NRA & Sotomayor

[Oklahoma Stronghold]

National Rifle Association Totally Capitulates on Sotomayor

Posted by Erick Erickson (Profile)
Tuesday, July 21st at 12:35AM EDT
12 Comments

It took me blogging at RedState pointing out that the NRA was missing in action on Sotomayor for the NRA to do anything about her nomination.

And when the NRA engaged, it did so by sending out a letter publicly telling Sotomayor what she needed to say so the NRA would not score her vote.

Apparently, it worked.

The NRA knows it cannot support Sotomayor’s confirmation. After all, Sotomayor actually said she did not know if there was such a thing as a “right to self defense” in the United States Constitution — don’t worry, she knows for sure there is an abortion right there.

Sotomayor believes that states can ban ownership of nunchucks by individuals who don’t want to own a handgun for self-defense.

In fact, Sotomayor is to the left of Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the issue of self-defense.

But while the NRA knows it cannot support Sotomayor and must oppose her, the NRA also knows that Senators will not pay attention unless the NRA “scores” the vote, i.e. negatively impacts a Senator’s gun rating if the Senator votes for Sotomayor.

The NRA, if you will recall, fell all over itself to avoid saying anything negative about Eric Holder, the most anti-gun Attorney General to ever reside at the DOJ. The NRA did not want to put Democrat Senators in awkward positions against their newly elected President.

In the same way, the NRA does not want to put Senators in awkward positions when it comes to Sonia Sotomayor. The NRA values its bipartisan reputation more than it values the second amendment.

For the first time in the NRA’s history, the NRA will oppose a nomination to the United States Supreme Court without scoring the vote. In other words, Senators can vote for Sotomayor — the most anti-gun and anti-self defense nominee ever — and face no repercussions from the NRA.

David Keene of ACU, who has been in some hot water lately, is on the board of the NRA. If he wanted to really make amends quickly with conservatives troubled by the FedEx flap, he should push the issue with the NRA.

Let’s not hold our breath, however. We must keep our perspective. The National Rifle Association actively opposed legislation that would allow individuals to carry rifles into national parks. Perhaps it is time to become life members of Gun Owners of America instead of the NRA.

Charleston Heston rolls over in his grave today.

 

[Roadking Larry]

How about a link to the source?

Perhaps it is time to become life members of Gun Owners of America instead of the NRA

If the GOA spent less time bashing the NRA and more time actually doing something constructive they might be worth paying attention to. Sometimes I wonder if the GOA isn't another front group of the Brady bunch. "Divide and Conquer" and all that.

 

[Shadowrider]

I got this yesterday in an email as I'm sure most other NRA members did. Perhaps that guy should stop criticizing long enough to join up.

Joint Statement

Wayne Lapierre, Executive Vice President, National Rifle Association
And Chris W. Cox, Executive Director, National Rifle Association - Institute For Legislative Action

On
Judge Sonia Sotomayor's Nomination To The United States Supreme Court


Other than declaring war, neither house of Congress has a more solemn responsibility than the Senate's role in confirming justices to the U.S. Supreme Court. As the Senate considers the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor, Americans have been watching to see whether this nominee - if confirmed - would respect the Second Amendment or side with those who have declared war on the rights of America's 80 million gun owners.

From the outset, the National Rifle Association has respected the confirmation process and hoped for mainstream answers to bedrock questions. Unfortunately, Judge Sotomayor's judicial record and testimony clearly demonstrate a hostile view of the Second Amendment and the fundamental right of self-defense guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution.

It is only by ignoring history that any judge can say that the Second Amendment is not a fundamental right and does not apply to the states. The one part of the Bill of Rights that Congress clearly intended to apply to all Americans in passing the Fourteenth Amendment was the Second Amendment. History and congressional debate are clear on this point.

Yet Judge Sotomayor seems to believe that the Second Amendment is limited only to the residents of federal enclaves such as Washington, D.C. and does not protect all Americans living in every corner of this nation. In her Maloney opinion and during the confirmation hearings, she deliberately misread Supreme Court precedent to support her incorrect view.

In last year's historic Heller decision, the Supreme Court ruled that the Second Amendment guarantees the individual's right to own firearms and recognizes the inherent right of self-defense. In addition, the Court required lower courts to apply the Twentieth Century cases it has used to incorporate a majority of the Bill of Rights to the States. Yet in her Maloney opinion, Judge Sotomayor dismissed that requirement, mistakenly relying instead on Nineteenth Century jurisprudence to hold that the Second Amendment does not apply to the States.

This nation was founded on a set of fundamental freedoms. Our Constitution does not give us those freedoms - it guarantees and protects them. The right to defend ourselves and our loved ones is one of those. The individual right to keep and bear arms is another. These truths are what define us as Americans. Yet, Judge Sotomayor takes an opposite view, contrary to the views of our Founding Fathers, the Supreme Court, and the vast majority of the American people.

We believe any individual who does not agree that the Second Amendment guarantees a fundamental right and who does not respect our God-given right of self-defense should not serve on any court, much less the highest court in the land. Therefore, the National Rifle Association of America opposes the confirmation of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the position of Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court.


- NRA -

 

[smcgee10]

About time

 

[Glocktogo]

Thought I read somewhere that Senators votes on the Sotomayor confirmation were going to be graded by the NRA like their votes on 2A legislation are?

 

[thayton]

One year in high school I got and F- in chemistry ( needlesss to say the teacher and I wern't buddies) my dad didn't see the humor in the grade, now I know how he felt about grades.

 

[walt82]

i like your chucknorris avatar.