Posted: 3/3/2009 4:14:56 PM EDT
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Democrats Pull D.C. Voting Rights Act
by Jed Babbin 03/03/2009 ET The patently unconstitutional bill to give the District of Columbia a voting representative in the House of Representatives was pulled off the House calendar because –– according to one House Republican leadership source –– they feared that the so-called Blue Dog Democrats would not support it. The bill was patently unconstitutional because under Article 1, Section 2, only states have representatives, and D.C. isn’t a state. (That idea is reinforced by the XXIII Amendment, under which D.C. voters are allowed to vote in presidential elections, and thus appoint electors to the Electoral College, “…equal to the whole number of Senators and Representatives in Congress to which the District would be entitled if it were a State….”) The Blue Dogs, a group of supposedly conservative Dems who have usually marched to Speaker Pelosi’s drum, were fearful that the National Rifle Association would “score” –– i.e., use the vote to determine its annual rating of gun-friendly (and unfriendly) members the vote on the rule to bring the matter to the House floor. That same source told HUMAN EVENTS that the rule would have precluded consideration of an amendment –– similar to that approved in the Senate last week –– to preserve D.C. residents’ gun rights. House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) released the following statement a few moments ago after the Democratic Leadership pulled the D.C. Voting Rights Act from this week’s House floor schedule: “The Democratic leadership repeatedly has made promises for a return to ‘regular order’ in the House, but this is added proof of just how hollow that promise has become. By maneuvering to deny Second Amendment rights to residents of our nation’s capital, Democratic leaders have made it clear that ‘regular order’ and the will of the American people will be respected only when it serves their interests. Americans expect more out of their leaders in Washington than this, and it’s time for both parties to work together to restore people’s trust in their Congress.” Congratulations to the NRA for holding the Blue Dogs’ paws to the fire. Mr. Babbin is the editor of Human Events and HumanEvents.com. He served as a deputy undersecretary of defense in President George H.W. Bush's administration. He is the author of "In the Words of our Enemies"(Regnery,2007) and (with Edward Timperlake) of "Showdown: Why China Wants War with the United States" (Regnery, 2006) and "Inside the Asylum: Why the UN and Old Europe are Worse than You Think" (Regnery, 2004). E-mail him at [email protected]. |
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Amazing what happens with that "we're actually going to rate you on performance" thing. (Psst... E-R-I-C H-O-L-D-E-R)
I wonder if their political tea-leaf readers in the Congress have figured out where the NRA is on membership and political power right now versus pre-94? Methinks someone is doing some thinking about the lines and lines and wait and wait just to join the NRA these days... people who may not want all those people going to the polls all hot-and-bothered by NRA voter guides against incumbents. We all need to keep up the momentum... keep encouraging everyone you see at the range and other friendly places to JOIN IMMEDIATELY! It's not perfect, never will be, but NOW is the time to get involved, both inside and outside the NRA. |
The Blue Dogs may be our best hope, keep up the pressure. I want to see Heller go back to the SCOTUS so this works out just fine. See you in Court Mayor Fenty.