I just ran across a literal case of damning with faint praise in a comment on Megan McArdle's blog at the Atlantic. Why are you Obama supporters so depressed? I know he's a great speaker -- I haven't seen a crowd in the palm of any speaker's hand like that since " Triumph of The Will " -- but as a practical matter, there is hardly any policy difference between Hillary and Obama. He's maybe 5% more liberal than her. Is style more important to you than substance? - Posted by...

Are there any firearms restrictions that would have prevented the Westroads Mall shooting (short of an outright ban). Not really. First, despite all the hype abbout how the killer used an "assault weapon", that's a non-started. He used a magazine-fed semi-automatic rifle in a medium caliber. In other circumstances, this would be a hunting rifle. There are purpose-designed hunting rifles with the same pertinent features (semi-auto, magazine-fed, medium caliber) as the rifle that the ...

The Westroads Mall in Omaha, NE was the scene of another massacre by a mentally-disturbed individual last week. The killer's goals appeared to be to become famous and to die. He has suceeded at both, but in opposition to his goals, I will not name him. As with many other shootings of this type, it occurred in a nominal "Gun-Free" zone. Unlike some others, I'm not going to claim that the killer chose his venue based on the lack of legal firearms, as other shooters have gone to police statio...

Very much in the immortal words of Inigo Montoya "You keep on citing that case - it does not mean what you think it mean s". I was reminded recently of “ The Peculiar Story of United States v. Miller ” in the comments there, and re-read that article. I think that the gollums ' continual citing of Miller is going to bit them in the ass, HARD. Review the following from "The Peculiar Story...": McReynolds assumed the Second Amendment guarantees the right to keep and bear arms ...

Ed Morrissey (Who normally blogs at Captain's Quarters ) has a piece on Heading Right that makes an interesting point. Why did the Democrats, who control both houses of Congress, and who have made many dire predictions about the NSA's wiretapping program, especially in the hands of that arch-destroy of civil liberties Alberto Gonzalez, pass the new wiretapping legislation? It doesn't look good for the Democrats.

If you don't mind a bit of metaphor - the roller-coaster-car has started up the big climb: the DC government is appealing to the Supreme Court of the US in reaction to the adverse decision at the District Court level in Parker vs. DC . There's one more chance for the ride to fail; the Supremes could deny cert. But if they take it, hang on, the 2008 political season is going to be a bumpy ride. Any Supreme Court case has the potential for national exposure, of course, but this one has the c...

Today’s big news is from the Ninth Circuit – Nordyke v King has been decided on appeal . (It’s readable – I recommend reading it). The amazing news is that the decision agrees that the 2nd amendment applies to the States, not just the Federal Government (it is incorporated ). Some choice quotes: This brief survey of our history reveals a right indeed “deeply rooted in this Nation’s history and tradition.” Moreover, whereas the Supreme Court has previously incorporated rights...

At roughly 1015 hrs EDT, the Supreme Court of the United States affirmed the lower court ruling and struck down the unconstitutional ban on ownership of handguns and functional firearms in Washington DC. This decision is "the end of the beginning" for supporters of the 2nd amendment - it states that the 2nd amendment recognizes a pre-existing natural right to self-defense and that handgun ownership is a primary method to exercise that right. The opinion itself is full of hi...

No decision on Heller today - The Chief Justice has announced from the courtroom that the Court will issue all of its remaining opinions tomorrow at 10 a.m. Eastern. To quote Susan Ivanova - "No boom today. Boom tomorrow."

As long as a man with a vasectomy can civilly marry a woman with a hysterectomy - both of them divorced atheists - I can see no reason to prevent gays from marrying civilly and enjoying all the rights, privileges, & responsibilities as the first couple. Discuss politely, please

In the comments to my previous article on the Rights of Man , this was posted by Locamama: So you think that healthcare is a priviledge?  I'm not talking about fake boobies and viagara, I mean basic healthcare?  I'm one of those leftist wannabe socialists who thinks that basic healthcare is a right.  Healthcare is indeed a privilege; it is not a right possessed by the "lonely man". It is a privilege because in the end you must force another person to work for you, there...

So everyone is "eulogizing" Fidel Castro right now (regardless of his actual status, it is clear his time on the stage of the world is at an end. I was reading the comments to Armed Liberal's post on the subject; and ran across a lovely comment by Celebrim (in response to an earlier comment that the US has not realized "health care is a human right.") I propose a simple test for human rights. Human rights are those things that a man would possess were he the only person on the Earth. The...

New Jersey is now a Super Tuesday state, and all of the candidates are still on the ballot So on the democratic part is (and in order from left to right - I wonder how place on ballot is assigned) Barak Obama - Dennis Kucinich - John Edwards - Joe Biden - Bill Richardson - Hillary Clinton On the Republican part is Rudy Giuliani - Fred Thompson - Mitt Romney - John McCain - Ron Paul - Mike Huckabee Names are as spelled on the ballot. I'm taking the opportunity to send a message -...

I have just six words to tell all of you who want to let your "silence" be heard by the Republicans Supreme Court Justice William Jefferson Clinton Sweet dreams...

I'm rifffing on Megan again - but she has an interesting comment about the Democratic debates today. "I look at that debate and it seems to me that Democrats think they can't lose in November--that the only important battle is the one for the nomination." I find that interesting, because I know for a fact this is true of New York City (It's the reason Mayor Bloomberg ran as a Republican), and suspect it's true of much of Illinois. In areas that are heavily dominated by one party, ...