Obama at the Bat

This video is a spin off of "Casey at the Bat." Too funny.



(My e-mail subscribers and others can also watch the video by clicking here.)

The NRA continues betraying gun owners

cartoon courtesy of National Association of Gun Rights

On August 27, 2010, the National Rifle Association (NRA) announced that they would not be endorsing U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in his 2010 re-election campaign. The announcement was supposedly due to his votes in favor of confirming both Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan to the U.S. Supreme Court. Both of them have a record of being less than supportive of the 2nd Amendment. My first reaction was a reserved ... bravo - maybe they're finally getting it. Then, the other shoe dropped.

On September 3, 2010, I received a shocking e-mail from The National Association for Gun Rights (NAGR). It said that even though the NRA publicly stated their "non-endorsement" of Reid, they were actually supporting him behind the scenes with contributions to his campaign. I decided to verify the report by reviewing the National Rifle Association's Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF) campaign finance disclosures and found it was true. The NRA-PVF has contributed $4950 to Reid's re-election campaign according to information on file with the Federal Election Commission (FEC). Their donations include :

• $2500 on 9/22/2009,
• $1500 on 3/25/2010, and
• $950 on 8/27/2010.

Interestingly, the last donation, for $950, was made on the same day (8/27/2010) the NRA announced they would not endorse Reid. So, were they for him before they were against him ?? Many will say that giving $4950 to Reid is not a big deal and is just a drop in the bucket when compared to other contributions received by him. Is it really ?? Personally, I don't believe the NRA-PVF should be giving this joker one red cent considering some of his anti-2nd Amendment votes. For instance, this is the same Harry Reid that has voted :

• for the Brady Bill
• for the 1994 Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act containing the so-called Assault Weapons Ban 
• for requiring trigger locks be sold with all handguns 
• against an amendment to a bill that stated that Americans have the right to own firearms 
• for extensive new Federal regulation of gun shows 

The NRA's financial support of Reid puts them in some interesting company. They're putting their financial resources behind the same horse as the gun-hating Mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg. According to an article on Politico.com, Michael Bloomberg Takes Show on the Road, Bloomberg held a re-election fundraiser for Reid in New York City back in September. Apparently, he and Reid have formed a friendship. It makes me wonder if the NRA is now buddy-buddy with their longtime rival, Bloomberg, too.

As for Sharron Angle, Reid's challenger, she received a 100% pro-gun rating on NAGR's gun rights questionnaire as well as a grade of A from the NRA. However, she has NOT received 1 cent from the NRA-PVF. Majority Leader Reid, on the other hand, received a grade of B from the NRA even after all the anti-gun votes (mentioned above) he has cast. I would have given him an F. The NRA's reasoning makes no sense. They are as out of touch with everyday Americans as Congress. It's why I resigned my membership in the NRA back in August. If you are presently a member of the NRA, you should, too. Join a local gun rights organization, the National Associations for Gun Rights, Gunowners of America, or another pro-gun rights group who won't betray you due to greed, power, and politics as the NRA is doing. You'll be glad you did and may even get more bang for your buck (no pun intended).

Please also see my earlier related posts :

• Obama Making a Joke Out of Supreme Court
• Bloomberg May Have Broken Federal Law

Related articles

• Will NRA Endorsement Help Incumbent Democrats? (npr.org)
• No NRA endorsement for Reid (capitolhillblue.com)
• NRA declines to endorse Reid in Nevada Senate race (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• NRA declines to endorse Reid in Nevada Senate race (sfgate.com)
• For Reid, No NRA Endorsement (blogs.wsj.com)
• NRA Declines to Endorse Reid in Nevada Senate Race (foxnews.com)

Sheepdog on the Warpath - Part 1, The NRA

As I promised last week, I'm kicking of this week's series, Sheepdog on the Warpath, today. Today the target locked onto is The National Rifle Association (NRA). As a firearms enthusiast and a firm believer in The Right to Keep and Bear Arms, it was a tough post to write and one that I really did not want to do. However, it will become evident very quickly why I did it. The NRA has lost it's way and needs to be held accountable.

