McCain says "F*ck you" to Cornyn over immigration.

WaPo reports:

At a bipartisan gathering in an ornate meeting room just off the Senate floor, McCain complained that Cornyn was raising petty objections to a compromise plan being worked out between Senate Republicans and Democrats and the White House. He used a curse word associated with chickens and accused Cornyn of raising the issue just to torpedo a deal.

Things got really heated when Cornyn accused McCain of being too busy campaigning for president to take part in the negotiations, which have gone on for months behind closed doors. "Wait a second here," Cornyn said to McCain. "I've been sitting in here for all of these negotiations and you just parachute in here on the last day. You're out of line."...

"[Expletive] you! I know more about this than anyone else in the room," shouted McCain at Cornyn.

"A curse word associated with chickens"? Really, avoiding the actually language is so... chickenshit. But enough about WaPo, let's talk about McCain.

I have no problem with political characters saying "f*ck you" to each other behind the scenes. I almost think they'd be chickenshit not to. It's normal in tough, competitive situations. I remember when people were surprised by all the cursing on the Nixon White House transcripts, but that was a long time ago, and the fact is, it was normal even for Nixon era guys when they were in private. Remember when Bush said "There's Adam Clymer, major league asshole from the New York Times"? That was nothing, because it was a private comment that happened to get overheard. Political enemies exploit it as much as they can, but they can't get too far without seeming petty and prissy.

Now, McCain did say "F*ck you" in an official setting, and he did shout it. And it does resonate with that negative characterization of McCain as an angry man that his opponents want to sell us. So how much should this hurt McCain as a presidential candidate? I don't think it should hurt him at all. There doesn't seem to be a video clip of it (something that seems to change everything these days). It may have been a big meeting in an ornate room near the Senate floor, but it wasn't on the Senate floor.

This strikes me as babyish tattling. I want a President who says "f*ck you" and calls things that are chickenshit "chickenshit." Not where the kids can hear him, of course. But this was a closed meeting and Cornyn was apparently trying to disqualify his opinion because he dares to go off and run for President. McCain was entitled to push back. I say it's nothing.

ADDED: This is just my opinion. I should tell you I had a low key reaction to the Dean scream back in 2004. The morning after I heard it, I said I thought his opponents were using it because "it seems to confirm that the candidate has the quality we have come to fear he has" -- that is, anger -- but I thought that it didn't really mean anything because "In the context of the room, it made sense to play cheerleader for his disappointed fans."

The immigration deal.

In the Senate:

The bill would provide an opportunity “right away” for millions of illegal aliens to correct their status, said Mr. Kennedy, Democrat of Massachusetts. It would emphasize family ties as well as employment skills in weighing how soon immigrants could become legal residents, he said.

But it would also emphasize improved border security and would call for “very strong sanctions” against employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants, according to Senator Arlen Specter, Republican of Pennsylvania.

Both senators acknowledged that the bill, whose general terms are agreeable to the White House, is likely to come under fire both from the political right and the political left — decried either as “amnesty” or as “not humanitarian enough,” as Mr. Specter said....

Stephen W. Yale-Loehr, who teaches immigration law at Cornell University, said: “The legislation taking shape in the Senate represents a major philosophical shift. It tells the world that we are emphasizing characteristics that will enhance our global competitiveness, like education and job skills. We would not rely as much on family background as we have in the past.”

I haven't written much about immigration because I see it as a complex policy issue that needs a pragmatic solution. I have no ready-made ideological response. So I'll just say I hope they figured it out as well as they could, congratulations for agreeing on something, and thanks for extracting this issue from the 2008 presidential campaign.

Unlike me, Mickey Kaus is constantly talking about immigration. I have never understood why he's so heated up about it, but since it's his thing, let's see what he's saying:

This is looking more and more like the Bush administration's domestic version of Iraq: a big risky gamble, based on wishful thinking and nonexistent administrative competence, that will end in disaster. What disaster? 1) Lower wages for struggling unskilled--and semi-skilled--American workers (including, especially, underclass men) even when the labor market should be tight; 2) Income inequality moving further in the direction of Latin America--maybe even to such an extent that social equality between the rich and their servers becomes difficult to maintain; and 3) A large semi-assimilated population along our southern border with complex, understandably binational allegiances--our own Quebec. ... Actually, I can see why some Republicans might not be so bothered by (1) and (2). But what about Democrats?

"What Shakespeare is to the high school English student, the society's accepted constitutional traditions are to the prudent jurist."

Said Antonin Scalia (in Oregon last month, as recounted in this nicely written article):

"I call this the Shakespeare principle, because it represents, within the realm of law, a proper sense of priorities that I learned in high school within the realm of literature," he said in his keynote. "I had a tough old English teacher who made an enormous impression upon my life by explaining the Shakespeare principle to one of my classmates ... who in our classroom discussion of Hamlet made the mistake of volunteering some sophomoric, ill-founded criticism of the play. This teacher looked at him for a moment and then uttered the line that has ever since seemed to me a pretty good guide in many areas of life and work: 'Mister,' he said, 'when you read Shakespeare, Shakespeare's not on trial. You are.'"

When the justice got rolling, he not only named the poor student, but broke into a New York accent when quoting his former teacher. It brought the house down.

"What Shakespeare is to the high school English student," Scalia said, "the society's accepted constitutional traditions are to the prudent jurist.

"He does not judge them, but is judged by them. The very test of the validity of his analytic formulas—his rules—is whether, when applied to traditional situations, they yield the results that American society has traditionally accepted."

Jerry Falwell Dies at 73

Best wishes to his family in their time of grief.

LYNCHBURG, Va. - The Rev. Jerry Falwell, the television evangelist who founded the Moral Majority and used it to mold the religious right into a political force, died Tuesday shortly after being found unconscious in his office at Liberty University. He was 73.

