Captain's Quarters -

A stopped clock is right twice each day.

The bottom line is that I don't trust McCain. This is actually made worse by his apparent relish for his "maverick" image: does he really believe in the things he says, or does he simply like to be controversial?

Until he works to get McCain-Feingold repealed AND issues a public apology for trampling the Constitution, he'll never get my vote.

...and the press will probably crucify anyone who uses the massacre to score points on either side of that debate.

Not quite.

The press will try to crucify anyone who tries to use the massacre to score points for the pro-2nd Amendment side of the debate.

Scoring points for the anti-2nd side will be applauded.

With that said, docjim505 has a real point. I won't vote for the guy until McCain-Feingold is repealed*. The 1st Amendment is just as important to me as the 2nd is, and McCain's record is iffy on both.

*Or Hillary gets the nomination.

"He did it before on gun control when he publicly crowed about opposing the NRA on demanding background checks for purchases at gun shows -- a position that the NRA probably should have abandoned earlier anyway. "

Why? The so-called "gun show loophole" applies only to private sales, not to commercial ones, which are treated no differently than gun shops. I can understand the theory that all gun sales should be subject to background checks no matter what, but if there is a logical basis for not requiring background checks for private sales that do not take place at gun shows, while requiring them for private sales that do, I have yet to hear it.

The former New York mayor said "this tragedy does not alter the Second Amendment" while indicating he favors the right of states to pass their own restrictions.

This statement illustrates the hypocrisy of "smart" shysters like Giuliani...and most of the lefties. The "Incorporation Doctrine" has forced the States to recognize the Federal Governments standards on the First, Fourth and Fifth Amendments...but not the Second.

If the State of NY (or NYC) restricted the First Amendment “rights" of its citizens as much as it crushes their Second Amendment "rights" we'd be hearing about it on a daily basis. The ACLU and their shysterly comrades would be up in arms.

Why do "they" only selectively incorporate the Amendments? Any shysters out there willing to help a brother out on this one?

Michael Ramirez did a great cartoon, today. Picture this.

Bush, with a Napoleonic hat, and oars; is all alone in a row boat named "Iraq."

While a giant cruise ship, labelled "Independents." Has turned tail.

The picture grasps the reality. "Bombing Iran" right now is WAY TOO SOON. It doesn't have support!

And, it just progresses, further, the real mistake Bush made. ANd, one that will stain his reputation, ahead.

Do you know why?

America NEVER was pro-active. We never went after other nations, until we'd be hit.

Heck, even in the beginning, when we faced the pirates all alone. No one would help us protect our shipping interests; because france and england wanted our 1776 march towards greatness, to fail.

They never did get their wishes, fulfilled.

But over 200 years, now, where congress really declares war; the executive remains the Commander in Chief. In order to respond TO attack!

Until you're attacked, you can complain, a lot. But you can't move in the military. It's against the American nature.

Even Lincoln waited for the rebels to fire the first shot.

As to McCain "wanting" to be president; okay. I'll buy that he's ambitious. But I think his time came and went. He never put up the good fight, when he should have torn into the elder Bush. Instead? Politics. A hardball game, where lots of the 100 senators sit in their seats, and stew.

Now, I can care less.

McCain gets airwave time. But he's not building support, either. If this Bush is in a row boat, all alone, McCain is just swimming. Nobody is gonna throw him the presidency, as if the presidency is a life-raft.

On the other hand? It's always possible for McCain, looking to stay afloat, now; to be angling towards HILLARY! HA! Not Iran!

There's worse news. Gates is in Israel, saying the Saudis will get their $8-billion military upgrade; because if we don't sell them stuff, the russians will.

I'm really tired hearing all these bullshit excuses.

If Cho was the individual who was able to kill so many on a campus; I don't need to see James Baker, and his boy, Gates, going to Israel, with this "fait-accompli" business. That the Saud's get advanced military hardware.

Again, the idiot in the white house thinks this will work against iran. Man's a sucker for the House of Saud!

