Read this fellow's editorial in the Houston Chronicle:

[size=4]Uzis in Ardmore if Tom had his way[/size=4]
By CRAGG HINES
Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle

Was it mere coincidence that in the same week Democratic legislators in Texas hit the road and Tom "I am the federal government" DeLay announced that Republicans in the U.S. House would let the federal ban on assault weapons expire? It shouldn't be too hard to connect the dots.

DeLay, the U.S. House majority leader, may have reasoned that the FBI, ATF, CIA, DEA and Agricultural Extension Service would refuse his order to make the Holiday Inn in Ardmore, Okla., look like Ruby Ridge and Waco? DeLay might then have had to turn to Republican vigilantes (folk who have not been out from under their rock since Tallahassee, November 2000) and send them north of the Red River to take matters into their own hands. Surely you wouldn't have wanted them to rely solely on hand guns and hunting rifles.

No way. Those Democrats (thankfully) had tough hides. Republican commandos would have needed AK-47s and Uzis. Or any of the dozen or so other semiautomatic weapons that the GOP stands ready to allow back on the shelves and into gun shows. What's a slender congressional majority for if not to allow Charlton Heston or his successor NRA shill to brandish a trusty new Kalashnikov instead of some antique Winchester?

And you can more or less forget the little quibble that Speaker Dennis Hastert said he hadn't really decided if the House would be allowed to vote on extending the assault-weapons ban. One, Hastert comes from that virtue-soaked political environment in Illinois, so he doesn't understand the need for partisans to be armed to the teeth. And Hastert has a bunch of weepy suburban women in his district who let worries about another school shoot-em-up get in the way of a clear-eyed view of the Second Amendment. Certainly there are none of those sissy soccer moms out in Brazoria and Fort Bend counties to bother DeLay. Two, Denny shouldn't forget who put him in the top job. Just keep dancing with DeLay, Mr. Speaker.

The White House is also counting on DeLay to tamp down any enthusiasm for renewing the ban, so President Bush won't have to do anything about the support for the measure he voiced in the 2000 campaign -- which ticked-off his erstwhile gun-toting supporters.

If DeLay was willing to attempt to mobilize federal law enforcement agencies to bring the Democrats home, why would he balk at carrying some more water for the gun lobby? DeLay seemed to be irked that the Texas Rangers were standing on formality (not to mention the law and shrieks of laughter from Oklahoma officials) and not storming the Ardmore motel to enchain the lamming legislators and return them to their overupholstered chairs in Austin.

One of DeLay's flacks contended that the majority leader's office was just passing along to federal agencies an inquiry from Texas House Speaker Tom Craddick as to whether they could help in the roundup. Can't you envision it: DeLay takes a tiny, faint "Just passing it along" sticker, pastes it on Craddick's entreaty and sends it by surface post in an unmarked envelope to the mail room at the Justice Department.

All the investigations proposed by Democrats into the Republican over-reaching are unnecessary. It was just DeLay and Craddick and Gov. Rick Perry acting like jerks. The voters seem to have caught on. Although state Rep. Craig Eiland may want to punch out whoever sent Department of Public Safety agents to the neonatal intensive care unit at the University of Texas Medical Branch-Galveston, where his premature twins are being treated. That would be legal in Texas, wouldn't it?

A snippy restaurateur in Washington was lucky last week that the assault weapon ban won't really come off the books until September 2004.

According to the Washington Post, DeLay was insistent on lighting up a cigar amid a fund-raising dinner at a D.C. outpost of Ruth's Chris Steak House. Manager Tom Khandker told DeLay that as the building was owned by the federal government it was a wholly no-smoking facility.

"I am the federal government," DeLay responded, Khandker told the Post. A DeLay spokesman insisted to the Post that the reply was only, "I'm with the federal government."

Come on. This is Tom DeLay, we're talking about, not some wet, centrist cretin. Everyone who believes DeLay said, "I'm with the federal government," hold up your hand. Yes, thank you. I thought as much.

Without any heavy artillery legally at hand, there was nothing for DeLay and friends to do but puff their way down the street to a nicotine-friendly establishment.

Smoke was, no doubt, coming out of more than one orifice.

Hines is a Houston Chronicle columnist based in Washington, D.C. [email protected]

See article at:[url]http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/editorial/hines/1912847[/url]

This fellow might need to receive a reply or two from some of us.  EricTheHun can tell you about their refusal to take ads for the private sale of firearms.  He's going to try to post something about that later.  I for one, will not purchase another  Houston Chronicle until some major changes take place.

BrotherNick

One of the (few) Mollie Ivans wannabes. Not worth the trouble, IMO.

Just couldn't stop myself.

Mr. Hines,
When you get tired of wailing and beating your breast, you may wish to take the time to become familiar with the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban and the U.S. Constitution. Judging from your May 19, 2003 editorial "Uzis in Ardmore if Tom had his way",  you obviously are oblivious to what either of them say. If you take the time to read them, then you may just realize what a misguided and uninformed idiot you are.

Regards,
Mike
SFC, USA (Retired)
AZ