Will it play in Peoria?

At the very least, it plays in the Quad City Times and that's close enough.

Every kid who ever has played cops and robbers knows that the good guys try to keep guns away from the bad guys. The last thing you'd do is sit around and watch crooks sell each other weapons then sit back and wait for the carnage.

But that's exactly what leadership within the Department of Justice and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms are charged with doing, in an apparently harebrained ploy to get close to Mexico's drug cartels.

The plan was dubbed Operation Fast and Furious. Foolish and Fatal might be more accurate.

But he lost me when he promoted the "review the nation's gun laws" theme.

The meaning of the phrase "Will it Play in Peoria?"

Long gun reporting starts in the SW

And will soon come to a neighborhood gun dealer near you.

David Codrea: DoJ proceeds with long gun reporting requirement

Dave Workman: BREAKING: DoJ announces gun reporting requirements; Issa, Grassley respond

Our Senator Grassley had this to say:

“We’ve learned from our investigation of Fast and Furious that reporting multiple long gun sales would do nothing to stop the flow of firearms to known straw purchasers because many Federal Firearms Dealers are already voluntarily reporting suspicious transactions. In fact, in just the documents we’ve obtained, we are aware of 150 multiple long guns sales associated with the ATF’s Fast and Furious case, and despite the fact that nearly all of these sales were reported in real time by cooperating gun dealers, the ATF watched the guns be transported from known straw purchasers to third parties and then let the guns walk away, often across the border. This makes it pretty clear that the problem isn’t lack of burdensome reporting requirements. The administration’s continued overreach with regulations continues, and is a distraction from its reckless policy to allow guns to walk into Mexico.”

Grassley has been using the term "walked" more often lately and I heard this from him in an interview on WHO radio last week. "Gunwalker" is the term David Codrea came up with to describe these weapons that the ATF allowed to go into Mexico and other countries in Central America.

Now we are hearing of reports that the Tampa and Houston ATF offices followed the lead of the Phoenix ATF office and allowed now up to 5000 guns out of the country.

Because these mayors are so helpful

They want to make sure we get to the bottom of the whole "Fast and Furious/Gunwalker" fiasco.

The group, Mayors Against Illegal Guns, is pushing Obama to lift a rider known as the Tiahrt Amendment from the fiscal year 2012 budget proposal. By removing the rider, lawmakers would gain access to records of guns sold through the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives’ operation "Fast and Furious," which oversaw the sale of weapons to known and suspected straw purchasers for Mexican drug cartels.

And more helpful advice:

“It is time to put it into effect to help ATF and other law enforcement identify individuals who may be buying guns like AK-47s and AR-15s by the carload and driving them south for sale to the violent drug gangs who are murdering thousands of people and destabilizing the entire border region,” they wrote.

Weren't the ATF involved with getting the guns to Mexico? If so, wouldn't they already know who was involved with the straw-purchasing? Considering they assured gun dealers to go through with the purchases anyway, it's a safe bet the answer is yes.

Mayors call on Obama to strengthen enforcement of country’s gun laws

I just trust them. (The proofreader missed his mark and may soon be fired - ed.)

Supporter of 2nd Amendment has a but

"I support the 2nd Amendment, but..." is a line that most politicians use just before the legislation comes along that would inhibit that right.

Rep. Bob Kressig, D-Cedar Falls, is the ranking member of the House Public Safety Committee, which dealt with a lot of the gun legislation. He said he's in favor of Second Amendment rights, but also thought the state needs to "be smart" about how the permits are issued.

His idea of "smart"?

"I think there are some opportunities for improvement in the training," Kressig said.

In other words, more state involvement because there have been a rash of incidents around the state involving permit holders that need to be reigned in because of the irresponsible or illegal behavior.

You read about these incidents in the papers, right?

You can read more at 'Shall issue' gun law sparks surge of new permits

Sunday (not so) funnies, 7/10/11

Gun carry permit revoked

Before January, sheriffs had discretion in issuing the permits and could place restrictions on the licenses. With the change, sheriffs are directed to issue permits to applicants who meet training requirements and aren't barred from possessing firearms because of a criminal record or mental health reasons.

"The number of revocations has increased since the new law, and the nature of the types of offenses that have occurred has also increased,"[Sheriff] Thompson said.

He said revocations before the new law were rare and minor.

Gun permit revoked after altercation in parking lot

Numbers, sheriff???

I predicted that each revocation (justified or not) of a carry permit would get media coverage and I'm just not seeing it. Not to say it hasn't happened before this incident, but I haven't heard of a rash of revocations. And there's not enough details in this case to make an informed opinion.

I would say that the carry permit process has been so successful that more county sheriffs' departments are giving classes to compete with the commercial certified instructors that have been giving classes around the state. That brings in another 30-50 bucks on top of the permit fee into the county coffers.

My county sheriff is offering classes now. But he's not one of the critics of the carry law.

Out of steam, 7/7/11

Been a little busy lately, work, home and I've been looking for a small tractor and mower.

Here's an update:



Reminds me of my career, except this old engine makes it to the top.

Independence day funnies

Golf summit deemed a success

When Obama criticized the congress in a press conference last week:

"They're in one week they're out one week. You need to be here, I'm here. You stay here. Let's get it done."

"These folks are counting on us. They desperately want to believe their leadership is thinking of them and is not playing games."

Apparently this is what he really meant:


President Tee-Time yucking it up with Cry-baby Boehner, VP Biden aka "The Plagiarist" and a GOP presidential wanna be from Ohio.

"The foursome had great time and really enjoyed playing golf at Joint Base Andrews today," a statement from the White House said.

And the picture shows that they were thinking of the American people and not playing games because golf is not a game (or something.)

A classic "let them eat cake" moment and all four of these guys are either too stupid or too arrogant to realize it.

"The foursome had great time..."

Sunday (not so) funnies, 7/3/11