Ron Godwin, the university's executive vice president, said Falwell was found unresponsive late Tuesday morning and taken to Lynchburg General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead about an hour later.

"I had breakfast with him, and he was fine at breakfast," Godwin said. "He went to his office, I went to mine, and they found him unresponsive."

Dr. Carl Moore, Falwell's physician, said the evangelist had a heart rhythm abnormality. He said Falwell was found without a pulse and never regained consciousness.

Falwell had made careful preparations for a transition of his leadership to his two sons, Jerry Falwell, Jr., now vice-chancellor of Liberty University, and Jonathan Falwell, executive the pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church.

One daughter, Jeannie Falwell Savas, Surgeon, Richmond, Va. Godwin said. "He has left instructions for those of us who had to carry on, and we will be faithful to that charge," Godwin said.

There will be time enough at a later date to discuss Falwell's legacy and actions during his life. Hopefully we, as a blogging community, left or right, can give the family some time to mourn.

I see by looking at some of the reactions that some have posted with maturity, wisdom and grace while others could not resist dancing on his deathbed.

Respect where it is due, one of the links above are to a political left blog, Crooks and Liars, and they have shown the respect due to a grieving family. (kudo's)

Some people just have no sense of humanity and cannot wait a day or two before speaking ill of the dead.

Shame on you.

.

Jerry Falwell Dies at 73

Best wishes to his family in their time of grief.

LYNCHBURG, Va. - The Rev. Jerry Falwell, the television evangelist who founded the Moral Majority and used it to mold the religious right into a political force, died Tuesday shortly after being found unconscious in his office at Liberty University. He was 73.

Ron Godwin, the university's executive vice president, said Falwell was found unresponsive late Tuesday morning and taken to Lynchburg General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead about an hour later.

"I had breakfast with him, and he was fine at breakfast," Godwin said. "He went to his office, I went to mine, and they found him unresponsive."

Dr. Carl Moore, Falwell's physician, said the evangelist had a heart rhythm abnormality. He said Falwell was found without a pulse and never regained consciousness.

Falwell had made careful preparations for a transition of his leadership to his two sons, Jerry Falwell, Jr., now vice-chancellor of Liberty University, and Jonathan Falwell, executive the pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church.

One daughter, Jeannie Falwell Savas, Surgeon, Richmond, Va. Godwin said. "He has left instructions for those of us who had to carry on, and we will be faithful to that charge," Godwin said.

There will be time enough at a later date to discuss Falwell's legacy and actions during his life. Hopefully we, as a blogging community, left or right, can give the family some time to mourn.

I see by looking at some of the reactions that some have posted with maturity, wisdom and grace while others could not resist dancing on his deathbed.

Respect where it is due, one of the links above are to a political left blog, Crooks and Liars, and they have shown the respect due to a grieving family. (kudo's)

Some people just have no sense of humanity and cannot wait a day or two before speaking ill of the dead.

Shame on you.

.

Corvette pics.

1954:





1964:







I get lost in the reflections....



... the relative perfection of a car:

Fashion focuses eyes on women's chests.

Upper chests, that is. It's all about the clavicle, the clavicle that you've etched out through hardcore exercise and stringent dieting.



Because what could be sexier that a woman who is shockingly, graphically demonstrating how thoroughly she has excluded all pleasure from her life?

Toned shoppers who want to show off their self-discipline in the face of dessert are choosing dresses with a low, but not plunging neckline, a look that is transforming the area above the breasts into an unlikely new subject for women to obsess over....

Why the new emphasis on a body part most women — and more men — have paid little attention to in the past? Credit a swing of the fashion pendulum, and a malaise over “Girls Gone Wild” style.

Yes, we're bored with breasts now. Haven't you heard? We've had enough of "Girls Gone Wild." We want "Girls Gone Abstemious."

[The clavicle is] an area whose prominence is unlikely to be enhanced surgically (at least for now).

Come on, you slacker plastic surgeons. Get on this, now. Where are my clavicle implants? Figure out how to add bony-looking bumps all over the body. You've been limiting yourself to cheekbones and chins for too long.

This region has been emphasized by the skinny celebrity acolytes of the stylist Rachel Zoe, including Nicole Richie and Keira Knightley. Their ubiquitous deep V-neck tops show off sometimes skeletal frames, and other actresses have taken their cue and sized down as well, to the point that the Internet teems with fashion and celebrity bloggers and message board posters carping about protruding A-list clavicles.

Talk about me, blog about me, say what you like but talk about me. How frighteningly must I cause my bones to protrude to get you to talk about me? Blog about me, dammit!

Courtney E. Martin, the author of “Perfect Girls, Starving Daughters: The Frightening New Normalcy of Hating Your Body” (Free Press, 2007), said that many of the girls and women she interviewed for her book “talked about how far their collarbone stuck out” with pride, as an indicator of their skinniness.

Ms. Martin contends that a generation of young women raised after Title IX and the women’s movement pursue slender figures with the same rigor as they pursue admission to an Ivy League university.

Title IX?! See what happens when you make women competitive? They're just choosing their sport, the extreme sport of thinning.

When Jessica Braff, who works at an advertising agency in New York, lost 15 pounds in her freshmen year of college, the first thing she noticed was that her clavicles were more pronounced.

“I loved it,” she said. She continues to wear clothes that show off her collarbones, which she calls the “easiest and least controversial expression of a kind of sex appeal.”

Yes, it's a kind of sex appeal. The kind that says there is not the slightest thing luscious or sybaritic about me.

On the pro-clavicle side, the most interesting voice is Consuelo Castiglioni, a fashion designer:

[Her] label, Marni, incorporates chest-baring necklines into tops and dresses. The brand has long been a favorite of women seeking clothing that isn’t expressly made to attract men, including skirts with bustles and tops that flare out to obscure any semblance of a waist.

