Here's something you might be interested in.
Edwin Meese, former close aide to Ronald Reagan both as California governor and president, told Newsmax that President Obama could risk impeachment if he takes executive action on reducing gun violence, according to Talking Points memo. Meese practiced law in San Diego and was a law school faculty member at the University of San Diego in periods when he was not serving Reagan, who was a close friend. Meese told Newsmax that Congress may have to consider impeachment if Obama were to "try to override the Second Amendment in any way." Meese did allow that there were some executive actions the president could take that would not be impeachable. Meese is one of several conservatives warning of such action if Obama supposedly encroaches on the Second Amendment.
Edwin Meese, former close aide to Ronald Reagan both as California governor and president, told Newsmax that President Obama could risk impeachment if he takes executive action on reducing gun violence, according to Talking Points memo. Meese practiced law in San Diego and was a law school faculty member at the University of San Diego in periods when he was not serving Reagan, who was a close friend. Meese told Newsmax that Congress may have to consider impeachment if Obama were to "try to override the Second Amendment in any way." Meese did allow that there were some executive actions the president could take that would not be impeachable. Meese is one of several conservatives warning of such action if Obama supposedly encroaches on the Second Amendment.
Edwin Meese is an idiot. Obama IMPEACHED!!!!!!!!! OMG is that funny.
SurfPup: Meese is one of those strict constructionists that considers the Constitution a sacred document, rather than a dynamic document that must be brought up to date from time to time. There is nothing sacred about the Second Amendment. My own view -- which many will disagree with -- is that the Second Amendment is really talking about a state's right to have a well regulated armed militia...at that time armed with muskets. Those great Americans who wrote our Constitution would be horrified that the nation cannot ban assault weapons. Best, Don Bauder
Actually Don, the history of the 2nd Amendment is quite interesting:
http://truth-out.org/news/item/13890-the-second-amendment-was-ratified-to-preserve-slavery
http://www.saf.org/LawReviews/Bogus2.htm
How can Meese be a "Constitutional Scholar" and know nothing of this?
Get ready to laugh, the punishment is searching for a crime. I find it amazing that the Republicans have found so little real crime. Could it be that Democrats are completely honest? I find that hilarious and I'm a Democrat. Right now the foundation for impeachment is being discovered on safari in Kenya. I predict the House Republicans will go more and more Looney Tunes until the voting public gives them the "That's all folks.".
Psychlizard: But the loony Republicans in the House, thanks to gerrymandering, are in safe conservative Republican districts. Those far right Republicans are worried about somebody even loonier beating them in a primary. Best, Don Bauder
Wait, irrelevant Meese? Are you kidding me? My grandma thinks her binky is Ronald Reagen. I don't listen to that, I'd rather listen to the sound wisdom of say, hell Daniel Tosh. Right? Oh great, was it something I said?
FatCatSegat: Meese and Reagan were extremely close personally as well as professionally. But it is my understanding that Reagan favored gun control. Meese is now with the Heritage Foundation. Maybe he has to talk the company line. Best, Don Bauder
Meese and Reagan were extremely close personally as well as professionally.
Ronnie Raygun and Gordon Luce were extremely close too, with Raygun making Luce a Cabinet Member when Ronnie was CA Gov, and Ronnie was still very close to Luce when he was POTUS, visiting Luce's Point Loma home more than once..............................
SP: You are correct. Gordon Luce was a close friend of Reagan. Best, Don Bauder
Reagan freaked out as Governor when members of the Black Panthers showed up armed, asserting their 2nd Amendment rights at the State Capital building.
He became an eager gun controller immediately thereafter.
I do recall that!
Regardless of where you stand on this whole firearms matter, and regardless of what you think of it, there's about no chance of an impeachment. Today, even the redoubtable Limbaugh was telling his callers that the GOP in the House has no stomach for any sort of impeachment battle. And he called it right when he said that even if the House did impeach, the Senate would have to conduct a trial. But the Dems control the Senate, and even when they didn't, last time it was done, it failed. Removal from office requires a 2/3 or greater vote in the Senate. Nevah gonna happen. Remember the impeachment trial of Slick Willie? After all that thrashing around, he was not removed. What's more amazing, most of the folks don't even remember it. It will take something outrageous that really sticks with the voters before there's any chance of impeachment, and even more outrageous before any president is removed from office. Ol' Ed is just spouting off because he can.
Visduh: I agree. There won't be an impeachment on this issue, no matter how intensely the gun advocates feel. The real nuts in the gun movement are even in the minority within the National Rifle Association. Polls indicate that NRA members don't want guns in the hands of the mentally unstable, and want background checks prior to gun purchases. If memory serves me right, a majority of NRA members want assault weapons banned, too. Best, Don Bauder
This is clearly absurd. Meese's idea is almost as silly as the trillion dollar coin.
