Jeff has the latest on anti-gun bias in the media.

Xrlq:

At the risk of sounding like you should be happy to have been given a turd sandwich because at least you didn’t get a giant douche, I think we can safely say that Miers’s career is more distinguished than Gonzales’s.

Heh.

A Case of the Vapors is back and addresses the local traffic camera debate. Read here and here. A taste:

The problem this presents is if someone doesn’t pay a citation, will Redflex still receive compensation for the citation? According to this, it should and the City will have to pay Redflex from their share. I’ve been playing around with some numbers. It looks like during the time when Redflex and the City of Knoxville would be splitting the money 85/15, if 20% don’t pay their citations, the city will be losing money.

Whenever I marvel at something asinine the Republican controlled government has done, I often wonder how it is that some of these bozos were elected. I was wondering that this weekend when I caught an episode of The Daily Show.

The guest was Chuck Schumer (D-NY). Schumer said that Clarence Thomas thought that states could have churches and that Thomas also thought that the commerce clause meant that congress couldn’t regulate civil rights. Based on Thomas’ judicial philosophy, these are gross oversimplifications of what Thomas’ apparent views are. Then, poor old Chucky, said that DeLay was in trouble over his indictment because in Texas they have the death penalty. Yes, Chucky was joking but I don’t think joking about killing another politician for campaign violations is in good taste. I still await Media Matters’ scathing exposé on the stupidity of that statement.

So, to answer my question about why these Republican bozos are in charge, Schumer gave me the epiphany: Because the other partisan bozos are even more stupid.

Yesterday, I was listening to local talk radio and the hot topic was Stacey Campfield and the Black Caucus. This morning, I listened again and the hot topic was Bill Bennett, Freakonomics and the abortion quote. Problem was that this was last week’s news. So, my new slogan NewsTalk 100 WNOX:

Yesterday’s news, today!

Every time a state considers passing concealed carry weapons laws, some newspaper goes out and does research to conclude that such a plan is a bad idea. And, by research, I mean they go to all the anti-gun websites and repeat the propaganda listed there. The Wisconsin State Journal is doing it now:

To understand how dangerously foolhardy it would be for Wisconsin to adopt a law permitting people to carry concealed guns, consider what happened this spring in Minnesota, which adopted a similar law.
According to second-degree murder charges, drunken 26-year-old Zachary Ourada was harassing women at a Minneapolis restaurant. Doorman Billy Walsh asked Ourada to leave. Ourada then pulled out a concealed gun and shot Walsh four times in the back, killing the 43-year-old father of three.

When police apprehended Ourada, he was reported to have shouted: “I didn’t do nuthin’ wrong. I got a permit to carry that (gun).”

Indeed, Ourada had a permit along with an obviously perverted sense of right and wrong. It was a tragic combination.

Only problem is that it is a lie. Mr. Ourada left the bar and returned 30 to 45 minutes later with a gun. He was not carrying at the bar and CCW is not responsible for the death of Billy Walsh. The rest of the article is premised on that one incident, which the author is, basically, full of shit about.

Liar.

Myopic Zeal rounds up what just about everyone is saying about Miers.

David Kopel shows Miers is somewhat pro-gun. He quotes her as saying:

The same liberties that ensure a free society make the innocent vulnerable to those who prevent rights and privileges and commit senseless and cruel acts. Those precious liberties include free speech, freedom to assemble, freedom of liberties, access to public places, the right to bear arms and freedom from constant surveillance. We are not willing to sacrifice these rights because of the acts of maniacs.

Here’s hoping she’s on the right side of this issue.

Is that Giuliani would be a terrible choice in the primaries:

Former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani said Sunday he will contemplate next year whether to run for president in 2008.

“I will be considering it next year,” Giuliani said during a visit to Denmark. But he added that playing with the idea of running for the Republican nomination for president did not mean he would actually do it.

“Sometime you warm up and get ready and you don’t get in and pitch,”

Our conservative president isn’t. Our conservative congress isn’t. The conservative court isn’t. If Giuliani wins the primary (much less the presidency), then that means the conservative electorate isn’t.

Alrighty then:

Alameda County’s ban on possessing guns at the county fairgrounds may be unconstitutional, a federal judge has ruled in a lawsuit challenging what effectively is a ban on gun shows.

Having guns at gun shows can be constitutionally protected “expressive conduct,” a form of free speech under the First Amendment, U.S. District Judge Martin Jenkins said in an order Tuesday, rejecting the county’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed by gun-show promoters Russell and Sallie Nordyke.

While I appreciate the sentiment, I can’t help scratching my head.

Good advice on going to a gun show. I always forget the carry cash part, which means I usually get stuck with 3 – 5% to use the debit card.

Ask and you shall receive. Alston has pics of his AR-15.

Jeff Goldstein on Miers:

In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if she ends up withdrawing, so intense is the conservative pressure likely to become.

I don’t think so. I doubt Miers will withdraw. This administration is loyal to a fault. And they’re not afraid to stick with their original decision, regardless of how bad that decision may turn out to be. They stand by their men and women. To the end. And congress seems pretty OK with that.

This would be a good opportunity for the Republican controlled congress to prove it still has a set of balls, if they actually retrieve those balls from the floor of the Oval Office. I’m not convinced they’ll grow a pair.

Heh!

Update: Yeah, so? Heh, again.

Late start blogging today. Stuff, you know.

My thoughts on Miers: Who?

Seriously. I’m not particularly aghast and I’m not excited. I know nothing of her but it looks like a crony appointment. Stealth conservative? I doubt it. On guns? Others thinks she sucks for supporting PNS and having given to the Dems in the past. Her distinct lack of a record is scary.

I have a feeling that Bush has (once again) alienated part of the Republican base and, if so, the Republicans will pay dearly in the future.

Here’s more:

Jeff: Talk about cronyism!

Insty: Underwhelmed.

Malkin: Underwhelmed and rounds it up.

Right Wing News: bitterly disappointing

Codrea: She’s been “pre-approved by Senate Democratic leadership”?

as the last AR15. Because you’ve got to get the 9mm to shoot indoors. And the 7.62X39 for hunting. And the 6.8SPC because it’s cool. And the 45ACP because none of your friends have one. And the 22LR because, well, because.

And would it kill you to put up a pic?

Michael Silence details the local traffic camera revenue scheme that’s up for consideration:

Under the contract terms, Redflex would receive 85 percent of all revenue generated each month, up to $4,500 from each intersection. Any more monthly revenues from a particular site would be split 50-50 between the vendor and the city.

Redflex, which was chosen by a city-appointed committee from among six companies’ proposals, also would be entitled to 20 percent of all late fees received for delinquent fines.

Heh

David has an older post on her support of Federal Gun Control programs.

The AP:

The Supreme Court refused Monday to block a lawsuit against gun manufacturers accused of negligence for firearms violence in the nation’s capital.

An appeals court had said that the District of Columbia government and individual gun victims, including a man who was left a quadriplegic after being shot in 1997, could sue under a D.C. law that says gun manufacturers can be held accountable for violence from assault weapons.

The high court had been asked over the summer to use the case to strike down the statute, which gun makers said interfered with their right to sell lawful products.

No surprise, really. Triggerfinger has the rundown of DC v. Beretta.

The latest is up!

Harriet Miers has been nominated by Bush to replace O’Connor.

Been busy this weekend so no blog for you. However, the Carnival of Cordite is up for your reading pleasure.