“I think it is clear from my designs that deep cleavages, tight silhouettes, visible tummies or behinds are not part of my aesthetic,” Ms. Castiglioni said in an e-mail message. “What I try to express is elegance and femininity and a more cerebral, hidden sensuality.”

Don't you see? It's intellectual.

NRA update 12MAY07

D.C. CIRCUIT COURT AFFIRMS EARLIER PARKER RULING



On Tuesday, the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. circuit, declined to review the decision in Parker v. District of Columbia--the case in March that upheld the Second Amendment as an individual right and struck down Washington, D.C.'s handgun ban. The decision not to review the case means that an earlier ruling by the three-judge panel will stand.




Gun Ban Activists Push More Restrictions at U.S. House Hearing: A one-sided hearing Thursday in the House Oversight & Government Reform Subcommittee on Domestic Policy, chaired by long-shot presidential candidate Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Oh.), was used by anti-gunners as a platform for pushing the same, old, tired anti-gun restrictions.



UNDERCOVER OPERATIONS MAY "STING" BLOOMBERG: In an effort to end the illegal, covert "Simulated Straw Purchase" stings that anti-gun New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) has been misguidedly promoting of late, Virginia Attorney General Robert McDonnell (R) recently sent a letter to Bloomberg reminding him that Virginia's House Bill 2653--which prohibits gun dealer entrapment schemes such as those orchestrated by the Mayor--will go into effect this summer.



IN MOORE TROUBLE: Once again, filmmaker Michael Moore is in the news, and the news is not good for him. A recent article in the on-line version of the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports Moore is under investigation by the U.S. Treasury Department for unauthorized travel to Cuba.



"THE ACTIVIST'S CORNER"--PEER-TO-PEER EDUCATION: You receive the Friday Grassroots Alert, but do you receive NRA-ILA's free monthly newsletter, "Freedom's Voice"? This free publication is a must have for the pro-gun activist, and as with the Grassroots Alert, it is absolutely free!




STATE ROUNDUP (please click to see any updates on states not listed below.)


ALABAMA: Alabama Governor Signs Pro-Gun Legislation into Law! Put another in the win column for Alabama's gun owners. Governor Bob Riley (R) signed Senate Bill 62 into law on Monday, May 7. The bill will allow a resident to purchase or receive a firearm or ammunition from a non-contiguous state, as well as allow a non-resident to purchase within Alabama.



ARIZONA (1): Help Improve the Southeast Regional Park Shooting Range! Please help continue improvements at the Southeast Regional Park Shooting Range. Written comments to the Chairman of the Committee can be submitted no later than Thursday, May 31, 2007. For more information as to where to mail your comments, please click here.



ARIZONA (2): Arizona Game & Fish Department to Host Meetings on BLM and Forest Service Plans! The Arizona Game and Fish Department will host a series of meetings across the state to provide an overview of the Forest Service and BLM planning processes and how you can become engaged. The plans could potentially include proposed alternatives that change the way you currently enjoy public lands, particularly with regard to recreational shooting, hunting, vehicular access and transportation, designation of open and closed roads, dispersed camping and/or recreation, and motorized retrieval of big game lawfully taken by hunters.



ARIZONA (3): Stop the Bureau of Land Management From Banning Recreational Shooting on Arizona Public Lands! The 128,000-acre Ironwood Forest National Monument is under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and is generally opened to dispersed recreational shooting. A management plan just released for public review and comment is likely to change that if BLM's preferred management alternative (Alternative C) is adopted. Alternative C would close the Monument to recreational shooting. Hunting would continue to be allowed for the time being. Let your voice be heard! Please send written comments to the BLM and let them know that recreational shooting is a legitimate use of public lands, and a legitimate and traditional recreational use in Ironwood Forest National Monument.



ARIZONA (4): Arizona Game & Fish Department Seeking Comment on Operational Plans! A series of eight public meetings is being held across the state to present a plan and to accept public comment regarding how the Arizona Game and Fish Commission will manage wildlife, outdoor recreational activities, and its own operations for the next two years. Your comments will play a major role in affecting the management of the AGFD. Help preserve Arizona's hunting and shooting heritage. Your participation is vital if we're to ensure the continuation of hunting and shooting sports for future generations.



ARIZONA (5): The Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) Tucson Field Office will host a public meeting to answer questions and take comments on the Ironwood Forest National Monument Draft Resource Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement. The agency has previously hosted five meetings. The meeting is scheduled for Saturday, May 19, from 10 a.m. to noon, at Pima Community College West Campus, 2202 W. Anklam Road, Tucson, in the Proscenium Theater, located on the east side of the campus. Sign in for speakers will begin at 9:30 a.m. The meeting will be a question-and-answer format with a panel of BLM specialists. Each person will be given up to two minutes to ask a question or provide a comment, which will be recorded by a note taker. Comments to the plan will be accepted through Wednesday, May 30. Comments may be submitted in writing to: Mark Lambert, IFNM Planner, BLM, 12661 East Broadway, Tucson AZ 85748 or may be submitted via e-mail at AZ_IFNM_RMP@blm.gov.



COLORADO (1): Attack on Right-to-Carry At The Governor's Desk! On Wednesday, April 25, Senate Bill 34 passed the House and is presently on the desk of Governor Bill Ritter (D). If enacted, out-of-state carry permits would no longer be honored if the permit holder is not a resident of the state that issued the permit. Please contact Governor Ritter TODAY at (303) 866-2471 or by email at Governor.ritter@state.co.us and respectfully urge him to veto SB34.



COLORADO (2): Please Urge Governor Ritter to Veto HB1174! If enacted, House Bill 1174 would permanently extend the database of concealed handgun permit licensees. Please contact Governor Ritter and respectfully urge him to veto HB1174. Governor Ritter can be reached at (303) 866-2471 or by email at Governor.ritter@state.co.us and respectfully urge him to veto HB1174.