ImJustABill: The announcer seemed to shove Meese in the direction of the answer he gave, but somebody with any experience would have been able to dance around the query. That said, Meese actually said what he was reported saying. He has no excuse, except possibly senescence. Best, Don Bauder
Has Meese been tested for dementia lately ?
Murphyjunk: He didn't sound demented in the interview. Best, Don Bauder
Don, Sometimes it feels like the gun industry relishes these kind of debates because sales are going through the roof across America. How ironic that we have gun buy-back programs at the same time as gun sales and shows like in Del Mar. I hope we can collectively come to our senses before another tragedy occurs. Thanks for all you do!
Woodchuck: This morning, after Obama's presentation for possible gun law legislation and presidential administrative actions, the stock of Smith & Wesson was soaring upward in anticipation of a sales surge in advance of any possible anti-gun action. If Wall Street acted on long term considerations, Smith & Wesson stock would have gone down. But only short term considerations move Wall Street. Best, Don Bauder
While there is clearly a bull market in guns, the next bull market is going to be in ammunition, which is already in short supply.
The biggest problem is that far too many politicians and judges can no longer be trusted to protect American citizens because they are corrupt and/or incompetent.
This condition makes it far too easy for fear and hate propaganda to dominate discussions because our political and intellectual leaders are no longer able to meet the social, political, economic and environmental challenges that are increasingly out of control. Even our educational and religious institutions have failed us.
Unless we restore integrity and morality as paramount cultural values for our leaders, chaos shall be our only future unless the new social media can provide We The People with the power to fight back against corruption and incompetence in time to allow us to perpetuate Democracy.
The biggest problem is that far too many politicians and judges can no longer be trusted to protect American citizens because they are corrupt and/or incompetent.
You have no idea how bad the STATE judiciary is...........
With continuous attacks by the Tea Party and NRA along with a dysfunctional congress and supreme court, we are as close to civil war as we have been since the Civil War.
Fear and Hate propaganda may have already surpassed the highest level since the Civil Rights legislation in the 60s.
The current level of social and political chaos makes it appear that all of our institutions, including academic and religious institutions, have failed to produce enough leaders to protect American Democracy.
May God Bless America, because we need all the help we can get.
Anon: Agreed: the fear and hate levels, and stark divisions in the populace, are the highest they have been since the 1960s. Best, Don Bauder
SurfPup: I'm sure Anon knows how corrupt the state judiciary is. And you are right: it is. Best, Don Bauder
Anon: There has been a societal breakdown because people no longer trust law enforcement, the judicial branch, Congress and state legislatures, local councils, administrative branches from the White House down to the local level, the legal profession, the medical profession, big business....the list goes on and on. The trouble is that the people's distrust is thoroughly justified. Corruption is ubiquitous. Greed kills. Best, Don Bauder
Tragically, your comment is an excellent reality check Don. It doesn't help that we have the new "Fear and Hate 'R' Us" culture (including Fox, U-T, Tea Party and NRA) to drive us further on the road to chaos every day.
The best hope for the future for our newest generations appears to be the latest communications technologies that allow people around the world to communicate to discuss problems and expedite solutions to counteract the Fear and Hate culture that makes poverty, global warming, fear and hate more destructive for the future of the human race every day.
It doesn't help that we have the new "Fear and Hate 'R' Us" culture (including Fox, U-T, Tea Party and NRA) to drive us further on the road to chaos every day.
Yes Anon, we KNOW the looney left is pure as the driven snow, and has not caused ANY of the current problems.
I hate seeing one sided partisan griping, from either side.
SP: The left is hardly pure, but the hate culture is basically breeding on the right. Best, Don Bauder
Actually Don and SP, I have absolutely no respect for either political party so I am a registered nonpartisan voter.
Both parties have failed to meet the needs of American Democracy, and both are responsible for our current decline and fall failure mode.
Republicans and democrats have both not only failed to honor our the legacy of Founding Fathers, and they have failed to honor the legacy passed on to us by every hero and patriot who has ever risked their life fighting for American Democracy.
I gravely fear that If we don't produce and elect some Founding Father class politicians very soon, then American Democracy is not going to survive much longer.
Actually, a worst case root cause of the failure of our political system is that our universities and religions have totally failed for far too long to produce enough politicians with integrity and morality to protect American Democracy today.
Actually Don and SP, I have absolutely no respect for either political party so I am a registered nonpartisan voter.
Now there we go-that's what I am talking about - BOTH SIDES suck eggs. I was a hardcore democrat my entire adult life-until about 15 years ago when they started throwing the poor and middle class under the bus for the public unions....... now I am Independent.
Anon: You make very good points, but keep in mind that our Founding Fathers were part-time politicians. They did not live to get reelected. They did not raise funds one-third of the time they were in office. Many were independently wealthy and few if any were in the pockets of the rich. Best, Don Bauder
I still have to believe that our Founding Fathers were a hell of a lot busier in their daily lives and dedicated to Democracy than the indentured servants our politicians have allowed themselves to devolve into today, especially since life itself was a whole lot more dangerous until they beat the British, especially those heroes and patriots that signed their names to the Declaration of Independence and thus risked everything to create the United States of America. We just don't have those kind of people in Washington today, except for war veterans who are now congressmen/women.