Do you know why you can picture American "independents" at sail at sea; and not showing interest for the GOP? Huh?

I don't know what's out there. Except the limelight. And, even John "Karry" is suiting up.

Sometimes? Politics is hard ball.

But at other times it's strictly speaking, Monty Python skits.

And, by 2008? McCain, NOW, is trying to convince hillary to let him saddle her up. So she can come "close" to the white house; again. By being veep.

While most Americans aren't in the mood for what's going on.

And, the support for "boom, boom, boom" in Iran is on par with aggressively making a war; instead of letting your INCOMPETENT ENEMIES have the "first shot."

Even hitler's first shot was weak, ya know?

But the brits? They suffered from bad management.

Did you know Winston Churchill knew in 1941, that the biggest threat to England was BANKRUPTCY?

That's why FDR came up with "lend-lease."

Lend lease meant we didn't expect to be paid "letting our neighbor borrow our fire hose." And, that's exactly how FDR explained it during his radio address, to the people.

When FDR spoke, Americans listened.

When the boob in the white house tries to speak, he has no energy. And, now he has no popularity, either.

There is a side issue, here, too, for the media.

When the Virginia Tech story broke, I picked it up HERE, as breaking news. I copy & pasted it to my son, and some email Net friends I've found over the years.

I didn't turn on the TV.

I didn't turn on the radio.

But I saw it all on the Net. Loads of other people are doing the same.

By the way, for one brief second, when I came on today, I GOT RADIO! But as soon as I went to an article, posted. The sound disappeared.

Captain Ed. Please do a post where I can learn how "grabbing the sound" works. Thanks. CAROL

If McCain gets ALL his stupid bills repealed and issues an apology for each and every single one of them, I still won't vote for him, EVER.

Today, I haven't had the chance to see the news, yet on TV, but I've seen news online with a photo of McCain singing "Bomb Bomb Bomb Bomb Bomb Iran", on the campaign trail and some military personnel are on the stage behind him as he does so.

There are NO circumstances on EARTH where such conduct is befitting anyone who would be President of the USA.

ESPECIALLY NOT IF HE IS ONLY MOCKING SOMEONE ELSE!

I didn't go read the article, I cannot tolerate the man. It didnt' seem inthe opening of it to indicate he was mocking anyone else, but there simply is no excuse for this.

ESPECIALLY someone who has been a member of the military, and is now a member of Congress.

He is the Howard Dean of the GOP - this is equivalent to "THE SCREAM".

What a lunatic!

Come on, those of you who are reserves and active members of the 101st Fighting Keyboardists had to get a rush of male hormones when McCain sang (albiet it badly) the Bomb Bomb Bomb Bomb Bomb Iran tune.

Maybe they (Iran) will, in fact, welcome us with roses and kisses after we bomb their country back to Afghanistan status? The architects of this current war were right, they just mispelled Iran with Iraq.

I remember as a new gun rights activist that John McCain said he would oppose gun control legislation if we elected him to the Senate the first time. We believed him. We helped get him elected. He stabbed us in the back at the first opportunity.

Now he's making bold moves again, supporting the Second Amendment in words, not deeds, like he did so long ago.

Yeah, right! Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

I will never forget that I swore I would never support this traitor again, as long as I lived.

I can understand the theory that all gun sales should be subject to background checks no matter what, but if there is a logical basis for not requiring background checks for private sales that do not take place at gun shows, while requiring them for private sales that do, I have yet to hear it.

It's not the background check that is being objected to, really. I daresay most private (and commercial) sellers would be delighted to have a way to verify that the buyer is not a bad guy.

The problem is the retention of the record of the check. The bill that authorized the creation of NICS explicitly stated that the records were to be destroyed very shortly afterwards (72 hours, I think), but a judge ruled that retaining records "to audit system performance" was permitted, despite explicit statutory language to the contrary.

This makes NICS a de facto firearms registration system.