I have a number of bones to pick with the NRA. However, the last straw was their involvement in The Disclose Act. Back in January, The U.S. Supreme Court overturned The McCain-Feingold Act with it's decision in the Citizen United vs. Federal Election Commission case (see my February 5, 2010 post titled "Did Obama Make A Tactical Error ?"). Afterwards, the Congressional Democrats announced very quickly that they would begin composing new legislation to re-impose the ban on corporate political speech during elections. They did so with The Disclose Act. However, the new bill contained exemptions for large organizations such as the NRA. When the bill first began making it's way through the U.S. House of Representatives, the NRA fought vigorously against it because they were firmly in the bill's crosshairs. Suddenly in mid-June, it was announced that the NRA had been given a special exemption from the bill in exchange for not openly opposing and fighting against it. In press releases and other statements, the NRA has stated that no deal was struck between them and Congress. However, in an interview with Wayne LaPierre, NRA Executive Vice President, on the Lars Larson radio show (click here and then scroll down to listen), LaPierre never directly answers Mr. Larson's question when asked whether or not a deal was struck. Furthermore, LaPierre basically says that the NRA will do whatever it takes to protect The Right to Keep and Bear Arms. Apparently, that includes sacrificing the First Amendment protection of free speech.

The NRA has taken a lot of heat over The Disclose Act from folks both on the right and the left (please see article on Reuters.com - Groups oppose NRA exemption in campaign bill). Some have said there was a deal and others have said there was not (please see article by Timothy P. Carney on WashingtonExaminer.com - NRA isn't the villain in free speech fight). However, LaPierre's refusal to directly answer Mr. Larson's questions settled the debate for me because it told me that a deal was made. So, on August 12, 2010, I prepared the following letter listing a number of grievances I have with the NRA and mailed it to Mr. LaPierre :

Dear Mr. LaPierre,

I've been around firearms all my life but did not join the NRA until the 1990s shortly after Bill Clinton won the White House. I resigned my NRA Membership after the passage of the Brady Bill and the Assault Weapons Ban because I felt the NRA had not worked hard enough to keep those bills from passing. Around late 2007 or early 2008, I rejoined the NRA to give it a second chance and because the Democrats were nominating an anti-gunner, either Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton, for the presidency. I believed re-joining the NRA was the best way to keep informed about future anti-gun legislation.

The NRA has blown its second chance as I'm upset with it again for several reasons. First, why does the NRA continue giving good grades and endorsements to my Congressman, Jim Cooper (TN-5) ?? The NRA-PVF website gave him a B- in 2002, a B and the endorsement in 2004, a B+ in 2006, and an A and with the endorsement in 2008. Cooper voted in favor of the Brady Bill and for the Assault Weapons Ban before he voted against it. He only voted against the Assault Weapons Ban after the funding to put additional police officers on the street was stripped from it. He was fine with stripping gun owners of their God-given rights as protected by The Second Amendment as long as additional cops were on the street. Apparently, he did not believe gun owners were capable of protecting themselves so he supported less freedom and a bigger nanny state. Tennessee's gun owners were so angry over these votes that we gave him an "F" and voted him out of office in 1994 as the NRA should have done. Unfortunately, Tennesseans voted him back into Congress in 2002. In 2008, Cooper's Republican challenger for re-election, Gerard Donovan, was a gun rights supporter and a Tennessee concealed carry permit holder, but the NRA backed Cooper. It's only a matter of time until Cooper WILL betray you and gun owners again. Since his 2008 re-election, he has voted in favor of ObamaCare, the bailouts, and the stimulus bills. He's part of the reason the country is falling apart. Thanks for nothing. Strike one NRA.

Secondly, I'm upset with the NRA over The Disclose Act. This law's purpose was to infringe on the political speech of various organizations. On June 15, 2010, I received an e-mail from the National Association for Gun Rights (NAGR) stating that the NRA had struck a deal with Pelosi, Reid, etc. to exempt it from the bill's provisions as long as the NRA did not publicly oppose the bill. Did they promise no future gun control bills, too ? If you believe there will not be any, I've got some ocean front property here in hills of Tennessee that I'll make you a great deal on. Maybe Congressman Barney Frank and Sen. Chris Dodd can help you get a great, low rate on the mortgage, too. I've done my homework by reading all the NRA press releases and e-mails claiming that no such deal was struck. I've listened to your interview with Lars Larsen on his radio show and read your comments elsewhere which basically state that the NRA will do anything to protect The Second Amendment. I do not believe the NRA's denials no deal was made. Apparently, the NRA took notes from Sen. Ben Nelson and Sen. Mary Landrieu selling out the First Amendment thinking it would protect the Second. You've let down the American people and we expect better. One part of The Constitution and our freedom can NEVER be sacrificed in order to protect another. Such a deal will only result in us losing all of our freedoms. Strike two NRA.