CONNECTICUT: Connecticut Anti-Gun Bill Still Pending in Committee! Senate Bill 903 is still awaiting referral to the Public Safety and Security Committee. SB 903 seeks to make criminals out of burglary victims by making it a crime to fail to report a gun theft to police within 72 hours of when the owner "discovered or should have discovered" the theft. SB 903 also includes language that would subject gun owners to criminal investigation and jeopardy of prosecution even if they report the theft within the required time period! Please call your Connecticut state lawmakers TODAY at (860) 240-0100 and strongly urge them to OPPOSE SB 903!



ILLINOIS: Illinois Bill Seeks to Ban Commonly Used Magazines and Rifles! Senate Bill 1007, introduced by former gun-ban lobbyist and current Senator Dan Kotowski (D-33), is headed to the House, which could take it up at any time. SB 1007, which bans the manufacture, possession, delivery, sale, and purchase of standard capacity ammunition magazines capable of holding more than ten (10) cartridges. This bill is worded so broadly that it would also ban certain firearms, such as some Henry rifles, which have attached tubular magazines capable of holding more than ten rounds of ammunition. It is critical that you call your State Representative at (217) 782-8223 immediately and urge him or her to oppose SB 1007.



IOWA: Final Hearing By LeClaire City Council To Discuss Custom Gunsmith and Firearms Shop Moving Into The Area! Les Baer Custom, Inc. is no longer welcome in Illinois and has decided to move across the Mississippi River to LeClaire, Iowa. Unfortunately, gun ban advocates are working against them in LeClaire too. Please call the Mayor and City Council and urge them to support Les Baer Custom Inc.'s move to LeClaire. For contact information for the Mayor and City Council, please click here.



LOUISIANA (1): Management Plan Underway for Mandalay and Bayou Teche National Wildlife Refuges! The National Resource Planner is taking comments on how Mandalay and Bayou Teche National Wildlife Refuges should be managed. Comments maybe submitted until Friday, May 18th. Please address comments, questions, and requests for further information to: Charlotte Parker, National Resource Planner, Southeast Louisiana National Wildlife Refuge Complex, 61389 Highway 434, Lacombe, LA 70445 or call 985-882-2000 or send comments and questions via email to Charlotte_Parker@fws.gov.



LOUISIANA (2): Attention Louisiana Hunters: Help Protect the Catahoula National Wildlife Refuge! A conservation plan has been made available by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service addressing the uses of the Catahoula National Wildlife Refuge. To ensure that our nation's wildlife refuges remain open to hunting, it is important for the hunting community, particularly those who hunt on wildlife refuges, to submit comments for the public record. Comments will be accepted until Monday, May 21 and should be sent to: Central Louisiana National Wildlife Refuge Complex, 401 Island Road, Marksville, LA 71351. A copy of the plan is available at: http://southeast.fws.gov/planning/.



MICHIGAN: "No-Net Loss" Bill Heading to House Floor in Michigan! House Bill 4597, "No-Net Loss" legislation that would ensure that today's total acreage of public lands open to public hunting will not be reduced, is heading to the Michigan House floor for a vote. Please contact your State Representative at (517) 373-6339 and respectfully ask him or her to support HB 4597.



MISSOURI: Missouri Pro-Gun Bills Making Progress! Two important pieces of pro-gun legislation are currently pending in the Missouri Legislature. Passed by the House Special Committee on Agriculture Business, Senate Bill 225, the "Hunting Heritage Protection Areas Act," will protect some of our nation's most critical wildlife habitats and hunting areas by prohibiting certain development, and will prohibit localities from restricting the lawful discharge of firearms within the protected areas. Please contact your Representative at (573) 751-3824 and strongly encourage him or her to support and vote for SB225. Also, Senate Bill 62, the "Castle Doctrine" self-defense bill, is heading to a conference committee with the House.



MONTANA: Montana Governor Signs "Emergency Powers" Legislation! Governor Brian Schweitzer (D) signed Senate Bill 309, "Emergency Powers" legislation, sponsored by Senator Joe Balyeat (R-34). SB309 will prohibit the confiscation of firearms during a declared state of emergency, such as occurred following Hurricane Katrina. Please call Governor Schweitzer at (406) 444-3111 or email him at governor.mt.gov/contact/commentform.asp and thank him for supporting law-abiding gun owners and the Second Amendment.



NEW YORK: Anti-Gun Package Still Looming in New York Legislature! A broad package of anti-gun legislation that was approved by the New York State Assembly is still pending action in the Senate. Each bill poses a very real threat to our Right to Keep and Bear Arms in the Empire State, so it is critical that you contact your State Senators at (518) 455-2800 and urge them to vote "NO" on Assembly Bill 6525, Assembly Bill 829, Assembly Bill 2772, Assembly Bill 3447, Assembly Bill 7331, and Assembly Bill 76!



NORTH CAROLINA (1): Anti-Gun Bill Moving in North Carolina Legislature! House Bill 1287 seeks to create a new statewide database to which sheriffs would report all individuals who have been denied a permit to purchase a pistol. It has passed the House and now moves to the Senate. Please contact your State Senator today and respectfully urge them to oppose HB1287.



NORTH CAROLINA (2): North Carolina Considering the "Crime Victim Double-Victimization Act!" On Monday, May 14, the North Carolina House Judiciary I Committee will be hearing House Bill 1847, a bill that would require law-abiding gun owners to report the loss or theft of a firearm to police or face criminal prosecution. This bill would treat anyone who has had a firearm stolen as a common criminal if he or she fails to report the theft within 48 hours of when the crime victim "knew or reasonably should have known of the theft or loss." Please plan to attend the hearing on Monday, May 14, at 3:00 PM. If you are unable to attend, please contact the Committee Members.