Anon: There are some good signs. Advertisers are dropping Rush Limbaugh. MSNBC is gaining on Fox. Best, Don Bauder
Frankly Don, I have no hope as long as Christians fail to stop their clergy from molesting children, as long as politicians and judges fail to protect children from being murdered and starved while they indenture themselves to special interests, alumni who allow professors to fail to meet the challenges of change while enriching themselves with tenure that allows them to cease working for a living, and an electorate that fails to demand that our politicians and judges cease indenturing themselves to satisfy their avarice, because we are getting what we deserve today.
Anon: Too many of our leaders' lives revolve around greed and coverups of their transgressions. Best, Don Bauder
I agree Don, but don't forget that it is the electorate that allows political parties to produce "leaders' (whose) lives revolve around greed and coverups of their transgressions" that are the only choices we are given to vote for.
That's why I pray that the new communications technologies will allow the newest generations to take control of our Democracy away from the culture of "greed and coverup".
But MSNBC is just as bad a Fox, I want both of then to go away;
"Those great Americans who wrote our Constitution would be horrified that the nation cannot ban assault weapons."
The elephant in the room is that people want weapons because they truly believe they might need them at some point in their lives. It has nothing whatever to do with the Second Amendment. Any kind of comprehensive discussion of such real issues is verboten by both extremes.
Let us look at actual statistics that are relevant to the issues, and let's look at ALL of them.
Twister: The self-defense argument has nothing to do with assault weapons...logically, at least. Do you need an assault weapon to protect your household from a thief? Come now. Best, Don Bauder
Don Bauder, For some of these people,it's not about self defense from the guy trying to rob your house, it's about self defense from the rambling hoards when the country violently falls into anarchy or the violent hoards that will roam the country when the entire country falls victim to some sort of disaster, either natural or man made. If you want a good picture of just how tightly some of these wingnuts are twisted, you only need look at a couple of shows on tv: Doomsday Preppers on National Geographic and Doomsday Bunkers on Discovery. Some of these people are completely clueless and bring new meaning to the term looney tunes. And definitely NOT the people who should be stockpiling assault weapons and thousands upon thousands of rounds of ammunition.
Just my opinion. Opinions vary.
tomjohnston: You are absolutely right. A lot of those claiming they need assault weapons for self-defense are those who expect the apocalypse. And many if not most of those are so unstable they shouldn't be permitted to have weapons. Best, Don Bauder
Expect the apocalypse or yearn for it? I have heard and seen (via email) some of my customers from across the nation make comments like "Get ready, it's coming!". And they make no secret that they're more than heavily armed. I still think that good ol' American racism has a lot to do with the current climate. That and all these supposed adults masquerading as little boys playing "Army".
Duhbya: In the financial world, many people get rich predicting the apocalypse. I get stuff from them every day. You are right that much of today's hatred is race-based. People resent the fact that demographics are changing and an African-American is president, but they may not say it overtly. Best, Don Bauder
The NRA is a marketing organization, and business is good.
DianaGeorgina: The officials at the top of the NRA have turned the organization into a lobbying/propaganda arm of the weapons industry. And you are right: business is booming. The membership of the NRA is generally sane. Polls show that NRA members go along with much of Obama's program. Best, Don Bauder
There are a lot of very good people who are NRA members and we can only hope that they send protests to the NRA extremist leaders who make them all look bad, or resign from the NRA if the extremists continue with their Fear and Hate propaganda.
Anon: If Obama is to get his program through Congress, the sane people within the NRA may be very useful. Best, Don Bauder
Which one is the assault rifle? It is the same gun http://modernsurvivalonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/ruger_banner.jpg
jeff, you made a point without words that I've not been able to make in regard to "assault rifles." The assault rifle act that expired had some strange outcomes, and one was that the Ruger Mini-14 was not an "assault rifle" whereas some others that did the same things were so classified. Seems the definitions emphasized a rifle being black, not wood stocked, and having a pistol grip. Actually the Mini-14 can accept 20- and even 30-round magazines. It fires semi-automatically, but so do many 22 cal rifles that were made decades ago. Defining an "assault rifle" is not a simple matter, and there will be many hangups before that sort of thing is done. There's also the matter of already-manufactured rifles that end up considered to be part of the banned category. What happens to those? It does get most complicated.
Visduh: good points, emphasizing that the legislation will have to be drawn carefully, and the gun lobby will pettifog the discussion. Best, Don Bauder
Jeff: Good point. Joe Biden made it yesterday, noting that those fighting the reform efforts will muddy the debate by questioning the definition of an assault weapon, and probably various kinds of ammunition clips. Best, Don Baude