Thirdly, I've got a big problem with your "Friendly to Incumbents Policy." The NRA endorsed Congressman Jim Cooper in 2008 (see above) in accordance with this policy. The same policy was applied this year in the Republican Primary for Tennessee Senate District 17. The NRA endorsed the incumbent Mae Beavers over State Representative Susan Lynn. Both of them have been rated A+ by the NRA on numerous occasions. Some would say they have an identical pro-gun record. However, that is not true. While a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives, Mae Beavers voted in favor of Rep. Jimmy Naifeh being Speaker of the House on four occasions. During his gun-hating career, Naifeh has single-handedly killed numerous pro-gun bills, including ones that would have expanded Tennessee's carry laws. Yet the NRA endorsed Beavers anyway. Rep. Lynn, on the other hand, has always supported gun owners. In fact, my first contact ever with Rep. Lynn was to ask her to oppose, which she did, an anti-gun bill working its way through the Tennessee Legislature. In regards to the "Friendly to Incumbents Policy," the argument could be made that both were incumbents in this race since both were holding seats in the Tennessee General Assembly at the time. In this race, the NRA should have given them both A's or A+'s and issued a statement to the effect that gun owners would have been safe voting for either. Beavers definitely should not have been given the endorsement and I would argue that her grade should have been lowered due to her support of Naifeh. Any vote(s) supporting an anti-gun colleague for Speaker of the House, as Beavers did, should earn you an F every time. Strike three. The NRA is out.

Lastly, you have been hypocritical in the letters I have received from you. For instance :

• In a March 30, 2009 letter offering the membership in the Golden Eagles, you wrote, "And, the NRA's Golden Eagles are leaders who see the big picture - that, in the long run, the biggest danger we face is the gradual chipping away of our rights bit by bit in what our friend Charlton Heston long ago called a 'cultural war'.
• In a December 4, 2009 renewal letter to me, you said, "And the one organization in America today that can defend not just the Second Amendment, but freedom itself is the NRA."
• You also said in that December 4, 2009 that, "Your (membership) card says that you're part of one of the most powerful armies of freedom-fighters that the world has ever seen. An army that takes no prisoners ... An army that stands up for its friends and relentlessly attacks its enemies ... An army whose highest allegiance is not to any individual or any political party but only to the cause of freedom."

I have pointed out, above, how the NRA has contradicted the quoted passages above by not fighting for freedom (The Disclose Act Deal), not attacking its enemies (endorsements of Jim Cooper), and not stood up for its friends (withheld endorsement from Lynn and gave to Beavers). The NRA has also aided in "the chipping away of our rights" by not standing for and proclaiming it's 100% opposition to ANY infringement of free speech in regards to The Disclose Act. For these reasons, I am giving my resignation, effective immediately, in the NRA as a member and as a Golden Eagle. I have previously done so via telephone but felt it should be done in writing, too. I will also be encouraging all of my blog readers, Facebook friends, family, and others resign, too. There are other Second Amendment advocacy groups locally and nationally that fight for and support our rights fairly and without sacrificing any part of The Constitution. I am also requesting a full refund of my Golden Eagles dues for this year. The check can be mailed to my address above.

The NRA's policies, grades, endorsements, and backroom deals have betrayed mine and other Americans trust and damaged our Republic and Constitution. Please do NOT send me any more magazines, renewal notices, or other solicitations. If you do, they will be marked " REFUSED - RETURN TO SENDER" and returned to you. The NRA is as out of touch with everyday Americans, such as myself, as Congress. Charlton Heston has to be rolling over in his grave after The Disclose Act deal. Your failure to adamantly oppose that bill was a slap in the face to our military men and women. They sacrifice time with their families and often their very lives to protect and defend our freedoms and the very Constitution that the NRA shredded with The Disclose Act deal. Your organization is no better than Obama and the other Socialists, Marxists, and Communists in D.C. The NRA is a hypocritical joke.

Sincerely,

Johnny Black,

Patriot and ex-NRA Member

Since mailing the letter to Mr. LaPierre, I have found a website by the name of NRAwol.net which details even more "indiscretions" of the NRA. I have not had the time yet to go through and confirm the site's claims, but I plan to. I encourage everyone, especially gun owners, to do your own homework and research these issues for yourself.

In my opinion, the NRA is caught up in the same lust for power and money that is infecting others in D.C. I have given them two chances. They have failed both times. I will continue to advocate for The Right to Keep and Bear Arms. However, it will not be as a member of the NRA. I'm encouraging gun owners to get involved locally instead of giving your hard earned money to the NRA anymore. Most states have some sort of gun owners association and there are at least two other national associations that I'm aware - Gun Owners of America and National Association for Gun Rights. Do your research on them and then consider joining.