OREGON: Oregon Youth Hunting Bill Up for a House Floor Vote! NRA-supported Youth Hunter Mentoring legislation, Senate Bill 892 A, passed the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee. It will be heading to the House Floor for a vote very soon.



RHODE ISLAND: Rhode Island Legislation Targeting Semi-Automatics! Firearm microstamping legislation has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee. For contact information for the House Judiciary Committee, please click here.



SOUTH CAROLINA: Pro-Gun Bills Marching Forward in South Carolina! NRA-sponsored Right-to-Carry reciprocity reform legislation, House Bill 3212, has passed out of committee and is now waiting to be heard on the Senate floor. Also, House Bill 3310, a bill which clarifies the law pertaining to the carrying of a firearm in a vehicle by someone with a Concealed Weapon Permit, is heading to the desk of Governor Mark Sanford (R).



TENNESSEE (1): Several Pro-Gun Bills Headed to Tennessee Governor Bredesen's Desk! House Bill 1285 and its companion bill, Senate Bill 1597, and House Bill 145, and its companion bill, Senate Bill 135, are heading to the Governor's desk. Please call Governor Bredesen's (D) office at (615) 741-2001 and urge him to sign HB 1285/SB 1597 and HB 145/SB 135.



TENNESSEE (2): Pro-Gun Bills Moving Forward in Tennessee House! House Bill 132 and House Bill 2184, two important pieces of Right-to-Carry reform legislation, have passed out of the House Judiciary Committee. HB 132 now heads to the House Finance, Ways & Means Committee, and HB 2184 has been referred to the House Committee on Calendar and Rules.



TENNESSEE (3): Tennessee Governor Protects Hunting in the Volunteer State! On Monday, May 7, Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen (D) signed "No-Net-Loss" legislation into law. House Bill 145 requires the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency to have a base line number of public hunting acres that are always open to hunting, guaranteeing that future generations have the same hunting opportunities that are enjoyed today.



TEXAS (1): Texas Right-to-Carry Confidentiality Bill Heads to Governor Perry! House Bill 991, the Concealed Handgun License confidentiality (CHL) bill sponsored by State Representative Patrick Rose (D-Dripping Springs) and State Senator Bob Deuell (R-Greenville), now goes to Governor Rick Perry (R) for his signature. Please take a moment to send a note of thank to Senator Bob Deuell, Senator Robert Duncan, Representative Patrick Rose, and Representative Joe Driver. Thank you for all your calls and emails in support HB 991, which ensured strong, bi-partisan support of the measure in both the House and the Senate. For contact information on the above State Legislators, please click here.



TEXAS (2): Important Texas Right-to-Carry Reforms Pressing Onward! Two important pieces of NRA-backed legislation to clarify once and for all that law-abiding Texans have the right to transport handguns for personal protection in their private vehicles without needing a Concealed Handgun License are moving through the Texas Legislature.



WISCONSIN: Wisconsin "Castle Doctrine" Bill Passes House! Vital self-defense legislation, also known as "Castle Doctrine" legislation, passed the Wisconsin State House on Wednesday, May 9. Assembly Bill 35 now moves on to the Senate. Please contact your State Senator at (800) 362-9472 and respectfully urge him or her to support AB 35 for your right to self-defense.

NRA update 8MAY07

Personal note here before the update. The Tennessean newspaper today has on their website a link to a listing of all registered handgun owners in the state of Tennessee. I can't think of anything that invades the individual rights to privacy of those who are simply following their constitutionally guaranteed rights to own firearms by a liberal newspaper that has a history of being anti-gun.

I don't buy the Tennessean, I don't look on their website for their "news." This is a personal request by me to all my fellow Tennesseans out there reading this to pass this information along and if you subscribe to this leftist rag, drop your subscription and stop buying it.

This time the Tennessean newspaper has crossed the line. This time they have willingly endangered gun owners.

Once and Always, an American Fighting Man

UPDATE 9MAYo7

Seems the Tennessean was flooded with phone calls from people all over the state and removed the page from their site. No apologies, no explanations, no nothing, just removed it.

I personally think they need to print a full page apology to the entire state for any potential problems that come from this. Further, I believe, personally, that any crimes committed against anyone who was listed on their site, if it can be shown that there is a connection to the crime and the fact that the victims name was listed, that the Tennessean be held criminally responsible as well.

Just my thoughts. Media is supposed to be responsible, not biased.

HCdL

LAW ENFORCEMENT AGREES WITH NRA-AGAIN!

Nation's Law Enforcement Opposes Release of Data on Gun Owners


For more than five years, cities suing the gun industry and anti-gun organizations have sought access to confidential law enforcement data on firearm traces¾records that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) compiles when it traces firearms in response to requests from law enforcement agencies. These efforts have been redoubled in recent years under the prodding of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R), who has funded a national television ad campaign that is so misleading that some television stations are refusing to run it because of its blatantly false statements!





NRA-ILA OPPOSES JUSTICE DEPARTMENT PROPOSAL: Last week, the U.S. Department of Justice sent a legislative proposal, along with a letter of support, to Congressional leaders. The legislative proposal would allow this¾or any future¾Attorney General to deny a firearm purchase to individuals on terrorist "watch lists" without due process of law. Anti-gun Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) has already introduced the legislation (S. 1237).





EXPLOITING TRAGEDY-AGAIN: Almost immediately following the horrific shootings on the campus of Virginia Tech, the anti-gun machine was revving into overdrive. Anti-gun politicians and gun control groups were having a field day jostling for an opportunity at any available microphone or in front of any camera.





STATE ROUNDUP (please click to see any updates on states not listed below.)


ALABAMA: Pro-Gun Bills Pending in Alabama Legislature! Senate Bill 62, House Bill 23, Senate Bill 370, and House Bill 598 need your support. Please contact members of the Senate at (334) 242-7800 and urge them to support SB 370 and members of the House at (334) 242-7600 and ask them to support HB 598.



