Second Amendment News Roundup for 9/3/07

Focusing on guns and politics, here is today's Second Amendment News Roundup:

So, you think Alberto Gonzalez was bad as an Attorney-General? I would not disagree with that assessment, but when compared to Janet Reno, the man was the best. Ann Coulter reminds us of the sheer terror perpetrated on the electorate by the most aggressive, rogue Attorney-General in U.S. history--the Clintons' favorite girl, Janet Reno (hat tip to Traction Control):
http://www.anncoulter.com/cgi-local/welcome.cgi

Traction Control posts the news on a judge who blocked stricter penalties for hiring illegal aliens (and by the way, the U.S. Code states that the aiding and abetting of illegal aliens is a felony--but apparently not in THIS judge's courtroom):
http://tractioncontrol.well-regulatedmilitia.org/?p=567

The Volokh Conspiracy points out that in a recent story in the New York Times entitled, 'Why Is Cuba So Poor?,' never once did the article mention that Communism, Socialism, or Collectivism are in any way responsible for the nation's plight:
http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2007_09_02-2007_09_08.shtml#1188724835

John Lott reports that the Northern Iowa University faculty senate voted against allowing campus police to carry guns:
http://johnrlott.tripod.com/2007/09/northern-iowa-university-faculty-senate.html

Xavier Thoughts blogs today about an unusual revolver, but it is a beauty:
http://xavierthoughts.blogspot.com/2007/09/model-of-1905-4th-change-oddity.html

Xavier also has some neat examples of pre-Depression-era Smith & Wesson military and police revolvers:
http://xavierthoughts.blogspot.com/2007/09/pre-depression-military-police-revolver.html

The War on Guns has an intriguing article on how the FBI may have scared Caucasians into supporting gun control by using 'the race card':
http://waronguns.blogspot.com/2007/09/color-of-gun-control.html

Bitter over at The Bitch Girls shares her opinion on the resignation of Senator Larry Craig, which she thinks is lamentable. I agree:
http://www.thebitchgirls.us/?p=7353

A Keyboard and a .45 has some great news for one of our favorite Congressmen of all time, Republican Presidential candidate Duncan Hunter of California. Hunter won a big one by walking away with the Texas straw poll. We are gratified to see the Congressman win one:
http://akeyboardanda45.blogspot.com/2007/09/duncan-hunter-runs-away-with-texas.html

Alphecca says that London is playing host to an arms fair, which has the police in a dither, deploying 4000 officers to monitor the thing:
http://www.alphecca.com/?p=382

Snow Flakes in Hell points to an interesting item in the news concerning suicide prevention and the work of law enforcement:
http://www.snowflakesinhell.com/?p=1456

Say Uncle posts this item entitled, 'Big Schtick':
http://www.saysuncle.com/archives/2007/09/03/big_schtick/

Front Sight, Press points to a MUST-read penned by Triticale entitled, 'Gun Control Victims':
http://www.snubnose.info/wordpress/rkba/gun-control-victims/

Cameron Bailey says that the revelations continue to unfold about the HUGE fundraising scandal that implicates Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Barbara Boxer, and about a dozen other top Democrats:
http://www.cameron-bailey.com/2007/09/democratic-fundraising-scandal.html

Blogonomicon posts a great cartoon editorial that you absolutely must see:
http://blogonomicon.blogspot.com/2007/09/indeed.html

Mike McCarville says that it may be way too early to count out former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee in his bid for the GOP Presidential nomination. McCarville says that a S.C. insider has evidence that Huckabee is a rising star in the GOP:
http://wwwtmrcom.blogspot.com/2007/08/huckabee-gops-new-rising-star.html

Pamela Geller over at Atlas Shrugs never minces words when it comes to the failure of the modern Democratic Party to support American ideals, freedom, and nation of Israel. Read her latest timely expose on some sickening rhetoric by the Democratic leadership:
http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2007/09/democrats-party.html

In case you haven't seen it yet, Mr. Completely has this latest update on the Gun Bloggers Rendezvous in Reno, Nevada in October (plan to attend if you can):
http://mrcompletely.blogspot.com/2007/08/gun-blogger-rendezvous-guest-of-honor.html

Senator Larry Craig to Resign Today

Under enormous pressure from state voters and top Republicans at the national level, sources close to Idaho Republican Senator Larry Craig indicated that the Senator intends to resign from his Senate seat on Saturday.

Craig had pleaded guilty to a lesser misdemeanor charge when he was arrested in June in a police sex sting operation at an airport men's room. The particular men's room in question had been known to be a gathering place for homosexual men who were looking for sexual encounters.

With the 2008 election cycle drawing near, Republicans could ill afford a major scandal, particularly when it involves what many of Party's voting base consider to be a hot-button item.

Among the Party's national leadership and the grassroots rank-and-file back home, the overwhelming consensus was that Craig resign.

Immediately after news broke on Thursday that Craig's days in the Senate may be numbered, speculation ensued concerning who would be his replacement in the U.S. Senate. Quickly the name of Ryan Horsley, owner and manager of Red's Trading Post--the oldest gun store in Idaho--surfaced as a strong contender.

The U.S. Constitution mandates that in the case of a vacated Senate seat, the Governor of the state in question appoints a person to fill out the term of the person who vacated the seat.

Idaho Governor Butch Otter has several potential choices--U.S. Representative Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, Lieutenant Governor James Risch. and Ryan Horsley, among others.

If Otter chooses Simpson, the vacated House seat would be filled by a special election ordered by the Governor, according to the U.S. Constitution. Ryan Horsley has indicated interest in the House seat, but he would need to put together a campaign and win the majority of the votes in his district.

This should not be hard to do given Horsley's name-recognition and popularity within that House district.

However, Fox News is reporting that Governor Otter is leaning toward appointing Lieutenant Governor Risch to the Senate seat. In the past Risch had indicated he would be interested in running for the U.S. Senate should Craig decide to retire.

The Governor's office, however, is insisting that Otter has not come to any firm decision concerning Craig's seat and that no promises have been made to anyone. One source close to the Governor stated that all options are still on the table, and furthermore, it is inappropriate to discuss replacements before Craig has resigned.

Politics is a meticulous cat-and-mouse game with various nuances that color and influence choices. In the case of Senator Craig, while it is lamentable that hypocrisy seems to be so central to his political career, in many ways it is even more lamentable that the private lives of our elected representatives seem to be more important than their stance on the issues.

Larry Craig has been one of the most reliable and solid advocates for Second Amendment rights in America today. For that we can be very grateful.