Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Candidate Caught in a Lie

The Pull-Quote
[b]After the debate, Rendell immediately headed over to the Violence Policy Center people. I wanted to follow up on the discussion, so I tried to catch up with him as he crossed the room. The Violence Policy people were still visibly disturbed by his comments and, Rendell put his arm around one of them, saying, "I just can't say publicly what we want to do, we have to take these things slowly." I was standing
right behind Rendell when he said it.[/b]

http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/news/opinion/3410712.htm
                     
Posted on Thu, Jun. 06, 2002

On guns, Ed Rendell can't seem to shoot straight
By JOHN R. LOTT JR.

MORE THAN MOST campaigns, the Democratic gubernatorial primary between Bob Casey and Ed Rendell had both candidates claiming the other was lying. -snip to fit-

Casey charged that "my opponent in the primary is for gun control, is today and has always been for gun control."  "Ed Rendell is a big-city politician who believes your guns, not criminals, are the problem."

Rendell responded that "The NRA ads are like the Casey ads. They don't tell the truth. There is nothing that I want to do to take a gun away from a hunter or a law-abiding citizen."

Yet, because I have talked with Rendell during less guarded moments, when he was not focused on winning votes for governor, I know that Casey and DeWeese were telling the truth about Rendell's views on guns.

During 1999, when I was at the University of Chicago law school, lawyers for the city of
Philadelphia asked me to participate in a panel on cities suing gun-makers. Rendell had been the first mayor to seriously talk about doing that, and he wanted a session to educate city lawyers about the issue.

Three-quarters of the panelists (including Rendell) supported Rendell's desire to sue the gun-makers. During the presentations, Rendell said again that he didn't want to take guns away from hunters or law-abiding citizens and that he wanted to use the suits to make gun-makers responsible for the costs that guns impose on cities.

At the debate, there were several representatives from the Violence Policy Center, a group that has long advocated banning guns and even sponsors the Web site banhandgunsnow.org. Rendell warmly greeted the Violence Policy Center people when he arrived and included one of their representatives on the panel, but they noticeably groaned and rolled their eyes when Rendell said that he didn't want to take away
people's guns.

-snip pull quote-

When Rendell saw me, he angrily turned toward me, asking what I wanted. I said that I had hoped we could talk more about the issues raised by the panel. I said that I understood the costs to cities of the bad things that happen with guns, but I wanted to know why he didn't  consider the benefits of defensive gun use and of victims defending themselves. Still quite angry, Rendell said that, as a city prosecutor, he had never seen a defensive gun use, and that as far as he was concerned, he had never heard of a defensive gun use. He said that he didn't believe they occurred.

I started to offer to provide him examples, but he said that he didn't need any evidence and walked away.

-snip info on Rendell's scheming to bring lawsuits to the gun manufactures-

Pennsylvania gun owners need to get on the ball on this and fast.  Rendell is leading and if he wins, it will be very bad for PA gun owners.  Currently PA is a quite gun friendly, but if Rendell wins, things could go down the toilet fast.

It's okay, since I vote straight party Republican anyway. So does my family.

Anyone from Pennsylvania who would be surprised that:

A) Rendell would like to take every American's guns away
B) Rendell would lie about that desire until he's in office and can make it happen

needs a damned wake up call.

You can help by spreading the word in your e-mail lists and favorite forums. Even if your contacts don't live in PA, they will be surprised to learn that a politician would have the audacity to lie like that...yes, some gun owners are gullible. Your job is to smack 'em up side the head.

For those of you who live in PA, your time to activate on this is now...or last week. Do not wait. Get the word out. Pass out flyers at the gun show. Make sure they are riled enough to go out and vote.

Rick