ARIZONA (1): Help Improve the Southeast Regional Park Shooting Range! Please help continue improvements at the Southeast Regional Park Shooting Range. Written comments to the Chairman of the Committee can be submitted no later than Thursday, May 31, 2007. For more information as to where to mail your comments, please click here.



ARIZONA (2): Arizona Game & Fish Department to Host Meetings on BLM and Forest Service Plans! The Arizona Game and Fish Department will host a series of meetings across the state to provide an overview of the Forest Service and BLM planning processes and how you can become engaged. The plans could potentially include proposed alternatives that change the way you currently enjoy public lands, particularly with regard to recreational shooting, hunting, vehicular access and transportation, designation of open and closed roads, dispersed camping and/or recreation, and motorized retrieval of big game lawfully taken by hunters.



ARIZONA (3): Stop the Bureau of Land Management From Banning Recreational Shooting on Arizona Public Lands! The 128,000-acre Ironwood Forest National Monument is under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and is generally opened to dispersed recreational shooting. A management plan just released for public review and comment is likely to change that if BLM's preferred management alternative (Alternative C) is adopted. Alternative C would close the Monument to recreational shooting. Hunting would continue to be allowed for the time being. Let your voice be heard! Please send written comments to the BLM and let them know that recreational shooting is a legitimate use of public lands, and a legitimate and traditional recreational use in Ironwood Forest National Monument.



ARIZONA (4): Arizona Game & Fish Department Seeking Comment on Operational Plans! A series of eight public meetings will be held across the state to present a plan and to accept public comment regarding how the Arizona Game and Fish Commission will manage wildlife, outdoor recreational activities, and its own operations for the next two years. Your comments will play a major role in affecting the management of the AGFD. Help preserve Arizona's hunting and shooting heritage. Your participation is vital if we're to ensure the continuation of hunting and shooting sports for future generations.



ARIZONA (5): The Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) Tucson Field Office will host a public meeting to answer questions and take comments on the Ironwood Forest National Monument Draft Resource Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement. The agency has previously hosted five meetings. The meeting is scheduled for May 19, from 10 a.m. to noon, at Pima Community College West Campus, 2202 W. Anklam Road, Tucson, in the Proscenium Theater, located on the east side of the campus. Sign in for speakers will begin at 9:30 a.m. The meeting will be a question-and-answer format with a panel of BLM specialists. Each person will be given up to two minutes to ask a question or provide a comment, which will be recorded by a note taker. Comments to the plan will be accepted through May 30. Comments may be submitted in writing to: Mark Lambert, IFNM Planner, BLM, 12661 East Broadway, Tucson AZ 85748 or may be submitted via e-mail at AZ_IFNM_RMP@blm.gov.



CALIFORNIA (1): Urgent: Anti-Gun Bills Headed to California Assembly Floor! Two pieces of legislation, Assembly Bill 821 and Assembly Bill 334, that are critical to the rights of California's gun owners, are making their way to the Assembly Floor in the Golden State. Please contact your Assembly Member and respectfully urge them to oppose Assembly Bill 821 as well as Assembly Bill 334. Contact information for your Assembly Member can be found by clicking here.



CALIFORNIA (2): California Pro-Gun Bill Passes Assembly, Heads to Senate Assembly Bill 854 heads to the California Senate. AB854 would repeal a California law that restricts the publication of information about firearms that are not permissible for sale in California. Please contact your State Senator today and respectfully urge him or her to support AB854. Contact information for your State Senator can be found by clicking here.



CALIFORNIA (3): Golden State Ammunition Sales Registration Bill Stalled! Thanks to your calls and support, Assembly Bill 362 has been placed in the "suspense file." This will likely delay the bill until early-June. Please continue contacting the Assembly Appropriations Committee and ask them to oppose AB362. The Appropriations Committee can be reached by calling (916) 319-2081.



CALIFORNIA (4): California to Require Spaying and Neutering of All Hunting Dogs! AB 1634, currently awaiting a hearing in the House Appropriations Committee, requires every dog older than four months to be spayed or neutered. Owners hoping to be able to breed their dogs at some point during their lives would be required to apply annually to their local government for an "intact" permit. It is critical that you contact your State Assembly Member and ask that they oppose this overreaching and discriminatory legislation. Please ask them to vote "no" on AB 1634. Contact information for your Assembly Member can be found by visiting http://www.assembly.ca.gov/acs/acsframeset7text.htm.



COLORADO (1): Attack on Right-to-Carry Heads to Governor's Desk! Senate Bill 34 passed the House and is on its way to the desk of Governor Bill Ritter (D). If enacted, out-of-state carry permits would no longer be honored if the permit holder is not a resident of the state that issued the permit. Please contact Governor Ritter TODAY at (303) 866-2471 or email Governor.ritter@state.co.us and respectfully urge him to veto SB34.



COLORADO (2): Attention Colorado NRA Members: Please Urge Governor Ritter to Veto HB1174! If enacted, House Bill 1174 would permanently extend the database of concealed handgun permit licensees. Please contact Governor Ritter and respectfully urge him to veto HB1174. Governor Ritter can be reached at (303) 866-2471 or email Governor.ritter@state.co.us and respectfully urge him to veto SB34.



ILLINOIS (1): Many Anti-Gun Bills Still A Threat! There are still many anti-gun bills moving through both the State Senate and House. To view a list of all of these bills and how they work against our Right to Keep and Bear Arms, please click here: http://www.nraila.org/Legislation/Read.aspx?id=2912. Please call your State Senator and State Representative today and urge them to vote "No" to all anti-Second Amendment legislation. The Illinois State Senate can be contacted at (217) 782-5715. The Illinois House of Representatives can be contacted at (217) 782-8223.



