Doug Huffman
Banned
imported post
http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080517/NATION/942415808/1002
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Sen. John McCain courted his sometime critics within the gun lobby yesterday, telling the National Rifle Association that Democratic Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton would both undermine the rights of gun owners.
"If either Senator Clinton or Senator Obama is elected president, the rights of law-abiding gun owners will be at risk, my friends — and have no doubt about it," the Republican nominee-in-waiting told a crowd of several thousand.
Mr. McCain acknowledged he has been no darling of gun-rights advocates, having pushed through signature campaign finance legislation gun supporters say has muzzled their free speech. The Arizona senator has also favored tighter restrictions for buying weapons at gun shows.
Nonetheless, Mr. McCain said he expected the votes of gun owners in his general election campaign against either Mr. Obama or Mrs. Clinton, the remaining Democratic presidential contenders.
"I supported campaign finance reform because I strongly believed our system of financing campaigns was influencing elected officials to put the interests of 'soft money' ahead of the public interest," the senator said to silence, referring to funds spent by organizations that are not contributed directly to candidate campaigns and which do not "expressly advocate" the election or defeat of a candidate.
"It is neither my purpose nor the purpose of the legislation to prevent gun owners or any other group of citizens from making their voices heard in the legislative process," he said. "Those disagreements do not detract from my long record of support for the Second Amendment and the work we have done together to protect the rights of gun owners."
Earlier, after visiting a gun store in St. Albans, W.Va., where he bought a rod, bobbers and other fishing equipment, Mr. McCain said the only gun controls he favors are limits to keep guns from people with criminal backgrounds or indications of mental problems.
He added that, as president, he would sign a law that prohibited individuals from buying guns at a gun show without going through the same checks as those buying guns at regular stores.
Mr. McCain's visit to West Virginia, a general election battleground state, and his appearance at an NRA convention in Kentucky, were aimed at assuring gun owners a McCain administration would not infringe upon their rights.
The senator's gun record could be troubling to conservatives, former members of the military and Southerners, to whom guns and hunting are prominent elements of their culture. Yet in comparison to his potential Democratic rivals, Mr. McCain could be viewed as the most supportive of gun rights.
He told the NRA that Democrats have learned since the 2000 election between Al Gore and George W. Bush not to talk about gun control. He jabbed repeatedly at Mr. Obama, the Illinois senator who leads the Democratic delegate count, including deriding him for a recent comment about Pennsylvanians "clinging to guns and religion" during periods of economic stress.
Mrs. Clinton also criticized Mr. Obama for the remark, prompting the Illinois senator to accuse the former first lady of acting "like she's on the duck blind every Sunday, packin' a six-shooter!"
As the NRA audience laughed, Mr. McCain said: "Someone should tell Senator Obama that ducks are usually hunted with shotguns."
Huckabee's joke about gun aimed at Obama falls flat
http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080517/NATION/921126714/1002
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Republican Mike Huckabee responded to an offstage noise during his speech to the National Rifle Association by suggesting it was Sen. Barack Obama diving to the floor because someone had aimed a gun at him.
Hearing a loud noise and interrupting his speech, the former Arkansas governor said: "That was Barack Obama. He just tripped off a chair. He's getting ready to speak and somebody aimed a gun at him and he — he dove for the floor."
There were only a few murmurs in the crowd after the remark.
The Obama campaign had no comment.
Later yesterday, Mr. Huckabee issued a statement saying that he responded to the noise with "an offhand remark that was in no way intended to offend or disparage Sen. Obama. I apologize that my comments were offensive, that was never my intention."
Mr. Huckabee, who sought the Republican Party's presidential nomination, won the leadoff Iowa caucuses and seven other states. But he dropped out after Sen. John McCain, the likely nominee, piled up a series of big victories. He and former Republican candidate Mitt Romney addressed the NRA convention yesterday as did Mr. McCain.
Mr. Huckabee's comments came during a nearly 20-minute speech in which he criticized the Democratic presidential candidates, saying neither Mr. Obama nor rival Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton would fight to defend an individual's right to own a gun.
