Florida Democrat Congressman Alan Grayson on the Republican Party: "They're not going to be winning the Nobel Peace Prize themselves anytime soon, they probably wish that there was a Nobel Prize for fear, a Nobel prize for hatred, a Nobel prize for racism, you know then they'd be in the running."
I don't consider myself much of a Republican anymore, but I do consider that Congressman Alan Grayson (D-FL) is a sack of crap.
@Bitterb and @SebastianSH at SnowFlakes have dug up the connection between MAIG & the Brady Campaign.
Nice work!
The US House of Reps has joined the US Senate in voting to remove funding from the ACORN hot mess.
Senate vote Monday: 7 Nays
| NAYs ---7 | ||
| Burris (D-IL) Casey (D-PA) Durbin (D-IL) | Gillibrand (D-NY) Leahy (D-VT) Sanders (I-VT) | Whitehouse (D-RI) |
| Baldwin Becerra Brady (PA) Brown, Corrine Butterfield Capuano Carson (IN) Castor (FL) Cleaver Clyburn(SC) Crowley Cummings Davis (IL) DeGette Delahunt Doyle Edwards (MD) Ellison Engel Fattah Filner Fudge Green, Al Grijalva Hinchey | Hirono Holt Honda Jackson (IL) Jackson-Lee (TX) Johnson, E. B. Kilpatrick (MI) Kucinich Larsen (WA) Lee (CA) Lewis (GA) Lynch Markey (MA) McCollum McDermott McGovern Meeks (NY) Mollohan Moore (WI) Moran (VA) Nadler (NY) Neal (MA) Olver Pallone Pascrell | Payne Polis (CO) Price (NC) Rahall Rangel Roybal-Allard Rush Sánchez, Linda T. Schakowsky Scott (GA) Scott (VA) Serrano Sherman Sires Slaughter Stark Thompson (MS) Towns Tsongas Velázquez Waters Watson Waxman Wexler Woolsey |
Much to my surprise Rep. John Spratt (D-SC) voted "Aye". Jim Clyburn's "No" vote is so utterly non-shocking that it defies description.
For the record: As a lifelong Southerner who somehow managed to grow up not a racist, I can say without any reservation whatsoever that Jimmy Carter is an idiot and an embarrassment to his former office, his country and the region most associated with him.
You, sir, may leave. Any time it suits you is fine.
Longtime Charleston SC Mayor Dick Riley oversimplifies Mayors Against Illegal Guns:
"We're against illegal guns, so if anyone is opposed to our position, then they are in favor of illegal guns,"
from the Post & Courier
At least Columbia's Mayor Bob isn't running again. One less bigot on the roll.
SC Rep John Spratt (D) to actually meet with constituents on ObamaCare in Sumter today and Rock Hill tomorrow. I am so glad they provided all of the advance notice so constituents could make arrangements to be there.
The York native plans to discuss the health care plans, then take questions. Attendees will be asked to write any questions on a slip of paper at the door and put them in a box that matches their position, whether they're for, against or undecided. A moderator will draw names.
from the Observer
I found "NC Senator shoots intruder" buried in my massive, massive backlog of Uncle posts that I missed over my vacation.
A North Carolina attorney representing state Sen. R.C. Soles said his client acted in self-defense when he shot an intruder at his home.
Attorney Joe Cheshire said Monday that Soles used a pistol to shoot the 22-year-old at his home and the incident was recorded by security cameras on the senator's property.
Authorities say Soles shot Kyle Blackburn Sunday night when he and another man tried to kick in the door of Soles' secluded home. Nobody has been charged.
Blackburn was listed Monday in fair condition at a South Carolina hospital.
Soles has had a series of confrontations with former law clients in the past two years. He called for help from local police at least nine times to ward off men who were charged with trespassing.
Soles is a Democrat Senator representing Brunswick, Columbus, and Pender Counties "Down East" (as they say). The shooting is just one of all sorts of incidents connected to the Senator. At first glance this would appear to be a clean shoot - we'll have to wait and see.
Here's Senator Lindsay Graham's response to this letter, asking him NOT to vote for the confirmation of Judge Sonya Sotomayor to the Supreme Court of the United States.
Dear Brian:
Thank you for contacting me regarding Second Amendment rights and Supreme Court nominee Judge Sonia Sotomayor. I appreciate the opportunity to hear from you on these important issues.
I have announced my intent to support Judge Sotomayor, in both the Senate Judiciary Committee and on the floor of the Senate, because I believe she is well-qualified for the position. As you may be aware, Judge Sotomayor's nomination was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee on July 28, 2009, and awaits consideration by the full United States Senate.
I understand your concerns regarding Judge Sotomayor's record on Second Amendment rights. She was questioned extensively on this point during her confirmation hearings. Judge Sotomayor acknowledged and pledged to abide by the precedent established by the Supreme Court in District of Columbia v. Heller that the Second Amendment confers an individual right of gun ownership. In making my decision to support Judge Sotomayor's nomination, I considered how she might rule on a variety of issues, including gun rights. I weighed her past rulings, education, and statements on judicial philosophy, both in and out of the courtroom, to determine whether she was qualified for the position of Associate Justice. I also considered her character and the uniquely American story that her life presents. Finally, I studied whether there was anything about her past actions which would be serious enough to disqualify her from sitting on the Supreme Court. Finding none, and believing her qualifications to be exemplary, I chose to support her nomination.