ILLINOIS (2): Illinois Anti-Gun Legislation Moving Swiftly! Senate Bill 1007 was hijacked and amended to include anti-gun legislation banning certain ammunition magazines. Any day, your State Senator could vote on legislation sponsored by former gun-ban lobbyist and current State Senator, Dan Kotowski (D-33). Please call your State Senator today at (217) 782-5715 and urge him or her to oppose Amendment 1 of Senate Bill 1007!



IOWA: Iowa: LeClaire City Council Meeting To Discuss Custom Gunsmith and Firearms Shop Moving Into The Area! Les Baer Custom, Inc. is no longer welcome in Illinois and has decided to move across the Mississippi to LeClaire, Iowa. Unfortunately, gun ban advocates are working against them in LeClaire too. Please call the Mayor and City Council and urge them to support Les Baer Custom Inc.'s move to LeClaire. For contact information for the Mayor and City Council, please click here.



LOUISIANA (1): Management Plan Underway for Mandalay and Bayou Teche National Wildlife Refuges! The National Resource Planner is taking comments on how Mandalay and Bayou Teche National Wildlife Refuges should be managed. Comments may be submitted until May 18th. Please address comments, questions, and requests for further information to: Charlotte Parker, National Resource Planner, Southeast Louisiana National Wildlife Refuge Complex, 61389 Highway 434, Lacombe, LA 70445 or call 985-882-2000 or send comments and questions via email to Charlotte_Parker@fws.gov.



LOUISIANA (2): Legislation to Ban "Assault Weapons" Pending in Louisiana House! House Bill 869 would establish far-reaching restrictions on semi-automatic firearms (dubbing them "assault weapons") and large-capacity magazines. HB 869 affects every firearm modified to conform with the now-extinct federal gun ban plus other semi-automatic firearms that have no lineage to those rifles or any "military-style" orientation whatsoever. Please contact the members of the House Criminal Justice Committee and respectfully urge them to oppose HB 869.



LOUISIANA (3): Attention Louisiana Hunters: Help Protect the Catahoula National Wildlife Refuge! A conservation plan has been made available by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service addressing the uses of the Catahoula National Wildlife Refuge. To ensure that our nation's wildlife refuges remain open to hunting, it is important for the hunting community, particularly those who hunt on wildlife refuges, to submit comments for the public record. Comments will be accepted until May 21 and should be sent to: Central Louisiana National Wildlife Refuge Complex, 401 Island Road, Marksville, LA 71351. A copy of the plan is available at: http://southeast.fws.gov/planning/ .



MAINE: Maine's Hunting Rights in Jeopardy! Anti-hunting legislation, Legislative Document 1635, "An Act To Prohibit Recreational Bear Trapping," has been referred to the Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. This bill would abolish the open season on trapping bears, a long-standing Maine tradition. Please contact the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee Members today and politely urge them to oppose LD 1635 and save a tradition of hunting that has been used by Maine hunters for decades. Senate members can be reached at (207) 287-1583, and House members can be contacted at (207) 287-4469.



MASSACHUSETTS: One-Gun-A-Month Bill Filed in Massachusetts! Governor Deval Patrick's (D) gun-rationing scheme has become a reality. House Bill 3991 is currently in the Judiciary Committee. This bill would limit law-abiding Massachusetts gun buyers from purchasing more than one firearm in a month's time. Please contact the Governor and the members of the Judiciary Committee and respectfully urge them to oppose this gun-rationing scheme.



MICHIGAN: "No-Net Loss" Bill Heading to House Floor in Michigan! House Bill 4597, "No-Net Loss" legislation that would ensure that today's total acreage of public lands open to public hunting would not be reduced, is heading to the Michigan House floor for a vote. Please contact your State Representative at (517) 373-6339 and respectfully ask him or her to support HB 4597.



MISSOURI (1): Missouri "Hunting Heritage Protection Areas Act" Heads to House! Senate Bill 225, a bill aimed at preserving Missouri's time-honored hunting and sporting heritage by protecting hunting areas and wildlife habitat within the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers' flood plain, is heading to the House. Please contact your State Representative at (573) 751-3824 and strongly encourage him or her to protect wildlife habitat and hunting by supporting and voting for SB225 without any amendments!



MISSOURI (2): Pro-Gun Bills Heading to the Missouri Senate! House Bill 845 and Senate Bill 62, aimed at strengthening the Second Amendment in Missouri, are headed to the State Senate. Please contact your State Senator at (573) 751-3824 and respectfully urge him or her to support and vote for both HB845 and SB62 in their current forms.



NEVADA: Three Pro-Gun Bills Pending in Nevada Legislature! State Senate and Assembly Committee members need to hear from you on three important pieces of pro-gun legislation. Senate Bill 237, the long-awaited Right-to-Carry reciprocity bill; Senate Bill 92, to eliminate the immediate handgun registration in Clarke County; and Assembly Bill 95, the "Emergency Powers Protection Act." The full text of SB 237, SB 92, and AB 95, as well as contact information for the members of the Senate and Assembly Government Affairs Committee and the Assembly Judiciary Committee, can be found online by visiting www.leg.state.nv.us.



NORTH CAROLINA: North Carolina Database Bill Heads to Senate! Legislation seeking to create a new statewide database to which sheriffs would report all individuals who have been denied a permit to purchase a pistol is going to the Senate. Please contact your State Senator and respectfully urge him or her to OPPOSE HB1287. Contact information can be found by clicking here



OREGON: Oregon "No-Net-Loss" Legislation Passes House, Moves to Senate! House Bill 3164, an NRA-supported bill that would require the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) to replace any public lands it closes to hunting with an equal acreage of public lands that must be opened to hunting is moving to the Senate. Please contact your State Senator and urge him or her to SUPPORT HB 3164. For contact information or help identifying your State Senator, please click here.



