from our anti-Constitutionalist friends:

As the Washington Post reported, "Defense Secretary Leon Panetta fired off a strong defense of gun control legislation Thursday, in front of a decidedly skeptical audience." Panetta's comments came after he was asked what proposals the Obama administration had in mind that "don’t have to do with tearing apart our Second Amendment." Showing the tact for which he has become famous, Panetta answered:

“Who the hell needs armor-piercing bullets except you guys in battle?” Panetta told the soldiers at the U.S. Army Garrison Vicenza in northern Italy. “For the life of me, I don’t know why the hell people have to have assault weapons.”

At this point, many self-defense activists respond that the need for guns has to do with the ability to defend against tyrannical government, to which gun controllers chirp, "but you can't defeat tanks and nuclear weapons with rifles!" thereby demonstrating that they don't keep up with the war in Afghanistan and skipped their history lessons about some difficulties the U.S. military ran into in a place called Vietnam.

But really, that's all irrelevant. Because in free societies, you don't have to justify owning things. You get to own them because you want them and have the means to acquire them. And you get to acquire more than just the basic necessities, if you so choose.

Oh ... And Leon, all bullets are armor-piercing, depending on the armor. You might want to bone up on that, given that you're the Secretary of Defense.

Despite Piers Morgan's consistent advocacy, CNN's own polls show support for certain gun laws down from a month ago. That didn't stop Morgan from targeting two female gun rights advocates on his Wednesday night show, asking absurd questions, constantly interrupting them, and throwing a juvenile hissy fit.

"Where does it say you can have an assault weapon that can fire 100 bullets in a minute in your Constitution?" Morgan posed to Tea Party News guest Scottie Hughes. " Do you want the right to have a tank?" he followed up.

Fish.  Barrell.

During the 2008 presidential campaign, gun rights author and scholar John Lott recounted meeting Barack Obama for the first time while he was a lecturer at University of Chicago.  

When the two met, Lott's reputation on guns preceded him, and Lott claims Obama said, "I don't believe people should be able to own guns."

Read that again, and let it soak in; Barack Obama reportedly said, "I don't think people should be able to own guns." In my correspondence with Lott, he stood by his story.

And there's little reason to doubt Lott's account, especially when you take Obama's history of anti-gun legislation into account.

Consider these examples:

1. In a 1998 questionnaire for the Illinois state legislature, Obama said he wanted to "ban the sale or transfer of all sorts of semi-automatic weapons."

2. From 1998-2001 Obama was on the board of the Joyce Foundation, the "major funder for gun-control research" at that time.

3. Obama opposes concealed carry and always has (every state but Illinois disagrees with him).

4. Obama only sees two "legitimate" purposes for guns: "hunting and target shooting." This means using guns for self defense is not legitimate. And this goes a long way in explaining Obama's past support of laws banning the use of guns for self-defense in Illinois, even in one's own home.

But all these things and more are simply symptoms of a bigger issue—namely, that Obama doesn't think people should be able to own guns in the first place.

Lott believes Obama's lip service to the Second Amendment is simply part of an overarching Democrat strategy set forth by pollster Mark Penn, which instructs Dems to say they support the Second Amendment in order get elected and then to do everything they can to chip away at it via legislation and regulation once they're in office.

so I'll just keep posting!

Peter Kirsinow writes his compromise proposal:

for various and sundry Donks

First up is the ordinarily unlikeable Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose.)  As noted on Reason 24/7, Lofgren is proposing what she’s calling “Aaron’s Law,” after Aaron Swartz, the young programming genius who committed suicide while facing federal prosecution for his antics downloading and “liberating” huge numbers of academic journal papers at MIT.

But to say she’s proposing a new law is not quite accurate, and that’s what makes her efforts different from typical memorial legislation. She’s proposing amending an existing federal law to – get this – make it less powerful. I know!

Our second notable Donk is Rep. Ray Serrano (D-NY) who has introduced a bill to repeal the 22nd amendment (limiting POTUS to two terms.)  At first this one upset me but then I discovered that the Congressman has proposed this EVERY term since 1997, even through the Bush Administrations.  THAT gets it a cheer.

Ok.  So there's no third.  But two ain't bad!

got a few of these today.

First, on the debt cieling we have SENATOR Obama 2006:

dibs and drabs on the gun control issue.  And since I'm just SITTING HERE in ORD, I'll use my time to post some links and thoughts.

Favorite headline: 

Sitting in ORD.  I thought of this LASt trip but didn't get it written.  I spend an above average amount of time in airports.  No problem.  I see them, and the people that work and travel through them at their best, and at their worst.  And so it is that I make two pertinent observations and a third temporary one.

1.  Your luggage does NOT need a seat.  Most "departure lounges" have about 30% fewer seats than  they actualy need.  As a result, lots of folks end up standing around.  As a well-mannered adult male I always give up my seat to the elderly (which I'm fast becomming) and to females.  Most of my fellow travelersdo not exhibit the same proper upbringing.  And to make matters worse invariably there is one jerk who takes a seat, puts his laptop bad on the seat to one side and stands his remaining luggage in front of the seat to the other side, thus occupying three seats.  JUST STOP THIS!  Put your luggage in front of you and put your laptop bag on top of it and let the 90 year old couple traveling to Newark to see their grandkids for the last time before they (the 90 year olds) die sit down.

2.  Most airports don't have NEARLY enough outlets.  C-bus (CMH) is GREAT!  ORD sucks.  So here's the deal.  If you have a choice of seats and AREN'T gonna use that highly sought after outlet, don't sit on top of it blocking other users.  That's prime real estate and you're wasting it.  And If I ask you to move so I CAN use it don't get offended.

3.  Is it just me, or a sign of the times, that I've seen a LOT more NRA shrits/hats/jackets this trip?

Discussing POTUS' anti-2nd Amendment proposals from last night.

LM: "But last night Obama himself said the need was urgent because “40 percent of all gun purchases are conducted without a background check.”

Me:  "38% of all guns are invisible"

LM:  "How can you COUNT them if they're invisible?"

Me: "How can you count private sales if THEY'RE invisible?"

LM eyes glaze over.

that I can't have an intelligent discussion regarding Constituiona Law with an otherwise intelligent fellow citizen when leading congress critters themselves don't knowwhat they're talking about.

Here's the oath of office taken by new members of congress:

I, (name of Member), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.

And here's what Nancy Pelosi said yesterday:

Earlier this month, shortly after Newtown, all members of Congress took an oath to protect and defend the Constitution and the American people. To protect and defend.  That is our first responsibility. Today, members of the House Democratic Caucus have come together to fulfill that duty to confront the challenge of gun violence in our society and act to ensure the safety and security of our communities.

No, Ms. Pelois, you DIDN'T take an oath to procted and defend us.  You took an oath to support the Constitution.   And you'll start doing that ... when?

The Medium  Simon Baker as Patrick Jane.  But tonight we watched Season 5, Episode 7 from 11/11/12. 

And the show is doomed.

Why?

TV News anchorman Ed Hunt was played by Ted McGinley.  The Patron Saint of Shark Jumping.

Sad really.

and is it my imagination or is it getting really shrill around here?

Left-wing Radio Host Who Fantasized About Beheaded Tea Party Members Offended by 'Gun Appreciation Day'