I believe my record of supporting legislation which protects the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans is clear. I joined 54 other senators, 250 representatives, and former Vice President Cheney in filing an amicus brief with the Supreme Court to argue that the long-standing District of Columbia (D.C.) handgun ban is unconstitutional. Additionally, I cosponsored an amendment to S. 160, the District of Columbia Voting Rights Act, which would conform D.C. gun laws to the requirements set out in the Heller decision. I have also cosponsored legislation, S. 371, which allows concealed carry reciprocity. Finally I was proud to cosponsor an amendment which restores the right of law- abiding citizens to possess, carry, and transport concealed weapons within a national park area or national wildlife refuge area. This legislation was signed into law by President Obama on May 22, 2009. I assure you I will continue to look for ways to protect the Second Amendment rights of all law-abiding Americans.
Thank you again for taking the time to share your thoughts. If I may be of further assistance to you or your family,please do not hesitate to call on me.
Sincerely,
Lindsey O. Graham
United States Senator
At the end there he mentions his support of the Thune-Vitter amendment (although oddly not by name) like I'd not heard of it - even though I mention it by name in my letter, clearly marking this as his form letter for "gun people". Sigh.
I'll give Lindsay and staff credit for not ignoring me completely and at least having some pro-2nd Amendment credibility. He really dropped the ball on this vote though.
For the record - I prefer the nigh-on instant response from Senator DeMint, via email. As a comparison, it is safe to say that Graham bought it and DeMint did not, safely neutering any influence the Republican Senators from South Carolina might have on the proceedings. This is not the first time this has happened and likely won't be the last.
Iowahawk has a guide for identifying Town Hall Astroturf Agitators. Hysterical.
Remain strong, citizen, for the day of their comeuppance is near! Patriotic spontaneous volunteers from MoveOn.org, Organizing For America, HCAN, SEIU, AFSCME, ACORN, NPR, and MSNBC have all pledged independent grassroots efforts to spread the word about the health-hating tricksters and their transparent astroturf agitation campaign!
In local news, U.S. Congressman John Spratt (D-SC 5th) - a CapNTrader - is surprising precisely ZERO of his constituents by not planning to hold any Town Hall meetings to discuss ObamaCare (another link here). Which is a pity as I'd love to go see some of the people that keep electing him, as I've never met anyone who voted for him.
Of course, I mostly hang out in gun shops.
From Foxnews:
The Senate Judiciary Committee has voted to approve Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor to be the first Hispanic justice.
The committee voted 13-6 Tuesday morning to send Sotomayor's nomination to the full Senate, where she's expected to be confirmed easily next week.
Just one Republican, South Carolina's Lindsey Graham, joined Democrats in voting for President Barack Obama's first high court nominee. The panel's chairman, Vermont Democrat Patrick Leahy, called Sotomayor a restrained, fair and impartial judge who has not favored any one group of people over another. But the top Republican, Alabama's Jeff Sessions, said her speeches and some rulings revealed beliefs that conflict with the idea of blind justice and fidelity to the law.
I hope SC voters are paying attention.
Joe Huffman responds to his Senator Murray's "Legislation to regulate the use of firearms is and should remain primarily a state issue."
Since you are of the opinion that legislation to regulate the use of firearms is, and should remain, primarily a state issue I presume I can count on your support of efforts to remove firearm regulations at the Federal level. I would like to suggest you introduce legislation to undo the continuing infringement of our rights inflicted by the following Federal firearms laws:
• National Firearms Act of 1934
• Gun Control Act of 1968
• The Hughes Amendment
• The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention ActOnce those are infringements have been successfully resolved I will be glad to provide you with a list of other Federal firearms laws that need to be eliminated as well.
Read the whole thing.
From the Office of Senator DeMint
Dear Mr. and Mrs. M,
Thank you for contacting me to express your concerns over the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court. I appreciate hearing from you on this important issue.
As you may know, President Obama nominated Judge Sotomayor on May 26. It is now up to the U.S. Senate to determine her qualifications to serve on the Supreme Court. Every Senator swears an oath to support and defend the Constitution. Few things are more central to our duty than confirming Supreme Court justices who will uphold the law and apply it equally for all Americans, not rewrite it from the bench based on personal opinion.
After personally meeting with Judge Sotomayor, I didn't hear anything that eased my concerns about her judicial approach. She was unwilling to say the Second Amendment protects a fundamental right that applies to all Americans, which raises serious questions about her view of the Bill of Rights. Additionally, when I asked if an unborn child has any rights whatsoever, I was surprised that she said she had never thought about it. This is not just a question about abortion, but about the respect due to human life at all stages, and I hope this is cleared up in her confirmation hearings.
Those who serve on the highest court in America must have an unwavering commitment to the Constitution and equal justice for all Americans. Please rest assured, I will continue to review Judge Sotomayor's decisions and public statements and will watch her confirmation hearings closely.
Thank you again for sharing your thoughts with me. Please feel free to contact me in the future about any issue important to you or your family. It is an honor to serve you and the people of South Carolina.
Sincerely,
Jim DeMint
United States Senator
Haven't heard anything back from Lindsey yet. Imagine that.