PENNSYLVANIA (1): Gun Registration Legislation Introduced! Your State Legislators need to hear from you about House Bill 760! If enacted, HB 760 would require every firearm in Pennsylvania to be registered with the government! Please call your State Representative and State Senator today and ask them to oppose HB760! For contact information or help identifying your State Legislators, please click here.



PENNSYLVANIA (2): Philadelphia City Councilman Seeks to Usurp Preemption and Sue Commonwealth! Unable to pass an anti-gun agenda thanks to Pennsylvania's preemption statute, Philadelphia City Councilman Darrell Clarke (D-5) is now attempting to seek final passage on eight gun-control bills that have been sitting idle. Clarke even has claimed that the City Council is preparing a legal suit claiming the Legislature's inaction on gun-control measures. Please contact your City Council member and respectfully urge him or her to oppose any of these anti-gun measures that may come before the Council. To find contact information for your Philadelphia City Council Member please click here.



RHODE ISLAND: Rhode Island Legislation Targeting Semi-Automatics! Firearm microstamping legislation has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee. For contact informatation for the House Judiciary Committee, please click here.



TENNESSEE: Several Pro-Gun Bills Headed to Tennessee Governor Bredesen's Desk! House Bill 1285 and its companion bill, Senate Bill 1597, and House Bill 145, and its companion bill, Senate Bill 135, are heading to the Governor's desk. Please call Governor Bredesen's (D) office at (615) 741-2001 and urge him to sign HB 1285/SB 1597 and HB 145/SB 135.



TEXAS (1): Texas Governor Signs Emergency Powers Bill Into Law! To ensure that what occurred in New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina will never happen in Texas, Governor Rick Perry (R) signed Senate Bill 112 into law on Friday, April 27. This NRA-backed legislation will prevent the confiscation of firearms and ammunition from law-abiding citizens during a future state of emergency or natural disaster.



TEXAS (2): Important Texas Right-to-Carry Confidentiality Bill Heads to Senate Floor! House Bill 991, NRA-supported Concealed Handgun License (CHL) confidentiality legislation, passed by a 6-2 vote on Monday, April 30. The bill now moves to the full Senate for consideration. HB 991 would restrict access to the CHL database to law enforcement only. Media organizations have launched a full-scale assault on HB 991, so it is critical that you contact your State Senator today and urge him or her to support HB 991.

Iraq Opposes Troop Withdrawal; Parliament Will Not Recess

Bottom Line Up Front: Iraq's official policy does not support the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq, siding with President Bush over the Democrats.

At the Iraq Summit in Egypt today in which Iraq met with its neighbors and U.S. Secretary of State Condi Rice, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari spoke with CNN this morning.

In the interview, Zebari said Iraq’s position is not supportive of a fixed timetable for withdrawal, but instead relies on conditions on the ground, aligning Iraq with President Bush’s position on a troop withdrawal.

Zebari also said that the Iraqi Parliament will not recess for the summer but will continue with its legislative agenda.

Zebari then commented that the summit in Egypt is so important because consequences of a failed Iraqi government would be devastating to the region.

Also read Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari's Don’t Abandon Us in the Washington Post, Friday, May 4, 2007; Page A23.

Cross-posted @: Bottom Line Up Front

[Update] Link by Yid With Lid---THANKS.

Can we leave peacefully?

To all you "cut and run" "surrender and retreat" people out there, I want you to consider something. Do you honestly think that al-Qaeda will just watch us if we withdraw from Iraq, leaving us to go peacefully, maybe tossing a few "we won, we won, nyah nyah nyah nyah nyaaaah nyaaaaaaah's" at out troops? How many of you have really taken into consideration what happens during demobilization operations if we were to abandon Iraq to it's own devices at this point in the game? Here is what al-Qaeda has plans for in the event that we cut and run:

Hat Tip, Miss Beth's Victory Dance via Victory Caucus.

New Tape: Al Qaeda No. 2 Wants 200,000-300,000 U.S. Dead in Iraq

Ayman al-Zawahiri Says Al Qaeda Wants to Spill More U.S. Blood Before America Withdraws

In a new video posted today on the Internet, al Qaeda's number two man, Ayman al Zawahiri, mocks the bill passed by Congress setting a timetable for the pullout of U.S. troops in Iraq.

"This bill will deprive us of the opportunity to destroy the American forces which we have caught in a historic trap," Zawahiri says in answer to a question posed to him an interviewer.


Continuing in the same tone, Zawahiri says, "We ask Allah that they only get out of it after losing 200,000 to 300,000 killed, in order that we give the spillers of blood in Washington and Europe an unforgettable lesson."


Based on the references to the bill, the tape, produced by al Qaeda's propaganda arm, as-Sahab, appears to have been made after Congress passed the legislation last week but before President Bush vetoed in on Thursday.


According to Laura Mansfield, a counter terrorism analyst with Strategic Translations, an organization that monitors al Qaeda postings, the tape was posted on the Internet this morning and covers the usual range of Zawahri's topics including Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine.


There has been a flurry of audio and video releases featuring Zawahiri, although no new communication from Osama bin Laden since mid-2006.

How many times do the American people have to be told that these people want us all DEAD? How many times does it have to be said before it penetrates thick skulls? Will it take the deaths that this man is calling for? Will it take another incident like 9/11 before people fully realize that these people are serious?

I'm serious in asking this. WHAT is it going to take for people to undersand that these radical fascist imperialist Islamic extremist want us utterly destroyed and the survivors subjegated to them?

I'm simply and utterly confounded by the mentallity of cutting and running, MORE so the mentallity of "let's fight them over here instead." It simply amazes me. In my mind, we HAVE to keep them busy on their own turf so they can't have time to concentrate on mayhem and destruction here. Too many innocent civilians in our own population depend on it, not to mention the people in the Middle East who don't fall in lockstep behind this mindset.

Simply amazing.

Once and Always, an American Fighting Man

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