P.S. The Disclose Act was voted down and failed to become law. However, rumor has it that it will come back up and be snuck into law as an amendment on another bill. Unfortunately, the damage has already been done. The NRA sold it's soul to the devil (Reid, Pelosi, Schumer, etc.) on this one. Scuttlebutt is that they are considering endorsing Harry Reid for re-election, also. Pathetic.

Tweety says - "Dat donkey caught hiz tail in a cwack !!"

Tweety is right. U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has gone and got his tail stuck tightly in a crack. Over the weekend, the news hit that Reid made some controversial race-based comments about Mr. Obama in a book titled Game Change that is to be released soon (read on CBSNews.com). Reid apologized to Obama and others, and the Democrats are standing behind him. Obama has accepted the apology and said that's the end of it.

However, Republicans and others are crying foul. Some are saying Reid should resign. Why ?? Their argument is that if a Republican or other conservative had made similar comments, they would have been lambasted in the media. People would have cried "racist" and demanded the offender's resignation. Odds are, it would have been the end of their career. But Reid, being a Democrat, has basically gotten a free pass. Are they right ?? I think so.

Obama, Reid, and the Democrats have kissed and made up "publicly" and said it's behind them. However, I can't help but wonder what's going on behind closed doors in the back rooms of The Capitol. Has Reid taken a tongue-lashing ?? Has he been asked, "What the heck were you thinking ??" I suspect he has.  Reid is up for re-election in 2010 and reports are that his poll numbers aren't very good. Therefore, I'm gonna make a prediction. We won't be told this for "the sake of party unity," but I believe Reid will go the route of Chris Dodd. He, at the request of Obama and the Democratic leadership, will bow out, retire, and not seek re-election. If I'm right - then, you heard here first straight from The Sheepdog's mouth. If I'm wrong, it ain't the first time and probably will not be the last. That's why I'm not a professional gambler. One thing's for sure, though - it'll be interesting to watch.

ObamaCare has plenty of "incentives" to go around

A few days ago (December 1st), I told you of the bribe that Sen. Landreiu (LA - D) received for her yea vote on pushing the Senate health care reform bill out to the Senate floor for debate. Others have received what we'll call "incentives" to vote yea, also. The only reason I'm not using the term "bribe" is because they are not public officials.

By now everyone has heard that ObamaCare has received the "endorsement" of the American Medical Association (AMA) and the AARP. However, most people have not heard how those "endorsements" came about. Ask yourself :

1. Why would the AARP endorse legislation which could lead to health care rationing and the so-called "death panels" directly effecting seniors ??
2. Why would the AMA endorse legislation allowing Uncle Sam to mandate how they practice medicine ??

For both organizations, "it's all about the Benjamins" - money, and lots of it. In recent years, the AARP has become an insurance salesman by being a huge supplier of Medigap policies for seniors. Medigap policies pick up coverage where Medicare leaves off. If ObamaCare passes, huge cuts are in store for Medicare Advantage plans causing more seniors to need Medigap policies resulting in mega profits for the AARP. The AMA was scheduled to receive a 21% cut in physician reimbursement rates starting next year, but Obama promised to eliminate the cut if they backed his bill. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out what they decided.

Others received similar "incentives." To read more, check out the entire Newsmax article (here). Basically the whole ObamaCare fiasco boils down to one thing - corruption. It's time we, the American voters, put a stop to it. We still have time as it is under debate in the Senate now. Contact (here) your Senators and tell them to vote "NO" on ObamaCare. The sheep (the American taxpayer, the uninsured, and the elderly) are everywhere. The wolves (Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Barack Hussein Obama, Chris Dodd, and Tom Daschle) are among us, too. Myself and other sheepdogs need more of the sheep to join our pack as we try to put a stop to these Obam-inations. We need to heed the words of the 1986 rock anthem "We're Not Gonna Take It" by Twisted Sister by getting to the polls in droves next year and issue pink slips to each and every Senator and Congressperson that votes in favor of this legialstion. We do need to make some changes to our health care system to get more people access. However, the current piece of crap that's been proposed is not the way to do it.

P.S. The AARP is already paying the price for stabbing seniors in the back. Over 60,000 of their members have told them "where to go" in the last few months by either resigning their memberships or not renewing. Good for them. If you're an AARP member, I'd encourage you to do the same because they have sold you out.

P.P.S. Check back next week for a new special series. It's one I promised a few weeks ago and it's gonna be "Czar-castic."