"I'm not sure Senator Obama or Senator Clinton really get it," Mr. Huckabee said.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080517/NATION/942415808/1002
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Sen. John McCain courted his sometime critics within the gun lobby yesterday, telling the National Rifle Association that Democratic Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton would both undermine the rights of gun owners.
"If either Senator Clinton or Senator Obama is elected president, the rights of law-abiding gun owners will be at risk, my friends — and have no doubt about it," the Republican nominee-in-waiting told a crowd of several thousand.
Mr. McCain acknowledged he has been no darling of gun-rights advocates, having pushed through signature campaign finance legislation gun supporters say has muzzled their free speech. The Arizona senator has also favored tighter restrictions for buying weapons at gun shows.
Nonetheless, Mr. McCain said he expected the votes of gun owners in his general election campaign against either Mr. Obama or Mrs. Clinton, the remaining Democratic presidential contenders.
"I supported campaign finance reform because I strongly believed our system of financing campaigns was influencing elected officials to put the interests of 'soft money' ahead of the public interest," the senator said to silence, referring to funds spent by organizations that are not contributed directly to candidate campaigns and which do not "expressly advocate" the election or defeat of a candidate.
"It is neither my purpose nor the purpose of the legislation to prevent gun owners or any other group of citizens from making their voices heard in the legislative process," he said. "Those disagreements do not detract from my long record of support for the Second Amendment and the work we have done together to protect the rights of gun owners."
Earlier, after visiting a gun store in St. Albans, W.Va., where he bought a rod, bobbers and other fishing equipment, Mr. McCain said the only gun controls he favors are limits to keep guns from people with criminal backgrounds or indications of mental problems.
He added that, as president, he would sign a law that prohibited individuals from buying guns at a gun show without going through the same checks as those buying guns at regular stores.
Mr. McCain's visit to West Virginia, a general election battleground state, and his appearance at an NRA convention in Kentucky, were aimed at assuring gun owners a McCain administration would not infringe upon their rights.
The senator's gun record could be troubling to conservatives, former members of the military and Southerners, to whom guns and hunting are prominent elements of their culture. Yet in comparison to his potential Democratic rivals, Mr. McCain could be viewed as the most supportive of gun rights.
He told the NRA that Democrats have learned since the 2000 election between Al Gore and George W. Bush not to talk about gun control. He jabbed repeatedly at Mr. Obama, the Illinois senator who leads the Democratic delegate count, including deriding him for a recent comment about Pennsylvanians "clinging to guns and religion" during periods of economic stress.
Mrs. Clinton also criticized Mr. Obama for the remark, prompting the Illinois senator to accuse the former first lady of acting "like she's on the duck blind every Sunday, packin' a six-shooter!"
As the NRA audience laughed, Mr. McCain said: "Someone should tell Senator Obama that ducks are usually hunted with shotguns."
Huckabee's joke about gun aimed at Obama falls flat
http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080517/NATION/921126714/1002
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Republican Mike Huckabee responded to an offstage noise during his speech to the National Rifle Association by suggesting it was Sen. Barack Obama diving to the floor because someone had aimed a gun at him.
Hearing a loud noise and interrupting his speech, the former Arkansas governor said: "That was Barack Obama. He just tripped off a chair. He's getting ready to speak and somebody aimed a gun at him and he — he dove for the floor."
There were only a few murmurs in the crowd after the remark.
The Obama campaign had no comment.
Later yesterday, Mr. Huckabee issued a statement saying that he responded to the noise with "an offhand remark that was in no way intended to offend or disparage Sen. Obama. I apologize that my comments were offensive, that was never my intention."
Mr. Huckabee, who sought the Republican Party's presidential nomination, won the leadoff Iowa caucuses and seven other states. But he dropped out after Sen. John McCain, the likely nominee, piled up a series of big victories. He and former Republican candidate Mitt Romney addressed the NRA convention yesterday as did Mr. McCain.
Mr. Huckabee's comments came during a nearly 20-minute speech in which he criticized the Democratic presidential candidates, saying neither Mr. Obama nor rival Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton would fight to defend an individual's right to own a gun.
"I'm not sure Senator Obama or Senator Clinton really get it," Mr. Huckabee said.