guns and drugs, they didn't pass general criminal laws. They passed taxes, specifically...